The Writers Workshop Project fills a gap between expensive college programs and workshops and grassroots workshops or solo writing efforts. WWP meetings offer writers a friendly place to

• Learn craft
• Stay focused
• Receive professional feedback & guidance
• Meet professionals
• Save money
• And more

The low workshop fee is affordable by most writers and helps promote a professional environment. The fee also pays for room rental, materials, snacks and teaching time. All writing levels are welcome.

A limit of no more than 10 participants maintains the WWP’s comfortable, intimate atmosphere.

Most workshops are led by Michael Jackman (see below for more info), though occasionally there are guest presenters.

• While college programs and fancy workshops offer writers a place to network, learn craft and give and receive intense commentary on your creative work, they’re limited in time, are expensive, and at the undergraduate or beginner level may not offer a small gathering of interested professionals.

• Informal workshops can contain committed writers and offer good critiques. But in my experience, they can eventually lose focus and stagnate at the same level of craft.

• The WWP can improve your level of critique and craft. Take it back to your own writing and to your informal workshop.

The WWP also sponsors and organizes retreats, readings and other events, such as Creative Cocktails.

About WWP Director and Workshop Leader Michael Jackman

I’m thankful that my teaching and writing skills have allowed me to promote a culture of writing, workshopping and performing through the WWP and elsewhere. As you can see, I have a varied writing background. For nearly four years I broadcast radio essays every Friday morning on Louisville’s WFPL 89.3 FM, and on Kentucky Public Radio. I’ve won some awards for my writing, and I’m an internationally published writer (if you include Canada) of feature articles, columns, poetry and fiction. I teach on the writing faculty at Indiana University Southeast English Dept. Beginning this year (2009) I’m serving on the board of the InKY Reading Series; I just finished a short stint on the executive committee of the American Jewish Press Association. One of my favorite accomplishments is to have performed my stories several times, and even written a couple of scripts, for folk singer John Gage’s live radio show Kentucky Homefront. I was the Courier-Journal’s first Web editor, and an editor for the Web site TechRepublic.com. During my MA work in creative writing and literature at the University of Louisville, I was a student of acclaimed writer and Kentucky Poet-Laureate Sena Naslund, who now runs the Spalding Low-Residency MFA Program. At UofL I also did additional Ph.D.-level coursework in Rhetoric and Composition. I live in the Highlands neighborhood of Louisville, KY with my wife of five years, Dana, and although my photo doesn’t show it, I’ve grown my hair long again–I figure to enjoy it while it lasts.