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Miami Writers Institute Online!
The Miami Writers Institute is an annual creative writing conference produced by the Miami Book Fair.
The conference, which has moved fully online this year, features intensive writing workshops with bestselling authors, craft talks, a publishing seminar, and individual manuscript consultations with a literary agent. Writing workshops are all limited to 15 students each, to allow for individualized attention. Registration is now open. Spots are limited. Explore Miami Writers Institute Online workshops and sign up today.
*Miami Writers Institute Refund Policy
Payment must be received at time of registration and must have cleared at least five business days prior to the first day of class. Full refunds will be given to participants who notify Miami Book Fair by e-mail or fax at least FIVE BUSINESS DAYS before the first day of the class that they wish to cancel. No refunds will be given once a class begins. Allow at least two weeks for refunds to be processed. If a course must be canceled for any reason, you will receive a complete refund.
Past Events
May 2022
The Breakout Book: A Publishing Seminar with Eleanor Jackson
Saturday, May 21, 2022 (1 day) 2:00 p.m. ET | Online via Crowdcast | Register to receive link Publishing seminar is included in workshop registration fees An experienced literary agent will share her insights on how successful writers support their publications, and create lasting careers and relationships with the publishing industry. Topics include: writing a successful query letter, navigating a book contract, building relationships with your agent, editor and publicist, the publishing process from contract to on-sale-date, and much more. Eleanor Jackson began her publishing career in 2002 at Witherspoon Associates,…
Craft Talks with Claire Luchette & Wayétu Moore
Fiction Craft Talk: Crafting a World with Claire Luchette A story should transport a reader to a place they’ve never been or allow them to see a familiar place in a new way. This talk will focus on the craft of worldbuilding and how to get the most mileage out of a story’s setting. We’ll study examples of rich and three-dimensional worlds in contemporary fiction, and analyze the authors’ use of detail, voice, and imagery. Attendees will leave with a sense of how and why to build worlds of their own on the page. …
“Historia, teoría y práctica de la ficción”, un taller del Writers Institute ofrecido por Jorge Volpi
Evento Online Taller de 3 clases: viernes 20, sábado 21 y domingo 22 de mayo, (10:00 a.m. – 12:00 m) “Historia, teoría y práctica de la ficción”, un taller ofrecido por Jorge Volpi como parte del prestigioso Writers Institute de la Feria del Libro de Miami. El objetivo del curso será analizar el surgimiento y el desarrollo de la ficción, comprender cómo funciona en distintos sus géneros (relato, cuento, teatro, ópera), estudiar los mecanismos mentales que la permiten y realizar diversos ejercicios de creación.…
Craft Talks with Lan Samantha Chang & Willie Perdomo
Fiction Craft Talk: How do Novels Differ from Short Stories? with Lan Samantha Chang The short story and the novel are different forms with separate purposes and effects. Yet we often discuss them together in workshops, as if the process of writing them were the same. I’m interested in looking pragmatically at this dilemma, and I will begin by defining the short story and the novel. What are the characteristics of these two forms? What do they have in common, and how do they differ?…
Fiction Workshop: Recognition and Surprise with Lan Samantha Chang
In this workshop, we will explore how to create the most consequential moments in stories and novels: those crucial passages of recognition and surprise when truths change and when a reader’s sense of time is altered. At such moments, which are composed of both familiarity and strangeness, the world of the story is transformed. We’ll look at work by James Joyce, Deborah Eisenberg, Jamaica Kincaid, Lesley Arimah, Sally Rooney, and others, to identify elements of transformation and how they are deployed.…
Fiction Workshop: The World of the Story with Claire Luchette
In this workshop, we will discuss how writers build rich, complicated worlds on the page. We’ll look closely at examples of short fiction by some contemporary masters to understand how the physical setting of the story comes alive and contributes to the story’s meaning. Attendees will also have the chance to practice building worlds of their own, and we’ll provide feedback on each other’s prose. Claire Luchette is the author of the novel Agatha of Little Neon. Their stories and essays have appeared in Best American Short Stories,…
Nonfiction Workshop: Nonfiction Strategies with Wayétu Moore
The goal of this workshop is to identify strategies for memoir and creative nonfiction narrative writing by reading and discussing works within the genre, exercising elements of creative writing in essay and memoir forms, and learning how to engage with one’s own work through editing. We will explore the changing shape of memories in autobiographical writing, as well as the roles that poetry and voice play in transforming one’s personal experience into a compelling essay. Workshop goals are as followed: 1) To utilize personal experience as a method to understanding the writing process 2) To understand the creative infrastructure of the personal essay 3) To nurture tools that will transform experiential writing into strong narrative pieces.…
Poetry Workshop: The Empty Spaces with Willie Perdomo
