Rosemont Writer’s Studio

Two young women, both white brunettes, sit next to one another in front of bookshelves. They are speaking to a man, who only is visible from the back of his head. They are discussing a book.

The Writers' Studio courses are non-credit offerings of Rosemont College’s MFA Program. Our mission is to offer MFA graduates, from any program, and other members of the larger Philadelphia writing community an opportunity to take focused writing and publishing workshops at a reasonable cost.

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Fall Master Class with Erin Entrada Kelly

Demystifying the Art of Dialogue

Saturday September 16th from 10-3
$75 in person or online, includes lunch (Rosemont Students are FREE)

Course Description: Well-written dialogue isn't about conversation. When done well, dialogue elevates fiction, creates layers of subtext and authenticity, develops characters, and moves stories forward organically. This course will unpack masterful excerpts of dialogue, study dialogue gone wrong, and encourage generative writing designed to strengthen dialogue and characterization in your work.

Erin Entrada Kelly is a New York Times bestselling author whose work has been translated into several languages. She received the 2018 Newbery Medal for Hello, Universe, a 2021 Newbery Honor for We Dream of Space, and 2023 NAIBA Book of the Year for Those Kids From Fawn Creek, among other honors. In addition to her work for children and young adults, she has published more than thirty short stories in literary journals worldwide. She is a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee and was a finalist for the Philippines Free Press National Award for Short Fiction. She teaches in the Hamline MFAC low-residency program and works as a thesis advisor for Rosemont College, where she earned her MFA. She now lives in Delaware.

Fall One: September 11-October 16, 2023

Writing Feminist Fairytales

Instructor: Christin Rosso-Schneider
Thursdays 6-8PM Online (Zoom)

Course Description: Fairy tales often portray women as weak and submissive to their male counterparts. These stories define women as objects, powerless to change their circumstances. And if these women defy the role society has established for them, they are depicted as old, ugly, and evil. This, however, is just one way to look at fairy tales and the female characters they house.

Join local author and bookstore owner Christina Rosso-Schneider for a six-week workshop exploring how to write feminist fairy tales. This class will study the work of Angela Carter, who coined the term ‘feminist fairy tales,’ as well as several contemporary writers, with the purpose of examining how changing various aspects of a fairy tale can shape it into something new. The class will culminate in everyone writing feminist fairy tales. All writing levels and genres are welcome. Christina Rosso-Schneider

Christina Rosso-Schneider (she/they) lives and writes outside of Philadelphia with her two rescue pups and bearded husband. Together, they run an independent bookstore and event space called A Novel Idea on Passyunk. In 2016, Christina received an MFA in Creative Writing and an MA in English from Arcadia University. She is the author of Creole Conjure (Maudlin House) and She is a Beast (APEP Publications). Their fiction and nonfiction work centers around gender, sexuality, fairy tales, and the occult, and has been nominated for Best of the Net, Best Small Fictions, and the Pushcart Prize. Currently, Christina teaches in the humanities department at Moore College of Art and is the Visiting Writer at Widener University.

Reading Critically for Revision: Understanding Manuscripts and Story Elements from the Ground Up
Instructor: Stacey Kucharik
Tuesdays 6-8PM Online (Zoom)

How do you know that a book is good? Can you define what makes it good?

A good manuscript is greater than the sum of its parts. Many story elements and literary devices meld together to make the reader experience. The best writers think critically about words and meanings understanding that language and symbolism are important to a great story. What does your manuscript have and what does it lack?

In this course, we will explore writing and storytelling at a granular level. In this course we will:

Read manuscripts critically
Review foundational principles of literary devices
Focus on narrative elements and their importance
Critically evaluate writings
Learn to revise your own manuscript

Open to Beginner and Intermediate Levels

Stacey Kucharik began her editing company, Polished Print, fourteen years ago. She has worked with hundreds of authors to polish their manuscripts into publishable novels. Though her background began with academic editing, Stacey works with fiction authors exclusively and edits between ten and fifteen novels per year and recently celebrated the 300^th novel in her professional career. Stacey holds two Bachelor’s degrees in English with a focus on creative writing and Communications as well as a Master’s degree in Publishing with a focus on editing from Rosemont. Polished Print aspires to educate authors and posts frequent educational videos about the publishing process and improving writings on Facebook. Stacey has participated in multiple writing and publishing conferences in the past five years and has taught collegiate-level courses on editing and self-publishing. For more information about Stacey, visit www.polishedprint.com or find us on Facebook.

