Creative Writing Workshops

Creative Writing Workshops at Miami Book Fair are non-credit courses, offered throughout the year, that give aspiring writers the opportunity to receive critique and encouragement from published authors with extensive teaching experience.

*Creative Writing Workshops Refunds Policy
For courses that meet more than three times, full refunds will be given to participants who notify Miami Book Fair by e-mail or fax at least THREE BUSINESS DAYS before the first day of class that they wish to cancel. No refunds will be given once class begins. Allow at least two weeks for refunds to be processed. If a course must be canceled for any reason, you will receive a complete refund.

Past Events

October 2021

Writing with Feeling: Affect and the Body in Prose with Lee Mandelo

Tuesday, October 26, 7 – 9 p.m. EST Online via Zoom | Register to receive link | Registration: $60 How do we translate bodily experiences, with all of their messy feelings and emotions attached, into words on the page? What makes you describe a piece of writing as powerful, visceral—and how does an evocative description reach out to grab you while you're reading? In this workshop we'll look at how writers construct "feeling bodies" in their prose,…

August 2021

Saturday, August 28 @ 10:00 am

Livestreamed

Taller de escritura: "Los desafíos de la imagen en la literatura" con Ena Columbié

SOLD OUT! Lamentablemente, ya no hay cupo para el taller. Para apuntarse a la lista de espera, por favor registre sus datos en esta página: https://forms.gle/UUeFPdwgT7jzuuDK6. Le informaremos si surge una oportunidad de que participe. Gracias por su interés. Taller de 8 semanas, los sábados de 10:00 a.m. a 12:00 m. Del 28 de agosto al 16 de octubre. Dentro del espacio literario se denomina imagen al lenguaje gráfico de las palabras para crear figuras mentales que evocan los cinco sentidos y disparan respuestas emocionales al lector.…

Thursday, August 5 @ 7:00 pm

Livestreamed

Poetry Workshop: I Am Here: Affirmation as a Form of Resistance with Gabriel Ramirez

Thursdays, August 5 – 26 (4 weeks) 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. EST | Online | Register to receive link Pay-What-You-Can Pricing: To ensure that these special workshops facilitated by our Emerging Writer Fellows are as accessible as possible to the widest audience possible, we're putting it into your hands to pay what you can for this workshop.Choose a ticket price, ranging from $25 to $100, based upon what feels right to you. "Not being who I am is unacceptable." —Nikky Finney "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence,…

Tuesday, August 3 @ 6:30 pm

Livestreamed

Creative Nonfiction Workshop: Subject, Yourself with Joseph Earl Thomas

Tuesdays, August 3 – 24 (4 weeks) 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. EST | Online | Register to receive link Pay-What-You-Can Pricing: To ensure that these special workshops facilitated by our Emerging Writer Fellows are as accessible as possible to the widest audience possible, we're putting it into your hands to pay what you can for this workshop.Choose a ticket price, ranging from $25 to $100, based upon what feels right to you. This creative nonfiction workshop will focus on reading the self,…

June 2021

Thursday, June 3 @ 6:30 pm

Livestreamed

Fiction Workshop: Kind of a Ghost Story: Haunted by the Unresolved with 'Pemi Aguda

Thursdays, June 3 – 24 (4 weeks) 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. EST  |  Online via Google Meet  |  Register to receive link Pay-What-You-Can Pricing: To ensure that these special workshops facilitated by our Emerging Writer Fellows are as accessible as possible to the widest audience possible, we're putting it into your hands to pay what you can for this workshop.Choose a ticket price, ranging from $25 to $100, based upon what feels right to you.…

May 2021

Wednesday, May 26 @ 7:00 pm

Livestreamed

Publishing Seminar: The Ins and Outs of the Book Deal, with Literary Agent Allison Hunter

Wednesday, May 26 (1 day) 7 – 8:30 p.m. EST | Online via Google Meet  |  Register to receive link An experienced literary agent will walk you through every step of the book publication process, from the art of an excellent query letter to the nitty gritty details of a book deal. Topics will include genre definitions, what's working in the market, what to look for in an agent and editor relationship, and much more. Come with all your questions!…

All day event.

