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2018 WFWA Workshops

Grabbing the Reader 

No matter how much time we spend writing our books, we need to grab the reader right away with our first pages, whether it be an agent, editor or potential customer. Do your first pages get the job done?

Post your first two pages (500 words) and get honest, helpful, anonymous feedback from other WFWA members on whether they’ve been ‘grabbed’. In return, you’ll give the same to at least five other members who post their pages. 

This workshop is free for all WFWA members.

The Elements of Timeless Storytelling with Donald Maass 

Learn how to adapt and apply elements from the classics to your contemporary fiction.

Donald Maass will teach lessons derived from time-tested literature that will guide writers to utilize the force of these story elements: 

• Knowing narrators
• Driving desires
• Riddles and plights
• Impossible tasks
• “Enchanted” lands
• Magical and surprising secondary characters. 

Please note this is a master class designed for experienced fiction writers. This class is a repeat of the March class. Limited to 40 participants in each workshop. You can only sign up once.

Registration opens April 16. $60 registration fee is for members only, and is nonrefundable and nontransferable.

Prepare your Pitch Workshop

Based on the Grabbing the Reader Workshop, participants will prepare, critique and hone your pitches. A great opportunity to get feedback from other writers on your pitch in advance of the agent pitch day in July, or just a chance to keep honing your pitch writing skills. Registration will open on June 4.

Agent Pitch Day

Once a year for a full 24 hours, members can pitch one women’s fiction manuscript, and within one week, agents reply to the posts they would like to pursue with what they want to see.

This is a FREE, members-only event, but due to overwhelming popularity, the event is capped at 80 registrants. In the weeks prior to registration, participating agents’ information will be posted.  

Problem-Solving for Novels in Progress with Crystal King

Do you have a shelved novel gathering dust? Are you stuck writing your current book? Do your characters sound flat or are your plot-lines beginning to unravel? This webinar will teach you new and practical tips to expand and enhance your existing novel ideas. You'll learn how to rely upon your own knowledge and intuition to solve your book's problems. This session is specifically geared for writers with novels-in-progress. 

Crystal King is the author of Feast of Sorrow, about the ancient Roman gourmand, Apicius, and The Chef's Secret, forthcoming February 12, 2019, about the Renaissance chef, Bartolomeo Scappi. A culinary enthusiast and marketing expert, her writing is fueled by a love of history and a passion for the food, language, and culture of Italy. She has taught classes in writing, creativity, and social media at several universities including Harvard Extension School and Boston University, as well as at GrubStreet, one of the leading creative writing centers in the U.S. She lives in Boston.