​Wabi-Sabi: Celebrating the Perfectly Imperfect

Saturday, Feb. 24, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

In person at Market Street Writers in Leesburg, VA 

 

In this women’s writing circle, we will explore the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, which invites us to become more deeply connected to ourselves and to appreciate the beauty in all things, even those (or perhaps especially those) that appear broken or imperfect. What does this look like for our writing and creative lives? Let’s find out together! 

 

This is an Amherst Writers & Artists writing circle (although we may do a little journaling, too). Writers at any level of experience are welcome! A simple lunch will be provided afterward for those who wish to partake.

​

Covid Policy: Since Covid is still quite widespread, all participants will be asked to take a home Covid test within 24 hours of the event.

​

Cost: $65. ​Please register via the PayPal link above or email lisa@markestreetwriters.com if you would prefer to pay by check.

 

 

 

Embracing Winter: A Women's Writing Circle

Saturday, Jan. 27, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

In person at Market Street Writers in Leesburg, VA

 

Winter is a time for turning within, sitting by the hearth, and enjoying nature’s austere beauty: bare branches, silvered ponds, dry grasses. It can also be fertile ground for our writing lives. Please join me for a leisurely morning of writing from memory or imagination as we explore winter’s gifts in this Amherst Writers & Artists writing circle. You will receive a variety of prompts to spark your writing and a supportive community in which to share it.

 

Writers at any level of experience are welcome! A simple lunch will be provided afterward for those who wish to partake.

 

Journal to the Self® [REGISTRATION CLOSED]

Wednesdays, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. EDT 

Nov. 1 - Dec. 13 (6 weeks; no meeting Nov. 22) 

Online via Zoom

​

Come and explore your inner landscape in a safe and nurturing space! Whether you’re new to keeping a journal or have kept one for years, the 12-hour Journal to the Self® course developed by journal pioneer Kathleen Adams will teach you 18 techniques to enrich your journaling experience. Techniques such as captured moments, dialogue, character sketches, artmaking, and more will invite you into a deeper relationship with your own psyche—and also can be helpful for your writing projects! 

 

To learn more about the specifics of the Journal to the Self® course, click here. This course includes a book and workbook, which will be mailed to you after I receive your registration. 

​

Cost: $199 for new participants; $99 for returning participants (does not include materials). Please register via the PayPal link or send an email to lisa@marketstreetwriters.com if you would prefer to pay by check. If you have taken Journal to the Self® with me before, please send me an email to request the discount. If finances are a hardship for you at this time, a sliding scale can be arranged.

 

​Writing from the Heart: A Women's Creative Writing Workshop 

Mondays, 2 to 4 p.m. EDT 

Oct. 30 - Dec. 11 (6 weeks; no meeting Nov. 20)

Online via Zoom

 

Amherst Writers & Artists founder Pat Schneider said, "Everyone is born with creative genuis." This means you! In this generative workshop, you’ll receive a wide variety of writing prompts to fire up your imagination, write in whichever genre(s) you choose, and read your work aloud if you wish. All feedback you receive will celebrate what is strong and memorable in your writing. Come and share your stories in this wise and encouraging community! Women writers at any level of experience are welcome.

 

This is an Amherst Writers & Artists workshop. To learn more about this workshop method, click here. 

 

Cost: $35 to drop in. ​Please register via the PayPal link or send an email to lisa@marketstreetwriters.com if you would prefer to pay by check. 

 

The Inward Journey: A Journal to the Self® Workshop

Wednesdays, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. EDT 

Nov. 1 - Dec. 13 (no meeting Nov. 22) (6 weeks)

Online via Zoom

​

Whether you’re new to keeping a journal or have kept one for years, the 12-hour Journal to the Self® course developed by journal pioneer Kathleen Adams will teach you a 18 techniques to enrich your journaling experience. Techniques such as captured moments, dialogue, character sketches, artmaking, and more will invite you into a deeper relationship with your own psyche—and also can be helpful for your writing projects! 

 

To learn more about the specifics of the Journal to the Self® course, click here. This course includes a book and workbook, which will be mailed to you shortly after I receive your registration. 

​

Cost: $199 for new participants; $99 for returning participants (does not include materials). Please register via the PayPal link or send an email to lisa@marketstreetwriters.com if you would prefer to pay by check. If you have taken Journal to the Self® with me before, please send me an email to request the discount. If finances are a hardship for you at this time, a sliding scale can be arranged.