Monday, May 17

Livestreamed

Manuscript Consultations with Allison Hunter

May 17 – 21 (1 week) Various times, as appointed (Mon. – Fri., May 17 – 21). All appointment times in EST. Consultations are limited to 30 people. Online via Google Meet  |  Register to receive link Once you have registered online, please email your 1-page query letter and 10-page manuscript to Marci Cancio-Bello at mcanciob@mdc.edu by11:59 p.m. EST onMonday, May 10, 2021. Genres Accepted: Adult Fiction and Adult Narrative Non-Fiction (No prescriptive,…

Tuesday, May 4 @ 6:30 pm

Livestreamed

Transforming Memory into Story: A Memoir and Personal Essay Workshop with Jaquira Díaz

Tuesdays, May 4 – 25 (4 weeks) 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. EST  |  Online via Google Meet  |  Register to receive link In this workshop, we'll start by reading pieces that use memory and personal narrative to tell a story. We will examine how memories can be crafted as memoir or personal essay and speak to something larger, more expansive, and how personal stories are connected to the larger world. Each day we will discuss your crafted pieces of memoir or personal essay: workshop will be a conversation that encourages and prioritizes the centering of underrepresented voices,…

Monday, May 3 @ 8:00 pm

Livestreamed

Get Your Story Off the Ground with Rebecca Makkai

Mondays, May 3 – 24 (4 weeks) 8 – 9:30 p.m. EST | Online via Google Meet  |  Register to receive link There are decisions we make (about entry point, tone, point of view, conflict, stakes, and more) in our opening pages that set us up for stories that practically write themselves, or for ones that are bound to run quickly out of steam. In this four-week class, we will examine and edit student work (on a volunteer basis) in class,…

April 2021

Monday, April 26 @ 7:00 pm

Livestreamed

Taller de ciencia ficción "La Revolución de los Reinos" con Giovanna Rivero

2 sesiones intensivas de 2 horas cada una Abril 26 y 29, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. En este taller de ciencia ficción y de escrituras de lo fantástico desarrollaremos una mirada panorámica a las manifestaciones contemporáneas del género en Hispanoamérica para reconocer la mitología del siglo XXI que emerge de esos mundos. La actual ciencia ficción ha volcado la mirada hacia la interioridad humana y hacia la corteza más íntima del planeta, a diferencia de las pulsiones del siglo XX que la arrojaron a las galaxias.…

Tuesday, April 6 @ 7:00 pm

Livestreamed

Combining Magic and Intention in Poetry with Victoria Chang

Tuesdays, April 6 – 27 (4 weeks) 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. EST  |  Online via Google Meet  |  Register to receive link Some people believe that a poem comes from some magical place, the unconscious, the muse, the ether. Other people believe that a poem comes from the writer's intention. Still other people fall somewhere in between. In this workshop, we'll explore both the mysterious magical place where poetry might come from and learn about craft—the writer's intention.…

March 2021

Saturday, March 13 @ 10:00 am

Livestreamed

Taller de escritura creativa: "La realidad en el cuento, el cuento de la realidad", con Ena Columbié

Taller de 8 semanas, los sábados de 10:00 a.m. a 12:00 m. Del 13 de marzo al 1 de mayo Desde la remota antigüedad, el hombre ha contado su historia en forma de pictogramas, narraciones orales o escritas. Ha relatado los sucesos de su vida cotidiana y los acontecimientos sociales de su tiempo; también ha fabulado sobre sus sentimientos, sueños y fantasías. Aunque no existen reglas inexorables para narrar, quien comienza a escribir cuentos debe adentrarse en el conocimiento de este género literario,…

July 2020

Monday, July 27, 2020 @ 7:00 pm

Livestreamed via Crowdcast

Taller: "La brevedad, técnica y misterio" con Ana María Shua

SOLD OUT! Lamentablemente, ya no hay cupo para el taller. Para apuntarse a la lista de espera, por favor registre sus datos en esta página: https://forms.gle/1ne66rfC22bLHKUY8. Le informaremos si surge una oportunidad de que participe. Gracias por su interés. Lunes 27 – viernes 31 de julio, 7 a 8:30 p.m. ¿Qué es un microrrelato? ¿Es una mariposa, un perfume, una brisa, un texto narrativo? Las fronteras de la nación del microrrelato y sus países limítrofes. El microrrelato ¿nace o se hace?…

Monday, July 27, 2020 @ 3:30 pm

Livestreamed via Crowdcast

After, Before, and Outside an MFA with R.O. Kwon

5-Day Virtual Workshop Monday – Friday, July 27 – 31 | 3:30 – 5 p.m. EST This is a crash course on how to find time, money, and space to write after, before, and outside an MFA. How will you find fellowships, grants, and residencies, and what are best practices for applying? How helpful are writing conferences? Where can you participate in literary communities? What's a key part of a magazine pitch? How might you think about revising?…

Monday, July 27, 2020 @ 2:00 pm

Livestreamed via Crowdcast

Teenage Rebels: How To Write Young Adult Fiction with Lilliam Rivera

5-Day Virtual Workshop Monday – Friday, July 27 – 31 | 2 – 3:30 p.m. EST The Outsiders. Harry Potter. The Hate You Give. Walk in to any bookstore and you will find an exciting array of young adult fiction that covers every genre—from contemporary stories tackling social justice themes to science fiction bringing other worlds to life. If you've ever wanted to write a novel through the perspective of a young person, this is the workshop for you.…

Monday, July 27, 2020 @ 12:30 pm

Livestreamed via Crowdcast

The Art and Craft of Memoir with Boris Fishman

5-Day Virtual Workshop Monday – Friday, July 27 – 31 | 12:30 – 2 p.m. EST During our time together, we will read excerpts of exemplary memoirs (and peek at a couple of craft manuals); take them apart to figure out how they became so exemplary (and to remind ourselves that their authors were once staring at a blank page, too); do some craft exercises to practice those concepts; and then deploy them in short pieces of memoiristic writing that we will workshop as a group.…

Monday, July 27, 2020 @ 11:00 am

Livestreamed via Crowdcast

Fiction: Subverting Timelines with Bryan Washington

5-Day Virtual Workshop Monday – Friday, July 27 – 31 | 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. EST We'll work through intersecting structures, parallel timelines, elliptical narratives, and stories that forego chronology altogether as we parse the limits of structure, and the ways our forms dictate the content we turn to. Bryan Washington has written for theNew Yorker, theNew York Times, theNew York Times Magazine, theBBC, …

Monday, July 27, 2020 @ 9:30 am

Livestreamed via Crowdcast

Poetry: The Conscious/Subconscious with Richard Blanco

5-Day Virtual Workshop Monday – Friday, July 27 – 31 | 9:30 – 11 a.m. EST A poem is a conscious expression born out of the subconscious mind. Through interactive lectures and exercises, we will explore those techniques that we consciously employ in poetry, namely: the using specific, concrete imagery; the dynamics of line breaks; how to harness to power of figurative language; and the linguistics underlying musicality. Likewise, we will explore the equally important subconscious territory of memory,…

June 2020

Saturday, June 20, 2020 @ 2:00 pm

Livestreamed via Crowdcast

Telling Our Own Stories: A Making Comics Workshop with Jarod Roselló

Telling Our Own Stories: A Making Comics Workshop with Jarod Roselló, author of Red Panda & Moon Bear A family-friendly online workshop. Comics is a powerful literary and artistic medium for telling stories. Combining cartoon imagery and text in sequential art, cartooning allows us to weave together memories, experiences, and imaginings into complex visual narratives. These narratives can take any form and cover any content. In this workshop, attendees will learn the foundational principles behind cartooning and narrative structure,…

Thursday, June 4, 2020 @ 7:00 pm

Livestreamed via Crowdcast

Writing a Novel with Recklessness and Rigor, with Moriel Rothman-Zecher

Thursdays, June 4 – July 9 (6 weeks) In order to create a new universe, i.e., a novel, a writer needs a sense of recklessness and wildness. But in order to make sense out of this universe, to understand its logics and rules, to work toward its essence, a writer needs a practice that includes rigor, care, and discipline. In this workshop, we will explore these two elements of novel-writing. We will read and discuss the works of modern masters of fiction;…

April 2020

Saturday, April 25, 2020 @ 10:00 am

Miami Dade College's Koubek Center

2705 SW 3rd Street , Miami , FL 33135 United States

Taller de escritura creativa: "La realidad en el cuento, el cuento de la realidad", impartido por Ena Columbié

Estamos trabajando para ofrecerles este taller online muy pronto.  Cuando tengamos más detalles, actualizaremos esta página. ¡Gracias! In an abundance of caution, following recommendations from the Governor of Florida, Miami Dade College is canceling all cultural events. In line with other cultural institutions and centers,the Miami Book Fair will close/cancel all events until further notice. This decision is made with your comfort and safety in mind and that of our generous patrons, students, and guests.…

Saturday, April 4, 2020 @ 10:00 am

Miami Dade College's Koubek Center

2705 SW 3rd Street , Miami , FL 33135 United States

Taller de escritura para niños: "A jugar con las palabras" con el escritor José Ignacio "Chascas" Valenzuela

In an abundance of caution, following recommendations from the Governor of Florida, Miami Dade College is canceling all cultural events. In line with other cultural institutions and centers,the Miami Book Fair will close/cancel all events until further notice. This decision is made with your comfort and safety in mind and that of our generous patrons, students, and guests. As part of Miami Dade College, Miami Book Fair will continue to closely monitor COVID-19. MDC is coordinating efforts with the appropriate state and local authorities.…

Friday, April 3, 2020 @ 4:00 pm

Miami Dade College's Koubek Center

2705 SW 3rd Street , Miami , FL 33135 United States

How to Order Your Award-Winning Poetry Manuscript with Marci Calabretta Cancio-Bello

