Access At CVUHS

From brainstorming to publication, take your fiction writing to the next level. In this workshop-style class, you’ll get personalized feedback on your writing, discover strategies and resources for fiction of all lengths (short story to novel), and explore the publication process. Since we’ll be providing feedback to each other, you should be prepared to share your work and provide constructive criticism respectfully. No previous experience required. This course is recommended for adult writers, high school and above. A notebook and writing implement are recommended for notes.

In this two-hour workshop, author and writing Coach Annalisa Summea will walk you through the elements of a publishable manuscript. Based on her decade-long career helping writers to publish, and a twenty-year writing career, she’ll pull back the curtain on some of the tricks of the trade. Handouts included! You’ll also have the opportunity to learn about meaningful feedback based on how your brain learns and creates best. Materials needed: Something to write with, (pencil and paper, laptop, tablet or chisel… :) This class will meet online via Zoom. You will receive an email prior to the start date of your class with information on how to participate.

Join CVU teacher and author Tyler Alexander for a talk, discussion, and signing of his new book, If I Can Get Home This Fall: A Story of Love, Loss, and a Cause in the Civil War. Alexander's book chronicles the epic story of Dan Mason, a white man who served in the Civil War as a soldier in the Sixth Vermont Infantry and as an officer in the Nineteenth U.S. Colored Troops. It is a story of these two units from very different realities but with a common purpose. Weaving together intimate details about the experiences of ordinary men and women from Vermont with the larger military and political context of the time, Alexander's talk will highlight what the war meant to those who lived through it, especially to a young man and woman from northeastern Vermont whose lives would never be the same. Please register in advance so we know how many to expect. Donations during registration help sustain, grow, and improve our program, keeping class fees affordable and accessible to all. Thank you! Books will be available for purchase at the event.

Have you written a book, or thinking of writing a book? What’s the best way to publish? Where do I even start? Author and Writing Coach Annalisa Parent works closely with publishing industry professionals to get the most current information. She will share with you the ins and outs of publishing today, from self publishing to hybrid to traditional. In this introductory class, you will learn the pros and cons for each publishing avenue. Take the next steps to a becoming a best-seller! This class will meet online via Zoom. You will receive an email prior to the start date of your class with information on how to participate.

You know you’ve got a great story idea, but how do you make it so great that it rises from slush pile to publication? Author and Writing Coach Annalisa Parent has helped hundreds of writers to improve their craft and to become published authors. She knows the inside tricks to get your writing publication-ready. In this workshop, she will walk you through a straightforward system for plotting your fiction to ensure you write a book that makes readers say “I couldn’t put it down" and the steps necessary to pace your first five pages of your manuscript to catch an agent's/publisher's interest. She will cover important topics such as: How and when should you use backstory? Where is the best point in the narrative to start? What is the most effective build to the climax? You’ll walk away with a bucket load of information and resources to keep and put to action, so you can cross “Become an Author” off your bucket list. This class will meet online via Zoom or Google Meet. You will receive an email prior to the start date of your class with information on how to participate.