 

​"P" is for Picture Book: Creating Picture Books Kids Will Love

(Guest Instructor: Barbara Leary)

Wednesdays, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. EDT 

Sept. 27 - Nov. 1 (no meeting Oct. 18) (5 weeks)

Online via Zoom

​

Calling all aspiring kids’ book authors! Do you have a children’s story you’re yearning to tell, but find yourself uncertain about how to transform it into a treasured picture book that little ones can hold in their hands? We've created this five-part workshop just for you.   

  

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a seasoned writer or a storyteller with more enthusiasm than experience—the five modules will guide you through transforming your ideas into a polished manuscript and constructing a publishing plan. 

  

• Module 1 (Sept. 27): Understanding young audiences and the picture book market.   

• Module 2 (Oct. 4): Telling the story: Character, theme, plot, and storyline.    

• Module 3 (Oct. 11): Making it visual: Storyboarding, working with illustrators.  

• Module 4 (Oct. 25): Self-publishing: It's easier than you think.

• Module 5 (Nov. 1): Sharing your story: Get feedback from the cohort. 

​

This workshop is for aspiring picture book authors writing for children ages 0-8 who are interested in exploring options for self-publishing. By the end of this course, participants will have a comprehensive understanding of the process of writing and self-publishing a children's picture book, along with the necessary tools to bring their stories to life and share them with young readers. Each session will be recorded, and participants will have access to the course materials, video and audio files, and an automated audio transcript. In the final module, participants will share their stories and publishing plans with the cohort and receive feedback. 

  

The workshop will not cover the middle grade and young adult markets, how to find an agent or traditional publisher, or how to market your manuscript or book; however, we will share resources for participants interested in those subjects.  

​

Cost: $275. Please register via the PayPal link or send an email to lisa@marketstreetwriters.com if you would prefer to pay by check or Venmo. If finances are a hardship for you at this time, a sliding scale can be arranged.

​

​About Barbara

Barbara Leary will share what she learned through the process of writing and publishing her three children's books inspired by her granddaughters: Virginia Loves Dogs, Caroline and the Not-Mamma, and The Climbing Tree, which won first place in the Writer's Digest 2020 Self-Published Book Awards in the category of Early Readers / Children's Picture Books. When she’s not living in a world of make believe, Barbara teaches graduate-level writing courses at Georgetown University.

 

 

Flowering from Within: Journaling and Self-Compassion

(with CCT Instructor Laura Banks)  POSTPONED UNTIL 2024

Saturday, October 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT

Online via Zoom

​

“for everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing”

– Galway Kinnell, “Saint Francis and the Sow” 

 

While each of us carries the weight of these times in unique ways, wisdom traditions offer the possibility that our challenges, grief, and losses can become rich soil for transformation. Along these lines, the benefits of self-compassion and its connection to resilience, personal growth, and flourishing are solidly established by a growing body of research. ​Yet many people struggle with the concept of self-compassion while hoping to experience the awareness, kindness, and connection that can arise when we include ourselves in the circle of compassion.

 

This daylong workshop provides a pause from the demands of daily life in order to explore the cultivation of self-compassion through journaling, meditation, exercises, and group discussion.

Join Laura Banks, Certified Compassion Cultivation Training© (CCT) Instructor, and Lisa Colburn, Certified Journal to the Self® instructor, as we look at our lives through the lens of self-compassion and discover the art of “flowering from within.”

 

During this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to:

 

• Learn more about the research behind self-compassion, including common challenges to developing self-compassion

• Explore specific practices that increase self-compassion, such as reflective journaling and meditation

• Experiment with journaling prompts designed to prime and cultivate self-compassion

• Write and reflect in community

• Receive a list of resources to support your personal journaling and self-compassion practices

 

Cost: $125 ($95 if you register by August 31). Please register via the PayPal link or send an email to lisa@marketstreetwriters.com if you would prefer to pay by check or Venmo. If finances are a hardship for you at this time, a sliding scale can be arranged.

​

About Laura

Laura Banks is a Certified Compassion Cultivation Training© (CCT) Instructor, dual certified by the Compassion Institute and Stanford University. She is inspired by and seeks to strengthen her own and others' capacity to thrive and find meaning throughout life, especially through the cultivation of compassion. You can find out more about Laura by visiting www.lauralbanks.com.

 

I have several. One is a novel idea that my father and I kicked around as we walked on a winding country road in Maine decades ago. Another is a journaling book for stepmoms (which I am happy to say I’m currently working on). Plus I have several essays jumping up and down in the far corner of my psyche yelling, “pick me, pick me”! If you are a creative person, you can undoubtedly relate. 

