Posts by WU Advertiser
Have you ever wished that you could attend your own private writing workshop that would teach you exactly what you need to know, at the right pace for you, and respond to your questions, problems, and needs in extensive one-on-one sessions? That’s what Your Personal Odyssey is.
*Choose your pace with sessions starting
June 2, 2025 (6 weeks)
August 11, 2025 (12 weeks)
November 24, 2025 (18 weeks)
*Choose the topics you want to study, in the order you want to study them
*Learn from 163 Hours of the Advanced, In-Depth Odyssey Lectures,
including guest lectures by R. F. Kuang, Nancy Kress, P. Djélì Clark, Melissa Scott,
Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal, Meagan Spooner, Fonda Lee,
Sheree Renée Thomas, Scott H. Andrews, & more
*Receive Expert Feedback from Odyssey Director Jeanne Cavelos or internationally bestselling author E. C. Ambrose,
and several of our bestselling, award-winning guest critiquers:
Carrie Vaughn, Shiv Ramdas, Melissa Scott, Scott H. Andrews, and Arley Sorg
*Be Guided and Supported with Deep Mentoring of over 30 hours
with Odyssey Director Jeanne Cavelos or internationally bestselling author E. C. Ambrose
About Odyssey:
Since its inception in 1996, the Odyssey Writing Workshop has become one of the most highly respected workshops for writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror in the world. Top authors, editors and agents have served as guests at Odyssey. Fifty-nine percent of graduates have gone on to be professionally published, and among graduates are award-winners, Amazon bestsellers, USA Today bestsellers, Publishers Weekly bestsellers, and New York Times bestsellers.
In 2022, Odyssey transformed into a breakthrough new program to become both more accessible and more effective. Students taking Your Personal Odyssey receive the inspiring, transformative learning experience Odyssey is known for, but that experience is customized to maximize learning and improvement for each student.
Director Jeanne Cavelos is a former senior editor at Bantam Doubleday Dell, bestselling author, and winner of the World Fantasy Award with 37 years of experience guiding writers and helping them make major improvements.
Financial Aid:
Seven scholarships are available for the ten to twelve students who will be admitted.
Your Personal Odyssey will help you follow the unique path that is most helpful for you, that teaches you the skills you need to improve the most.
Become the writer you’ve always known you could be!
Application Deadline: April 1
Odyssey also offers many free resources for writers.
Visit www.odysseyworkshop.org/about-the-workshop/
Questions? Email: jcavelos@odysseyworkshop.org
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FROM FREE EXPRESSIONS SEMINARS AND LITERARY SERVICES
Join us for our VIRTUAL BREAKOUT NOVEL INTENSIVE
with literary agent Donald Maass
New 2025 Sessions Added:
March 18 – April 22, 2025
or November 11 – December 16, 2025
Use code WUFX75 for $75 off virtual BONI registration.
For more than twenty years, Donald Maass has partnered with Free Expressions Seminars to offer one of the industry’s most acclaimed writing workshops.
Many of our students have gone on to find agent representation, publishing—even bestselling—success, and to have their works optioned (and produced) for film and television.
This is a substantive, stimulating, and rewarding experience for writers who crave excellence and whose focus is not just on one published work but on a longtime career in publishing.
Due to the intensive nature of this course, the workshop is limited to thirty-five participants.
WORKSHOP FEATURES:
Our mission is your publishing success.
Whether via our internationally acclaimed writing workshops, webinars, Inner Circle program, or a wide array of editorial services, we are known for our deep, thorough, and challenging approach to craft–and for helping thousands of writers reach their creative and professional goals.
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OK, it’s not as snappy as ‘New Year, New You’, but we all know those grand commitments to massive ‘to do’ lists don’t work anyway, don’t we?
So let’s try something different.
Join Julie Duffy’s free 5-Day Challenge, This Month
Instead of focusing on everything we’re doing wrong, let’s focus on what’s already working.
Let’s run through an exercise that helps you get more of those things, on more days, next year.
