Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop

08/20/2026

Our 20% Off Summer Sale & Fall Early Bird Sales End TONIGHT 8/20 at 11:59pm ET! Check out all our August & September workshops here + full fall schedule online.

Summer Sale: All August & September workshops are 20% off, for the rest of today, Thursday 8/20. Use discount code SUMMERSALE26 when checking out. These are our lowest prices this season. We will not be offering a sweeping sale like this again this year, so if a discount helps, we hope you take advantage of it this week!

Fall Early Bird Sale: IF your purchase includes both an August/September workshop + a Fall Workshop (October - December), you can use the Summer Sale discount code (above) on your full order, through Thursday 8/20. This means: 20% off ALL WORKSHOPS through Thursday, with purchase of an August and/or September workshop! Please note that discounts cannot be combined or used with other discount codes. If you have questions, please email us!

Browse our full workshop schedule at www.PioneerValleyWriters.org under “Courses”!

08/17/2026

We're doing a Summer Sale + Early Bird Fall Sale (20% off!) - applicable to all workshops at PVWW for the next three days, until Thursday 8/20! Details on the sale, our full workshop lineup, Fall Reading & Retreat (in-person), and more here: https://mailchi.mp/pioneervalleywriters/summer-prose-writing-16543857?e=2b09f354ee

08/11/2026

We’re excited to share a one-time seasonal offer: a 10-day Summer Sale: 20% Off All August & September Workshops, until next Thursday (August 20)!

If you’ve been eyeing our August / September workshops, consider this our mid-summer gift! We want to help our community finish their summer projects strong. Use code SUMMERSALE26 upon checkout for any/all August & September workshops!

More Summer Sale details, workshop schedule, class descriptions, etc in our Story link and just-released newsletter!

08/09/2026

Our Fall/Winter 2026 Workshop Schedule is here! Browse our full lineup - all virtual - with award-winning authors! All workshops - one-day and multi-week - are listed on our website, under “Courses”. We are also excited to introduce our first on-demand workshop (pre-recorded, self-paced) - Fundamentals of Great Storytelling - with novelist Blair Hurley! Browse full schedule at link in our bio or stories.

Find workshops with:

Leonora Desar
Mira Bartok
Julia Morgan McKenzie
Anna North
jade song
Duncan Birmingham
Eden Robins
Dariel Suarez
Gail Thomas

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08/05/2026

AUGUST UPDATE! Our fall WORKSHOP SCHEDULE is here! Browse the full schedule on our website, here: https://www.pioneervalleywriters.org/courses

We also just added a bunch of COMMUNITY EVENTS - including a Day-Long Generative In-Person Writing Retreat in Florence, and our Fall Reading & 10-Year-Anniversary Party, both on Friday October 9th! - to the PVWW website, under Events, Readings, & Retreats! Featured readers at our 10/9 Fall Reading will include Mira Bartok, Gail Thomas, Michael Mercurio, among others. We hope you check it out and join us! More here: https://www.pioneervalleywriters.org/readings-events

08/02/2026

THIS FRDAY, August 7th! Join us at 6:00pm ET for PVWW’s monthly Community Writing, led by writer Leonora Desar! Free / pay-what-you-can! Live on Zoom! Learn more / RSVP here: https://www.pioneervalleywriters.org/readings-events

As always, Community Writing is virtual, open to the public, and free to attend (or pay what you can to participate!) Below, you’ll find a longer description of what to expect, and you can find the link to register in our bio, Stories, or Highlights (Upcoming)! We hope to see you there!

ABOUT COMMUNITY WRITING AT PVWW

If you’re a writer struggling to focus on your creative projects, seeking community and the support of other writers, PVWW’s once-a-month Community Writing is for you!

This FREE / PAY-WHAT-YOU-WANT ONLINE GATHERING for writers of all levels and genres happens every FIRST FRIDAY of the month, 6 - 7:30 PM ET.

Sessions are based around an initial writing prompt, and all sessions are followed by sharing and discussion. Because this is a drop-in friendly event, the size of the gathering changes every time, though it’s usually a larger group than our other workshops (though we break into smaller groups to share and discuss). It’s also generative in nature, rather than instructive or feedback-centered - so it’s great for getting back into the creative flow.

If you’re looking for a smaller workshop group that meets regularly, offers instruction or feedback, we recommend browsing our workshop schedule, in particular our regular Prose Writing Group. Though if you’re interested in a casual, motivational, drop-in friendly generative gathering, Community Writing is a great way to get started!

08/02/2026

Coming up in August! Don’t miss these TWO one-day, two-hour separate virtual (Zoom) seminars with award-winning novelist Dariel Suarez! Full description of each class below, and on the PVWW website, under “Courses”! Signup on link in our bio or Stories!

STRATEGIES TO DEVELOP YOUR NOVEL
August 22 (2 hours), live on Zoom
In this two-hour seminar, we will look at specific strategies you can implement to not just explore an idea or plan your novel manuscript, but to successfully execute a full draft. We will discuss how to identify the essential elements of your story, deepen your characters’ motivations, maximize plot possibilities, and approach the drafting process in a way that matches your natural preferences as a writer. You can expect to leave this session with concrete recommendations and tips that you can immediately implement as you embark on your novel adventure.

AVOIDING PITFALLS WHEN DRAFTING A NOVEL
August 29 (2 hours), live on Zoom
In this two-hour seminar, we’ll delve into the major pitfalls writers face when drafting their novel. From unclear stakes, to thinning or confusing plots, to increasingly passive characters, we’ll discuss key areas you should prioritize during the writing process. We will look at concrete tips on how to prevent these issues, and explore strategies to ensure you have a clear, compelling, and layered narrative from the start. You can expect to leave this seminar with a strong understanding of what usually hampers a good novel draft (read full description on our website)!

07/25/2026

TONIGHT, Saturday 7/25 at 7pm at the Academy of Music!

07/10/2026

BEGINNING SOON! Calling all early-stage / beginner poets who want an introduction to the elements of poetry, and/or anyone wanting a craft refresher, plus workshop/feedback! THIS SUNDAY 7/12 we have a 4-week virtual workshop beginning at Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop, with just a couple spots still left! Sign up asap if interested! More here:

This class is designed for those who are new to the study of reading and writing poetry. We will read many poems by diverse authors and talk about what makes each poem effective. Important issues of craft such as form, line length, imagery, rhythm, tension, sound, beginnings and endings, and syntax....

07/09/2026

Calling beginner poets who want an introduction to the basics! BEGINS THIS SUNDAY, July 12th! Live via Zoom, snd limited to 10 writers! Link to sign up in our Stories, Highlights, & Bio!

This class is designed for those who are new to the study of reading and writing poetry. We will read many poems by diverse authors and talk about what makes each poem effective. Important issues of craft such as form, line length, imagery, rhythm, tension, sound, beginnings and endings, and syntax will be addressed. Each week participants will generate a poem which will be shared with the group for feedback the following week. Open to beginners.

GAIL THOMAS is the author of six books of poetry. Trail of Roots won a Seven Kitchens Press chapbook prize, and Odd Mercy, chosen by Ellen Bass, won the Charlotte Mew Prize of Headmistress Press. Waving Back was named a Must Read by the Massachusetts Center for the Book and Honorable Mention by the New England Book Festival. Her work has appeared in many journals and anthologies including The Beloit Poetry Journal, Calyx, The North American Review, among others. Gail has been a fellow at The McDowell Colony and Ucross.