 

​

Constructing / Deconstructing: An AWA Workshop & Fundraiser(with Summer Hardinge)

Thursday, May 4, 7 to 8:30 p.m. EDT

Online via Zoom 

​

Do you have notebooks lying around with some really good beginnings? Or maybe a short piece you've revised but still isn't quite working?  Summer Hardinge and I, both members of Amherst Writers Capital Region, invite you to join us for this special workshop, where we will play around with making something new from your existing writing--plus generate some new material, too!

 

This workshop is one of many fundraisers that will be led by trained Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) facilitators around the world during the month of May. All proceeds will benefit Amherst Writers & Artists. If you have enjoyed participating in AWA workshops, or just want to try one out, please consider joining us for this one. We look forward to writing with you!

​

Writers at any level of experience are welcome. To learn more about the AWA workshop method, click here. 

​

Cost: $10-$20 donation. Click here to register: https://amherstwriters.org/event/constructing-deconstructing-with-lisa-and-summer/.

 

Image, Word, Beauty: A Writing & Collage Workshop

Saturday, April 29, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m EDT 

In person at Market Street Writers, Leesburg, VA. (Please note there is a small dog in residence.)

​

It’s spring, and beauty abounds! In this three-hour workshop, we will make some beauty of our own by creating small collages and using them as invitations into our writing. If you have ever participated in a SoulCollage​® session, the process will be similar: we will allow our intuition to be our guide for choosing our images, and we will give voice to what arises. Plus we’ll have FUN! Please join me for this expressive and joyful journey into our inner dimensions. 

 

The workshop will run for three hours (with a break in the middle), followed by a simple lunch for those who wish to stay and socialize. 

 

Covid Policy: Participants are requested to take a home Covid test within 24 hours of the workshop. Masks are optional.

​

Cost: $65. Please register using the PayPal link. If finances are a hardship for you at this time, or if you would prefer to pay by check, please email lisa@marketstreetwriters.com.

 

Writing from the Heart: A Women's Creative Writing Workshop 

Mondays, 2 to 4 p.m. ET, March 13 - April 24 (6 weeks; no workshop on April 3)

Online via Zoom

Amherst Writers & Artists founder Pat Schneider said, "Everyone is born with creative genuis." This means you! In this six-week generative workshop, you’ll receive a wide variety of writing prompts to fire up your imagination, write in whichever genre(s) you choose, and read your work aloud if you wish. All feedback will celebrate what is strong and memorable in your writing. Come and share your stories in this wise and encouraging community! Women writers at any level of experience are welcome.

 

This is an Amherst Writers & Artists workshop. To learn more about this workshop method, click here. 

 

Cost: $35 to drop in. This workshop is full. If you would like to be placed on a drop-in list, please email lisa@marketstreetwriters.com.

​

Kidlit Basics: How to Write a Children's Picture Book 

(Guest Instructor: Barbara Leary)

Tuesday, Feb. 21, 7 to 8:15 p.m. EST

Online via Zoom

 

Have you ever held a picture book in your hand and felt the urge to create one from your own idea? Is there a character giggling in your ear or tugging at your sleeve? Maybe it’s time to wrestle that little imp onto the page. If you have a story to tell–or even the faintest wisp of an idea–and need help getting started, this webinar is for you. We’ll cover the basics of writing for small children (ages 0 to 8) and offer some tips and tricks for writing (or refining) your own manuscript.

​

Cost: $30. ​Please register using the PayPal link provided. If you wish to pay by check or if finances are a hardship for you at this time, please email lisa@marketstreetwriters.com.

​

About Barbara

Barbara Leary will share what she learned through the process of writing and publishing her three children's books inspired by her granddaughters: Virginia Loves Dogs, Caroline and the Not-Mamma, and The Climbing Tree, which won first place in the Writer's Digest 2020 Self-Published Book Awards in the category of Early Readers / Children's Picture Books. When she’s not living in a world of make believe, Barbara teaches graduate-level writing courses at Georgetown University.

​

Tending Your Soul Fire: Group Coaching for Creatives [Registration Closed]

Wednesdays, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. ET (6 biweekly sessions: Feb. 15, March 1, 15 & 29, April 12 & 26) 

Online via Zoom

 

I have always believed that our writing, our art, our music is a calling of the soul—one that we must answer if we truly want to live a meaningful and fulfilling life. If you have a project you would like to make progress on, or you simply want to make writing (or art) a more integral part of your everyday life, I invite you to join me for this group creativity coaching series.

​

Over the course of six biweekly sessions, our small group (limited to 6 participants) will explore the projects that call to us and the obstacles that get in the way of our creating. We will listen to and encourage one another, and we will build an intimate, supportive community along the way. Between the biweekly sessions, I will be available for email support as needed. To learn more about creativity coaching, please visit my Coaching and Coaching FAQ pages.