I’m Julie Duffy from StoryADay May, and I put together this FREE, 5-Day Challenge to help you create a strong foundation for your enduring writing habit so you can write consistently and keep getting better…all year long.
15 minutes a day or less, over the last 5 days of the year, to get you excited about all the possibilities ahead of you.
Sign Up for the New Year 5-Day Challenge here.
The challenge will help you
Sound motivating? It will be!
Sign up now.
We start on Dec 27 and wrap up on Dec 31, in plenty of time for you to start the New Year with a renewed sense of confidence in your writing.
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FROM FREE EXPRESSIONS SEMINARS AND LITERARY SERVICES
Join us for our VIRTUAL BREAKOUT NOVEL INTENSIVE
with literary agent Donald Maass
New 2025 Sessions Added:
March 18 – April 22, 2025
or November 11 – December 16, 2025
Use code WUFX75 for $75 off virtual BONI registration.
For more than twenty years, Donald Maass has partnered with Free Expressions Seminars to offer one of the industry’s most acclaimed writing workshops.
Many of our students have gone on to find agent representation, publishing—even bestselling—success, and to have their works optioned (and produced) for film and television.
This is a substantive, stimulating, and rewarding experience for writers who crave excellence and whose focus is not just on one published work but on a longtime career in publishing.
Due to the intensive nature of this course, the workshop is limited to thirty-five participants.
WORKSHOP FEATURES:
Our mission is your publishing success.
Whether via our internationally acclaimed writing workshops, webinars, Inner Circle program, or a wide array of editorial services, we are known for our deep, thorough, and challenging approach to craft–and for helping thousands of writers reach their creative and professional goals.
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Today’s “ad post” is also a valuable blog post written by our own Barry Knister, detailing his experience with two editors while preparing his novel, Someone Better Than You, for publication. Enjoy!
Deciding to work with an editor is a major decision. It costs money, and calls on the writer to do something analogous to what all good parents must do: love their children enough to let them go (at least until they come home and move into the basement).
That’s what the writer does when she turns over her baby to an editor. This person will get to know the fledging novel or memoir, but usually with no knowledge of how it came to be. That means, when the baby comes home, the writer must will herself into a kind of amnesia, in order to absorb and respond to the stranger’s reactions.
That’s why I urge writers to read a report, but to then put it aside for a week or more before going back to it. Otherwise, they risk acting or reacting on impulse.
Recently, I worked with two editors on my forthcoming novel, Someone Better Than You. By coincidence, both people are past editors for Penguin. In every respect, working with these editors led to improvements in my novel. I acted on most but not all of their suggestions, and what follows is my attempt to summarize the process.
RONIT WAGMAN
I first hired Ronit in 2020 to read and report on the full manuscript of what was then titled Ashley and the Jell-O Hour. Although she liked the story (“the world of the novel and the characters that dwelled in it felt deeply authentic to me”), she had several major criticisms.
AGENCY
In the version Ronit read, my main character Brady “Buzz” Ritz is a retired newspaper editor. His life is upended when he publishes a book of his anonymously published satirical columns. He blunders mightily by publishing the book’s second edition under his own name.
In this first version, Brady’s book comes about through the actions of others. The editor of Grumble (the little magazine that first published his column) talks Brady into developing a book of his work. Ritz’s best friend from his newspaper days gets an agent friend to find a publisher. Most importantly, the best friend shames Ritz into using his own name for the second edition.
As Ronit explained, I had made my main character the passive pawn of others. Someone else pushes him to develop the book, and someone else arranges for it to be published. Most importantly, someone else is responsible for Ritz publishing the second edition under his own name.
Ronit’s guidance led me to make Ritz less a passive actor, and more the responsible agent for his story. He still gets the idea for the book from his editor, but as Ronit pointed out, no agent would take on such a manuscript from an “anonymous” writer—because no publisher would be interested in such a book.
