Starting in September I will be offering several virtual writing classes with options to meet different needs, goals, and budgets. These classes have all been created with a busy parent’s needs in mind, and will offer inspiration, information, encouragement and hands-on feedback to meet aspiring writers wherever they are on their path, and help them take their writing to the next level.

I’ll be offering two different tracks – business and craft.

Track A: Your Writing Career

While these classes will delve into the craft of writing somewhat (the better your writing is, the easier it will be to build a career out of it!) they will focus heavily on the business side of writing. Whether you’re hoping to earn  your very first writing check or want to earn a steady income with your writing, these classes can help get you there:

Class 1: Getting Started

This five-week session will cover the fundamentals of freelancing, including:

The Basics

• Querying 101
• How do I get clips if I don’t have any clips?
• Just what IS a clip, anyway?

 The Possibilities

• Exploration of the different kinds of paid writing: service/how-to, investing trends, exploring news and studies, essays, blogging jobs, etc; as well as the breadth of topics for those who want to write about parenting: health, development, psychology, food and nutrition, crafts, travel, pregnancy and childbirth, mom-focused stories, home and family, and so on
• Students will learn how to research new markets and how to find and approach editors
• Assignments will include market research, goal-setting activities, and exercises to help writers identify their strengths and the topics they are most interested in and qualified to write about

The Process

• Students will learn the difference between researching, writing, and sourcing a service story, investigative story, essay, and blog post
• Session will cover what makes an essay different from a blog post and the importance of finding a universal theme or hook when writing essays
• Students will learn how to find ideas via their family experiences, by keeping an ear to the ground for what parents are talking about, and by using online resources
• Rejection: how to turn it into opportunity
• Discussion of the difference between generalization and specialization and how to narrow focus, either by topic or type of story, in order to make the most impact from investment of time
• Students will learn about the importance of building relationships with editors and how to do so
• Class will cover the growing area of earning money via blogging and explore options including blogging for pay and monetizing a personal blog

 The Business

• Students will learn about the importance of following up and how to do it gracefully
• Exploration of networking, conferences, and relationship-building
• Marketing for writers: how to create a professional image, online, in person, and via your work
• Students will learn how to build momentum and how to use small successes as stepping stones to larger successes

Class will include weekly handouts and assignments, a weekly online chat, and opportunities to read and offer feedback on one another’s work. Each student will have at least one query or essay critiqued by Meagan.

Cost: $250. Sign up by 1:00 PM EST on Monday, August 29 and tuition is only $225!

Class starts on Monday, September 12, and will continue for five weeks. Weekly chats will be held Mondays, 9:00  – 10:00 PM EST.

Class size limited to 15 people, so register soon.

Class 2: Writing Career Intensive

This ten-week class includes everything in Class 1: Getting Started, plus another five weeks of individualized instruction, inspiration and mentoring for the student who is really ready to launch her freelance writing career. After Class 1 comes to an end, a smaller group will continue on together for an intensive, focused experience based on students’ individual needs and goals. Students will have the opportunity to meet (virtually) with Meagan twice weekly for discussion, feedback, and goal-setting. Standard handouts will be replaced by individualized assignments and feedback from Meagan on up to three queries, essays, or short articles. Some topics that will be covered:

• In-depth exploration of different income-producing options: monetizing a blog, writing for magazines, traditional book publishing, ebooks ane self-publishing, regular blogging jobs, corporate/business writing, etc.
• Detailed discussion of time management, goal-setting, and balancing a freelance career with parenthood
• How to define success on your own terms and create a writing life that works for you and your family
• Each student in the Writing Career Intensive will receive a 45-minute private mentoring session with Meagan, via phone or chat, to be scheduled at a time that works for both parties. By the end of the series, students will have had the opportunity to create their own roadmap to writing success.

This class is limited to 7 students for a truly intimate and individualized experience and plenty of one-on-one attention.

Cost: $545. Register by 1:00 PM EST on Monday, August 29, and the cost is just $495.

Class starts on Monday, September 12, and will continue for ten weeks. Weekly chats will be held Mondays, 9:00  – 10:00 PM EST, unless the class mutually agrees upon another time/day. No chat on October 31.

Track B: Becoming A Better Writer

For writers who want to seriously work on craft. If you register for a class from both Track A and Track B at the same time, you’ll receive a 10% discount.

Class 1: Writing That Inspires

We all know there’s a difference between a story that’s just cute or funny, and one that touches readers deeply, leaves them thinking and inspires them to take action. In this four-week workshop-style class students will learn how to touch on universal themes and experiences that speak to readers, how to find, define, and fine-tune their own personal “voice”, and explore their own motivations for writing and what they hope to accomplish with their words. Part self-help and discovery and part nuts-and-bolts, this is the perfect class for thoughtful writers who want to help, uplift and inspire others with their words. Great for how-to writers, inspirational bloggers, and personal essayists.

Each student will have up to 2 pieces critiqued by Meagan and will have the opportunity to workshop and brainstorm with other students. Class is limited to 9 students.

Cost: $250. Register by Monday, September 5 and tuition is only $225! (10% discount.)

Class starts on Tuesday, September 27 and will continue for four weeks. Weekly chats will be held Tuesday evenings, 9:00 – 10:00 PM EST.

More classes coming soon. Subscribe