​

Cost: $255 (discount extended!). Please register using the PayPal link provided. If you wish to pay by check or if finances are a hardship for you at this time, please email lisa@marketstreetwriters.com.

 

Fresh Bits: Rediscovering the Joy of Writing 

Saturday, January 7, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m ET 

In person at Market Street Writers, Leesburg, VA 

(Please note there is a small dog in residence.)

 

 

Whenever my computer suddenly starts misfiring—like skipping letters when I type—or my iPhone slows down, I know the remedy: fresh bits. My programmer husband taught me this: exit applications, turn off the device, wait a short time, start again. When I return to my device, all is in perfect working order. It just needed a rest.

 

How about you? For many of us, the holiday season is a flurry of activity. Yes, it can be fun, but it’s also exhausting. And where has our writing gone in the midst of the bustle? 

 

In this workshop we will return to what we love about writing, why we do it, and how we can nurture ourselves as we take up our writing lives with renewed purpose in the new year. Through a series of journaling and Amherst Writers & Artists prompts, along with deep listening and sharing, we will co-create a supportive community that celebrates each person’s creative voice and heartfelt desires. 

 

The workshop will run for three hours (with a break in the middle), followed by a simple lunch of vegetarian chili and cornbread for those who wish to stay and socialize. 

 

Cost: $75. THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL If you would like to be placed on a waiting list for an open spot, please email lisa@marketstreetwriters.com.

​

Covid Policy: Participants are requested to take a home Covid test within 24 hours of the workshop. Masks are optional.

​

Writers' Tea at Blooming Hill Lavender Farm

Friday, July 8, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

19929 Telegraph Springs Rd., Purcellville, VA

​

This tea is a Market Street Writers tradition, and it's high time to revive it! Come enjoy the breathtaking—and heavenly scented—beauty of Blooming Hill, with its wide veranda and gorgeous grounds. We’ll do some writing and sharing in the garden, then enjoy the famous Blooming Hill Cream Tea on the veranda: two scones (one sweet and one savory), lavender ice cream, a side sweet, and pots of hot tea, iced tea, and lemonade. Afterward, our hosts will open their charming gift shop if you’d like to poke around. All writers and would-be writers welcome! Bring a notebook & pen.

​

Cost: $40. REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED. To be placed on a waiting list, please email lisa@marketstreetwriters.com. 

 

Covid Policy: Participants are asked to take a Covid test (rapid test is fine) within 48 hours of the tea.

 

 

 

Words in Bloom: An AWA Fundraiser

(with Summer Hardinge)

Thursday, May 26, 2 to 4 p.m. EDT

Online via Zoom AND in person in Darnestown, MD

​

"Spring comes on the World," Emily Dickinson says, and with it new stories stir within us.  Summer Hardinge and I, both members of Amherst Writers Capital Region, invite you to join us for this special workshop to let your words and stories bloom! This workshop is one of many fundraisers that will be led by trained AWA facilitators around the world during the month of May. All proceeds will benefit Amherst Writers & Artists. If you have enjoyed participating in AWA workshops, or perhaps just want to try one out, please consider joining us for this one. We look forward to writing with you!

​

Cost: Donation of any amount using the PayPal link; $30 suggested. Please email Summer at beyondmargins@gmail.com to let us know whether you will attend on Zoom or in person (limited to six participants in person).

​

Covid Policy (in person): Participants are asked to take a Covid test (rapid test is fine) within 48 hours of the workshop. Masks are optional. 

 

A Sense of Place [FULL]

Saturday, October 22, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m ET 

IN PERSON!  Market Street Writers, Leesburg, VA

(Please note there is a small dog in residence.)

 

When autumn comes, we have a natural tendency to slow down and warm our hands at the hearths of our lives. It is a time for country fairs, football games, homemade soups, cozy blankets, good books, and walking the land. It is also a time of remembering places and people that have made an impact on us in some way. In this workshop we will explore, through memory and imagination, what it is to immerse ourselves in a sense of place. 

 

This is an Amherst Writers & Artists workshop, so all writers are welcome, regardless of experience. Through deep listening and positive feedback, we will celebrate the stories that each person shares.

 

Cost: $60, which includes a simple lunch after the workshop. THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL. If you wish to be placed on a waiting list, please email lisa@marketstreetwriters.com.

​

Covid Policy: Participants are requested to take a home Covid test within 24 hours of the workshop.

