Writer Workshops

Our writer workshops are very popular with all levels of writers—from beginners to career professionals. In order to secure your seat for one of these FREE classes, call CALL 888-716-5082.

Law 101 for Writers –Getting It Right When Your Character Goes to Court
JD Byrne
Aug 3
9:30 am
Visitor's Center

Into every character’s life a little law must fall – people get speeding tickets, people are the victims of crime, and sometimes they’re even the perpetrators. Even if you’re not writing legal thrillers, there’s lots of reasons for characters to wind up in court. Getting the details of the legal system right can help your readers stay in the story and provide interesting obstacles for your characters to overcome. Learn some tips and discover some valuable resources to make your legal writing feel real.
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JD Byrne was born and raised around Charleston before spending seven years in Morgantown getting degrees in history and law from WVU. He’s practiced law for nearly 20 years, writing briefs where he has to stick to real facts and real law. In his fiction, he gets to make up the facts, take or leave the law, and let his imagination run wild. He is the author of Moore Hollow, The Water Road trilogy, and the forthcoming Gods of the Empire, first installment of the Unari Empire trilogy. He lives outside Charleston with his wife and the two cutest Chihuahuas the world has ever seen. Find him online at jdbyrne.net.

Giving Voice to Place
Kirk Judd
Aug 3
11:00 am
Visitor's Center

Where I Am From, by George Ella Lyon, is the most famous poetry workshop approach to defining and understanding a sense of place. But how do you find the voice of that place, that setting and scene that is not only where you are from, but also a large part of who you are? This workshop will explore ways to give voice to the special places in your life, and to help you find the voice to speak to them. 
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Kirk Judd has lived, worked, trout fished and wandered around in West Virginia all of his life. Kirk was a member of the Appalachian Literary League, a founding member and former president (and JUG recipient) of West Virginia Writers, Inc. , and is a founding member of and creative writing instructor for Allegheny Echoes, Inc., dedicated to the support and preservation of WV cultural heritage arts. Author of 3 collections of poetry "Field of Vision" 1986, "Tao-Billy" 1996, and "My People Was Music" 2014, and a co-editor of the widely acclaimed anthology, "Wild, Sweet Notes - 50 Years of West Virginia Poetry 1950 - 1999", he is widely published. Kirk was honored to be one of the 5 readers selected for the installation ceremony of Louise McNeill Pease as Poet Laureate in 1979 at the WV Cultural Center on the Capitol grounds in Charleston, WV, and currently sits on the board of the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace Foundation headquartered in Hillsboro, WV. He is internationally known for his performance work combining poetry and old time music, and has performed poetry in Ireland and across West Virginia at fairs, concerts, and festivals for the past 35 years.