Write to Publish
Instructor: Tracee Garner
Wednesdays 6-8PM Online (Zoom)

Course Description: Finish the D— Proposal, Already! In this comprehensive book deal OR publishing contract course, we will finalize all the pieces for whatever path you choose, AND help you settle on a path, while uncovering all the pitfalls and things to consider before you make your final selection. While there are different paths to publication, through this course we will discuss your personality, ultimate goals, and best options. They BOTH require various steps, and you could very well end up doing a little of both in a hybrid fashion.

Additionally, we will discuss:

Prose Checklist – First, the writing! The only leg you have to stand on when it comes to breaking into this writing and publishing world, and if you don’t have certain elements in the editing checklist, you won’t get your foot in the door.
The PATHS – overviewing costs, considerations and more for each of the publishing paths
Finding a Home – What types of publishers make a good fit for your story and what YOU want? How to find the various publishing markets that want what you’re selling.
Costly pitfalls to avoid in one’s publishing journey.
Putting your proposals together – Query, Synopsis, Sample Chapters, Competitive/Comparative titles, and ALL the parts
Building your author platform
Systems to keep track of what you’re submitting, where and to whom, and
Establishing a team of professionals to help you get it all done.

Students will understand the ins and outs of this ever-changing road into publishing and be able to create and polish their materials. Students will have both a traditional book proposal package and know all the steps for self-publishing. You will be able to make an informed decision regardless of how you choose to move forward and feel confident in either path.

Tracee Lydia Garner is an international best-selling author of more than 20 books, a motivating speaker, humorist, and book coach. Tracee Garner She has taught at the academic level as an adjunct professor for 14+ years, teaching several courses including, Small Business PR and Promotion, Self-Publishing Boot Camp, and How to Write the Novel. Offered a book publishing contract at just 24 years of age with one of the “Top 5” NY-based publishing houses, Tracee went on to write more work for publication and has also been published in her alma mater’s literary magazine. Tracee loves public speaking, teaching workshops, and talking about the craft of writing at every opportunity. She is the creator of Garner Solutions, LLC, coaching new and aspiring writers, helping them through the sometimes-daunting task of writing and professionally publishing their books. Tracee holds a BS in Communications, and a nonprofit management certification.

Fall Two: October 30-December 8, 2023

My Words are My Roar: Political Issues in Poetry or Personal Essays

Instructor: Liz Abrams-Morley
Tuesdays 6-8PM Online (Zoom)

Course Description: Do you have something to say about the state of the world and a desire to express your concerns in poetry or poetic prose? I have a tee-shirt that reads: “I am a writer. My words are my roar.” In this course we will look at model poems and creative non-fiction prose pieces that successfully navigate the shoals between artful expression/art and polemical ranting/ lecturing. We’ll discuss strategies for creating this work and will write and share (in-process or new work) in a supportive, constructive workshop. Bring your sensibilities, your sense of adventure and your sense of humor. All materials will be provided by the instructor who will offer writing prompts for the group and make suggestions for readings in response to particular student needs.

Liz Abrams-Morley’s collections include Beholder, Inventory, and Necessary Turns, which won an Eric Hoffer Award for Excellence in Small Press Publishing that year. Two new collections of hers are due out in the next year. In 2020 she was named the Passager Poet in Passager Journal’s annual contest. Liz’s poems and short stories have been published in a variety of nationally distributed anthologies, journals, and ezines, and have been read on NPR. Liz is co-founder of Around the Block Writers’ Collaborative (www.aroundtheblockwriters.org). For six years, at noontime you could find her at the corner of 2nd and Chestnut directing her resistance toward the walls behind which her phantom Senator Pat Toomey may or may not have hidden from his constituents. Poet, professor, gramma, and activist, Liz wades knee deep in the flow of everyday life from which she draws inspiration and, occasionally, exasperation. Please visit her on the web at www.lizabramsmorley.org

From Submission to Shelf

Instructors: Christina Rosso-Schneider & Alex Schneider
Thursdays 6-8PM Online (Zoom)

Course Description: The publishing process can often feel like a mystery. But there is a list of steps writers can take to draft, polish, submit, and get their manuscript published. This course will outline these steps, while also talking about what happens after the book is published, from building your author platform to how to work with independent bookstores to get your book on the shelves. Led by the owners of the Philadelphia-based independent bookstore A Novel Idea on Passyunk, this workshop will break down the publishing process into manageable, attainable parts.

