QUERY LETTER CLINIC: WRITING THE PITCH THAT SELLS YOUR STORY
You have a great idea for a spellbinding article, celebrity profile, or reported essay that you're dying to get published. How do you make your pitch stand out so it doesn’t disappear into the slush pile? How do you target the right editor at the right publication? In this one day class, successful journalist Margaret Wappler will pull back the curtain of secrecy to show you what editors look for in queries, the process for landing a writing assignment, and how to re-sell your ideas for extra money. Through an informative craft talk and targeted feedback from the instructor, you’ll learn how to make your story idea relevant and give it some extra umph. By the end of class, you will have created a query letter and pitch that is so compelling that you’ll be on your way to a feature contract! In the last section of this class, Margaret helped one student write such a terrific query letter, she landed a 15 article series for xoJANE within one week of the class! You can read a few of the articles from that series here: xoJane1, xoJane2, xoJane3, xoJane4, xoJane5, xoJane6, xoJane7.
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Instructor: Margaret Wappler
Monday, May 20, 2013
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Cost: $80 (Includes snacks and tea)
Location: Writing Pad East
Note: Class will be limited to 8 students |
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Email marilyn@writingpad.com to get on wait list. |
About Margaret Wappler:
Margaret Wappler is currently the editor of Dame Magazine, an online magazine for women. She wrote about arts and culture for the Los Angeles Times for seven years, and has also published features and criticism in Rolling Stone, the Believer, LA Weekly, the Fader, Time Out Chicago, JANE Magazine and several other publications. She also edited the music blog Pop & Hiss. Her fiction has appeared in Another Chicago Magazine, Black Clock, Facsimile, Public Fiction, and was recently anthologized in Joyland Retro. She's led writing workshops for children and adults, including disadvantaged youth in the Cabrini-Green housing projects of Chicago. She holds a BA from Columbia College and an MFA in Critical Studies from the California Institute of the Arts.
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YOU IN 1200 WORDS: WRITING AND PUBLISHING THE PERSONAL ESSAY (5 Week)
Have you always wanted to write a personal essay but you don’t know where to start? Or have you dreamed of seeing one of your essays published in the New York Times or Salon? Then this is the class for you. Published journalist, Taffy Brodesser-Akner will help you transform your bad blind dates and visits from unruly parents into insightful, compelling revelations. She'll show you how to make your essay relatable, targeted for the right publication, and tantalizing to readers. You’ll learn about the structure of personal essays, and the different types of personal essays. We’ll workshop one of your essays until it’s perfect. By the end of class, you'll have a kick-ass essay that is ready to be submitted for publication and a plan of where to submit it. Your goal will be to sell your essay within a couple of weeks after the class ends! Taffy has helped 26 students get paid and published for their work in publications such as Self, Marie Claire, LA Times, Salon, Spirit Magazine, and New York Magazine. You can read some of them here: Boston Globe, LA Times #1, LA Times #2, LA Times #3, Marie Claire, Nerve, Self, Salon #1, Salon #2, Salon #3, Salon #4, Salon #5, Salon #6, Salon #7, Salon #8, Salon #9, Salon #10, Whole Life Times, xoJANE)!
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Instructor: Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Thurs. Night Section
May 30, June 6, 13, 20, 27, 2013 (4 Thurs. eve's, 1 one on one consult)
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Cost: $475 (Includes snacks and tea)
Location: Writing Pad West (Westwood) |
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Sun. Night Section
June 9, 23, 30, July 14, 28 (4 Sun. eve's, 1 one on one consult)
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Cost: $475 (Includes snacks and tea)
Location: Writing Pad West (Westwood) |
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About Taffy Brodesser-Akner:
Taffy Brodesser-Akner is a writer whose personal essays and reported personal essays have been published in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Self, Salon, The Daily Beast, American Baby, Babble, Tablet, amongst other publications. Prior to becoming a full-time journalist, she began and ran Media Bistro's education program from its beginning until 2006. She holds a Bachelor's degree of Fine Arts in Dramatic Writing from NYU (Tisch School of the Arts) where she concentrated in screenwriting.