 

​

 

 

 

​

 

 

Gratitudes: A Celebration of Ordinary Miracles 

Saturday, Nov. 20, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Online via Zoom for Unity of Fairfax, Oakton, VA

 

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.  – Albert Einstein

 

In this two-hour mini-retreat we will use journaling, meditation, and ritual to explore what author Kathleen Norris calls "the quotidian mysteries," those things of everyday life that are truly miraculous. Come and refresh your spirit the weekend before Thanksgiving. Everyone is welcome!

​

Cost: $20. Register on Eventbrite by clicking here.

 

 

The Writer’s Notebook: A Journal to the Self® Workshop 

Wednesdays, 7 to 9 p.m., Nov. 3 - Dec. 15 (6 weeks; no workshop Nov. 24)

Online via Zoom

 

Whether you’re new to keeping a journal or have kept one for years, the 12-hour Journal to the Self® course developed by journal pioneer Kathleen Adams will teach you a variety of techniques to enrich your journaling experience. In this special edition of the course, we will focus on using these techniques—such as captured moments, dialogue, character sketches, artmaking, and more—to assist with your writing projects. But you can also simply use them to expand your own journaling practice! 

​

To learn more about the specifics of the Journal to the Self® course, click here. 

 

This course includes a book and workbook, which will be mailed to you shortly after I receive your registration. 

​

Cost: $199. REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED.

 

​

Describe, Don't Prescribe: How to Give Helpful Feedback in a Writing Group (Guest Instructor: Joanne Lozar Glenn)

Thursday, Oct. 7, 7 to 9 p.m.

Online via Zoom

 

It can be hard knowing what to say when someone asks you to respond to their writing. Unfortunately “feedback” has often been misconstrued as praise, constructive criticism, or the now-proven-ineffective “compliment sandwich,” making it hard, perhaps impossible, to create what every writer in a writing group that you attend or lead deserves: a safe space where they can experiment with or develop craft. 

 

In this workshop, you will

• learn about four useful models for providing helpful feedback 

• practice giving feedback using actual, anonymous, excerpted writing drafts

• explore how to shape feedback so it’s appropriate for fresh vs. more developed drafts and emerging vs. experienced writers 

 

The workshop concludes with a reflective discussion and Q&A. You’ll also receive a handout you can use to apply these methods in your own writing group or class, and informed perspectives for responding to writing in a way that encourages your fellow writers to unearth their best work while respecting the value of every voice. 

​

About Joanne

Writer-editor-educator Joanne Lozar Glenn leads writing groups and destination writing retreats. She is a fellow of the Ohio Writing Project, a certified AWA facilitator, and a member of two writing groups. Her work has been published in Beautiful Things (River Teeth), Peregrine, Hippocampus, Under the Gum Tree, Brevity, and other print and online journals. Her most recent book, Memoir Your Way: Tell Your Story Through Writing, Recipes, Quilts, Graphic Novels, and More (Skyhorse Press, 2016), was co-authored with the five other women (The Memoir Roundtable) and is available here on Amazon.com.

​

Cost: $49. Please register by clicking on the PayPal link below. A Zoom link will be emailed to participants the day before the event.

 

Legacy Writing Series: The Tapestry of Life (Instructor: Sue McCollum)

Third Fridays, 2 to 4 p.m., Sept. 17, Oct. 15, Nov. 19, Dec. 17 (4 sessions)

Online via Zoom

 

Join certified Women’s Legacies Circles™ facilitator Sue McCollum for a four-part series of life review and reflection to mine the hidden gems in your stories. Using prompts to generate memories and identify values, you’ll begin the process of writing your ethical will or legacy letter to children, grandchildren, friends, or groups who are important to you. We will not be critiquing each other’s writing, but you will be encouraged to share pieces of what you write in small groups. All work is held confidential.

 

Sept. 17, Harvesting Highlights: What do you want to include in your legacy letter(s) or ethical will? Let’s look at you in the context of your larger story and make decisions about what’s most important for you to pass on to future generations.

 

Oct. 15, The Road Less Traveled: Let’s expand on some life themes. We’ll write about the times you’ve been a pioneer, the lessons you’ve learned from those unique experiences, and the wisdom you want to share.

 

Nov. 19, Old Story/New Story: No life is perfect. There are times we haven’t lived up to our full potential and later regretted our decisions. What have you learned from these experiences? Let’s reframe those old stories into new ones and share the wisdom gained.

 

Dec. 17, Precious Possessions: December is gift-giving time. Do you have a treasure you’d like to gift a special person? This month, we’ll identify a few and write legacy letters about why they’ve been important mementos in our lives. 