Alexander Schneider (he/they) and Christina Rosso-Schneider (she/they) are the owners of A Novel Idea on Passyunk, a Christina and Alex community-minded independent bookstore and event space in South Philadelphia. Alexander has nearly fifteen years of experience as a graphic designer. Since 2016, Christina has been teaching writing classes through various universities, nonprofits, and the bookstore. She is the author of two books She is a Beast (APEP Publications) and Creole Conjure (Maudlin House). Together, Alex and Christina are passionate about blending their love of books, accessibility, and education to foster a better and stronger community in the Philadelphia area.

Story Building - Hero, World, Plot

Instructor: Amanda Arista
Saturday 10-12 Online (Zoom)

Course Description: Human brains are wired to connect to others through storytelling. This course will give you the tools to begin your journey of telling a story through the prism of three tenets: Hero, World, and Plot. We will start by defining your hero and the other characters that inhabit your story. We will walk through a basic Hero’s Journey full of breaking moments and resurrections, and then finally construct the world of your Story from the ground up. Join us for this beginner’s level course to finally begin building the story within you.

General Weekly Structure:

General review of storytelling, evolution, and big thoughts as to why we are writing this book to help focus in on what we will be creating as well as defining genre fiction.
Defining our hero, flaws and connection to the world
Creating our villains and secondary characters to help and hinder our hero
Defining Plot and Journey through the lens of the 12 steps of the hero’s journey
Building the World of the Story
How does it all fit together? Synopsis and Scene Structure

Course Homework: Various movies and writing assignments.

Amanda Arista was born in Illinois, raised in Corpus Christi, lives in Dallas but her heart lies in London. Good thing she loves to travel. During the summer after second grade, she read every book in the young adult section of the library, much to the surprise of the local librarian. So she started making up her own stories and hasn’t stopped. Along with her BA in English & Psychology and her MA in Education, Amanda is a graduate of the SMU The Writer’s Path and taught other aspiring authors for six years in the program. She has delivered lectures at several writer conferences and loves discussing craft, character, and structure. Amanda is the author of the Diaries of an Urban Panther series and The Merci Lanard Files. She is represented by Kimberly Brower of Brower Literary Management.

Winter: February 5–March 11, 2024

Flash Nonfiction

Instructor: Rae Pagliarulo
Tuesdays 6-8PM Online (Zoom)

Course Description: Ever wonder how to tell a compelling, creative, and complete true story in under 800 words? What about 500 or 100? In this class, we'll take the briefest approach possible to creative nonfiction, finding innovative ways to tell stories from life in small packages. We'll look at writers and publishers who are breaking boundaries in the flash essay/micro-essay genre, engage in close reading and sharpen our understanding of the flash writer's best tools, and work through prompts together to create our own brief and beautiful true stories. 

Rae Pagliarulo (she/her) is the Associate Editor of Hippocampus Magazine and has published poems, articles, and essays with Full Grown People, the Manifest-Station, r.kv.r.y quarterly, Bedfellows, the Brevity Blog, and more. She is the co-editor of Getting to the Truth: The Craft and Practice of Creative Nonfiction (2021), and by day, she works as a consultant, helping Philadelphia nonprofits to achieve their missions through strategy and fundraising.

Manuscript Preparation for Publication

Instructor: Stacey Kucharik
Wednesdays 6-8PM Online (ZOOM)

Course Description: Once a manuscript is completed, the author must prepare for publication. There are several important steps to make a manuscript desirable to agents, publishers, and readers. This transitionary preparation can be the difference between a successfully published book and a discarded manuscript that collects dust on a shelf.

In this course you will learn:

Key “self-editing” practices
Manuscript organization and flow
Industry standards and expectations for manuscripts
Summary and synopsis writing
Step-by-step process to querying publishers.
How to transform your rough draft into a manuscript ready for querying

Stacey Kucharik began her editing company, Polished Print, fifteen years ago. She has worked with hundreds of authors to polish their manuscripts into publishable novels. Though her background began with academic editing, Stacey works exclusively with fiction authors and edits between ten and fifteen novels per year and recently celebrated the 300th novel in her professional career. Kucharik

Stacey holds two bachelor’s degrees in English with a focus on creative writing and Communications as well as a master’s degree in Publishing with a focus on editing from Rosemont.

Polished Print aspires to educate authors and posts frequent educational videos about the publishing process and improving writings on Facebook. Stacey has participated in multiple writing and publishing conferences in the past five years and has taught collegiate-level courses on editing and self-publishing. For more information about Stacey, visit www.polishedprint.com or find us on Facebook.