So, I replaced a commercial publisher with a university press whose editor has the freedom to publish something by an unknown writer. I also got rid of the idea of a second edition. Once I made these changes, I was free to make Brady responsible for the […]
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Co-founders Kim Place-Gateau (left) and Caren McVicker (center) discuss plans for the upcoming Southern Vermont Writers’ Conference with GMALL Executive Director Gloria Palmer (right)
A new writers’ conference is coming to Manchester, Vermont in early Spring of 2025. The Southern Vermont Writers’ Conference offers writers of all levels and genres an opportunity to focus on their craft, learn from experts, and build community. The conference will be held in the historic Equinox Resort and Spa from March 30 to April 4, 2025.
Co-founded by local writers Caren McVicker and Kim Place-Gateau, the conference is sponsored by Green Mountain Academy for Lifelong Learning and will feature three lead instructors, small class sizes, afternoon craft talks, and special events during the five-day retreat.
Poet, songwriter, and photographer Justen Ahren will teach his internationally acclaimed workshop Cultivating a Devotion to Writing. This workshop helps writers from all backgrounds tap into their creative abundance by using writing as a tool to discover and explore the stories, poems, and other writings already within them.
Obie award-winning actor, writer, and teacher Chris Wells will lead his group through a series of exercises, prompts, and craft discussions that will deepen each writer’s relationship with their characters and stories in his workshop, Creating Juicy Stories and Characters.
In her class, Writing Compelling Personal Essays, editor, teacher, and memoirist Sari Botton will share prompts and lead generative writing exercises. Writers will come away with several short pieces, which can later be developed individually, or together into one larger work.
Each workshop is limited to 15 participants to foster individual attention, opportunities for feedback, and a welcoming environment to share. The program also includes afternoon craft talks, evening salons, and a special afternoon with bookseller recommendations at Northshire Bookstore. The capstone event at the Manchester Community Library will feature author, journalist, and essayist Megan Mayhew Bergman who will present In Service of the Story: Researching and Writing the International Sweethearts of Rhythm.
“When Caren and Kim came to me with the idea of launching a writers’ conference it felt like a great fit for GMALL’s mission,” said Gloria Palmer. “We are hopeful this will be the first of many successful conferences.”
Find details and register at southernvermontwritersconference.org
Early bird pricing ends November 30, 2024.
Receive individual attention and in-depth feedback
with an Odyssey Online class!
Bestselling, award-winning instructors.
Only 3 classes per year. Only 14 students per class.
Application deadline 11/22. Don’t miss out!
Odyssey has been a pioneer in holding live online classes since 2010. Live class meetings allow a virtual classroom experience, with students participating in discussions, asking questions, and learning from an instructor responsive to students’ concerns. Between class meetings, students interact with each other and the instructor in an online group, complete assignments, and give and receive feedback. Each student also has a one-on-one meeting with the instructor.
Graduates of Odyssey Online regularly praise the depth and value of the content provided in the courses; the challenging, skill-building assignments; and the in-depth critiques from instructors.
While Odyssey’s nonprofit mission is to help writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror, writers of any genre of fiction are welcome to apply. Courses will also cover issues relevant to writers of adult, young adult, and middle grade fiction.
Odyssey’s classes will provide you with valuable tools and techniques that can help you make major improvements to your writing. Become the writer you’ve always known you could be!
Classes:
Getting the Big Picture: The Key to Revising Your Novel
Course Meets: January 7 – February 18, 2025
Instructor: Award-winning novelist Barbara Ashford
Level: Intermediate
There are few things more difficult than revising a novel. You’ve worked on it for months, or years, and you’re so immersed in it you can’t step back and see the big picture. You might polish the draft and make minor changes, but you don’t really know what to change to turn that rough draft into a powerful, unified novel. And chances are, major changes are necessary. In this course, Barbara Ashford, one of our most popular instructors, will guide you in a deep examination of the “big picture” elements of your novel–premise, promise, theme, world, character, plot. Analyzing each of these building blocks and how well they are working together can give you new perspective on your novel, reveal weaknesses, and reveal the key to revisions that will help you make your novel as strong as possible.
