Writing

Writing is an art, but publishing is a business — and successful freelance writers must master both. This course focuses on the business side of freelance writing. We’ll explore new opportunities in today’s swiftly changing market, and discuss how to make a reality-based plan for achieving your writing goals, whether you want to freelance full- or part-time. Learn how to find and analyze potential markets for your writing, and how to write query letters that work. Get the inside scoop on the care and feeding of editors, agents, fellow writers and other people important to your writing career, and learn how to conquer common business stumbling blocks, including shyness, insecurity and procrastination. Alison Stein Wellner is the culinary travel editor for About.com, and writes a weekly column for Perceptive Travel and the USA Today Travel Alliance. She has published articles and essays in the Atlantic Monthly’s Food Channel, Business Traveler, BusinessWeek, the Chicago Tribune, the Christian Science Monitor, Fast Company, Glamour, Ladies’ Home Journal, Luxist, Men’s Journal, Money, Mother Jones, New York Magazine, Psychology Today, Robb Report, Sierra Magazine, The Smart Set, The Street, the Toronto Star, US Air magazine, the Washington Post, and World Hum. She is the author of the books Americans at Play and Best of Health (both New Strategist), and her work is included in Best Women’s Travel Writing 2010 (Traveler’s Tales). She is on the faculty of Gotham Writers’ Worshop in New York City. She’s been a contributing editor at Inc. magazine, editor-at-large at American Demographics magazine, a New York Times Professional Fellow and a National Press Foundation Fellow. Her articles have won awards from the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the American Society of Business Press Editors.

This discussion based class will focus on analyzing short stories from the past forty years and speculating what this art form can tell us about contemporary culture. Other considerations will be characteristics of strong writing and topics of hope and despair in literature.

This workshop based class will focus on providing feedback for student work. Participants can look forward to producing and sharing new works of fiction as well as receiving peer critiques on previous works. The revision process will be at the heart of this class. No class on 7/4.

If food is your muse, or travel your motivation, this course will teach you how to turn that inspiration into compelling, publishable writing. Learn the basics of food and travel writing, including memoir, essay, service (how-to) pieces and recipes. Develop the tools you’ll need to craft your ideas into saleable nonfiction, from research through writing and revision. And find out what it really takes to get published in today’s market.

Alison Stein Wellner is the culinary travel editor for About.com, and writes a weekly column for Perceptive Travel and the USA Today Travel Alliance. She has published articles and essays in the Atlantic Monthly’s Food Channel, Business Traveler, BusinessWeek, the Chicago Tribune, the Christian Science Monitor, Fast Company, Glamour, Ladies’ Home Journal, Luxist, Men’s Journal, Money, Mother Jones, New York Magazine, Psychology Today, Robb Report, Sierra Magazine, The Smart Set, The Street, the Toronto Star, US Air magazine, the Washington Post, and World Hum. She is the author of the books Americans at Play and Best of Health (both New Strategist), and her work is included in Best Women’s Travel Writing 2010 (Traveler’s Tales). She is on the faculty of Gotham Writers’ Worshop in New York City. She’s been a contributing editor at Inc. magazine, editor-at-large at American Demographics magazine, a New York Times Professional Fellow and a National Press Foundation Fellow. Her articles have won awards from the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the American Society of Business Press Editors.