Back to Basics Boot Camp For Writers (4-week workshop) Need a refresher course on the rules of writing? Are you clueless about contractions? Spelling got you in a spin? Do you think a homophone is a device to talk on?  Then you're a prime candidate for this fun, four-week class to improve your writing "fitness". We'll cover subject/verb agreement, active vs. passive voice, homophones, contractions, and more! Just because you forgot what your English teacher taught you, doesn't mean you have to produce poor writing. Here's the chance to buckle down and boost your "bottom line" in the process! Enlist today.

Blogging for Profit or Pleasure
(2-day mini-workshop)
Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately you’ve heard the buzz about blogging. And hey, if you’ve haven’t, there’s no better time than the present.  Here’s the perfect workshop to help fill in all the blanks!

This 2-day workshop will address key topics of this popular medium.  Join this fun, information packed forum and discover: the 5Ws of Blogging, how to start your blog, a look at various software options, how to successfully promote your blog, how to land blogging jobs, and more!

Creating Character  (4-week workshop)  Do you want to know how to write “character-driven” stories?  Do you want to learn how to create characters your readers will care about?  Heroes that your readers will love, and villains that they will hate?  Then sign up for this four-week course taught by internationally published Victoria Grossack

Discovery Through Journaling
(5-week workshop)
Journaling is where your creative work begins. The ideas, the thoughts, the dreams and the emotions that swim inside of you find peace on the blank page and open up room for your creative expression. In this course we will introduce you to ways in which you can delve into your own self - ways in which you can release creative energy and make room for creative expression while learning to deal with emotions and issues that hold you back.

Don't Query, Be Happy!
(2-day mini-workshop)
Contrary to popular belief, queries are not a prerequisite for publishing success. Don’t Query, Be Happy! is a 2-day information-packed workshop for writers of all levels and genres that provides strategies, techniques, and insider’s tips to help you work smarter not harder!

E-Books - Breaking into Publishing
(4-week workshop)
Ready to join the virtual revolution? Discover the secrets to writing and publishing your own profitable e-book in less than a month. Learn how to take advantage of what you know, how to avoid the #1 mistake authors make, and the secrets to creating an e-book that sells on "autopilot" 24 hours a day.

Fiction in a Flash! (4-week workshop) On Hold Until Further Notice!
Are you ready to plunge into the pool of flash fiction? Be prepared to hold your breath! Although the water appears shallow, the emotional impact of this writing form boasts depths rivaling the high seas of longer fiction. Experienced writers looking to fine-tune their skills in brevity and control, and aspiring writers interested in experimenting with this cutting-edge mode, will have the opportunity to explore this in-demand form of writing during the workshop.

The First Edit: Finding and Fixing Your Writing Errors (5-week workshop)
Learning to edit your own work is an essential part of becoming a successful writer. Today’s agents have no interest in stumbling through poorly crafted work. Even if you self-publish, you still need to hire an editor…which can be expensive. How can you reduce the cost? You have to give your editor the cleanest manuscript you can. Use the skills you will develop in this course to improve your writing and “make every word count.”

Gothics The Hot New Genre Publishers (and Readers) Can’t Get Enough Of
(4-week workshop)
Gothics and Gothic elements are hot right now. Publishers have created special lines for them, and these books are flying off the shelves. But what exactly are Gothics? What are Gothic elements? And what publishers are we talking about here? In this interactive course taught by multi-published Gothic writer Ayn Hunt learn how to write Gothics, what Gothic elements are, how to use them in other genres to make your book stand out, and which publishers are seeking them now.

How to Get Paid for Penning Your Two Cents (4-week workshop)
Are you opinionated? Informed? Do others often seek your advice? If you answered yes to these questions, you have the potential to become a paid columnist. This class can show you how.

How to Quit Your Day Job: Making a Living as a Full-time Freelance Writer (4-week workshop)
Not only can you make money writing, but with the right tools, you can earn enough to make a full-time living at it. Learn to develop, research, and write pieces suitable for publication in a number of venues. This course is not only full of tips and strategies, but also of checklists, tables, and handouts you will be able to use long after the course is over. This is an intense, hands-on program, so you should be prepared to work hard. By the end of the course, you will have at least two pieces (and their respective query letters) ready to be submitted.