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#FameSuccessLove: Harnessing The Power of Twitter
You have your thing: a book, blog, or business. But you have no idea how to put it out there. A Twitter handle is the key, and author and social media expert, Rob Gokee will show you how to extract its superpowers. Rob currently gets 90% of his freelance work from networking on Twitter. He even met his wife on Twitter! In Part I of his two-part class, Rob will share his secrets to Twitter success seminar style. He’ll teach you essential twitter etiquette and explain how to use hash tags, searches, links, Hootsuite and TweetDeck to become a promotional pro. Part II is an opportunity to put Rob to work on your problem. His targeted brainstorming exercises and helpful feedback will help you best utilize Twitter to engage your cyber audience. By the end of this class, you’ll have crafted an irresistible twitter persona, found your twitter voice, and have solid a plan for building a tribe of devoted fans!
Hashtag that!
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Instructor: Rob Gokee
Part I (Lecture, All Students):
Thurs., June 6
7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Location: Writing Pad East
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Part II (Small Group, Choose 1):
Eastside Section
Thurs., June 13
7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Location: Writing Pad East
Cost: $125 (includes 2 sessions, snacks and tea) |
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Westside Section
Wed., June 19
7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Location: Writing Pad West
Cost: $125 (includes 2 sessions, snacks and tea) |
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About Rob Gokee:
Rob Gokee is the author of the "In the Belly of the Fail Whale: How Twitter Changed My Life In One Year" an autobiographical account of his life as a film and television composer, and how drastically his life changed over a 12 month period by marketing on Twitter. Rob currently gets 90% of his freelance work from networking on Twitter and met his wife on Twitter. He is also an award-winning film and television composer. Rob has scored over a hundred films, shows, and webseries in the last 7 years. Rob is working on his second book, "Fighting For Sonic Space", about composing music in the indie film and TV world. Rob holds a BA from the University of New Mexico in Music Theory and Composition.
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TALEs FROM THE CARPOOL LANE: WRITING THE PARENTING ESSAY
Your kids give you enough laughs and heartache to generate infinite stories. Whether you are ready to write an essay about your personal adventures in parenthood, or just want to get motivated to journal and capture your precious and often hilarious moments on paper, this is the class for you. Published essayist and expert Momoirist (Mommy Memoirist), Sarah Maizes, will help you uncover your story, and show you how to transform it into a relatable, moving tale in your own voice. We’ll sample some of the parenting essay styles out there and determine which approach will allow your unique perspective to shine through. By the end of class, you’ll have channeled some of your wonderful and infuriating parenting experiences into a draft of a gripping story! Both Moms and Dads welcome. Play date not included.
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Instructor: Sarah Maizes
Sat., June 15, 2013
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Cost: $80 (includes snacks, mimosas,and tea)
Location: Writing Pad West (Westwood) |
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About Sarah Maizes:
Sarah Maizes is the founder of MommyLiteOnline.com - a parenting humor blog - and author of “Got Milf? The Modern Mom’s Guide to Feeling Fabulous, Looking Great and Rocking a Minivan!“ Her work has appeared in Los Angeles Magazine, on The Huffington Post, Today.com, TodayMoms.com, JMag.com, More.com, HybridMom.com, DivineCaroline.com, TheNervousBreakdown.com, Shine.com (by Yahoo!), TheWellMom.com, and Autisable.com (a website for parents of children with Autism). She is a regular contributor to CBS/LosAngeles.com (Best of LA/Families), Momtourage.com and HybridMom.com. She has appeared on “The Today Show”, KTLA News, NBC, and NPR. In addition, she is the creator and co-author of The Bridesmaid’s Guerrilla Handbook (published by Berkley), a Borders Bestselling Trade Paperback. Sarah is a former Literary Agent with the William Morris Agency in NYC representing the following children's book authors: Dav Pilkey, Cynthia Rylant, Paul Zindel, Bill Cosby, amongst others. She is also a former TV development executive for kid's television, and the author of three books for children including"On My Way to the Bath" - a Children's Book of the Month Club Main Selection and Children's Book Committee "Best Children's Book of 2012," and it's upcoming sequels, On My Way to Bed," and "On My Way to School, published by Walker Books/Bloomsbury.