In an abundance of caution, following recommendations from the Governor of Florida, Miami Dade College is canceling all cultural events. In line with other cultural institutions and centers,the Miami Book Fair will close/cancel all events until further notice. This decision is made with your comfort and safety in mind and that of our generous patrons, students, and guests. As part of Miami Dade College, Miami Book Fair will continue to closely monitor COVID-19. MDC is coordinating efforts with the appropriate state and local authorities.…

March 2020

Saturday, March 14, 2020 @ 1:00 pm

Miami Dade College's Koubek Center

2705 SW 3rd Street , Miami , FL 33135 United States

Telling Our Own Stories: A Making Comics Workshop with Jarod Roselló

In an abundance of caution, following recommendations from the Governor of Florida, Miami Dade College is canceling all cultural events. In line with other cultural institutions and centers,the Miami Book Fair will close/cancel all events until further notice. This decision is made with your comfort and safety in mind and that of our generous patrons, students, and guests. As part of Miami Dade College, Miami Book Fair will continue to closely monitor COVID-19. MDC is coordinating efforts with the appropriate state and local authorities.…

Saturday, March 7, 2020 @ 9:30 am

Iris PhotoCollective Art Space at the Haitian Cultural Arts Alliance

225 NE 59th St , Miami , FL 33137 United States

Latin American and Caribbean Insights and (In)visibility

Latin American and Caribbean Insights and (In)visibility Saturday, March 7 @ 9:30 am Iris PhotoCollective Art Space at the Haitian Cultural Arts Alliance 225 NE 59th St, Miami, FL 33137 United States Share on Facebook Tweet about this on Twitter Come Learn from the Greats!  Writers Anjanette Delgado, Patricia Engel, Marie-Ketsia Theodore-Pharel, and Donna Aza Weir-Soley will take you on an exhilarating writing journey. Join the provocative, unflinching, maybe uncomfortable,…

February 2020

Saturday, February 22, 2020 @ 10:00 am

Miami Dade College's Koubek Center

2705 SW 3rd Street , Miami , FL 33135 United States

Taller de escritura creativa: "Quebrar los géneros: la poesía del relato", impartido por Legna Rodríguez Iglesias

SOLD OUT! Lamentablemente, ya no hay cupo para el taller. Para apuntarse a la lista de espera, por favor registre sus datos en esta página: https://forms.gle/ZGzRXBRn6RVUTCan6. Le informaremos si surge una oportunidad de que participe. Gracias por su interés. Taller de 8 semanas, los sábados de 10:00 a.m. a 12:00 p.m. Del 22 de febrero al 11 de abril Durante las ocho semanas del curso llevaremos a cabo un proceso (transgénero) de escritura creativa. Tomaremos como punto de partida la poesía (lo poético) como recurso para narrar un relato que podría no serlo,…

Wednesday, February 12, 2020 @ 7:00 pm

Wolfson Campus

300 NE 2nd Avenue , Miami , FL 33132 United States

Writing the World with Thomas Swick

Wednesdays, February 12 – March 11 (5 weeks) 7 – 9 p.m. | MDC Wolfson Campus, Downtown Miami During this course, students work on travel stories with the intent of eventually publishing them. Discover the seven key elements – a personal voice, a point of view, imagination, insight, humor, people, dialogue – and how best to incorporate them into your stories. Learn about the importance of finding a theme – something that ties your disparate and seemingly random experiences of a place together –…

Saturday, February 8, 2020 @ 10:00 am

Books & Books – Coral Gables

265 Aragon Ave. , Coral Gables , United States

Making Good Time: Story and the Map of Opportunity with Lynne Barrett

Saturday, February 8 (1 day) 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Books & Books, Coral Gables Come to Books & Books (itself a crossroads), where we'll look at how writers use place, movement, territory, obstacles, access, boundary crossing, departures, returns, and other aspects of spatial movement to construct, shape, and give meaning to stories, whether true or invented. Short examples from published work will focus on South Florida, while participants can draw on locations anywhere, real, imagined, or somewhere in between,…

Wednesday, February 5, 2020 @ 7:00 pm

Miami Dade College's Koubek Center

2705 SW 3rd Street , Miami , FL 33135 United States

Workshop: How to Get Your Nonfiction Book Published with Ada Calhoun

Wednesday, February 5 (1 day) 7 – 9 p.m. | MDC Koubek Center Have a memoir you're dying to sell? Wondering how the publishing industry works? Eager to see if you're properly communicating your book idea? In this intensive two-hour workshop, prolific author Ada Calhoun will teach participants how to craft a nonfiction book proposal that gives them the best possible shot with agents and editors. Class members will present their book ideas to one another for critique.…

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