Who or what is the voice on your shoulders telling you that you can’t write about (fill in the blank)? The approach to fresh language is usually accompanied by distancing yourself from what you think might be correct or “right.” Using the “separate language” of poetry, where do we begin filling the empty spaces? In this workshop, we will approach generative as an associative act, and we will engage in a remix of a standard poem. Award-winning poet and children’s book author Willie Perdomo is the author of The Crazy Bunch (Penguin Books,…
An Evening with the 5 Under 35 2021 Honorees | Caleb Azumah Nelson, Dantiel W. Moniz, Claire Luchette, Nathan Harris and Lee Lai
Click here to register in advance and receive your link Join us for an unforgettable virtual conversation featuring the 2021 honorees of the National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 award. This special conversation will feature authors Caleb Azumah Nelson, Dantiel W. Moniz, Nathan Harris, Lee Lai and Claire Luchette, and will be moderated by Natalie Green, Senior Manager, Public Programs at the National Book Foundation. About the 5 under 35 program In 2006, the National Book Foundation established the 5 Under 35 prize to recognize young,…
Manuscript Consultations with Eleanor Jackson
May 16 – 21, 2022 (1 week) Online via Google Meet | Register to receive link Various times, as appointed. All appointment times in EST. Consultations are limited to 30 people. Meet with an experienced literary agent for a 15-minute individual manuscript consultation. You will have an opportunity to submit a query letter plus 10 pages of a manuscript in advance. Once you have registered online, please email your 1-page query letter and 10-page manuscript to Madison Whatley at mwhatley@mdc.edu by 11:59 p.m.…
May 2021
Publishing Seminar: The Ins and Outs of the Book Deal, with Literary Agent Allison Hunter
Wednesday, May 26 (1 day) 7 – 8:30 p.m. EST | Online via Google Meet | Register to receive link An experienced literary agent will walk you through every step of the book publication process, from the art of an excellent query letter to the nitty gritty details of a book deal. Topics will include genre definitions, what’s working in the market, what to look for in an agent and editor relationship, and much more. Come with all your questions!…
Manuscript Consultations with Allison Hunter
May 17 – 21 (1 week) Various times, as appointed (Mon. – Fri., May 17 – 21). All appointment times in EST. Consultations are limited to 30 people. Online via Google Meet | Register to receive link Once you have registered online, please email your 1-page query letter and 10-page manuscript to Marci Cancio-Bello at mcanciob@mdc.edu by 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday, May 10, 2021. Genres Accepted: Adult Fiction and Adult Narrative Non-Fiction (No prescriptive,…
Transforming Memory into Story: A Memoir and Personal Essay Workshop with Jaquira Díaz
Tuesdays, May 4 – 25 (4 weeks) 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. EST | Online via Google Meet | Register to receive link In this workshop, we’ll start by reading pieces that use memory and personal narrative to tell a story. We will examine how memories can be crafted as memoir or personal essay and speak to something larger, more expansive, and how personal stories are connected to the larger world. Each day we will discuss your crafted pieces of memoir or personal essay: workshop will be a conversation that encourages and prioritizes the centering of underrepresented voices,…
Get Your Story Off the Ground with Rebecca Makkai
Mondays, May 3 – 24 (4 weeks) 8 – 9:30 p.m. EST | Online via Google Meet | Register to receive link There are decisions we make (about entry point, tone, point of view, conflict, stakes, and more) in our opening pages that set us up for stories that practically write themselves, or for ones that are bound to run quickly out of steam. In this four-week class, we will examine and edit student work (on a volunteer basis) in class,…
April 2021
Combining Magic and Intention in Poetry with Victoria Chang
Tuesdays, April 6 – 27 (4 weeks) 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. EST | Online via Google Meet | Register to receive link Some people believe that a poem comes from some magical place, the unconscious, the muse, the ether. Other people believe that a poem comes from the writer’s intention. Still other people fall somewhere in between. In this workshop, we’ll explore both the mysterious magical place where poetry might come from and learn about craft—the writer’s intention.…
August 2020
Publishing Seminar with Literary Agent Dana Murphy
August 1, 2 – 3:30 p.m. EST A refrain you’ll often hear when asking a question about the publishing process is “it depends.” Every book, every author, every agent, every publisher is wonderfully (and, yes, also frustratingly) unique. There is not a single right path to publishing a book, no traveling salesmen “six tricks to get an agent” to game the system, and no simple calculations to become a bestseller. This is a business of chaos and a business of luck.…
July 2020
Reading & Craft Talk: R.O. Kwon: Failing Better: On Revising
Friday, July 31, 6 – 7 p.m. EST This talk will delve into revision strategies, possibilities, options, and leaps of faith. What does it mean to revise, and how can you figure out what works best for you? I tend to avoid generalizations, but it’s pretty safe to say that every writer revises, and often heavily: Kerouac bragged that he’d written On the Road in one go, but after he died, they discovered the drafts. R.O. Kwon‘s nationally bestselling first novel,…
Reading & Craft Talk: Lilliam Rivera: Worldbuilding in Writing for Young People
Thursday, July 30, 6 – 7 p.m. EST This craft talk will focus on techniques in worldbuilding in young adult fiction, whether writing a contemporary story set in a small town or an intergalactic story set in Mars. How do you create a world that rings true without falling in to the common missteps of info-dumping and adding confusion to readers? The craft talk will explore the use of world bibles, generating focused content, and utilizing all senses in descriptions.…
Reading & Craft Talk: Bryan Washington: Writing in Place
Wednesday, July 29, 6 – 7 p.m. EST We’ll talk about the role of setting as a character, source of conflict, voice, and foundation within short and extended works of fiction. Attendees will also participate with their own examples and experience as we discuss the myriad opportunities that rooting fiction in place can present. Bryan Washington is a writer from Houston. His fiction and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine,…
Reading & Craft Talk: Boris Fishman: 10 Things that Make Great Memoirs Great
Tuesday, July 28, 6 – 7 p.m. EST The great secret of the best memoirs is that they read like novels. Well, how do you do that? Novelist and memoirist Boris Fishman will discuss 10 moves that will get you started, ranging from the technical to the philosophical. This is your chance to find out, among other things: How to lie more skillfully (only on the page and never in memoir, of course!) The two biggest blind spots of writing about yourself Why the chocolate-sauce test is among the most important things you can do for your writing Why you might need to “ignore”…
Taller: “La brevedad, técnica y misterio” con Ana María Shua
SOLD OUT! Lamentablemente, ya no hay cupo para el taller. Para apuntarse a la lista de espera, por favor registre sus datos en esta página: https://forms.gle/1ne66rfC22bLHKUY8. Le informaremos si surge una oportunidad de que participe. Gracias por su interés. Lunes 27 – viernes 31 de julio, 7 a 8:30 p.m. ¿Qué es un microrrelato? ¿Es una mariposa, un perfume, una brisa, un texto narrativo? Las fronteras de la nación del microrrelato y sus países limítrofes. El microrrelato ¿nace o se hace?…
Reading & Craft Talk: Richard Blanco: Poetry’s Public & Private Realms
Monday, July 27, 6 – 7 p.m. EST The task of writing an occasional poem, as Richard Blanco did for President Obama’s inauguration, is often deemed the “kiss of death.” But why? Drawing on his experiences as presidential inaugural poet, Blanco will discuss not only the great challenges such poems present, but also the great opportunities they offer to enhance our perspectives on matters of craft such as audience, tension, boundaries, inspiration, and voice. Through the lens of his inaugural poem,…
After, Before, and Outside an MFA with R.O. Kwon
5-Day Virtual Workshop Monday – Friday, July 27 – 31 | 3:30 – 5 p.m. EST This is a crash course on how to find time, money, and space to write after, before, and outside an MFA. How will you find fellowships, grants, and residencies, and what are best practices for applying? How helpful are writing conferences? Where can you participate in literary communities? What’s a key part of a magazine pitch? How might you think about revising?…
Teenage Rebels: How To Write Young Adult Fiction with Lilliam Rivera
5-Day Virtual Workshop Monday – Friday, July 27 – 31 | 2 – 3:30 p.m. EST The Outsiders. Harry Potter. The Hate You Give. Walk in to any bookstore and you will find an exciting array of young adult fiction that covers every genre—from contemporary stories tackling social justice themes to science fiction bringing other worlds to life. If you’ve ever wanted to write a novel through the perspective of a young person, this is the workshop for you.…
The Art and Craft of Memoir with Boris Fishman
5-Day Virtual Workshop Monday – Friday, July 27 – 31 | 12:30 – 2 p.m. EST During our time together, we will read excerpts of exemplary memoirs (and peek at a couple of craft manuals); take them apart to figure out how they became so exemplary (and to remind ourselves that their authors were once staring at a blank page, too); do some craft exercises to practice those concepts; and then deploy them in short pieces of memoiristic writing that we will workshop as a group.…
Fiction: Subverting Timelines with Bryan Washington
5-Day Virtual Workshop Monday – Friday, July 27 – 31 | 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. EST We’ll work through intersecting structures, parallel timelines, elliptical narratives, and stories that forego chronology altogether as we parse the limits of structure, and the ways our forms dictate the content we turn to. Bryan Washington has written for the New Yorker, the New York Times, the New York Times Magazine, the BBC, …
Poetry: The Conscious/Subconscious with Richard Blanco
5-Day Virtual Workshop Monday – Friday, July 27 – 31 | 9:30 – 11 a.m. EST A poem is a conscious expression born out of the subconscious mind. Through interactive lectures and exercises, we will explore those techniques that we consciously employ in poetry, namely: the using specific, concrete imagery; the dynamics of line breaks; how to harness to power of figurative language; and the linguistics underlying musicality. Likewise, we will explore the equally important subconscious territory of memory,…
Manuscript Consultations with Dana Murphy
Various times, as appointed (Mon. – Fri., July 27 – 31,). All appointment times in EST. Consultations are limited to 30 people. Once you have registered online, please email your 1-page synopsis and 10-page manuscript to Marci Cancio-Bello at mcanciob@mdc.edu by midnight on Sunday, June 29, 2020. Genres Accepted: Adult Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, and Adult Narrative Non-Fiction (No prescriptive, art, cookbooks etc.) Manuscripts must be a max of 10 double-spaced pages plus query letter,…