>Upcoming workshops, teaching & speaking engagements ...........[praise for Ethan as a teacher/workshop leader] >For one-on-one manuscript consultations with Ethan (in poetry, memoir, journalism,non-fiction) -- please contact www.grubstreet.org >for Grub Street: Tuesday June 17 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Building a Writing Career Instructor: Ethan Gilsdorf $45/$40 members An expanded version of the “Hour of Power” seminar at this year’s “Muse and the Marketplace” conference: Join Ethan Gilsdorf for a practical, high-energy and inspiring discussion of how to create and sustain a career as a writer in an era when that’s becoming increasingly difficult. Find out how Ethan went from a naïve poet at 21 to a working freelancer at 33 to a published author at 42 – the twenty-year plan for success! Ethan will talk with you about strategies for building your career: how to be patient, stay focused, set realistic goals, stay engaged with the craft (via teaching, diversity in writing projects and genres, recharging batteries), the importance of finding and sustaining a writing community, writing for pay vs. writing for pleasure/art, networking, and sending out work. >For Grub Street "YAWP: Young Adult Writers Program" NEW 2007-2008 DATES: Oct 20, Nov 17, Dec 15, Jan 19, Feb 9, Mar 15, Apr 12, May10 Saturdays 12-4pm Free Do you like to write poems, lyrics, stories, novels or screenplays?Join YAWP, a free monthly teen writing workshop for Boston-area high schoolers like you. YAWP provides: • writing exercises in small groups • feedback from experienced writers • pizza and inspiration You provide: • the energy to write, share your work, and try new things. YAWP meets from noon - 4pm on both days. Please sign up in advance by emailing yawp@grubstreet.org or calling 617.695.0075. Let us know which group you'd like to join: fiction, poetry, non-fiction, screenwriting or "No Preference." More info: http://www.grubstreet.org/programs/yawp.html
Previous workshops and appearances:
>10 weeks/Thursdays 7-10pm/begins Oct 11 "Writing Boot Camp" Grub Street, 160 Boylston Street, Boston more info: www.grubstreet.org/programs/multigenre.html In this new class geared for new writers, we'll learn to create entertaining, honest and original prose and poetry about vital subjects. Each week we'll read exemplary works by poets, memoirists and journalists, then do in-class exercises to hone our writerly eyes and ears. Between classes we'll try our best at writing our own short works -- sometimes poetry, sometimes narrative non-fiction -- inspired by what we've read and discussed. Exploring various genres, themes and voices for maximum effect, we'll write for ourselves and each other (and not obsess about getting published -- not yet). The focus will be on generating new material to be developed now or in the future, as well as the pure pleasure of language, ideas, emotion, and storytelling.
>for Grub Street *Summer Special: Manuscript Matchup!* Weekend of Writing Sample Consultations August 18-19th, 2007 Between 9am-4pm each day (individual appointments) Location: Grub Street HQ at 160 Boylston Street $155/$145 for members Throughout this weekend, various members of our creative writing faculty will be meeting individually for 30 minutes with writers who have submitted 25 pages of their work ahead of time. The 25-page writing sample – usually long enough to include a complete short story, a novel chapter, a substantive personal essay, a short play, a series of poems, or a screenplay excerpt – is often needed when applying to MFA programs and teaching positions. The instructor will provide intensive written and verbal feedback.
For Grub Street -- 2 new seminars/workshops for spring term!
