Lyzette Wanzer, MFA

The key to a successful microfiction story is a well-defined character married with plot development, all compressed into a brief but potent narrative. These pieces foster creativity and expand writing skills, refining the ability to convey complex ideas concisely without sacrificing the story's punch or meaning. Microfiction is a genre that both challenges and sharpens your writing. In this workshop, you will write and revise a story of 300 words or less. During this class you will:

• read and parse multiple microfiction examples
• workshop your story with your peers
• receive instructor feedback on your drafts
• explore places to publish your piece.

This is an intermediate-level workshop. Prior prose or poetry writing experience is required and assumed. Get more information about this workshop.

A book proposal is an equation: a business case married with a marketing plan that you submit to publishers. In this workshop, students will learn the full spectrum of writing a first-draft proposal: what to include, what to leave out, faux pas to avoid, structuring your proposal in a professional format, and how to demonstrate to publishers that you're a serious writer who understands the 21st century publishing landscape. 

Each week, students will write one draft section of their proposal. They will receive weekly critique on their drafts from the instructor, and they will also workshop sections with one another. Students must have a completed or in-progress nonfiction manuscript, and be comfortable using Word, Google Docs, or Scrivener. This workshop will sell out; early registration is advised. Register now;t

This workshop offers information, guidance, and strategies for writers who wish to apply to have their work accepted at a writers' conference, whether virtual or in-person. In a safe and supportive environment, we will explore how to:

• choose the right writers' conference for you
• prepare a polished submission
• make a professional impression from submission to attendance
• create a conference plan
• get financial support to attend
• practice conference etiquette: the do's and dont's of both applying and attending
• avoid common, costly mistakes in your CV and bio that mark you as an amateur

This workshop is open to writers of all levels who feel prepared to present their work at a professional writers' conference. We will be engaging in hands-on research and working on our literary resumes, so participants should be computer-savvy and conversant with Word, Pages, Scrivener, or Google Docs.

Participants completing this workshop will be prepared to select and prepare submissions for several literary conferences, and will be well-equipped with the conventions and expectations of attending, and have leads on finding funding to support travel.

The artist statement is an opportunity to demonstrate that you are a thoughtful, deliberate writer who takes their literary career seriously. You'll need a version of this statement on your grant, fellowship, and residency applications, as well as your author web page. In this class, you'll learn how to cast your work in its strongest, most evocative light.

• You'll read statement examples and learn how vetting committees use them.
• Through a series of exercises, you'll generate ideas on how to talk about your work.
• You'll craft, workshop, and revise your own statement.

Writers will leave with a statement that's ready to impress. This class is open to writers of all genres, including fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, songwriting, and graphic novels.

This strategy- and information-packed workshop is open to writers of any genre who are planning to apply for a literary grant, fellowship, scholarship, or a national or international writers' residency opportunity in 2025 or 2026.

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This workshop will cover:

• The dreaded Project Statement, Work Plan, or Goals and Objectives question
• How to demonstrate a rising trajectory (remembering that most people who are awarded grants are on their way up, not already there)
• Creating a professional literary CV
• Using headings and "buckets" to make your statement navigable
• How to craft clear, concise personal or "artist" statements (leave this class with a completed first draft in hand!)
• Why the marketing angle is so important
• Curating your social media profile to present yourself as a competitive applicant

Students should be computer savvy and prepared to engage in a range of hands-on activities. Register at https://www.writersgrotto.org/classes-and-events/get-the-grant-with-lyzette-wanzer

This in-person workshop is open to writers who are considering applications for—or wish to learn about—creative writing grants, fellowships, and residencies. This six-week workshop will cover:

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• The best places to locate opportunities. You'll visit and conduct on several trustworthy websites offering the most lucrative funding.
• The dreaded Project Statement, Work Plan, or Goals and Objectives question. Finish the workshop with a revised draft.
• How to demonstrate a rising trajectory, remembering that most people who are awarded grants are on their way up, not already there.
• How to craft clear, concise personal or artist statements. Leave this class with a completed draft in hand!
• Why the marketing angle is so important.
• Creating an effective literary resume. You'll have a new professionally formatted one at the end of class!

