Lyzette Wanzer, MFA

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 in small groups or partners. Students should have a completed or in-progress nonfiction manuscript, and be comfortable using Word, Google Docs, or Scrivener. Reserve your space for this popular offering at https://www.writersgrotto.org/classes-and-events/how-to-write-a-winning-nonfiction-book-proposal-with-lyzette-wanzer

Did you know that it's possible to sell a book on the strength of a book proposal alone—even if you haven't yet finished writing your book? 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 some sections with one another in small groups or partners. Students must have either a completed or in-progress nonfiction manuscript, and be comfortable using Word, Google Docs, or Scrivener. Enrollment is limited for this hands-on workshop. Registration is available at https://loft.org/classes/current-class-list

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.

In this two-session seminar, 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 own 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 to impress! Open to writers of all genres including fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, songwriting, essays, and graphic novels. Get more information at https://www.mainewriters.org/calendar/artiststatement?rq=wanzer

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.

In this seminar, 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 own 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 to impress! Open to writers of all genres including fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, songwriting, essays, and graphic novels. Register for this class at https://www.writersgrotto.org/classes-and-events/write-your-artist-statement-with-lyzette-wanzer

** SOLD OUT **

This seminar for writers of color offers information, guidance, and support to BIPOC writers who are applying to have their work—poetry, fiction, essays, and creative nonfiction—accepted at a writers' conference or convention, whether virtual or in-person. You've heard the alphabet soup of these events: ACA, AWP, CEA, MLA, PCA, and so many others. In a safe and supportive environment, we will explore how to choose the right writers' conference for you, how to prepare a polished submission, make a professional impression, create a conference plan, get financial support to attend, and avoid common and costly mistakes in your CV and bio that mark you as an amateur. Registration is now open.

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.

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!

** SOLD OUT **

This professional development workshop, especially geared for creative writers of color, is an empowering, vital asset addressing the nuts and bolts of producing a sustainable literary career. Becoming a professional writer requires just as much work outside of the studio as within it. If you are a serious, committed writer of color invested in developing yourself as a professional, this workshop is for you. We will cover how to market yourself as a professional author, how to create industry-standard marketing materials such as your literary resume, author bio, artist statement, and online profiles, where to secure funding to support time off for your projects, how to create and use a literary calendar to open doors of opportunity, and more. You will receive a comprehensive packet of handouts to guide you as you build your career. This class is best suited for digitally savvy participants who maintain a regular writing practice. As we will draft several revisions of the artist statement, as well as write author bios, students should be comfortable sharing work with their classmates.  https://grubstreet.org/findaclass/class/building-a-career-as-a-literary-writer-of-color

In a safe, supportive community, learn how to plan a submissions strategy, create a plan of attack for your work, research markets, and locate the ones that are the best fits for your writing. Begin by learning proper submission etiquette and protocol, avoiding pitfalls that mark you as an amateur and get your submission tossed onto the "No" pile—before editors have even read it. Then we will submit short stories, articles, poems, essays, novel excerpts, and/or creative nonfiction pieces to several markets. It's time to set aside the bevy of excuses about why you're not sending your work out to creative writing journals, magazines, and contests! Register at https://murphywriting.com/workshops/strategic-submission-an-online-workshop

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

Did you know that it's possible to sell a book on the strength of a book proposal alone—even if you haven't yet finished writing your book? A book proposal is an equation: a business case married with a marketing plan that you submit to publishers. In this six-week 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 some sections with one another in small groups or partners. Students should have a completed or in-progress nonfiction manuscript, and be comfortable using Word, Google Docs, or Scrivener.

Reserve your spot at https://grubstreet.org/findaclass/class/craft-a-winning-nonfiction-book-proposal 

Note: Due to conflicts with the AWP Conference, this class does not meet February 6th.

This workshop offers information, guidance, and strategies for writers ready to present their work on a conference panel, whether virtual or in-person. You will learn how to choose the right writers' conferences, prepare polished submissions, create a conference plan, obtain financial support to attend, practice conference etiquette, and avoid common, costly mistakes in your materials that mark you as an amateur. Open to writers who feel ready to present their work at a professional writers' conference. Register at https://hugohouse.org/product/get-invited-to-read-your-work-at-literary-conferences