Readers of historical novels want to feel like they’re living in a different time and place while they follow the characters through the pages of the plot. That puts an additional burden on the writer to get the balance between fact and fiction just right. Join author Jerrie Hurd to learn what to research, how to pick the right details, and when to weave them into the action. BTW the same struggle to balance fact and fiction also applies to writers of science fiction, history mysteries and creative nonfiction.
Jerrie Hurd’s novels are based on the groundbreaking research that changed how historians view the contributions women made to the settlement of the American West. Publisher’s Weekly describes her women characters as “gutsy, unforgettable and original.” Because of her books and research, Hurd was invited to serve as an advisor for the Autry Museum in Los Angeles and the Women of the West Museum when it was based in Boulder. She is also a widely published writer of short stories and essays. As if to prove that good research goes beyond the historical novel, Hur
The Boulder Writers' Workshop has a new home and a whole new set of features at www.boulderwritersworkshop.org. We totally overhauled the site, to give our members a better experience, including their own, unique membership area where they can connect with each other and gain access to exclusive news and articles that will help their writing. We also have a new event management system, making registration for our events easier and centralized. The BWW is also launching its own blog, which supporting members can write for. I look forward to seeing you there!
The Boulder Writers' Workshop is proud to announce the addition of two eight-week classes to its September lineup in the "Get It Done" series. Both classes are being taught by experienced authors.
The Novel Writing class will be taught by Jenny Shank, who is the author of the novel The Ringer, which was a
finalist for the Reading the West Book Awards, sponsored by the Mountains &
Plains Independent Booksellers Association, and is a Tattered Cover Book Store
Summer Reading 2011 selection. Her stories, essays, and reviews have appeared
in many publications.
The Short Story and Essay Writing class will be taught by Michael Smith, a freelance editor, teacher, and fiction writer. He is a graduate of
The Stonecoast MFA Program at the University of Southern Maine recently
completed a short story collection, "Your Former Ex-Lover," and is
hard at work on a nonfiction project as well as his first novel. His short
story, "Last Pay Phone in America," can be read in the Spring issue
of The Portland Review. He has worked
with several literary magazines and presses in the past, including Pearson-Longman,
McGraw-Hill, Penguin, Story
Quarterly, Other
Voices, The Journal, and
New Rivers Press.
We feel very fortunate that Christopher Boucher has us put us on his list of stops for the launch tour of his new book, "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive." He's gotten lots of great press on his book, including a starred review in Publishers Weekly. After his talk on Monday evening, we'll be spiriting him and his lovely wife away for dinner. The location is top secret, but when you register for the workshop at www.meetup.com/boulder writers, our host for the evening, Craig Yager, will put you in the loop. A special thanks, also, to Craig for putting this dinner together. Hope to see you there!
Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, the short form packs a punch for readers and offers the best publishing opportunities for new writers. In this eight-week class, writer and editor Michael Smith gives you the structure and knowledge you’ll need to produce a polished, professional piece. Through lectures, exercises and assignments, you’ll learn the elements of storytelling. We'll discuss when to write a story as fiction or fact and what makes the short form different from a book. You’ll learn about top short story writers and personal essayists working today, how to research markets and how to pitch your finished short story or personal essay. Expect to do some outside reading and to give and receive feedback on work-in-progress.
About the Instructor: Michael Smith is a freelance editor, teacher, and fiction writer. He is a graduate of The Stonecoast MFA Program at the University of Southern Maine. Michael has recently completed a short story collection, "Your Former Ex-Lover." He has worked with several literary magazines and presses in the past, including Pearson-Longman, McGraw-Hill, Penguin, Story Quarterly, Other Voices, The Journal, and New Rivers Press. Michael resides in Boulder, Colorado, with his wife Ashley, son Charlie and their English Bulldog Beckett. For more information, please visit www.bsidesnarrative.com
Cost for course is $250. Please, preregister at www.meetup.com/boulderwriters. Minimum 6, maximum 10. Please pay in advance via PayPal. When you RSVP, you will be prompted to "pay online;" when you follow the link, you will be taken to PayPal option. Follow instructions on that page. Thank you!
"Keep good company, read good books, love good things and cultivate soul and body as faithfully as you can"
— Louisa May Alcott
Writers' Salon
The Villas at the Atrium
Boulder, Colorado
Saturday, March 10, 2012
10:30 a.m. to noon
Free
Join us for a relaxed and engaging get together to talk about writing and publishing with your peers. All genres and abilities are welcome. The last time we got a sneak preview of a forthcoming poetry book, a novel in progress and a member's very cool wedding photos. We discussed what constitutes "already published," establishing point of view, Wordpress blogs, writing past critics and more.
Please note that this is not a critique group, but a support and discussion group. You may bring something under five pages to share and we'll do our best to get to it.
The meeting is free but we ask that you buy a something to drink to support our host.
The Boulder Writers' Workshop (www.boulderwritersworkshop.com) is organized by Writing Coach Lori DeBoer (www.lorideboer.com). In addition to the weekly meetings in Boulder, we also feature great writing workshops at the North Metro Area Writers Chapter once a month (www.meetup.com/North-Metro-Writers). Lori works with writers of all genres both locally and nationally and is the founder and director of the national organization, Associated Writing Coaches (www.associatedwritingcoaches.com). Please e-mail her at lorideboer (at) rocketmail (dot) com, if you have questions or want to speak to our group.
The Boulder Writers' Workshop, directed by Writing Coach Lori DeBoer, supports writers of all genres and experience levels in Boulder and the North Metro Denver Area. We offer classes, workshops, events, get-togethers and news about our writing community. Founded in 2008, we have nearly 700 members.
Instructional Workshops
Several times a month we organize a workshop on some aspect of writing—be it craft, art, business, psychology or spirituality. The workshops are led either by our organizer, Lori DeBoer, by a professional in the community or one of our own members. Check our MeetUp site for upcoming workshops:
www.meetup.com/Boulderwriters
Speaking to Our Group
Our speakers have included editors, literary agents, publishers, writing coaches and professional writers in all genres. We also encourage our members to teach a workshop. If you are interested in speaking to our group, please e-mail Director Lori DeBoer.
Membership
General membership is free. There is usually a small fee to attend one of our workshops or classes. This cost helps cover our costs of organizing events, proving handouts, rental spaces when needed, among others. We do our very best to keep costs low while providing high quality workshops. We appreciate your understanding and support!
Join Us!
Please join us by e-mailing us at boulderwritersworkshop [at] yahoo [dot] com or by signing up at one of our two meetup sites:
www.meetup.com/Boulderwriters
www.meetup.com/North-Metro-Writers
And don't forget to check out our Facebook Page for discussions and updates:
