Philadelphia Writers Group
Nonfiction writers
Please consider joining the Philadelphia Writers Group at Meetup.com. We meet the first and third Tuesday evening at 6 at a confidential Center City location near 15th and Locust. If you participate, you will enrich the discussion. Cost is $5 per session.
We workshop each other’s nonfiction creations. So far we have critiqued pieces about the history of science in the Middle Ages, the historical preservation of architectural masterpieces and a memoir about running. What are you writing – or what are you dreaming of writing – that you want to discuss with other writers?
We talk about writing. We limit our comments to writing. We do not discuss selling writing or getting writing gigs. Topics cover the issues members – you – want to cover. I intersperse lessons on grammar, organization and style, so that everyone learns from reading each other’s submissions.
One member, David, writes: “For people who seriously want to write, this is the place to come for advice, feedback and encouragement.”
Jack writes, “Good group of writers. Good feedback and contribution to each other.”
Craig says: “I thought the session was very good.”
Please sign up here and join us. Try us once. No commitment. Please bring your own nonfiction sample to share.
It’s time to write your memoir
Attend this nonfiction workshop to
- Find the motivation to write.
- Enhance your skills writing nonfiction.
- Improve the writing you do every day.
- Release the stories trapped inside your head.
- Discover how your writing affects other people.
Call or e-mail for class dates.
Center City.
Non-fiction writing workshop
He loves me, he loves me not:
Write about the major relationships in your life
Whether you sing “Love and Marriage Go Together like a Horse and Carriage,” “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” or “My Boy Bill,” come to this class to write about the relationships of your life. Describe the joy of Auntie Em, the wonder of Mommy kissing Santa Claus, the terrors of Auntie Mame. Explore your relationship with Grandpop, Big Brother or your firstborn son. Write about the love of your life, whether requited or un-, whether together or not, whether president or prisoner.
Come to this nonfiction writing workshop to write about the important individuals who have populated your life. Analyze the telling details of relationships. Find ideas and metaphors. Know what to cut. In class, we will read and critique each other’s drafts in a kind, supportive workshop.
The instructor, Susan Perloff, has been training adults to write nonfiction for more than 20 years, including long-time gigs at the College of General Studies at Penn and the Business Agenda at Temple University Center City. She is a kind and gentle critic. A widely published freelance writer, Susan has had 140 bylines in the Inquirer and 100 in other periodicals and has won three national writing awards. She launched the Philadelphia Writers Group in 1995.
Testimonials
- “I took Susan Perloff’s nonfiction writing class and found Susan to be delightful, funny, encouraging, and razor-sharp in critiquing our work. She created a sense of security in the class that brought out of us new writers some experimentation and a lot of sharing.” Jennifer Loustau
- “To my surprise, a piece I submitted won first place in creative non-fiction! I found out weeks later by mail. It was a story you edited.” Diana Brody
