Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop
A Literary Arts Center for Writers
Workshops & Classes • Editing & Coaching • Creative Community • Literary Events
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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 OUR WORKSHOPS ARE ONLINE
• One-Day Classes • Multi-Week Workshops • 10-Month Manuscript Program •
• Workshops in Fiction (Flash, Short Story, Novel), Nonfiction, Memoir, Poetry, Hybrid •
• Classes in Creative Planning, Process, & Publishing • Author Readings • Community •
• Editing/Manuscript Consultation Services • Writing Coaching • Writing-Related Merch •
RECENT NEWS
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• Our Winter 2023 workshop schedule is here! Browse our Creative Writing Classes page for one-day and multi-week writing workshops, in all genres!
• Note to College / University Faculty: Some workshop participants have been able to use professional development money to (partially or fully) pay for classes. If you are interested in our workshops and teach at a college or university, you may want to investigate this possibility! PVWW featured in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, about writers finding connection amid cancellations. Read article HERE. • PVWW and Founder Joy Baglio Featured in Business West |
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Updates on upcoming classes, events, news, craft tips, & highlights from our recent workshops! |
NEXT MULTI-WEEK WORKSHOP
ONLINE - 5 spots left!
Reading Like a Writer: Queer Texts
4 Weeks: Wednesdays, February 1 - 22 (6pm - 8pm EST) • $250
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Queer stories have always existed outside of mainstream narratives, and LGBTQ+ writers often must forge new modes of storytelling in order to express their stories authentically. From fragmented memoir to epistolary poetic novel to book-length erasure, queer writers are creating works that subvert expectations of genre as they assert complex identities. In this reading class, we’ll look at works by mostly contemporary LGBTQ+ writers with queer styles and queer themes (click "Learn More" to see a list of writers we'll read). We’ll ask ourselves what people mean when they use “queer” as a verb, and how this gesture can impact an essay, story, poem, memoir, or other text. We’ll also look at texts to examine how writers negotiate queer narratives and tropes, like the coming out narrative, camp aesthetics, and historical events. Note: This class is open to writers and readers of all genders and sexualities and is not limited exclusively to students who identify as queer. Read full course description and course outline at the "Learn More" link!
CAROLINE BELLE STEWART's stories can be found in Gulf Coast, Denver Quarterly, Fairy Tale Review, Black Warrior Review, and elsewhere. She's the author of the chapbook "Husbandly Things" (Factory Hollow) & co-creator of “Mast Year: A Mystical Field Guide" (Mount Analogue). A recipient of fellowships from Monson Arts and MacDowell, she lives in Western MA. |
ABOUT US
We are a literary arts organization based in Northampton MA and online, though we're completely virtual for the foreseeable future. PVWW was founded in 2016 by writer Joy Baglio, and each season our team of thirty author-instructors offers around 25 - 30 one-day and multi-week writing workshops in fiction, memoir, nonfiction, poetry, hybrid/experimental forms, and publishing - for experienced and aspiring writers of all levels and backgrounds. We also run a 10-Month Manuscript Group Program for writers working on book-length projects, open for applications every year October - early January. 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 (sometimes with an additional online classroom space) 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.
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.
We also know that writing is an art form that can be practiced, honed, and improved. Imagination can be nurtured, and exercised. We don't view craft as a rigid set of "rules" but as tools with multifaceted uses and purposes that we are always learning more about, no matter what level we may be at or how long we've been writing. We don't view craft and these "tools" of the writer as an end in themselves, but as a means to better express ourselves and tell our stories. To become more confident storytellers, poets, memoirists, essayists, etc. As Ursula K. Le Guin has said, "Skill in writing frees you to write what you want to write. It may also show you what you want to write. Craft enables art." We couldn't agree more!
We also know that writing is an art form that can be practiced, honed, and improved. Imagination can be nurtured, and exercised. We don't view craft as a rigid set of "rules" but as tools with multifaceted uses and purposes that we are always learning more about, no matter what level we may be at or how long we've been writing. We don't view craft and these "tools" of the writer as an end in themselves, but as a means to better express ourselves and tell our stories. To become more confident storytellers, poets, memoirists, essayists, etc. As Ursula K. Le Guin has said, "Skill in writing frees you to write what you want to write. It may also show you what you want to write. Craft enables art." We couldn't agree more!
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 books, others are taking their first steps toward making writing a part of their lives. Writing is a life-long journey, and our community reflects this!
WE ARE COMPLETELY VIRTUAL*
Before the pandemic, our classes were held in a physical classroom (in Western MA, where we are based) and while we do plan on having in-person classes and events at some point in the future, we are completely virtual right now and for the foreseeable future. No matter what the future brings, we will also plan to continue virtual workshops indefinitely.
*We have two in-person workshops this July that will be held at the Smith College Conference Center, in Northampton MA. Check out our Creative Writing Classes tab for more info!
*We have two in-person workshops this July that will be held at the Smith College Conference Center, in Northampton MA. Check out our Creative Writing Classes tab for more info!
OUR WRITING WORKSHOPS/CLASSES
At Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop, we offer the following types of classes.
Workshops listed below are from our current summer/fall 2022 schedule:
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• The Lyric Essay (in person)
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• Generative Writing Workshop
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• The Novel (First Draft)
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WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
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 |
RECENT CLASSES & EVENTS
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