Creative writing classes in English in Israel
Israel Writers Studio: a home for creative writers in English and a hot cup of tea in my grandma’s floral teapot. A safe, supportive place to learn the craft, experiment with voice, play with words, meet other like-minded literary citizens, and be part of a writing community. Ongoing classes, one-day workshops, and one-on-one mentoring in Tel Aviv and online.
Classes and Workshops
Virtual Summer Workshopping Camp
We’ll sit in our Hollywood Squares box and respond to each other’s stories in a safe, supportive environment. We’ll read each other’s stories ahead of time, learn ways to help improve the writing from the comforts of our own homes. Open to prose writers of all levels. This is not a generative class. Read about the benefits of workshopping here.
Dates: Sunday, August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 from 19:30-21:30 (Israel time)/12:30-2:30 PM EDT/9:30-11:30AM PDT
Cost: 890nis or $360US by bit, PayPal or direct deposit
Location: Everywhere, wherever you are, with ZOOM
Manuscript √: Now What?
During our virtual time together, we will address:
elevator pitch
query letter
proposals
agents/editors/publishers
platforms
Dates: Thursday, September 3, from 17:30-19:00
Cost: 140nis before August 30; 170nis subsequently or $40US before August 30; $50 subsequently
Location: Everywhere, wherever you are, with ZOOM
JUST WRITE!
This course is designed for everyone who wants to write but doesn’t know where to start, how to carve out the time, or what to put on the page. It will provide you with in-class exercises, guidance, and a safe environment to explore various narrative elements, play with your voice, and share your words. Whether you want to write fiction or nonfiction, flash or longform, blog posts or feature length pieces, this course will give you the tools and the courage to realize your ideas with confidence, courage, and grace.
Dates: 10 Tuesdays, Oct 27, Nov 10 + 24, Dec 8, Jan 5 + 19, Feb 2 + 16, March 2 + 16 from 17:30-19:00
Cost: 1450nis
Location: Central Tel Aviv, assuming it is safe and feasible; if the world spins out of control at any point, we’ll meet on Zoom
Writing Auto-Fiction with Janice Weizman
You want to write about the life you’ve lived, the experiences that shaped you, the hard-won insights you’ve gained along the way. But what if rather than just telling your story, you want the freedom to explore it without the constraint of “the facts”? How can you write truthfully about your life while rejecting memoir’s insistence of remaining faithful to “the truth”? The genre of Autofiction offers a way of writing a protagonist that shares key traits with the author but ultimately, and importantly, is not the author.
In this workshop, we’ll look at works of autofiction by Rachel Cusk, Chris Kraus, Ben Lerner, and Teju Cole, examining how these writers fictionalize themselves and their experiences. The writing exercises in this workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to experiment with material drawn directly from their own lives, while making use of the creative flexibility which the genre unlocks. and facilitating the first steps toward writing a work of autofiction.
Date: Thursday, September 10, 2020 from 10:00 – 13:30
Cost: 390 nis
Location: Central Tel Aviv
On Color: A Writing and Styling Workshop led by Wendy Lehmann and Jennifer Lang
Part lecture, part writing and all about color: palette, tone, undertone, seasons, style, and color as subject in story. This is a unique workshop that will make you think about the clothes you wear and the way you approach color on the page.
Date: Thursday, October 29 from 10:00 – 13:30
Cost: 390 nis
Location: Central Tel Aviv
Something to Savor: Using Food Writing to Tell Your Story with visiting writer, Amy Rogers
“Food is our common ground, a universal experience,” renowned chef and food writer James Beard has said. Like an appetizer awakens the palate, this workshop “sampler” will show writers how food stories engage all the senses, not just taste. Explore how your experiences and observations of food can become powerful tools to deepen your writing.
Tentative Date: winter 2021
Cost: TBD
Location: Central Tel Aviv
What’s Your Story? Creative Writing at The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot with Jennifer Lang
Using the museum’s permanent and temporary collections, we will write about roots and religion, family trees and traditions, language and lost communities. Open to all levels and genres.
8 Thursdays from 17:00-19:00: November 21; December 5 and 19; January 23 and 30; February 6 and 20; May 14 2019-2020
Cost: 990nis
Check out photos from last year’s class here
Important to note:
- Israel Writers Studio meets at my new place in central Tel Aviv. Follow us on Facebook here.
- Pre-registration required for all workshops. Call 054 256 7157 or email to sign up.
- Group classes/camps/one-day workshops are non-refundable if you cancel within one week of the start date and your place cannot be filled.
- If you are interested in a class that has already started or is full, please contact me.
Words of praise
Anyone who has read Jennifer’s work can tell she’s a gifted writer – refreshing, perceptive, precise. She brings the same qualities to her teaching with rich, insightful lessons that encourage students to explore different ways of writing, all in an informal setting that allows them to open up and have fun. As a result, each writing session effectively stretches into the space between the lessons – impacting the writing life, and beyond.
Taking a course in a museum is so unique! I really, really enjoyed going into the exhibits and using them as bounce-off points for inspiration and ideas. The class where Jennifer introduced Yoga while we were in an exhibit was wonderful.
Since working with Jennifer, in her classes and as a private writing coach, I have been more creative and more productive than ever before. She pushes and challenges me in a loving and respectful way to do the best.
