Weathers Creek workshops start Jan. 21

CLEVELAND — Weathers Creek workshops offer a one-day get away to a secluded farm located in Iredell County between Cleveland and Mooresville. Class size is kept small, which allows for more individual interaction. Our upcoming workshops:

• Jan. 21, Ian Huckabee, “Social Media: The Web Ahead for Writers.” In this workshop, you’ll discover new ways to use the Web and social media to build audience and online engagement with readers, other writers, publishers, bookstores and reviewers. Registration is still open.

• Feb. 18, Ron Stodghill, “The Absent Witness.” Award-winning journalist and author Stodghill will help students explore the techniques and tools for writing emotionally-layered narrative nonfiction by reassembling scenes, moments and characters that have slipped away into the past.

• March 10, Jessica Handler, “More than ME in Memoir.” Handler, author of the memoir “Invisible Sisters,” says, “A good memoir tells your story, but in order to capture your reader’s heart and imagination, the best memoirs integrate the personal with the factual, and place your story within the beauty and tragedy of the larger world.”

• April 14, Debbie Moose, “Cooking Up Family History.” Award-winning cookbook author Moose’s class will show participants how to preserve family recipes and history through making a family cookbook. We'll talk about options for organizing a cookbook, ways to get the recipes and how to write recipes down in readable/usable form.

Sessions are $75 each. All sessions include a homemade lunch. Deadlines for registration: Feb. 10 for Feb. 18 session; March 2 for March 10 session; April 6 for April 14 session.

Classes are limited to 14 people. Discounts are offered if you sign up for more than one session. Gift certificates are available. All sessions start promptly at 10 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. For more info go to www.weatherscreek.net or call 704-662-0187.

Writing workshops in Charlotte

The Writers’ Workshop is offering new writing classes. They are for any level writer, and meet at Providence Presbyterian Church in Charlotte. Registration is in advance only, by mail or at the website (www.twwoa.org). Financial aid in exchange for volunteering is available. For more information, please contact writersw@gmail.com, or call 828-254-8111.

• Jan. 28: How to Edit and Revise Your Own Work with Karen Ackerson — Writers of fiction or non-fiction will learn how to edit and revise their own works before submitting to an agent or publisher. Techniques will be taught on how to grab the reader’s interest by eliminating unnecessary details, building tensionand fine-tuning dialogue and descriptions. Students may bring five pages (double-spaced) to the class for discussion. Meets Saturday, 12-5 p.m. $75/$70 members.

• Feb. 4: Fiction Writing Workshop with Dale Neal — Writers of short fiction and novels will learn tips and engage in writing exercises to create attention-getting stories. Students may bring up to five pages, double-spaced, for review. Dale Neal’s first novel won the 2009 Novello Literary Award. Meets Saturday, 12-5 p.m. $75/$70 members.

Feb. 18: Writing Your Life with Richard Krawiec

In this supportive writing-intensive class, participants will learn how to draw on the “material” of your life to write and revise memoirs, stories, or plays. Elements covered include time compression and expansion, how to focus on theme, recognizing your purpose, and developing your piece professionally. Krawiec is the author of numerous books and poems such as “Breakdown: A Father’s Story”, and “She Hands Me the Razor”. His work is published in Shenandoah, Florida Review, and North Carolina Literary Review, among others. Saturday, 12-5 pm. $75/$70 members.