more info http://www.grubstreet.org/ >6 Mondays, begins April 23rd, 2007 Freelance feature writing $275/$250 7pm – 10pm Location: Boston Instructor: Ethan Gilsdorf In this new 6-week course, we will explore the practicalities and craft of both writing and selling freelance feature articles. We'll begin with an overview of the field -- the nuts and bolts, the romance and realities, the markets and the pay rates. Then students will begin exercises in and out of class -- structuring a story, interviewing techniques, writing short profiles, finding sources, sharpening an angle, honing a journalistic voice, etc. The goal is for students to write one (or more) full-length feature stories for potential publication in a local newspaper or magazine. Possibilities include: an extended profile, an investigative story, an in-depth narrative, an analysis of a trend; topics could range from arts to science, health or human interest. Concurrent to the craft: we'll discuss how to pitch articles to editors (with advice on which publications and sections are most open to freelancers). Writers need not necessarily be published, but should have a basic understanding of journalistic practices, consider themselves solid writers, and be prepared to devote outside time to researching, interviewing and writing. http://www.grubstreet.org/programs/memoir_personal_essay.html
>Panelist 6th Annual Muse and the Marketplace Conference Saturday May 5th, 2007 from 9:45 am to 11:00 am Business of Writing Panel: "Submitting Your Work" Panelists: Ethan Gilsdorf, Rob Arnold (Managing Editor, Ploughshares), Christina Thompson (Editor, The Harvard Review) and Bret Anthony Johnston. Moderated by Kris Frieswick. Description: Are you a short story writer interested in submitting your work to literary magazines? A novelist interested in excerpting chapters of a longer work? A freelance writer with ideas for features, essays or investigative reports? Our panelists have seen all sides of the submission process, as writers and editors, and will provide advice on how to get your work out there, with tips on successful cover letters, submission strategies, schedules, and more. Conference info: saturday may 5th and sunday may 6th 8:30am to 4:00pm each day the omni parker house 60 school street, boston, ma
>Monday, June 18, 2007 Travel Writing 7pm – 10pm $45/$40 members Instructor: Ethan Gilsdorf Ever thought travel writing would be a great way to make a living? Dashing off a few pages on your last vacation experience can seem easy, but can you shape the story into a form that is original, well-written and most importantly, saleable? In this highly informative seminar taught by a freelance travel writer for The New York Times, National Geographic Traveler and The Washington Post, students will receive a comprehensive overview of the travel writing field: the types of stories, the markets available to freelancers, how to shape stories and write pitch letters, what publications actually pay, plus more esoteric craft matters such as what makes a good travel memoir. http://www.grubstreet.org/programs/seminars.html >Guest panelist Wednesday, March 14, 2007, The Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce's sixth annual tourism summit at the Sheraton Harborside Hotel, Portsmouth NH http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/03092007/business-b-chamber.column.html >6 week course CRASH COURSE IN FREELANCE JOURNALISM Thursdays, 7pm - 10pm. Begins January 25th Location: Grub Street HQ at 160 Boylston Street Instructor: Ethan Gilsdorf $285/$260 members In this new and highly informative 6-week course, we will explore the practicalities and craft of both writing and selling freelance articles. We'll begin with an overview of the field -- the nuts and bolts, the romance and realities, the markets and the pay rates. Each week, students will be assigned a different kind of freelance article. Possibilities include: a feature, a review, a travel story, an op-ed, a profile, a service piece, an investigative story, an in-depth narrative, an analysis of a trend. We'll talk about the basic elements of each kind of article; how to come up with, research and report compelling story ideas; and how to pitch them to editors (with advice on which publications and sections are most open to freelancers). Writers need not be published, but ideally should have a basic understanding of journalistic practices. Most importantly, they should have a serious interest in breaking into writing for newspapers, magazines and websites. >Weekend workshop Saturday-Sunday, March 10-11, 2007 TRAVEL WRITING INTENSIVE: GET PAID TO SEE THE WORLD 9-4pm each day (includes one hour for lunch) Location: Grub Street HQ at 160 Boylston Street Instructor: Ethan Gilsdorf $185/$165 members Have you always dreamed of becoming a travel writer? Dashing off a few pages on your last vacation experience can seem easy, but can you shape the story into a form that is original, well-written and most importantly, saleable? In this fun and highly informative weekend - an expanded version of highly successful freelance writer Ethan Gilsdorf's one-night seminar - students will receive a comprehensive overview of the travel writing field: the types of stories (destination, service, round-up, journey, news/trend, adventure, essay), the markets available to freelancers, how to shape stories and write pitch letters, what