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YOU in 1200 Words: WRITING AND PUBLISHING THE PERSONAL ESSAY (3 WK)
Have you always wanted to write a personal essay but you don’t know where to start? Or have you dreamed of seeing one of your essays published in the New York Times or Salon? Then this is the class for you. Successful journalist Taffy Brodesser-Akner will show you how to make your essay relatable, targeted for the right publication, and tantalizing to readers. We’ll workshop one of your essays and by the end of class, you'll have a kick-ass essay that is ready to be submitted for publication. Your goal will be to sell your essay within a couple of weeks after the class ends! Taffy has helped 26 students get paid and published for their work in publications such as Self, Marie Claire, LA Times, Salon, Spirit Magazine, and New York Magazine. You can read some of them here: Boston Globe, LA Times #1, LA Times #2, LA Times #3, Marie Claire, Nerve, Self, Salon #1, Salon #2, Salon #3, Salon #4, Salon #5, Salon #6, Salon #7, Salon #8, Salon #9, Salon #10, Whole Life Times, xoJANE)!
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Instructor: Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Wednesday, June 26, July 10, 31
7:00 p.m.- 10:00 p.m.
Cost: $275 (Includes snacks and tea)
Location: Writing Pad East |
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About Taffy Brodesser-Akner:
Taffy Brodesser-Akner is a writer whose personal essays and reported personal essays have been published in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Self, Salon, The Daily Beast, American Baby, Babble, Tablet, amongst other publications. Prior to becoming a full-time journalist, she began and ran Media Bistro's education program from its beginning until 2006. She holds a Bachelor's degree of Fine Arts in Dramatic Writing from NYU (Tisch School of the Arts) where she concentrated in screenwriting.
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What Do You Think? Writing the Op-Ed or Cultural Essay (5 WK)
Do you have strong opinions and no one to share them with? Write an op-ed and make some money off of your passion (op-eds are opinion essays with a strong personal point-of-view). The market for op-eds and cultural essays are huge right now, and there are plenty of places to break in. In this class, L.A. Times contributing op-ed editor Erin Aubry Kaplan will show you how to write an op-ed, make your argument as strong as possible, and pitch to the right editors. Newspapers and websites like the L.A. Times, New York Daily News, Salon and Wall Street Journal have blogs and pages that need op-eds and essays every day and Erin will cover the best way to approach all of them. By the end of the class, you'll have completed and polished two 800-word essays and be ready to send them out to be published! Voila, an essayist!
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Instructor: Erin Aubry Kaplan
July 9, 16, 23, 30, Aug. 13 (4 Tues. eve.'s, 1 one-on-one consultation)
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Cost: $395 (includes snacks and tea)
Location: Writing Pad West
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About Erin Aubry Kaplan:
Erin Aubry Kaplan is an award-winning journalist and columnist who has written about African-American political, economic and cultural issues since 1992. She is currently a contributing editor to the op-ed section of the Los Angeles Times, and from 2005 to 2007 was a weekly op-ed columnist – the first black weekly op-ed columnist in the paper’s history. She has been a staff writer and columnist for the LA Weekly and New Times Los Angeles. She is a regular contributor for many publications, including Salon.com, Essence, Black Enterprise, BlackAmericaWeb, Ms. and the Independent. She is also a regular columnist for make/shift, a quarterly, cutting-edge feminist magazine that launched in 2007. Her LA Weekly feature, “Blue Like Me” won the PEN USA 2001 award for journalism. Erin’s essays have been anthologized in several books, including “Mothers Who Think: Tales of Real-Life Parenthood” (Villard, Washington Square Press), “Step Into A World” (Wiley & Sons) and “Rise Up Singing: Black Women Writers on Motherhood” (Doubleday). The last book’s contributors include Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks and Alice Walker, and won an American Book Award in 2004. Her own first book of essays and journalism, "Black Talk, Blue Thoughts and Walking the Color Line: Dispatches From a Black Journalista", was published Fall 2011 by the University Press of New England (UPNE) as part of its Northeastern Library of Black Literature. Erin teaches creative nonfiction at the Antioch University MFA in Creative Writing program and is a journalism advisor at University of Redlands.
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