Peg Alford Pursell is a busy woman.
In addition to working on her novel, which you can see her read an excerpt from during part of Litquake's fabulous Barely Published Authors event - and for which she attends Tamim Ansaray's San Francisco Writers Workshop, where we first met - Peg is co-host of a radio program called Drive-by Shorts that airs on radiosausalito.org/drivebyshorts and features flash fiction of 500 words or less. She encourages anyone to submit their pieces to the following address: drivebyshorts@radiosausalito.org. You can tune in @ 1610 AM or download the podcasts (for free) through iTunes' music store.
If you're a serious writer and want some help with your work, a forum to share creative ideas and technique, or just an opportunity to meet other people who are doing what you're doing, check out Tamim's class. It is fairly intimate, despite being open to the public and free. They are currently not accepting new attendees but this changes and you should check their site for updates.
Another option is to contact Peg directly and join her North Bay Writers Group. Here you wil receive way more direct attention. You can be a beginner, professional, professional beginner, dreamer, actor (clowns are discouraged, but all cases can be argued) -- the focus is writing, as she says:
Whether your goal is publication, support for completion of work in progress, creative expression, or personal exploration, the workshop will help you develop the artistry of your own original voice.
In addition to being an accomplished and published writer (the two are not necesssarily the same for me), Peg has an MFA in Creative Writing and a BA in Education - pretty much exactly what you're looking for in a creative writing instruktor (I wanted to make her sound ruthless with that 'k'). She has won awards and fellowships for her teaching and was responsible for the innovation and implementation of the Creative Writing Program at the Charleston School of the Arts. (Yet another reason I like Peg - we're both recent transplants from the Southeast). Click here to enroll. Dates for the next class are not listed but you can contact her directly @ northbaywriters [at] gmail [dot] com and, if you want, put a phone number in there and she'll call you.
Flash fiction got you interested, does it? Understand the marketplace? Peg is teaching a class just for you (and the like-minded) at Book Passage in a couple of weeks:
How to Write Flash Fiction—and Why
Saturday, December 12, 2009 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
In addition to being fun to write, flash fiction—unlike many other writing exercises—has a market. You can hone your writing skills creating these short-shorts and publish your stories in an increasing number of print and online lit mags as well as anthologies. Some of our best contemporary authors write flash fiction. (Here's an insider tip that some people will be angry about: publish your flash, all the while honing your longer stories. Build a little resume for yourself. Then, when you send out your longer stories, you've got something to say in your cover letter besides "derp de derp de-doo, um, i write good!") Here's more info.
That's, um, not all. Starting on Thursday, January 14 @ 7 PM, Peg will be hosting a new reading series at Studio 333 in Sausalito called Why There Are Words. The series will feature 3 published writers (who have books for sale) and 3 guest writers who have books in progress! Check that site for news and updates; I believe Peg would be happy to take suggestions re: readers. The first date has the following theme: “Different Year, Different Worlds,” and a $5 donation will be collected at the door.
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