publications actually pay, plus more esoteric craft matters such as what makes a good travel memoir. Students will read exemplary stories, participate in discussions of craft and be given an overnight assignment. Additional writing activities (both in-class and out in the streets) will hone participants' skills as reporters of "the other" and how to best translate that experience to the reader. If time permits, we'll also workshop one more-or-less completed travel story that students can bring to the workshop. Experience in the field is not required, but writers should have a basic understanding of journalism and a keen interest in travel. >One-night seminar Thursday, March 22, 2007 THE ELEMENTS OF REVIEWING 7pm - 10pm Location: Grub Street HQ at 160 Boylston Street Instructor: Ethan Gilsdorf $45/$40 Everyone's a critic. You can rant and rave about the latest cultural triumph (or travesty), or you can learn to write about it in a structured, compelling and convincing way. In this one-night primer, students will learn the art and craft behind reviewing books, movies, performances, art exhibits, restaurants and other types of artistic/cultural events. We'll look at how to establish effective criteria for reviewing, and think about the potential pitfalls, perils and conflicts of interest. To get inspired, we'll read examples of great reviews. Then we'll get at the nuts of bolts of the freelance biz: researching markets, shaping ideas and pitching your reviews to actual markets: magazines, newspapers, guidebooks and websites (with advice on which publications and sections are most open to freelancers). Experience in the field is not required. For Media Bistro >One night seminar Tuesday, February 20 How to Become an Arts and Culture Journalist: Writing About Pop Culture for Newspapers and Magazines 7-10 pm Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church 1555 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA $65 ($50 for members) Boston may be not be as sexy as New York or LA when it comes to film, TV celebrities, or avant-garde art. But the Hub features a vibrant arts and cultural scene: The area colleges ensure that countless intellectuals and authors make an appearances here; the museums and music are always top notch; and the arts sections of the city's newspapers and weeklies are the vital conduits of information for Boston's arts-hungry inhabitants. Arts and culture writing includes reviews, features, profiles, Q&As, opinion pieces, or in-depth analyses of trends and ideas. From profiles of today's emerging movie directors and local film festivals to nasty literary feuds and pop culture trends, the field of arts and culture journalism is one of the most fertile for freelancers. Boston makes a good base to land freelance gigs with local outlets, but also with the national press. In this seminar, you'll learn: * How to research, pitch, write, and publish your arts articles * How to get on press release mailing lists and trawl the Web for scoops * How to use (but not be too swayed) by press materials and celebrity hype * How to time your pitches to releases of books, movies, plays, etc. * How to rework/resell your stories to maximize your hard work and research * The secrets of writing an arts story, from choosing the best quotes to conducting interviews
>For Grub Street "YAWP: Young Adult Writers Program" Saturdays, Jan 27, Feb 24, March 31, Apr 28, May 19, 12-4pm Free Do you like to write poems, lyrics, stories, novels or screenplays? Join YAWP, a free monthly teen writing workshop for Boston-area high schoolers like you. YAWP provides: • writing exercises in small groups • feedback from experienced writers • pizza and inspiration You provide: • the energy to write, share your work, and try new things. YAWP will be back for two Saturdays this fall: November 11th and December 9th! YAWP meets from noon - 4pm on both days. Please sign up in advance by emailing yawp2006@yahoo.com or calling 617.695.0075. Let us know which group you'd like to join: fiction, poetry, non-fiction, screenwriting or "No Preference." More info: http://www.grubstreet.org/programs/yawp.html >for Grub Street
"Freelancing for First-Timers" Thursday, Nov 2nd, 7-10pm Grub Street 160 Boylston Street Boston 617.695.0075 $40 for members and $45 for nonmembers In this seminar, we'll learn the nuts and bolts of becoming a freelance journalist. Whether you're itching to get your first story published, or looking to make the jump from a day job to part- or full-time freelancing, we'll discuss the romance and realities of this challenging work. We'll look at markets for your stories - newspapers, magazines, guidebooks, websites - and which ones are open to freelancers. We'll talk about how to come up with compelling story ideas and how to pitch them to editors. We'll look at the paperwork behind the scenes: pay rates, paying taxes, and proper record keeping. And we'll go over ways to beat the lone wolf freelance life, from joining organizations to networking with fellow writers. more info here: http://www.grubstreet.org/programs/seminars.html