​

About Sue

Sue McCollum is certified as an Amherst Writers and Artists and Women’s Legacies Circles™ facilitator, and is a graduate of Loyola College’s pastoral/clinical counseling program. She is also the co-author of Write Your Stress Away: Tame the Tension in Your Life and co-founder of The Get Well Project. Sue believes our most important gifts to future generations are our wisdom, blessings and love as seen through the lens of legacy.

 

Cost: $130 for the series or $40 each. The PayPal link below is to register for the full series. If you wish to register for the classes individually, or if finances are a hardship and you wish to inquire about a sliding scale, please contact lisa@marketstreetwriters.com. 

 

The Gift of Legacy (Guest Instructor: Sue McCollum)

Saturday, May 15, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Online via Zoom

​

“If our lives are to have lasting meaning, we must use them as a sacred link, consciously connecting the past and the future.” – Rachael Freed, Women’s Lives, Women’s Legacies

 

We have been taught to believe that a legacy involves leaving our material possessions for loved ones. The grandfather clock goes to the eldest son and the youngest child receives grandmother’s wedding china. These things all have meaning, but they don’t fully capture who you are and the life you’re living. What’s missing are the fruits of a life well lived. They’re found in every tree you’ve saved by buying recycled paper, every friend you’ve cheered with your jokes and laughter, and every stranger to whom you’ve shown kindness.

 

Legacy writing touches the essence of who you are. It captures your thoughts, values, wisdom, stories, and the love you have to share with future generations.

 

In this workshop, we will look at you in the context of your larger story – one that encompasses past as well as future generations. You’ll have the opportunity to reflect on and write some of the stories that guide your life and the wisdom you hope to pass on.

​

Cost: $35. THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL. If you'd like to be placed on a waiting list, please send an email to lisa@marketstreetwriters.com.

​

About Sue

Sue McCollum is certified as an Amherst Writers and Artists and Women’s Legacies Circles™ facilitator, and is a graduate of Loyola College’s pastoral/clinical counseling program. She is also the co-author of Write Your Stress Away: Tame the Tension in Your Life and co-founder of The Get Well Project. Sue believes our most important gifts to future generations are our wisdom, blessings and love as seen through the lens of legacy.

 

​

Celebrating Voice: Write Around the World with AWA

(with Summer Hardinge)

Saturday, May 1, 1 to 3 p.m.

Online via Zoom

​

Pat Schneider, founder of Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) and author of Writing Alone and With Others, said, “You have a voice, just as surely as you have a face, and it is already full of character, passionate and nuanced and beautiful."  Summer Hardinge and I, both members of Amherst Writers Capital Region, invite you to join us for this special workshop to celebrate your unique voice! This workshop is one of many fundraisers that will be led by trained AWA facilitators around the world during the month of May. All proceeds will benefit Amherst Writers & Artists. If you have enjoyed participating in AWA workshops, or perhaps want to try one out, please consider joining us for this one. We look forward to writing with you!

​

Cost: Donation of any amount; $35 suggested.

 

​

 

Finding Balance: A Journaling Workshop

Sunday, March 21, 6 to 7 p.m. [did not run]

Online via Zoom

 

The Spring Equinox, a time when day and night are in balance, occurs on March 20. This seems like a good time to take stock of our lives and ask some essential questions about how we might find better balance for ourselves. In this one-hour workshop, you will be offered several writing prompts, which you can respond to however you wish. The writing you do in a journaling workshop is just for you, although there will be opportunities to share reflections on your writing. Come and explore your fascinating interior landscape!

 

Cost: Donation of any amount; $20 suggested. All proceeds from this workshop will benefit Loudoun Hunger Relief, which has received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator.

 

Finding a Writer's Residency or Conference That's Right for You (Guest Instructor: Christine Koubek) [POSTPONED]

Thursday, Jan. 14, 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Online via Zoom

 

Whether you write fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction, the chance to get away and devote time to writing, reading, and learning is on many writers’ wish list. In this webinar, Christine Koubek will show you how to pursue this dream, whether you have already been published or are just starting your writing career. 

 

From artists’ residencies where writers—and sometimes visual and music artists—work in private and get together at dinnertime to talk shop, to conferences that offer a mix of workshops and independent time, there is something for everyone. We'll take a look at the various options for people new to publishing vs. those that are geared to writers more experienced in the craft. Each conference and residency varies by length of time, cost, type of artist mix, and more.

 

We’ll also discuss how to apply, as well as tips on how to create your strongest application possible. By the end, you’ll have a list of resources to explore and a clearer idea of the conferences and residencies that might best serve your writing goals. 

