Leslie Schwartz

Leslie Schwartz has written two award-winning novels, Jumping the Green and Angels Crest, and a memoir, The Lost Chapters: Finding Recovery and Renewal One Book at a Time. She won the James Jones Award for best first novel for Jumping the Green and was named Kalliope Magazine’s Woman Writer of the Year. She has also been the recipient of many awards, including three artist-in-residence grants from the L.A. Department of Cultural Affairs, the West Hollywood/Algonquin Award for Public Service in the Arts, and a California Council for the Humanities Fellowship. Her two novels have been published in 13 languages. Angels Crest was also adapted for the screen and premiered in theaters in 2013. Her essays and articles have most recently appeared in Salon, LitHub, The Rumpus, Brevity, The Washington Post, Great Weather for Media, Pithead Chapel and Narratively Speaking. She has taught writing at various universities and creative institutions, and currently offers private mentoring and editing services. Schwartz holds an MFA in Writing and is at work on her fourth book, a novel. For the past three years, she has also been working on a project that includes digital media, an art installation, and writings on silence and creativity. She lives in Iceland, and in a remote cabin in Mt. Hood, Oregon.

Visit her online at www.leslieschwartz.com.

Events

Leslie Schwartz photo

Fiction Bootcamp: From Writing Prompt to Full-Fledged Narrative

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Leslie Schwartz
Scheduled
No
This workshop is designed for students writing their first novel (or short story) or those who are starting the next one. Purposefully crafted for the beginner or intermediate writer, Novel Bootcamp is created specifically for writers who are fuzzy about where to begin, what do to next, and how to develop a new story from scratch. Curriculum centers mainly around engaging writing prompts to help you generate ideas with results that will surprise you. Consider the writing prompts as idea-incubators for locating the emotional truth in your story. The goal is to find your voice, develop characters, zero in on theme and invent your story—whether that means uncovering your structure or developing the tools to build your fictional world. Each class will include in-class writing, workshopping the results, and craft talks on subjects like how to write believable dialogue, the elements of theme, and tips for staying the course. All fiction genres (literary, contemporary, speculative) and forms (novel, novella, short story, micro stories) are welcome. In this workshop, we will generate new writing through guided exercises and prompts; offer feedback/first impressions on writing you produce in our week.
Leslie Schwartz photo

Fearless Fiction: Moving the Big Idea into Bold and Daring Prose

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Leslie Schwartz
Scheduled
No
What is theme? How do I structure a novel? How can I discover and write exciting characters? What’s the difference between writing scene versus exposition, and how do I do it? If you have asked any of these questions of yourself while staring at the blank page, this is the right course for you. Geared toward beginning and intermediate fiction writers, this class will provide fun, engaging writing exercises, fascinating instructional handouts, lively discussion, and a safe and supportive critique workshop. Step-by-step instructions on basic skills will help you uncover with simplicity and precision the fundamental craft of writing fiction. New work will be generated during class time, but students are also free to revise and work on their previously written fiction. Everyone will have a chance to workshop their writing, (bring yours from home or start fresh in this workshop) and ask questions about how to move forward. All fiction genres welcome. In this workshop, we will generate new writing through guided exercises and prompts; offer feedback/first impressions on writing you produce in our weekend.
Leslie Schwartz photo