Promotion 101: From Beginning to End (4-week workshop)
Multi-published writer Ayn Hunt will show students the ins and outs of pre-publication tools as well as the various types of promotion to make their books stand out. In this eight-week, interactive course students will learn how to write eye-catching queries to both agents and publishers, what a synopsis is and isn’t, and how to write one; writing that all-important marketing plan which many publishers and agents now require, and the difference between e-publishers and traditional publishers.
In addition, students will also begin to practice on-line promoting which we‘ll cover in class; person-to-person, off-line promoting, which will also be discussed; places students can list their books for free; the advantages and disadvantages of doing on-line chats, giving talks, and speaking engagements, and how to have a successful book-signing.

Say Goodbye to Writer's Block! (4-week workshop)

Have you experienced a sense of “stuckness” with your writing? Feel like it’s a struggle to move forward even though the desire is there? Then this workshop is for you. We will explore ten “blocks to change” that may be affecting your writing goals. Additionally, several strategies will be reviewed to help “unblock” your path to moving forward. Some blocks explored include fear, procrastination, doubt, writer’s block, and six others. We’ll explore how to use your mind, body, and spirit to manage, reduce, or perhaps eliminate the impact of these blocks.

Stress Management For Today's Writer (4-week workshop)

In today's demanding times, writing can be stressful for many. Particularly when other commitments and obligations get in the way. This workshop explores some basic facts about stress and how it can affect you. Participants will leave this skill-building workshop with tools that will enable them to identify and work through stress, burnout and compassion fatigue to be more effective in their lives and still write. Students will have the opportunity to examine where they are currently, in terms of what’s optimal stress and learn 12 different strategies to implement to combat feelings of being stressed and overwhelmed.

Visual Art and Creative Writing On Hold until Further Notice!
(5-week workshop)
Please join us as we explore the world of visual art: a reliable source of infinite inspiration for writers. During this five-week workshop, students will complete several exercises that utilize the rich and bottomless muse of visual art to inspire creative writing, along with corresponding assignments in the areas of poetry, fiction, and memoir. Although many of you may be accustomed to writing in one distinct genre, you can leave any trepidation behind and jump in with both feet, as the assignments are not only fun but also beneficial to the creative process in general, providing new angles from which to approach your work. So, if you're a new writer who could use some creative exercises to help get you started, a poet who writes an occasional essay, a novelist looking to rejuvenate your muse -- or anyone in between -- this workshop is for you!

Words, Sentences, Scenes and More (formerly From Leaves to Forests
(4-week workshop)
Internationally published Victoria Grossack gives you insight into your writing, by teaching you how to focus on the different levels of structure that impact your fiction - from the words that make up your sentences and paragraphs, to the scenes and chapters and even the structure of your book.

(Please note! The workshop is conducted in English but if you are working or would be more comfortable doing the assignments in German or French Victoria is happy to work with you.)

Writing & Marketing Personal Experiences
(4-week workshop)
Whether you have a story worthy of  a "Drama in Real Life" or a humorous look at cleaning the hall closet, your average and not-so-average experiences can find homes in print.

Writing for Children
(4-week workshop)
Writing for Children isn't a childish endeavor. It takes knowledge of children and their hopes and dreams and fears, preparation, skill, and an understanding of the modern market. Writer's for children have a desire to challenge, encourage, inspire, entertain, teach (without it being too obvious) and educate their young readers. Whether writing for children's magazines or books, for those who are read to or those who read to themselves, there is a great deal of hard work and excitement in this market.

Writing for Magazines
(4-week workshop)
Want to break into the print magazine and e-zine markets? Then you need to understand magazines, including the different types of articles they accept, how to study them for ideas, and how to put together a winning query letter.

Writing Historical Fiction
(4-week workshop)
Do you want to write good historical fiction? In this course, internationally published Victoria Grossack shows you how to make the past come to life and to lead, not lose, your readers on a fascinating journey through time.

(Please note! The workshop is conducted in English but if you are working or would be more comfortable doing the assignments in German or French Victoria is happy to work with you.)

Writing the Short Story
(4-week workshop)
Developed for both beginner and experienced writers alike, the course will help you discover how to bring a story to life, from the development of a plot to creating believable tension that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. At the end of the course, you will have a complete short story ready to be submitted, plus all the tools to help you sell it.

With Coffeehouse for Writers Online Workshops, all you need to improve your writing is an email address, a little time to do your homework, and a lot of enthusiasm.  Read our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more, or check out some testimonials from our workshop students.

To begin exploring, select from the organized topics below and click the link to read the workshop syllabus and, if you're ready to discover your writing talents, enroll in a workshop.

If you have any questions about our workshops, please write to us for assistance.

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