Skip to main content

Contact Info

Pennwriters, Inc.
P.O. Box 957
Somerset, PA 15501
info@Pennwriters.org

Online Courses

Courses

Connect With Us

Add Me To Your Mailing List
HomeOverview of Courses

Online Classes Overview

A Year's Worth of Classes

All Pennwriters Courses are conducted in a "live" presentation format utilizing the Zoom platform. If a conflict arises based on the required meeting times, please contact the instructor and Online Courses Coordinator to find a possible solution. ALL sessions will be recorded and will be available for students.

Please note that days and times of meetings vary each month. If you have further questions, please contact DJ Stevenson.

All Pennwriters events, including online classes and other meetings are easily found on the website calendar.



June Online Class: Sit & Write: Begin
Instructors: Kate Brenton and Claudine Wolk
Class Meeting Dates: June 3, 10, 17, & 24 on Zoom
7:00 PM to 8:00 PM (Eastern)
See details below
June Online Intensive: Creating 3-Dimensional Characters
Instructor: Annette Dashofy
Class Meeting Dates: Saturday, June 27 on Zoom
12:00 PM to 3:00 PM (Eastern)
See details below
July Online Class: Make Your Characters Memorable
Instructor: Kathy Otten
Class Meeting Dates: July 7 6, 13, 20, & 27 on Zoom
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (Eastern)
See details below


 

Line Up of Classes for 2026


June Online Class: Sit & Write: Begin
Instructors: Kate Brenton and Claudine Wolk

Find all the details here: Sit & Write: Begin with Kate Brenton and Claudine Wolk - 6/3/2026

Course Details:

This course gives you, the new author, the lay of the land, to travel from concept to completion. This class guides your inspiration into action, creating: a writing intention, a story arc, and destination. We also remove the guesswork of entering the world of publishing, laying down the fundamental groundwork for you to be an inspired, educated, and informed writer. You get to decide where and how to take this forward on your writing journey. But now, you have a map.



June Online Intensive: Creating 3-Dimensional Characters
Instructor: Annette Dashofy

Read all the details and register at this link: Creating 3-Dimensional Characters with Annette Dashofy - 6/27/2026 

Course Details

No matter what the genre, all of our stories are populated with characters. Have you been told that yours feel flat and uninteresting? Or they all sound alike? Or perhaps your main characters are vibrant, but your secondary characters feel like an afterthought. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to create a full cast of unique characters that will threaten to jump off the page.



July Online Class: Make Your Characters Memorable
Instructor: Kathy Otten

Read all the details and register at this link: Make Your Characters Memorable with Kathy Otten - 7/6/2026 

Course Details

What every agent, editor, and reader is looking for is a story that makes them care. And, good characters are the secret to success in commercial fiction. Learning what really motivates your characters and how to then weave it into your plot will ultimately create the emotional tension in your story to keep your reader turning pages and create characters your reader will never forget.



October Online Class: Long Story Short: The Fundamentals of Crafting a Short Story
Instructor: Derek Attico

Read all the details and register at this link: Long Story Short with Derek Attico - 10/6/2026 

Course Details

This engaging and comprehensive course is designed for fiction and nonfiction writers alike, whether you're an emerging storyteller or a seasoned author seeking to refine your craft. Through a series of dynamic sessions, you’ll explore the core.



November Online Class: A Freelancer Prepares
Instructor: Timons Esaias

Read all the details and register at this link: A Freelancer Prepares with Timons Esaias - 11/3/2026 

Course Details

This will be a boiled-down version of Esaias's highly successful one-semester course for Seton Hill University undergrads -- Publication Workshop. The plan is to give you all the elements that a freelancer uses to become a successful submission machine. The idea of submission can be intimidating, and our goal is to get you through the first steps. We hope to have participants actually submitting work for publication during the month; or soon thereafter.





How do I register for an online class?


Calendar

Online Coordinator

I have a question about the fees for this or another class...


Any and all money questions should be directed to our Club Treasurer.

Treasurer