Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop
A Literary Arts Center for Writers: Workshops, Editing Services, Community
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"The ability to craft a compelling story
is one of the most powerful tools wepossess as humans."- Joy Baglio, Fiction Writer & Founder/Director of PVWW |
ALL WORKSHOPS CURRENTLY ONLINE
• One-Day Classes • Multi-Week Workshops • Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Courses
• Classes in Fiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Poetry, & Hybrid/Experimental • Craft Instruction
• Community Building • Classes in Creative Thinking, Planning, Process, & Publishing
RECENT NEWS
NEXT MULTI-WEEK WORKSHOP
ONLINE
Reading Like a Writer: Studying Craft
in Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles
4 Weeks: Wednesdays, November 4 - December 2* (6 - 8 pm EST) • $200
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In this course we'll spend four weeks learning about the craft of fiction writing through reading Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles together. Miller masterfully demonstrates an efficient but complex, emotionally rich, character-driven plot structure by re-envisioning a familiar tale from a unique perspective. Each meeting will feature discussion of Miller's use of the fundamental elements of storytelling, and how we can learn from them as writers; generative writing exercises related to the reading, and optional verbal sharing of work participants do in-class. *No class 11/25
KATE SENECAL received an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2013. She is the former fiction editor of Storychord, the Assistant Director of Pioneer Valley Writer’s Workshop, a fiction instructor for Grub Street, and a professor at Umass Amherst. She's received an honorable mention in Glimmer Train’s 2019 Short Fiction Contest and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2016. Her fiction is published in The Laurel Review, The Foundling Review, and in Storychord.com.
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ABOUT US
We are a literary arts organization (completely virtual for the foreseeable future, though physically based in Western MA) offering one-day and multi-week writing workshops in fiction, memoir, nonfiction, and publishing, as well as year-long manuscript groups for writers working on book-length projects. We frequently run beginner-level intro courses in all genres as well as workshops for more experienced writers. All our workshops are limited to a small number of writers (8, 10, or 12, depending on the particular class) and are held live on Zoom, which allows discussion and participation from all participants. In addition to our classes and workshops, we host frequent virtual author readings, free twice-a-month generative Community Writing gatherings for writers of all levels and genres, as well as offer professional one-on-one manuscript consulting and editing services. Our focus is on a rigorous understanding of craft and technique, while also creating a supportive and fun environment for writers of all levels backgrounds.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Writing is a life-long pursuit, and as writers we are constantly observing, constantly learning. There is no end to discovery in this journey. We truly believe that the skills of the writer and storyteller do matter and can change peoples' lives and the world. Our goal is to create an inspiring literary community while helping writers of all levels and backgrounds hone their tools, improve their craft, and accomplish their goals as storytellers, writers, and authors.
OUR INSTRUCTORS & EDITORS
Our instructors, editors, consultants, and coaches are all professional, working writers with years of experience in the literary world, both locally and nationally. We each specialize in a range of genres and topics, from flash fiction, short stories, and novels to memoir, poetry, screenwriting, and experimental/hybrid writing.
OUR STUDENTS & COMMUNITY
Writers of all backgrounds, career levels, and walks of life attend our classes: Some have MFA's and published works, others are taking their first steps toward making writing a part of their lives.
OUR CLASSROOM & LOCATION
Our classes are held both online* and at Commons Coworking in Williamsburg MA, which is located in the former Helen E. James school building. Our classroom is a beautiful, large-windowed room with lots of table space. We brew hot tea before every class! *Due to COVID-19, ALL OUR WORKSHOPS ARE CURRENTLY ONLINE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
Find out what people are saying about our classes!
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"Can't say enough about PVWW, Joy, and her amazing team of teachers! Writing is very much about the ability to sit in your seat for hours and put pen to paper, but coming to PVWW helps you build a community around your writing, breathe new life into your efforts, and get out of your own head a bit. And beyond that, I've learned lots of practical, nuts-and-bolts techniques that have vastly improved my work."
- Emily Everett, Managing Editor at The Common |
"PVWW is the most effective writing platform/service/group I've tried in the local area. The variety offered when it comes to events is a great mix-up between workshops, free writing sessions, and one-day classes, which specifically focus on particular areas of writing/craft. Each time I go to one of these events, I feel not only reenergized, but capable of carrying out the various techniques and tools that are shared."
- Meg Granger, reader for The Masters Review |
