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Experienced non-fiction writers and journalists have a rare opportunity to spend a day learning from successful New York-based freelance writer, Robin Marantz Henig. You may have heard the buzz about her most recent NY Times Sunday Magazine cover story, What is it about 20-somethings?, the most-emailed story in the Times that week.

Marantz Henig is a New York City freelance writer and the winner of a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship and an American Society of Journalists and Authors career achievement award. She is the author of eight books, most recently Pandora’s Baby: How the First Test Tube Babies Sparked the Reproductive Revolution (the focus of an episode of “American Experience,” the PBS documentary series, in 2006) and The Monk in the Garden: The Lost and Found Genius of Gregor Mendel, the Father of Genetics (nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award in 2001). Her work appears frequently in The New York Times Magazine, where she is a contributing writer, and she has also written for The Washington Post, Smithsonian, Discover, and just about every women’s magazine.

The workshop:

ARTICLES, ESSAYS AND BOOKS, OH MY!: A NON-FICTION MASTER CLASS

Saturday, October 9, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
1200 Atwater Avenue, Suite 3
Workshop leader: Robin Marantz Henig
Workshop fee: $75. Lunch not included. Contact the QWF office for more information or to register.

This workshop is designed for experienced non-fiction writers who want to take their work to the next level. Emphasis will be on the writing process, which we’ll explore by looking at three different pieces that deal with the same subject in three ways: as an essay (suitable for a serious national magazine), a news feature (also for a national magazine, though possibly a less serious one), and perhaps a book chapter. We’ll talk about how different markets require not only different writing styles, but different ways of thinking about a topic, and we’ll engage in some writing exercises to demonstrate these differences.

The workshop is intended for people interested in writing longer, more complicated articles and books, and in selling them to a larger market. Enrollment is by application, and is limited to 10. To apply, please submit a list of publications from the past five years and two recent clips by September 20 to admin@qwf.org. The subject line should read “For Robin Henig.” The QWF office will let you know whether or not you’ve been accepted by October 1.

Personal critiques (optional): If you have a work-in-progress that you would like to have critiqued, you may also send a sample of no longer than 10 pages by September 20. If you are admitted to the workshop, the instructor will offer a critique, either in writing or, if possible, in person during the workshop day; some submitted samples might also be discussed during class. Please note: a work-in-progress is not required for admission.

Evaluations from Robin’s last workshop at QWF, in 2006:
“Exceptional, well-prepared, was very good and guiding discussion. Friendly and gracious. Incredible wealth of info. I write for a lot of places and still felt I learned a great deal. Give Robin a film deal!”

“I like her teaching style, very clear and very patient with our questions, and when we got off-topic. She gave great ideas on how to improve/focus articles.”

“Very prepared, willing to talk about her own career path. Communication very straightforward, fair. Nice to have four essays deconstructed and commented on.”

“Robin was great. She gave us stuff to read beforehand for discussion, which showed us how she developed her story…”
“I think she was fantastic, led the discussions very fluidly, etc.”

“You can just tell she put effort into this. She cared. She had information to offer and input for everyone here. It was really, really, great. PLUS, people were great because they had important stuff to contribute. It was a REALLY helpful day. Thanks!”