1634 11th Ave
Seattle, Washington 98122

Richard Hugo House Presents...

Write-O-Rama!

Saturday, June 7, 10 a.m.–6 p.m

Write-O-Rama is a full day of 50-minute writing workshops–-more than 30 in all–-along with prizes, free food and drink, open mics and a party wrapping it all up. The workshops are taught by Hugo House teachers, including playwright Dickey Nesenger; Hugo House executive director Lyall Bush; comic book artist Greg Stump and Hugo House writer-in-residence Wendy Call. Writers of all genres and levels will be able to generate new work on the fly, find new motivation for their writing practice, get a taste of what Hugo House writing classes and teachers are like and meet fellow Seattle writers.

How does it work?

Participants are asked to raise at least $45 for Hugo House and are welcome to collect pledges from friends and family à la a walk-a-thon (pledge sheets are available online). The doors open for registration at 9:30 a.m. but anyone can come for as little or as much of Write-O-Rama as they please. Participants will look at the schedule and choose which classes they want; then Hugo House staff members will start the “O-Rama” 5-10 minutes before each session–this is when participants dash madly to the class of their choice.

At the end of each 50-minute class, pens fall and people will “O-Rama” again to their next class.

Here's a sneak peak at a few of the workshops offered at Write-O-Rama:

Margot Case: Write To Me; 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Who writes letters anymore? Real letters, on real paper, sealed in envelopes? With a distinct listener in mind, letter writing is an excellent exercise in building the muscles of voice and character. We will look at some famous letters, the form and content of the letter, and various styles—from the Dear John letter to the rejection letter, the letter of love to the letter home. We'll write two of our own letters in the hour: one personal and one to share. Typewriters and envelopes will be available.

Greg Stump: Comics as a Visual Language; 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
If a lack of drawing ability has kept you from exploring comics and graphic novels, consider that the medium is as much about a symbolic vocabulary as it is about pretty pictures. In this activity, you'll construct a character from simple shapes and create a collaborative comic that uses the visual language of comics (motion lines, words balloons, etc.) to drive the narrative.

Jennifer D. Munro: The Funny Bone is an Erogenous Zone; 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Humor is born as imperfect lovers expose their flaws in order to meet their desires. We'll generate ideas based on active calls for work from erotic publications, so you can tie your story to a specific market, take it home, whip it into shape and submit it to cruel literary masters.

Prizes will be awarded throughout the day, including free Hugo Writing Classes. The individual who raises the most pledges gets a free six-week class and the runners-up will each receive free one-day classes.

Participants raising $75 or more receive a pack of local literary journals. For totals over $150, participants will receive a free Richard Hugo House membership and a Hugo House mug; for totals over $250 add a Hugo House T-shirt.

At 1 p.m. and at 5 p.m. we’ll turn the stage over to an open mic for students to read their new gems aloud. Participants can soothe sore fingers around cool drinks and fuel creativity with snacks throughout the day. At the end of it all the tired writers will raise a glass to their new writing with their new friends and wonder how long it will be before Write-O-Rama comes around the fifth time.

More information at www.hugohouse.org/giving/writeorama or (206) 322-7030.

ABOUT RICHARD HUGO HOUSE
Richard Hugo House is a home for writers and readers. Our mission is to provide writers of all ages and backgrounds with the resources they need, connect audiences with the world of writing, foster the creation of new work and promote the literary arts as a vital part of our culture.

Official Website: http://www.hugohouse.org/giving/writeorama

Added by Richard Hugo House on May 27, 2008

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