 

Cost: $35

​

About Christine

Christine Koubek’s award-winning essays and stories have appeared in The Washington Post, Poets & Writers, Bethesda, and more. She received an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Fairfield University, and her work has been supported with residencies from the Ragdale Foundation, Virginia Center for the Arts, and Noepe Literary Arts Center. In addition, she received a fiction fellowship to attend the Eckerd College Writer's Conference, Writers in Paradise. You can learn more about Christine at https://christinekoubek.com.

 

Set Your Writing Goals!

Wednesday, Dec. 30, 7 to 8 p.m.

Online via Zoom

​

The cusp of a new year is a great time to reflect on your writing life and how you'd like it to evolve. We'll use a series of journaling prompts to help us evaluate our successes from 2020, imagine where we'd like to take our writing in 2021, and set some concrete goals. All writers are welcome! 

 

REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED. $15

 

How to Submit Personal Essays to Literary Journals, Magazines, and More (Guest Instructor: Christine Koubek) 

Registration is now closed

 

Thursday, Oct. 1, 6:30 to 9 p.m. (last half hour optional Q&A)

Online via Zoom 

 

Personal essays are perhaps the genre that has the largest array of publication possibilities. Literary journals, newspapers, magazines, alumni publications, and more all publish this form. And many literary journals open their submission windows for new work in September. The challenge is finding the right publications for your story, along with submission guidelines, pay rates, and style preferences. 

 

In this workshop, you’ll learn where to find writer’s guidelines for popular newspaper and magazine essay columns (many with tips from the editor), how to create a submission plan to increase your success, and the pros and cons of submitting essays to newspapers and magazines vs. literary journals. By the end, you’ll have a list of resources and actionable tips to move your submissions forward. Give that essay on your hard drive (or in your journal) a chance to be published! 

 

This interactive, collaborative workshop is open to all writers.

 

Cost: $55. Please register via the PayPal link or send an email to lisa@marketstreetwriters.com if you prefer to pay by check. 

​

About Christine

Christine Koubek’s award-winning essays and stories have appeared in The Washington Post; Poets & Writers; Brain, Child; Bethesda; Chautauqua literary journal, and more. She received an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Fairfield University, as well as residencies from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and The Ragdale Foundation. You can learn more about Christine at https://christinekoubek.com.

 

 

The Ins and Outs of the Braided Essay 

(with guest instructor Randon Billings Noble) 

 

Saturday, August 1, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Online via Zoom

 

The word “essay” comes from the French essayer: “to try.”  In this morning workshop we’ll try our hand at writing braided essays. Braided essays are divided into sections whose themes (usually three, sometimes more) repeat in a particular pattern the way each strand of a braid takes a turn at the center of the whole. That’s easy to see (sort of), but harder to do. In this workshop we’ll look closely at two braided essays – one longer, one flash – to see how it’s done. We’ll also write, starting with a series of generative exercises and ending with some draft-work towards a braided essay of your own.  Please come ready to read, write, think, try, dare – and play.

  

This workshop will benefit beginning writers, advanced practitioners, and everyone in between.

 

Cost: $60. Please register by clicking on the PayPal link. If you would prefer to pay by check, please send an email to lisa@marketstreetwriters.com.

​

Market Street Writers is pleased to host essayist Randon Billings Noble as a guest instructor for this event. Randon's stunning full-length essay collection, Be With Me Always, was published in 2019 by the University of Nebraska Press to wide acclaim. Her individual essays have appeared in the Modern Love column of the New York Times, The Massachusetts Review, The Georgia Review, Passages North, Shenandoah, Fourth Genre, Creative Nonfiction, and elsewhere. Her hermit crab essay "The Heart as a Torn Muscle," originally published in Brevity, was listed as Notable in The Best American Essays 2016. Currently she is the founding editor of the online literary magazine After the Art and editing a lyric essay anthology to be published by the University of Nebraska Press in 2021. Randon is a true master of the essay form, and if you're interested in creative nonfiction you won't want to miss this workshop! To learn more about Randon, visit randonbillingsnoble.com.

 

The “Hermit Crab” Essay: How to Use Borrowed Forms to Structure Your Work (with guest instructor Randon Billings Noble)

 

Saturday, May 30, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Online via Zoom

 

Join essayist Randon Billings Noble in exploring a curious new sub-genre of creative nonfiction: the so-called “hermit crab” essay. Hybrids in the truest sense, hermit crab essays borrow their structures from ordinary, extra-literary sources (a recipe, a syllabus, an instruction manual, etc.) to use as a framework for a meditation on a chosen subject. In this workshop, we will do a close reading of several hermit crab essays, discuss the importance of choosing the right “shell,” and generate new work.  This workshop is suitable for beginners, advanced practitioners, and everyone in between.  

