Writers’ Workshop at Book Passage, Saturday, June 26

June 17th, 2010 | By Larry Habegger | No Comments »

Connie Hale and I will be running a “Manuscript Clinic with The Prose Doctors: Polishing your prose so it sings” on Saturday, June 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Book Passage in Marin County. This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to strengthen his or her writing in that crucial final draft where you craft the words to really work for you.

Sign up here.

Connie Hale and I will be running a “Manuscript Clinic with The Prose Doctors: Polishing your prose so it sings” on Saturday, June 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Book Passage in Marin County. This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to strengthen his or her writing in that crucial final draft where you craft the words to really work for you.

Sign up here.

You’ve arranged the pieces of a reported article, you’ve penned a brutally honest memoir, you’ve finally finished that magazine feature. Now you’re ready to polish the prose so that it sings—and so that it speaks to every editor you send it to. Veteran editors Larry Habegger and Constance Hale of The Prose Doctors (www.prosedoctors.com) will spend the day with you practicing what writers call The Craft: paring prose to its essence, styling sentences with flair, and building memorable characters and scenes. The day will be filled with discussions of craft, practice sentences, and exercises to build new writing muscles. The instructors will review in advance a manuscript from each student, and during the class we will work on polishing one double-spaced page from that manuscript.

And here are a few words about Connie, my partner in The Prose Doctors:

Constance Hale teaches writing at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard and has edited more than two dozen books. She is the author of Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose. Her writing has appeared in Yoga Journal, the Los Angeles Times, National Geographic Adventure, Smithsonian and The Atlantic Monthly, among many other publications.

I hope to see you there. Sign up here.

Praise for the Writers Workshop Sailing off Turkey’s Turquoise Coast

March 2nd, 2009 | By Larry Habegger | No Comments »

Last year’s trip was fantastic, but don’t take it from me, listen to what the participants had to say.

“What a journey, everything I hoped for and so much more! There is no better place to be lost in thought, no better teacher with whom to contemplate craft, and no better way to stretch the artist within than with fellow writers on the open waters. Turkey was presented in a tailored tapestry, finely woven with the filigree of hospitality, the bold color of pungent produce and the tinseled charm of attentive service. Whether it is the sapphire waters, the distant horizon or the inherently starry skies there is no way you won’t feel inspired!”
—Jennifer Leigh Rosen, Writer & Photographer, Baja California Sur, Mexico

“When I signed up for the workshop, I couldn’t have imagined what I would leave with: deep friendships, a new understanding of myself and my writing goals, an amazing collection of photos, and a great big notebook of souvenirs in the form of writing tips, techniques, and guidance I received from Larry, who has replaced my 3rd grade teacher, Ms. Klein, as my favorite instructor of all time. Sailing on a handsome gulet along the gem-colored shoreline of the Aegean Sea is the perfect place to get inspired, forget about all the distractions at home, and devote yourself to a week of writing.”
—Cheryn Flanagan, San Francisco, California
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Writers’ Workshop Sailing off the Turkish Coast

February 7th, 2008 | By Larry Habegger | No Comments »

Learn How to Craft a Travel Article, Write a Memoir and Publish Your Book

I’ll be leading a seven-day writers workshop on the personal travel narrative aboard a traditional 82-foot gulet (a Turkish yacht) September 20-27, 2008. Come join me!

On this seven-day intensive workshop sailing on the Aegean Sea you’ll learn the ins and outs of crafting a superb story and how to bring your work to print, whether it’s a short essay or a book-length memoir. I’ll help you develop powerful stories with simple tools and plot the course to successful publication.

For information about sailing along the ancient shores of Turkey with me, contact Robin Sparks at robin@robinsparks.com.

In this workshop you will learn how to:
• Unearth kernels of inspiration
• Find the right way in
• Create the ideal structure to give a story maximum substance and meaning
• Access memory to add depth and texture
• Use techniques of fiction to add drama and suspense
• Craft the perfect ending
• Edit to make the story a page-turner
• Develop the kind of book proposal publishers are eager to see
• Create the perfect marketing plan so your book will sell
• Write like a poet but think like a publicist

Daily writing exercises will help you find the focus of your story, and discussions will provide guidance for shaping and polishing. Participants will gain confidence about what makes a story work and how to make it shine in the marketplace. (more…)