Whether you’ve already completed your first draft, are still working on it, or are struggling with revisions, this course will provide invaluable insights into your novel through the lectures, assignments, and critiques. This course will be longer than the standard Odyssey online class, with four class meetings rather than our usual three, so you’ll be able to fully process and incorporate the important concepts discussed. If you’re planning to participate in #NaNoWriMo, this course can show you the path from rough draft to completed novel.
Award-winning novelist Barbara Ashford will discuss ways to infuse drama and emotion into every aspect of storytelling–from setting and description to character development and plot events–and create greater emotional resonance by weaving these building blocks of story together. Barbara is an incredible resource for writers. Her students regularly praise the depth of her knowledge, the useful tools and techniques she provides, her friendly manner, and her insightful critiques.
“Barbara is supportive, knowledgeable, and kind. She has […]
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Dear Writer Unboxed Community,
What if a mother’s idealism, her fight for justice, collides with her daughter’s craving for normalcy?
If The Big Chill, Forrest Gump, and This Is Us brought forth a book child, it would be The Many Mothers of Ivy Puddingstone.
Annabel’s journey begins in 1964 when she heads to Mississippi for Freedom Summer. There, the disappearance of her first love sparks a relentless fight for justice that will define her life. Years later, she, her husband, and four other couples—and their growing families— create a political collective, sharing a sprawling Boston house they name Puddingstone.
As social upheaval reaches a boiling point, the group relocates their children to the safety of rural Vermont, far from the chaos. The parents continue their activism, rotating visits to Vermont to care for the kids.
But not all threats come from the outside. Annabel’s daughter, Ivy, longs for something more than the patchouli-scented, organic world of Vermont. She craves normalcy, but most of all, she craves Annabel’s attention. When a cataclysmic event shatters their world, Ivy must reckon with the limits of her many mothers and fathers.
Since early childhood, reading has been my escape, my sanctuary, and my comfort. I devoured page-turning escape and lost myself in books grappling with human nature, the struggle for justice, and resistance to wrongs. Above all, I cherished stories that intertwined both.
I wrote this novel infused with the spirit of Marge Piercy, Tayari Jones, Rosellen Brown, John Sayles, Liane Moriarty, Marge Piercy, Jodi Picoult, & Alice Walker—all of whom walk on the side of justice while stapling us to the couch to finish just one more page.
Warmest,
Randy
Praise for The Many Mothers of Ivy Puddingstone
“With realistic, hard-hitting prose and a well-researched and startling setting, Meyers delivers another deeply felt, beautiful novel.”—Booklist, American Library Association
“A new Randy Susan Meyers novel is always a cause for celebration! Her novels are beautifully written and full of warmth, wit, and wisdom. I’m a devoted fan!” —Liane Moriarty, NYT bestselling author of Big Little Lies
“Rarely has a novel touched me so deeply. . .Meyers moves the story with urgency and grace between Freedom Summer and 9/11 and beyond, reminding the reader of the complicated political stew of race, class, and gender that has simmered in the past half-century.”
—MER Review, Ellen Meeropol
The Many Mothers of Ivy Puddingstone suggests that having parents who want to save the world can be lonely. Sometimes, a child must compete with that world for anything more than glancing attention. With a compassionate hand, Meyers explores the many manifestations of love in a flawed but eternally hopeful universe.
—Jewish Book Council
“Randy Susan Meyers returns with a timely and exciting story of womanhood, family, and coming of age set against the turbulent background of the 1960s moving through to the present. Meyers delves into the untold strength of mothers and the unfathomable choices they face—and will have readers whipping through these pages.”
—Pam Jenoff, NYT bestselling author of The Diplomat’s Wife
International bestselling author Randy Susan Meyers’ novels have been featured in publications such as People, the NYT, the LA Times, Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and the Miami Herald, earning an Indie Next Pick and being highlighted by Kirkus as one […]
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Remember this graphic from my Writer Unboxed ad post earlier this month? I’m Kathryn Craft, back to show how these key structural elements can shape any story—even the story of my Your Novel Year program.
Premise
“Writers who support each other will reach their goals.”