 

Cost: $55. Please register by clicking on the PayPal link. If you would prefer to pay by check, please send an email to lisa@marketstreetwriters.com.

​

 

​

Focus on Form: Crafting the Personal, the Lyric, and the

Hermit Crab Essay (with guest instructor Randon Billings Noble)

 

Saturday, May 30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Market Street Writers, Leesburg, VA. Please note there is a small dog in residence.
 

The word “essay” comes from the French essayer: “to try.”  In this daylong workshop we’ll try our hand at writing several different kinds of essays – personal/familiar, segmented, and hermit crab.  We'll look at different examples and consider the ways form can intensify content.  We’ll also write, starting with a series of generative exercises and ending with some draft-work towards an essay in the form(s) of your choice.  Please come ready to read, write, think, try, dare – and play!

 

This workshop will benefit beginning writers, advanced practitioners, and everyone in between. Please bring a bag lunch and a notebook and pen. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

 

POSTPONED

Flowering from Within: Journaling and Self-Compassion

(with Laura Banks)

 

Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Unitarian Univeralist Congregation of Sterling, 22135 Davis Drive, Sterling, VA

​

 

Into the Light: Writing Toward Hope in Troubled Times

 

Monday, April 6, 6 to 8 p.m.

Online via Zoom [FREE]

 

When the world offers us fear and uncertainty, our journals can offer us refuge. In this two-hour workshop we will invite Hope to the table as we write together in community. I will provide writing prompts, guided meditation, and the opportunity for each person to witness and be witnessed through their writing. Everyone is welcome, and no writing experience is required. All sharing is voluntary.

 

What you'll need: privacy, notebook and pen (or computer), and a candle.

 

This workshop is a free offering to the community, and will be held via Zoom. To register for this event on Eventbrite, click here. 

 

 

More Joy, Less Stress: Write Your Way to Holiday Cheer (with Sue McCollum)

​

Saturday, December 7, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

Market Street Writers, Leesburg, VA. Please note there is a small dog in residence.

 

Stress reaches a crescendo as we approach the holiday season. The pressure to bake, decorate, shop, wrap, and host parties creates a flurry of activity. It’s difficult to prioritize, much less manage expectations. Helen Keller reminds us, “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.”  But when we’re stressed, it’s easy to get caught up in the “doing” and miss the true essence of the holiday season.

 

In this workshop we will use writing to look at what stresses us at this time of year. We’ll re-examine our values, and then create a vision for a heart-felt holiday. Join Sue McCollum, co-author of the newly released book Write Your Stress Away: Tame the Tension in Your Life, and Lisa Colburn, certified Journal to the Self® instructor, as we look at how writing can provide the antidote for holiday stress. Journaling workshop.

​

Please bring a notebook & pen.

 

About Sue McCollum:

Sue McCollum is a licensed professional counselor and certified Amherst Writers & Artists writing workshop facilitator who uses writing to empower clients to overcome personal challenges and embrace a life of health and well-being. She co-created The Write to Be Well™ writing method with Diane Hartingh Price, her partner in TheGetWellProject.com. This simple four-step writing process aims to reduce the 21st century stress that plagues all of us and jeopardizes our health. She is passionate about sharing how writing opens us to life-changing possibilities and empowers us to Get Well, Be Well and Stay Well!

 

Cost: $40. To register via PayPal, click on the yellow button. To register by mail, click on the PDF.

​

The Writer's Sandbox: Creative Writing for Everyone

​

Tuesdays, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Feb. 4 - March 17 (6 weeks; no workshop Feb. 18)

Market Street Writers, Leesburg, VA. Please note there is a small dog in residence.

​

You're invited to play, explore, and experiment! Writing doesn't have to be a serious business–it can be fun! In this generative workshop, you’ll receive a wide variety of writing prompts to fire up your imagination, write in whichever genre(s) you choose, and read your work aloud if you wish. All feedback will celebrate what is strong and memorable in your writing. Come and share your creative genius (everyone has it)! All writers–or aspiring writers–are welcome.

​

This is an Amherst Writers & Artists workshop. To learn more about this workshop method, click here. Depending on the needs of the group, I am open to running this workshop from 6:30 to 9. We will discuss at the first meeting.

​

Cost: $175 for the 6-week session. Register using the PayPal button below or click on the PDF to send your registration by mail. Special Offer! Bring a friend who is new to the workshop and both of you will receive 20% off! Contact lisa@marketstreetwriters.com for more details.