Open House at Writers Center, and Flash Fiction

Open house this Saturday September 6th at the Writers Center just outside Washington DC in Bethesda MD. I'll be giving the one-day "Flash Fiction" workshop on Sunday October 5th. Key links:
--->The Writers Center.
--->C.M. Mayo's Flash Fiction Workshop
--->"Giant Golden Buddha & 364 More 5 Minute Writing Exercises"
More anon.


P.S. On another, but related subject, today is the last day to register for the Writers Telesummit, the virtual writer conference. (I'll be giving the talk and Q & A on travel writing). Click on the Writers Telesummit icon over on the sidebar for more information and to register.

One Day Writing Workshops

I love the one day writing workshop format. I've been giving these ("Break the Block"; Literary Travel Writing", "Flash Fiction" "Techniques of Fiction" & etc) for some years now at the Writers Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and also, lately, via Dancing Chiva in Mexico City. Why do I love it? Unlike an on-going workshop, a one day is much easier for me to fit into my travel-cluttered schedule, and I not only get more students, I get a more varied group. I've had many beginners, but also magazine editors, accomplished journalists, and many who've published books. So it keeps me sharp. And I love taking one day workshops myself--- it's a way to freshen up, get jolt of inspiration. At the Writers Center, I've taken, and warmly recommend, Khris Baxter's one day short screenplay writing workshop, Lindsay Reed Maines's yoga and writing one day workshop. And, though not a writing workshop, as I did find it extraordnarily helpful for my novel, I recommend Edward Tufte's splendid and entertaining one day course, Presenting Data and Information.

And two more recommendations: this fall, my amiga award-winning novelist, short story writer and essayist Leslie Pietrzyk will be offering two all-new one day workshops at the Writers Center, "Set Your Prose Free Through Collage" and "Flex Your Creative Muscles." Over at her blog, Work-in-Progress, she provides a full description of both.

More anon.

Fall Fiction Workshops near Washington DC & Mexico City

Flash Fiction: October 5th at the Writers Center, Bethesda MD.
Techniques of Fiction: October 18th via Dancing Chiva, Mexico City.
--->Read more here.

Lit-bloggers, Update Your Links Pages: The Writers Center Has a Blog

The Bethesda MD Writers Center, a nonprofit founded in 1976, and one of the premier independent literary centers in the country, has just launched a blog. Check it out at thewriterscenter.blogspot.com and read the Writers Center's communications and publications director, Kyle Semmel's welcome here.

Apropos of the July 26th one day "Flash Fiction" workshop I'll be leading at the Writers Center, Kyle has posted my bit on "Giant Golden Buddha" and 364 More Five Minute Writing Exercises. Said archive includes writing exercises contributed by several fellow Writers Center members, friends, and instructors, among them, Leslie Pietrzyk, Lisa Couturier, Basil White, Kim Roberts, Deborah Ager, Mary Quattlebaum, and Robert Giron. More anon.

The Writers Center Is Holding an Open House This Saturday

Check it out at www.writer.org The Writers Center is in Bethesda MD, just over the line from Washington DC. (I'm leading the one day "Flash Fiction" workshop Saturday July 26. For more about that, and to register, click here.) More anon.

Flash Fiction

In preparing my flash fiction workshop for this Saturday, I just surfed onto Pamelyn Casto's Flash Fiction blog, which offers some excellent links. More flash anon.

Flash Fiction Workshop in Mexico City

It's filling up fast but there are still a few places available for my one day (10 am - 2 pm) "Flash Fiction" workshop via Dancing Chiva in Col. Roma, Mexico City on Saturday May 31st. What's a flash fiction? A story as short as six and as long as, say, 1,000 words. Though a genre with a distinguished tradition, flash fiction is perfectly suited for blogging and podcasting. For both beginning and advanced writers, this workshop will focus on improving your fiction-writing craft and generating new material. Suggested reading prior to the workshop: Dinty W. Moore, ed., Sudden Stories: The Mammoth Book of Miniscule Fiction. ---> Read more about this workshop here.

Flash Fiction Workshop in Mexico City

I'll be offering a one-day flash fiction workshop in Mexico City this spring via Dancing Chiva.

Flash, or micro-fictions are stories as short as six and as long as, say, 1,000 words. Though a genre with a distinguished tradition, flash fiction is perfectly suited for blogging and podcasting. For both beginning and advanced writers, this workshop will focus on improving your fiction-writing craft and generating new material. For more information about this workshop, click here.

P.S. Help yourself to the Giant Golden Buddha & 364 More 5 minute writing exercises.