Join us on Zoom!
Classes include:
-
Readings and craft discussion
-
Freewrites and sharing
-
Workshop with peers
-
Plus a detailed feedback letter and line edits from the instructor
Andrea will be offering two virtual writing classes this spring. The goals of both of these six-week sessions is to give you a creative writing tool kit, ideas and resources to move a story or essay from beginning to end, from rough draft to revised manuscript.
Start to Finish with Andrea
Tuesdays 9:30 am to 11:30 am
April 14 through May 19
All genres
Ideal for writers with ongoing project and workshop experience
$300/ 6 weeks
Qs and to Register: Email Andrea
The Whole Enchilada with Andrea
Tuesdays 9:30 am to 11:30 am
April 15 through May 20
For writers working on memoir and personal essay
$300/ 6 weeks
Qs and to Register: Email Andrea
Spring Consulting Package with Janine
Work one-to-one with Janine to meet your writing goals. Includes:
(1) 15-minute check-in phone call to discuss your writing and to set deadlines.
Feedback on 2 submissions (up to 10 pages each).
(2) 30-minute phone calls or Zoom to go over each submission.
Please note: Feedback is extensive and includes both handwritten line notes on each manuscript and a thorough letter to the writer.
Consulting fee $250. Space is limited. Email Janine.
Have a project underway? Tailored consulting plans available.
about
Diablo Writers’ Workshop brings adult writers of all ages and experience together with the goal of inspiring and guiding them to discover their stories and succeed in telling them. We keep our classes small to provide room for expression and lots of individual attention.
Our Writing from Life Experience series of classes center around a themes, like time, conflict, and lessons from contemporary writers, and all include stimulating readings, in-class writing exercises, prompts to motivate your writing outside of class, and a workshop to share your writing. Plus, Janine and Andrea provide a detailed analysis of each student’s workshop piece along with a written critique.
Moving forward, we plan to offer half-day and full-day writing retreats where we will journal, do some yoga, and dig deep into the writing process.
Whether you’re drawn to fiction, nonfiction, memoir, essay or poetry—we offer a supportive environment where you can take risks while expanding your awareness of both writing and reading as a writer. With camaraderie we will strive to make vivid and powerful work. Most importantly we will honor the rigor and joy of the creative process by working hard but not taking ourselves too seriously.
who we are
Established by Andrea A. Firth and Janine deBoisblanc, both alumni of the St. Mary’s College of California’s MFA Program in Creative Writing, Diablo Writers’ Workshop is committed to making professional level classes accessible East of the tunnel, allowing you to more easily make writing a priority in your life. We offer daytime and evening classes in two convenient locations—at the independent bookstore Orinda Books and at a writing studio in Moraga.
Janine deBoisblanc holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Saint Mary’s College of California. With experience teaching English at the college level, she is passionate
Andrea Firth has been a freelance writer and journalist for over twenty years and has taught writing in both the college and community settings.
about helping writers express themselves through both creative nonfiction and fiction. She is particularly interested in autobiographical works and how stories find their ideal form.
A graduate of Dartmouth College with a degree in drama, Janine brings a love for the performing arts to her creative writing process. She cares deeply about developing strong characters and exciting scenes set against cinematic backgrounds. She is currently working on a memoir about dreams, sacrifices, and the pursuit of art. Janine is thrilled to be a part of the bookselling team at Orinda Books.
Andrea believes that we all have interesting stories to tell—finding those stories and how best to frame them, through memoir, personal essay, or fiction, is what excites her about teaching. She helps writers learn how to “read as a writer” and edit their work too.
Andrea has an MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Saint Mary’s College of California. Inspired by a handful of old family photos, Andrea recently completed a collection of essays, which explores beginnings, endings, and the hardship and happiness that lies in between.