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Open to writers of all genres. Reserve your seat now. Enrollment is limited.

The Muses & Melanin Fellowship for California Black Women Creative Writers is a supportive, virtual, fully funded eight-month cohort-based professional development program for 30 talented California African American, Afro Latina, and multiracial women creative writers of the African diaspora who aspire to become professional authors. The fellowship is designed for women who do not yet have a lengthy list of publishing credits, are not under a publishing contract, do not have literary agent representation, and do not have a doctoral degree in English, Creative Writing, or Literature (a Master's degree in these subjects is fine, such as an MFA or MA). A Bachelor's degree is required.

Participants complete a comprehensive learning and support curriculum that equips them with the strategies, tools, and knowledge they need to transition from creative writing students or hobbyists to professional authors. The fellowship launches attendees into the literary profession with a series of professional development workshops, writing workshops, and co-working sessions. After writing an article, personal essay, or paper in professional manuscript format, fellows will submit their work to publications, conferences, and contests during the last four months of the program.

Learn more details about the Fellowship Program and apply at https://www.cfplist.com/CFP/41747

This seminar is geared for writers who want to apply for literary grants and fellowships to support a creative writing project. The tools you need for this level of monetary support are considerable and critically important. We'll discuss how to locate legitimate funding opportunities, application strategies, and how best to position yourself to land one. Enroll at https://grubstreet.org/seminar/applying-for-grants-residencies-fellowships-undefined

As a writer in the twenty-first century, you will need some incarnation of an artist statement for grant, fellowship, and other funding applications; your residency applications; and your author website. The statement is your opportunity to demonstrate that you are a thoughtful, deliberate writer who takes their literary career seriously. In this class, we'll read statement examples, learn how vetting committees use them, and then craft, workshop, and revise several drafts of your own statement until it is ready to impress! This workshop is open to writers of all genres, including fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, prose writing, essays, and graphic novels. Registration is now open!

This two-week, six-hour writing bootcamp is open to writers of all genres including fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, songwriting, essays, and graphic novels. As a writer in the 21st century, you will need some incarnation of this statement on your grant, fellowship, and other funding applications, your residency applications, and your author web page. This statement serves as your opportunity to demonstrate that you are a thoughtful, deliberate writer who takes their literary career seriously.

You'll learn how to cast your work in its strongest, most evocative light. You will read several statement examples, learn how vetting committees use them, and then craft, workshop, and revise several drafts of your statement. You will complete a series of writing exercises to generate ideas about how to talk about your work. We'll polish your statement until it is ready for prime time! Reserve your seat at https://wordcrafters.org/craft-your-artist-statement

This three-hour seminar is geared toward African American, Afro Latina, and multiracial women of the African Diaspora who are interested in a safe, nurturing, intentional space to write, develop, and share their hair stories. For over four hundred years, Black natural hair has been the target of erasure efforts, keeping us in the margins. This workshop explores how writing about one of the still-remaining systemic biases in schools, academia, and corporate America might lead to greater understanding, respect, strength, and a sense of agency.

Poems, essays, short scenes, and hybrid pieces are all welcome. Have your favorite brainstorming materials handy, whether that be that a notebook, journal, sketchbook, or a roll of newsprint or butcher paper. All emotions that surface—anger, sadness, outrage, empowerment—are welcome. Open to all levels of writers from beginning through advanced. Register at https://grubstreet.org/findaclass/class/narrative-healing-writing-our-hair 

In this class that starts on March 20th, you will birth, nurture, and release one brand-new flash fiction story. You will engage in extensive revisions of your work, and close readings and analysis of ten sudden fiction stories. Students registering for this class should be prepared to create new work from scratch in a concentrated, serious environment. Homework will consist of revisions and exercises to help ensure that your piece is as polished and economically written as possible. Prior fiction or nonfiction writing experience is required. Registration is through The University of Chicago's Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies. This is course #WRIT32850.