The Story Within

Beginning writers as well as those who are well published may sign up for 10-week writing workshops at St. John's College in Annapolis. Open to the public, workshops are scheduled for Tuesday evening from 7 to 9 p.m. and limited to 14 students. Fees, dates and registration deadlines may be found on the WORKSHOP page of this site or by contacting the college at <410> 626 2881, <410> 626 2530, or by going to www.stjohnscollege.edu.  $195 /10-weeks.

 The Writer's Center located in Bethesda now has a satelitte location  at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis and you may take writing workshops there. Go online to www.writer.org or call <301> 654 8664. 

If you wish to work on your writing individually appointments are available. Clients vary their appointment schedules to meet their individual needs, often meeting once or twice a month, sometimes every few months. Whether you need help finding your direction, subject, structure, voice, or with any element of craft,  you may check in at any time.  Simply send an email to lauraoliver2@yahoo.com.

We begin with a consultation via phone, email or by sitting down together. You will have the opportunity to describe any current projects and your long-term writing goals.  You may want help getting started, a complete manuscript evaluated or edited, or feedback on an individual essay or short story. In response, I will recommend what will best serve you and your project and together we can decide the level of help you would like and  estimate the cost. You can decide on the maximum amount you want to spend and cap the work ahead of time. This approach allows you to support your writing life reasonably and without guesswork.

I have mentored many writers working on memoirs,  sci-fi novels,  textbooks, fiction collections, essay collections and novels.  Each writer decided on the frequency of meetings. Some, like those with whom I am currently working, have  regular schedules, others simply meet when they have accumlated pages they wish to have reviewed.

After we have met to discuss your project, writing history and goals, I will make suggestions for how you might like to proceed. This can include specific suggestions as to plot, character, direction, subjects, etc. and often includes support for your writing process. Meetings are usually an hour.  Prior to our next scheduled meeting you will email me the work you want to discuss. I will read it, make  detailed editing suggestions on the manuscript, write up an evaluation of issues for you to consider and we will go over all of it together at our next meeting. If getting together in person is inconvenient due to distance or time constraints, I will mail or email your manuscript and report.

"The Story Within, New Insights and Inspiration for Writers" (Penguin Random House and now in fifth printing) is available in major bookstores such as Barnes and Noble, independent bookstores such as Politics and Prose in Washington, D.C.  and online at Amazon.com. It may be downloaded as an e-book as well.