Inciting Incident
In 2001, New York Times best-selling author Molly Cochran asks me, “Tell me what your book is about—but don’t tell me the plot.” I’m so new to the fiction game that I can only answer, “Um…”
Motivation
Vowing never to be struck dumb by a colleague again, I invest years of my time and more than $17K in conferences, workshops, and craft books to acquire the education I need—but in the end, the lessons are all a jumble. It took many more years to order and apply them in a way that earned me an agent and publication. But it’s sharing what I’ve learned that has always brought meaning and joy to my life, and for that I’d need to bring my all to my investment — my accumulating craft knowledge, hard-won publishing experience, analytical mind, emotional nature, my love of reading, and my Girl Scout hospitality badge.
Stakes
Without a program like Your Novel Year, how could the twisted path that resulted in my two degrees in education, as well as an honorary PhD from the School of Hard Knocks, add up to anything more than chaos?
Complications
The premise-relevant, small-group mentorship I created starts meeting in my home, inspiring laughter and tears as YNY writers shine freshly acquired craft on their stories. But even as the program hits its stride I fear for its future, as aspiring novelists are a rare breed—especially those who live within driving distance of my house.
Dark Moment
I squeak out a third cohort and then, just two months in, Your Novel Year meets Covid lockdown. Hospitality must end. But some participants have paid fully in advance—how can I salvage the program?
Climax
With a quick pivot, comprehensive restructuring, and videoconferencing software, I transform full-day, in-home meetups into clusters of two-hour, online workshops. Your Novel Year emerges stronger than ever, as it can now be digested in smaller bites, and can accommodate writers from all over the world.
Resolution
In these first seven years, participants have discovered their story’s purpose, acquired representation, achieved publication, and forged lasting relationships with other participants. 2024 participant Kim S. Kelly, who says she’d been “doggy paddling in the shallow end of the literary world” until she took the course, now says, “Kathryn goes deep… Dive in, writers!”
If you’d like ordered lessons that will help you apply these key elements and more to the efficacy of your novel, you too can be part of Your Novel Year.
Apply now, and mention WU for $50 off! Three spots for 2025 remain—see details here.
I look forward to reading your application,
Kathryn
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What does your mind flash on when you hear the word “tarot”? Chances are you imagine a mysterious fortuneteller in a tent predicting the future, or something else equally magical. You wouldn’t be alone—I’ve been there myself.
When I first encountered the tarot as a child of nine, I sensed this magic about the cards without knowing anything about them. In college, I was drawn into learning to read tarot for myself and friends. Though our questions usually revolved around the eternal themes of love and fame, I soon I realized the tarot had much more to offer than fortunetelling: the cards were a powerful tool for creativity. As a result, I was inspired to create two decks of my own, The Goddess Tarot, which has over a quarter of a million copies in print, and The Lover’s Path Tarot.
However, it was when I began writing fiction two decades ago that I really discovered the tarot’s creative possibilities. I used tarot cards to brainstorm plot ideas and breathe life into characters while I wrote my Kirkus-starred debut novel The Lost History of Dreams and my award-winning follow-up Unnatural Creatures: A Novel of the Frankenstein Women. The cards also helped me dissolve writer’s block, deal with overthinking, and uncover deeper meaning in the stories I yearned to tell. When I began teaching the tarot to other writers and related creatives, I was thrilled to see my techniques worked as well for them as they did for me. I witnessed frustrated writers gain new inspiration, finish manuscripts, set goals, and transform their lives in general.
All this has led to my new book Tarot for Storytellers: A Modern Guide for Writers and Other Creatives, which is now available in softcover, hardcover, and ebook after a successful Kickstarter earlier this year. Tarot for Storytellers incorporates my personal experiences using the cards as a creative tool, as well as exclusive tarot techniques I developed while teaching at Hugo House, The Writers Circle, and other venues for writers.
