New! Between the Lines w/James Renner, author of True Crime Addict
Wednesday, January 18th, 7:00 p.m., Happy Dog at the Euclid Tavern, 11625 Euclid Ave. (Free)
Join Literary Cleveland for an evening with James Renner, a novelist and non-fiction writer whom The New York Times Sunday Book Review has called “shamelessly entertaining” and “just plain fun to read”. Renner’s novel “The Man From Primrose Lane” is being adapted by Fox with feature director-producer Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes). The author will read from his work, engage in a conversation with writer Katherine Clark, and take questions from the audience. Mac’s Backs will sell books, and Renner will be on hand to sign them.
In partnership with The Happy Dog and The East Cleveland Public Library.
New! January Workshops
Lit Mag Submission Workshop and Rejection Contest w/Laura Walter ($65.00/$55.00 for members)
Wednesday, January 11th – February 22nd, 7:00 p.m., Loganberry Books, 13015 Larchmere
Commit to submit your short fiction, creative nonfiction, and/or poetry to literary journals with this hybrid online workshop! An initial in-person class will provide an overview of the lit mag landscape, common submission pitfalls, tips for smart submission practices, and more. Next, the course moves online, where participants will receive weekly prompts, tasks, or submission goals while cheering each other on in the virtual workshop. A final in-person meeting will wrap things up. Bonus: Participants will be invited to take part in a friendly rejection contest, where the recipient of the most lit mag rejections will receive a prize and be recognized at the 2017 Inkubator.
From Page to Stage: That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It w/Marc Moritz ($65.00/$55.00 for members)
Saturdays January 14th – February 4th, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Gordon Square Arcade, 6516 Detroit Ave.
With the motto of “Good stories don’t happen to good storytellers, good storytellers tell good stories,” this four-week workshop will focus on creating one short story/piece sourced from personal experience and putting it on its feet and on paper. Workshop participants will engage in theatre games/acting exercises that will focus on bringing and sharing their own funny, sad or maddening experiences which inspire their work. If you find yourself in love with The Moth, DNTO, This American Life and the myriad of storytelling shows out there, this workshop will get your hands dirty and leave you with your very own oral/written piece.
Public Poetry Workshop @ CPL w/Cindy Washabaugh
Saturday, January 14th, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Cleveland Public Library’s Literature Dept., 325 Superior Ave.
Writers of all levels and backgrounds welcome. Sharpen your craft and receive comments and suggestions on your work in a friendly group format. Please bring 10-15 copies of a poem. January’s workshop will be led by Cindy Washabaugh, a poet, writer and community arts practitioner whose poetry chapbook Sings the Body was recently released by Finishing Line Press.
The Craft of Blogging w/Jill Miller Zimon, Darlene English and Nikki Delamotte ($15.00/$12.00 for members)
Tuesday, January 17th, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Mac’s Backs, 1820 Coventry Rd.
Blogs come in all shapes and styles, and have become an established part of the literary, journalistic, professional, and social landscape. They are a great way to establish a platform as a writer or expert, promote a business, or just let the world know what you’re up to. The beautiful thing about blogs is that you don’t have to wait for permission to publish your work. You can just start doing it. The trick, though, is to do it well. This panel discussion will provide an overview of the entire blog process—focusing your concept, setting up your blog, generating good content, attracting attention. You’ll have a chance to draft a post and get questions answered.
Shameless Self-Promotion w/Ken Schneck ($15.00/$12.00 for members)
Wednesday, January 25th, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Gordon Square Arcade, 6516 Detroit Ave.
If a writer pens something in the woods and no one is around to read it, does it make a sound? No. No it does not. Marketing your work is essential to building an audience. Whether you want to become a social media personality, describe yourself on your website, or simply answer the question “What do you do?” you need to know how to talk about it. Get inspired to share your work as we talk about the basics of self-marketing from social media to websites to that ever-important elevator pitch. We’ll look at examples of successful author marketing and developing our own marketing ideas.
Speculative Fiction: Divorcing the Tropes ($18.00/$15.00 for members)
Saturday, January 28th, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Loganberry Books, 13015 Larchmere Blvd.
Speculative fiction is not just dragons and vampires and spaceships. In this workshop we will discuss how to write stories that broaden the definition of the genre and approach more closely our personal visions of science fiction, fantasy, magic realism, and dystopia. We’ll follow up with some exercises as a way to open up the fictional world to a sense of surprise and invention.
Charles Oberndorf is a graduate of the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop. His three science fiction novels were published by Bantam Spectra, and his short fiction has appeared in Full Spectrum, Asimov’s Science Fiction, and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. His novelette, “Another Life,” was reprinted in Years Best SF #15. He’s the Chi Waggoner Chair in Middle School Writing at University School and has moderated the Public Fiction Writing Workshop at Cleveland State University.
Mary Grimm has had two books published, Left to Themselves (novel) and Stealing Time (story collection) – both by Random House. She teaches fiction writing at Case Western Reserve University.