Romancing the Novel

Instructor: Amanda Arista
Saturdays 10-12PM Online (ZOOM)

Course Description: Romance is the cornerstone of the publishing world with a subgenre for anyone’s taste. Whether you love a good star-crossed lovers or a enemies-to-lovers trope, this course will help you find your romantic story and teach you some tools to begin telling it.

With some help from popular fiction and movies, we will start with crafting a strong hero and a perfectly matched romantic lead. And of course, we don’t forget about the secondary characters trying to get them together and the antagonists plotting to keep them apart.

While creating a setting that will submerge your readers into your story, we will dig deep into the stakes of the world and create a backbone to your story that will keep your readers turning the page.

But as love conquers all the obstacles we design; we will weave it all together for a satisfying happily ever after.

General Weekly Structure:

What is romance? General review of storytelling, evolution, and big thoughts as to why we are writing this book to help focus in on what we will be creating as well as defining genre fiction and the real reason we want to write/read romance novels.
Defining our hero, flaws and connection to the world and defining our romantic lead. Working on secondary characters that could hinder our romance.
Defining our plot and how to answer, “Will they get together?” Finding Subplots to keep them apart.
Building intimacy and weaving it together
How does it all fit? Synopsis and Scene Structure

Course Homework: Various movies and writing assignments.

Amanda Arista was born in Illinois, raised in Corpus Christi, lives in Dallas but her heart lies in London. Good thing she loves to travel. During the summer after second grade, she read every book in the young adult section of the library, much to the surprise of the local Amanda Arista librarian. So she started making up her own stories and hasn’t stopped. Along with her BA in English & Psychology and her MA in Education, Amanda is a graduate of the SMU The Writer’s Path and taught other aspiring authors for six years in the program. She has delivered lectures at several writer conferences and loves discussing craft, character, and structure. Amanda is the author of the Diaries of an Urban Panther series and The Merci Lanard Files. She is represented by Kimberly Brower of Brower Literary Management.

Spring: April 15 – May 26, 2024

Storyweaving: Adding Subplots to Your Novel
Instructor: Amanda Arista
Saturdays 10AM-12PM Online

You have your Hero's Journey, but what about everyone else? Take your story to the next level by learning how to enhance theme, increase characterization, and flesh out the journey with subplots. We will look at general plotting and subplotting techniques, analyze structure of popular subplots, and weave these subplots into your current hero's journey. There will be an opportunity for crafting time with classmates, helping you strengthen your HJ, clarify your external versus internal versus extraneous story elements, and craft surprises and laughs on every page for your readers. Don't forget the Post-it notes!

General Weekly Structure:

Basic Definitions and Concepts in Plotting and General Scene Structure
Story Structure: Basic HJ and Characters and Arc and theme (Activity- need to know the feelings of the characters going into and coming out of every scene before you start weaving- that will effect new decisions made in the HJ)
How to identify subplots and brainstorming
How do you want it to look
How to Weave (Activity: Scene Cards)
Work shopping with a partner

Course Materials: A draft outline, writing materials, plotting materials based on your style (post-its and poster board, 11x17 paper, index cards)

Course Homework: Pride and Prejudice and Stars Wars

Amanda Arista was born in Illinois, raised in Corpus Christi, lives in Dallas but her heart lies in London. Good thing she loves to travel. During the summer after second grade, she read every book in the young adult section of the library, much to the surprise of the local librarian. So she started making up her own stories and hasn’t stopped. Along with her BA in English & Psychology and her MA in Education, Amanda is a graduate of the SMU The Writer’s Path and taught other aspiring authors for six years in the program. She has delivered lectures at several writer conferences and loves discussing craft, character, and structure. Amanda is the author of the Diaries of an Urban Panther series and The Merci Lanard Files. She is represented by Kimberly Brower of Brower Literary Management.

Self-Publishing 101
Instructor: Stacey Kucharik
Tuesdays 6-8PM Online

Self-publishing has become more prevalent than traditional publishing. It is moderately simple, cheap, and can sometimes be lucrative. But, if you want to self-publish a manuscript, you’ll need to do it correctly. That means that you’ll need to know a little bit about the publishing process, resources that will be available to you, and how to create a finalized product that doesn’t “look” like it was self-published. This course will guide you in a step-by-step fashion how to take a manuscript and turn it into a book. We will cover all the bases from editing to formatting to self-marketing.

Poetry Workshop - TBA