By connecting the tarot’s archetypal imagery with the key elements of fiction—characters, plot, and conflict—Tarot for Storytellers makes the tarot accessible for writers at any level, whether you’re a plotter or a pantser or in between. The content of Tarot for Storytellers includes:
To make the book as useful as possible, Tarot for Storytellers is illustrated throughout with over 100 graphics and diagrams. I’ve even included sample tarot readings with characters from popular novels, ranging from Jane Eyre to The Hunger Games, to demonstrate how the tarot can offer new insights into well-known stories—and inspire your own. For writers who enjoy journaling, there’s also a companion Tarot for Storytellers Workbook designed for recording tarot readings, writing prompts, and your reflections on the cards.
Every writer has a story to tell, but sometimes we need a little help bringing it to life. Whether you’re deep into a manuscript draft, starting a new project, or simply seek creative inspiration, I hope Tarot for Storytellers will empower your […]
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Many say it’s more challenging than ever to secure agent representation or find a publisher willing to acquire your work. While that may be true, it’s also a fact that there is so much you can do to be sure your query submission package captures the attention of industry professionals.
You’ve spent a lot of time perfecting your writing. Now you’ll want to be knowledgeable and strategic about finding the right home for your work. I hope you’ll let me help.
After years of guiding writers through the submission process, to go on to publish their work in all kinds of publishing venues, I’m excited about my fall course aimed at preparing you to submit to agents and editors. In this six-session workshop, I’ll take you through what you need to know, and offer personalized guidance for what you need to generate to confidently begin the submission process when you’re ready.
At the end of the six-week program, you’ll have:
Tuesdays September 17 through October 15 from 7:00 pm-9:30 pm ET | Virtual | with a bonus session in November to address the inevitable questions you’ll have once you begin the query process.
Registration is $550
Email Lynne at info [at] lynnegriffin [dot] com for questions or to register.
ABOUT LYNNE REEVES GRIFFIN:
Lynne’s work has appeared in Parents, Cognoscenti, Psychology Today, Solstice Literary Magazine, Chautauqua Journal, Craft Literary, LitHub, and more.
She is the author of the novels, Life Without Summer (St. Martin’s Press), Sea Escape (Simon & Schuster), Girl Sent Away (SixOneSeven Books), and The Dangers of an Ordinary Night and Dark Rivers to Cross (Crooked Lane Books). She’s also the author of several nonfiction books, including Negotiation Generation (Penguin).
As a developmental editor and ghost writer, Lynne has guided writers to publish dozens of books with all types of publishers. For more about her work visit: https://lynnegriffin.substack.com/.
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FROM FREE EXPRESSIONS SEMINARS AND LITERARY SERVICES
Looking for high-level craft instruction, supportive community, and substantive feedback on your work? Would you like to grow as a creator and make real progress on your current project?
Join our six-month INNER CIRCLE program.
Next session: September 18, 2024 – March 19, 2025
Limited to thirty-five members, this program includes:
“I love the Inner Circle so much that I’ve done it twice. The workload was marathon-like; it was manageable, but it kept me accountable and on my toes. The lessons from the weekly webinars gave me new tools and techniques to apply to the “homework” we’d submit for critique each month. The flexibility to submit whatever we wanted helped me feel in control of my progress.The Inner Circle is a fantastic choice for writers who are constantly hungry for new ways to approach their writing, especially those who struggle to find more advanced resources. I truly believe the Inner Circle is what pushed my books from good to publishable.”
– Morgan Watchorn, author of the upcoming FIRE TO THE STARS
Featured instructors include:
Monthly Writer Unboxed contributor, Donald Maass
Beth Barany
Grace Burrowes
Jane Cleland
Lyndsey Ellis
Sheree Greer
Leah Henderson
Adam Marsh
Henry Neff
Lorin Oberweger
Lesleye Penelope
Heather Sellers
Jason Sitzes
Damon Suede
Allison K. Williams
NOW TAKING DEPOSITS
MONTHLY PAYMENT PLAN AVAILABLE
Use code WUIC75 for $75 off your registration.
Our mission is your publishing success.
Whether via our internationally acclaimed writing workshops, webinars, Inner Circle program, or a wide array of editorial services, we are known for our deep, thorough, and challenging approach to craft–and for helping thousands of writers reach their creative and professional goals.
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