>for Media Bistro: "How to Become an Arts and Culture Journalist" Wednesday, August 30, 7-10 pm Cambridge, MA Boston may be not be as sexy as New York or LA when it comes to film, TV celebrities, or avant-garde art. But the Hub features a vibrant arts and cultural scene, and it makes a good base to land freelance gigs with local outlets, but also with the national press. From profiles of today's emerging movie directors and local film festivals to nasty literary feuds and pop culture trends, the field of arts and culture journalism is one of the most fertile for freelancers. This class will teach you how to break into this exciting field. More details and registration info here: http://www.mediabistro.com/courses/cache/crs1903.asp >For Media Bistro "Breaking Into Travel Writing" Tuesday, September 5, 7-10 pm Cambridge, MA Travel writing may not always be the most lucrative freelance option, but it's one of the most diverse, and can lead to unexpected and adventuresome assignments. Scribbling out 1,000 words from your last vacation may sound tantalizingly easy, but "How I Spent My Two-week Vacation" may not make an interesting read for anyone (save your grandmother, maybe!). And it won't necessarily interest an editor, either, unless you know how to shape and sell it. In this seminar, you will learn: * The fundamentals to travel writing * Useful insider tips for selling your articles * How to identify markets, how to pitch stories, and how to make a living at travel writing * What makes a good travel memoir More details and registration info here: http://www.mediabistro.com/courses/cache/crs2037.asp
>for Media Bistro: "Travel Writing Boot Camp" 8 weeks beginning Sept 19, through Nov 14, Tuesdays, 7-10pm Cambridge, MA Travel forces us to engage with the world -- beyond our familiar roles and into undiscovered physical and emotional terrain. The job of the travel writer is to bring our readers along on our journeys by painting vivid scenes with our words. Taught by veteran travel writer and mediabistro instructor Wendy Knight and seasoned freelancer Ethan Gilsdorf, this class is an advanced look at the romance and realities of this exciting and often challenging market. Students will consider the various forms of the field, from travel-related news items to personal essays, with the goal of selling these pieces to local, regional, and national publications. Each week, students will be assigned a travel-related article up to 1,000 words, along with a pitch letter, and will be expected to investigate unfamiliar neighborhoods, seek out experts in the field, and demonstrate the highest levels of research and reporting. Take note: This is a rigorous course that requires a commitment of at least eight hours a week of outside work. More details and registration info here: http://www.mediabistro.com/courses/cache/crs1583.asp
>panel: "Making A Living as a Writer" Saturday, May 6, 2:00-3:15pm (part of Grub Street's the Muse & the Marketplace) Omni Parker House, 60 School Street, Boston Of course, we're all hoping that our book will become the next bestseller, but until that happens, can—or should—we try and make a living solely by writing? Our panelists are all successful writers who've found ways to pay the bills doing what they love. They will discuss practical strategies for finding and keeping jobs as a freelancer, an adjunct, an editor—whatever profession keeps you in the writing world. They will also address that other lurking question: should your “day job” not involve writing at all? With panelists: Kathleen Spivack, Ethan Gilsdorf, Marie Myong-Ok Lee, and moderated by Charles Coe (Co-Chair, National Writers Union Boston Chapter) More info and to register for the Muse & the Marketplace: http://www.grubstreet.org/muse/ >"The Accidental Travel Writer" Thursday, May 18, 7-10 PM Grub Street Office, 160 Boylston St, Boston $45/$40 members Travel writing may not be the most lucrative freelance option, but it's one of the most diverse, and can lead to unexpected assignments. In this seminar, you'll discover highly practical how-tos -- how to pitch stories, how to make a living (ha!) at travel writing -- plus more esoteric craft matters such as what makes a good travel memoir. Learn about one writer's errors on the way to a career as an accidental travel writer. More info, and to register: http://www.grubstreet.org/programs/seminars.html >Young Adult Writers Program Saturday, May 20, noon-4pm Grub Street Office, 160 Boylston St, Boston Grub Street's free, monthly Young Adult Writers Program (YAWP) is designed for high school students ages 13-17 to work on creative writing -- poems, stories, novels or screenplays -- in a fun, stress-free environment, led by professional writers and among peers from schools all over the Boston area. The next two workshops are April 29 and May 20. Contact yawp2006@yahoo.com or call 617-695-0075 for info or to register. For more information, see: http://www.grubstreet.org/events/index.html
>Media Bistro class "How to Become an Arts and Culture Journalist" Tuesday, June 13, 7-10 pm Cambridge, MA Boston may be not be as sexy as New York or LA when it comes to film, TV celebrities, or avant-garde art. But the Hub features a vibrant arts and cultural scene, and it makes a good base to land freelance gigs with local outlets, but also with the national press. From profiles of today's emerging movie directors and local film festivals to nasty literary feuds and pop culture trends, the field of arts and culture journalism is one of the most fertile for freelancers. This class will teach you how to break into this exciting field. More details and registration info here: http://www.mediabistro.com/courses/cache/crs1629.asp