Continuing Education & Lifelong Learning
“Writer’s Edition”
In tandem with the “Continuing Education & Lifelong Learning series”, Memphis Public Libraries is launching “Writer’s Edition: Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning”, designed to allow writers the chance to enhance their writing skills both personally and professionally. Each class will feature 2 or more weekly sessions.
Classes:
Book Writing
Making a Career Out of Writing Books
(In-person)
This series will discuss how to turn your passion for writing into an ongoing career. You will learn how to network, get published, and take advantage of writing opportunities.
Instructor: Douglas Pratt published his first novel, Blood Remembered, in 2011. Since then, he has published 26 novels. In 2020, before the pandemic, he went to write full-time. Since then, he has had numerous best-selling books. In 2023, he launched his own publishing company, Manta Press. In addition, he is the co-host of the podcast The Two Authors’ Chat Show.
- Where: Officer Redd, 5094 Poplar, 38117 (Meeting Room)
- Dates: October 6, 13
- Times: Mondays, 4 pm – 6 pm
- Ages: 16 and over
Comedy TV Writing
TV Mock Writer’s Room
(In-person)
Students will embark on a crash course into the world of a Comedy TV writer, experiencing what it’s like to work on a shared storyline in a healthy and constructive collaborative environment. As a class, we will pick a current half-hour Comedy TV series, break a short 3-4 episode arc together (depending on the number of participants), then divide into smaller groups of 3 to write a full 30-40 page “spec” episode.
Instructor: Nathan Weinreich has been writing screenplays for over a decade. He worked for nearly seven years with STARZ and interacted regularly with every single writer’s room. Firsthand experience, combined with an encyclopedic knowledge of his favorite TV sitcoms (Friends, Parks and Recreation, I Love Lucy, the list goes on and on) and both an undergraduate degree and an MFA in Screenwriting through Loyola Marymount University, has given him a unique perspective on how a TV writer’s room ticks.
- Where: Benjamin L. Hooks Central, 3030 Poplar, 38111 (2nd Floor Cloud 901)
- When: October 12, 19, 26, November 2
- Times: Sundays, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
- Ages: 16 and over
Comic Book/Manga Writing
Writing Visually with Comics and Manga
(In-person)
Interested in turning your concept into reality? This class will explore how to write and script comic books or manga for teens and young adults. Come learn the tips and tricks Martheus Wade uses to create his graphic novels and comic books.
Instructor: Martheus Wade is the creator of award-winning graphic novel series titles Jetta: Tales of the Toshigawa and Shinobi: Ninja Princess. He is also the illustrator of the Adventures of Aviore for the Experimental Aircraft Association, which was created by Stan Lee.
- Where: Benjamin L. Hooks Central, 3030 Poplar, 38111 (2nd Floor Cloud 901)
- When: October 15, 22, 29, November 5
- Times: Wednesdays, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
- Ages: 16 and over
Dramatic Writing
From the Page to the Stage
(In-person)
This class/workshop will focus on dramatic writing culminating in presenting works on stage, including poetry, short stories, and prose in a dramatic form.
Instructor: Levi Frazier, Jr. has been writing, producing, and directing for more than 50 years. He has had plays produced all over the country and in Europe. He won the Ostrander Award for Best Play (When it Rains) and won a Chattanooga Theatre Center playwriting contest. Frazier performed A Tribute to Richard Wright in Paris, France.
- Where: Cherokee, 3300 Sharpe Ave, 38111 (Meeting Room)
- When: October 7, 14, 21, 28
- Times: Tuesdays, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
- Ages: 16 and over
Fiction Writing
How to Plot Your Fiction Novel
(In-person)
You’ve got an idea for a novel, now what? This class will teach you several methods of plotting, including how to weave themes, characterization, and world-building.
Instructor: Rebecca Stovall is a published author and a winner in the 2025 L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future contest.
- Where: Cordova Branch Library, 8457 Trinity Rd, Cordova, TN 38018 (Conference Room)
- Dates: October 16, 23, 30, November 6
- Times: Thursdays, 6 PM – 7 PM
- Ages: 16 and over
Screen Writing
Elements of Feature Screenwriting: From Idea to Outline
(In-person)
Students will learn the basics of screenwriting, including familiarizing themselves with the formatting of a screenplay page and understanding how to develop an idea into a cinematic story. Aside from the basic tools needed to write a screenplay, students will leave the class with an outline to set them on the path towards completing their own feature-length screenplay.
Instructor: Nathan Weinreich wrote his first feature screenplay at age 15. He has written seven feature-length spec screenplays and served as a professional script doctor on numerous others. He received both an undergraduate degree and an MFA in Screenwriting from Loyola Marymount University, and consistently placed in prestigious screenwriting competitions, including Launch Pad, the Austin Film Festival, and Stage 32. His calling card script, They Seem Nice, was a Launch Pad Top 50 finalist and ranked in the top 1% of all Coverfly-submitted screenplays.
- Where: Raleigh Branch Library, 3452 Austin Peay Hwy, 38128 (Programming Room)
- Dates: October 10, 17, 24, 31
- Times: Fridays, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Ages: 16 and over
Story Writing
Story Structure & Soul: Writing that Connects
(In-person)
Unlock the secrets of stories that truly connect by bridging solid craft with soul-stirring narrative in this intensive four-week course. Writers will explore time-tested structural techniques while discovering how to breathe life, emotion, and meaning into every scene and character. Through immersive workshops and personalized guidance, students will develop the essential skills to create narratives that engage and transform both writer and reader.
Instructor: Victoria is a writer, storyteller, strategist, community curator, and creative who founded By Victoria LLC with the belief that transformative storytelling begins with writers first meeting themselves authentically on the page. Passionate about the healing power of narrative, she champions wellness writing as a pathway to both personal restoration and meaningful connection with others. With experience spanning continents through mentoring and speaking engagements, Victoria helps writers discover their unique narrative voice and craft stories that serve as medicine for both writer and reader.
- Where: Cossitt Branch, 33 S. Front St., 38103 (2nd Floor Fishbowl)
- When: November 5, 12, 19
- Times: Wednesdays, Nov. 5, 12, 6 PM – 7 PM, Nov. 19, 6 PM – 8 PM
- Ages: 16 and over
Poetry Writing
A Poetry Series: Embodying Your Narrative
(In-person)
Unleash your voice with a dynamic choreopoem series dedicated to transforming personal experiences into powerful performances. Hosted by Homegrown Arts, this program will help elevate your creative writing by integrating poetry with movement and theatrical work. You’ll master the art of shaping personal narrative into script, while gaining practical skills in vocal delivery, collaboration, and performance etiquette. Join us to write, move, and embody your story in this electrifying exploration of spoken word and stage performance.
Instructor: Based in Memphis, TN, Homegrown Arts is a non-profit organization committed to creating art that builds and connects communities through poetry, creative writing, and performance. Known collectively as Homegrown Arts, Jasmine Settles Tate, Bria Saulsberry, and Akina Morrow have written and produced original choroepoems, Women’s Water: The Emergence of Drought, Flood, and Dance (2019) and Dance, Girl (2024). Homegrown Arts is the proud host of the Memphis Youth Poet Laureate Program, powered by Urban Word and the National Youth Poet Laureate network.
- Where: Whitehaven Branch Library, 4120 Millbranch Rd., 38116 (Innovation Center)
- When: November 15, 22
- Times: Saturdays, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
- Ages: 16 and over
Thanks to the Memphis Library Foundation for supporting this and other programs.
