Travel Writing Classes in Provence, France

Lavender fields
Lavender fields outside of Vaison la Romaine, the site of the Travel Writing Class.

Travel writing is one of the most exciting genres of nonfiction, calling on all of an author’s skills—dramatic scenes, character sketches, concrete detail, point of view, scene by scene construction. This six-day intensive travel writing course will introduce you to essential techniques of travel, food and wine writing and give you expert, insider advice about how to submit and publish finished stories.

In addition to learning these skills, you’ll dine at outstanding restaurants, visit some of the world’s best wineries, and explore fascinating historic sights. You’ll enjoy exclusive behind-the-scenes tours unavailable to the general public. Best of all, you’ll receive up-to-date story ideas from local industry experts that you can turn into finished stories by the end of the travel writing course and submit to newspapers and magazines for publication.

The six-day travel writing class (May 18 – 24) will take place in Vaison la Romaine, one of the most beautiful medieval hill towns in Provence, and a center of its cultural and epicurean life since Roman times. The cost will be $2600. Plane tickets and travel to and from Vaison la Romaine are extra. See travel writing page on this website for more information.

To enroll, send me a non-refundable deposit of $800 to 201 Newell St., Seattle, WA 98109. Enrollment is limited to 10. For more information, contact me.

Summer Seattle Writing Class

There’s still room in my Seattle writing class, Writing for Story, which teaches how to add dramatic, pacing and conflict to any narrative, essential tricks of the trade, whether in fiction or nonfiction. Details below. Let me know if you’d like to sign up!
Writing for Story: Summer Creative Writing Class

This summer I’ll offer a Creative Writing Seminar entitled “Writing for Story: How to Recognize, Organize and Write Narratives.” This course will demonstrate how to heighten conflict and resolution in fiction and nonfiction, greatly enhancing the readability and publishability of the finished piece. You’ll receive detailed, constructive criticism of your fictional and nonfictional stories and book chapters. In addition, we’ll discuss dramatic scenes, outlines, cover letters, and other topics of interest to you.

The course will run June 19 to July 31 on Wednesday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. and one Monday evening July 8 in Room 221 of the Good Shepherd Center in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood (4649 Sunnyside Avenue North).

In addition to the classroom work, I will schedule individual conferences with each student. This will give me a chance to go over your story or book with you one-on-one and suggest ways to improve it. There will be six assignments: a 150- to 250-word story idea or book concept statement, a 250-word dramatic scene, a 25-word outline of your story, a 1500- to 2500-word story or book chapter and its revision, and a cover letter for your story or book. The cost will be $600 per person. Texts: Writing for Story by Jon Franklin; The Art of Fact edited by Kevin Kerrane and Ben Yagoda. Both titles are available at the Elliott Bay Book Company.

To enroll, please send me check for $600 to 201 Newell St., Seattle, WA 98109. Enrollment is limited to 15. For more information, contact me.

Rocking Emerald Heights

Emerald Heights readingThe Writer’s Workshop Blog highlights my adventures teaching writing classes, writing stories, articles and books, leading travel, food and wine writing classes to France and Italy, traveling the globe, promoting my books including the novel, The Storms of Denali, and other aspects of the wild and crazy world of writing and publishing. Writing and publishing are changing enormously and I hope this blog will help keep you up to date on some of the changes.

My last reading at Emerald Heights, my parent’s new home, was a smashing success. Over 100 people attended, over 20 people bought copies of The Storms of Denali, and only two people fell asleep! Many thanks to my father for the rousing introduction.