Writerhouse, Inc.

I joined Writerhouse because I liked their support for NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month. I've made friends with fellow writers, listened to excellent readings, viewed exceptional artworks, and typed thousands of words in the comfort of the facility.

WriterHouse is such a valuable resource for the Charlottesville literary community. I began taking Poetry and Fiction workshops there when I moved to the area from DC several years ago, and now I'm going back to school for an MFA. I've found the courses offered to be wide-ranging in content and consistently well organized. Instructors are experienced and dedicated. WriterHouse also hosts community events and offers quiet space for writers to work. A great place for anyone interested in writing!

Can't say enough good things about this outfit and its pres, Rachel Unkefer. Rachel takes it upon herself to solve even the most minor problem quickly and efficiently as she just did when I questioned how to apply for the WH scholarship to the VQR lit conference.

I had the opportunity to teach a Writing Workshop/Summer Camp with middle school students at WriterHouse this past summer and it was a wonderful experience. The staff was so helpful and student-centered, and atmosphere was conducive to helping student-writers focus on their craft in a fun and creative way. I am a classroom teacher, and being a part of this workshop inspired me to take more risks and try new things in my own classroom. I am so so thankful to have been a part of this program, and am excited for all of the programs and workshops that WriterHouse continues to offer to kids and adults in our community!

I taught a writing course to 3rd, 4th and 5th graders this summer at WriterHouse. The camp was well run, great fun and has inspired me to begin writing more myself! I am looking forward to joining a writing group here this fall.

I am taking my second non-fiction writing course at the WriterHouse and I love it!!
The instructors are very professional and very well organized. The articles, essays and exercises have been very useful for my reading and writing. Every workshop is an adventure: very good comments, ideas and resources come up during the
conversations. The atmosphere is just fine. Awesome!!!

Writerhouse offers a quiet space for writers, a series of workshops and readings and, most important, courses taught by local writers. I am presently taking my third course through Writerhouse. The instructors and class members are extraordinary, and these courses have given me invaluable opportunities to write, and to read and discuss with others.

This is a great organization. There is nothing else like it in Charlottesville. It is a real asset to our community.

I first started taking Fiction Workshops at WriterHouse in 2009. I had no idea what I was doing, just trying my hand at fiction. I am now a Poe/Faulkner Fellow in the MFA program at the University of Virginia. I cannot think of a better testament to the quality of teachers, classes, and support that WriterHouse offers to the community. Without WriterHouse, I would still be writing in the wilderness, or worse, I may have just given up. Writing is a solitary, lonely, and more often than not, vexing vocation. But the folks at WriterHouse work tirelessly to help fledgling writers, even those with a passing interest, work past those obstacles to see that it can also be liberating and fulfilling.

When I moved to Charlottesville, Va., one of the first things I did was seek out people with similar interests and Writer House fit the bill perfectly! Besides offering a variety of challenging classes for writers of fiction and non-fiction, Writer House provides published authors with a forum from which to share their works and their experiences. These experiences inspire and teach everyone who attends these sessions.
I've been so impressed with the organization's offerings that I have become a volunteer, and I am eagerly looking forward to the annual fundraiser, "Words and Wine." I've bought two tickets to the event and can’t wait to meet more members!

I am a published writer who has benefited enormously from WriterHouse since it opened. The board members and officers give of their time and talents generously to make ends meet for this nonprofit. WriterHouse offers different levels of participation, and provides just the right atmosphere for serious work. WriterHouse has helped me take my own work seriously.

I first came to Writerhouse as a debut novelist, traveling throughout the South promoting my book. My welcome was so rich, so warm that in a sense I've never left. Now whether I knock on the door as a novelist wanting to talk craft, a student wanting some much needed instruction, or just a friend wanting to say "hello," I'm always happy I've found my way back.

WriterHouse is a fantastic resource for writers in the Charlottesville area, offering lasses at a variety of levels, author readings and engagements, student readings, events like an overnight writing party for NaNoWriMo, and provides a space for writers to use any time. I've only been working here for two months, but the rest of the staff is great, and I love being a part of the community.

I have taken several classes from Writerhouse and have found them to be quite helpful. The networking provided is perhaps of even more value. Janis Jaquinth, who taught 'The Art of the Radio Essay' was actually willing to edit two of my manuscripts and give me the connections to actually get them on the radio. I feel as if I have a second career waiting for me should I find the itme to truly pursue it.

When I moved to Virginia, leaving my writing groups and friends behind in Vermont, I wondered if I would ever be part of a writing community again. Through WriterHouse, I've taken classes to explore a new genre of writing, attended author talks for inspiration, and found a group of writers to meet with each week. Through WriterHouse, I've found a community.

I'm newly retired and was kicking around for something to get involved in. Then I began taking writing workshops at WriterHouse. The workshops were professional and led me to take my writing more seriously. Eventually I got a couple things published and that was rewarding, but the best part was that I found myself sharing in a supportive community. My fellow writers at Writerhouse are a diverse lot; they are people who seek some honesty and some truth in their lives. The process is often therapeutic but it always difficult. Going it alone is isolating and to have a Place like WriterHouse where one can hone their skills and share their stories in a reassuring environment adds so much value to the experience. I feel that everyone who participates in the workshops and seminars provided there walks away a richer person. It would be great if there was money to support the Teachers and help fund the Writers who can't afford such classes. I think Writing in general and WriterHouse in particular are worthy causes.

I heard about Writer House from a work acquaintance, and was inspired to check it out. I am taking my second class now, and have found a dedicated group of writers who share a passion for telling the truth well. We enjoy rich conversations and help one another refine our writing. Having put my writing on the back burner for years, I am so grateful for the teaching, the quiet space to work, and the camaraderie of other writers at Writer House. A real treasure in Charlottesville!

WriterHouse has reawakened my creative side... more than just a touchy-feely observation, it's a change that has been essential in making life go from good to great!

WriterHouse helped me connect with two writer groups and win my first community writing contest. WH is a supportive, professional, collaborative resource for writers at any stage. Finding WH has literally changed my life. I would like to see a WriterHouse in every community - many people are "finding their voice" because of this amazing non-profit.

WriterHouse is an amazing community resource. It provides access to great quality instruction, attracts writers of all levels, and offers great value for the cost.

A friend of mine says that to have a successful career, you need three things: support, support and support. That goes double for writers or artists of any kind. I have found excellent support at WriterHouse. Workshops offer an opportunity to improve my writing in a safe, friendly atmosphere, with great teachers. In addition to workshops, WriterHouse invites published writers to read from and discuss their work. I have found all these events enjoyable and inspiring, as well as practical. At a panel of magazine editors, I found out about the Delmarva Review, and decided to send them a poem, which they published. I'd not have known about this magazine if it were not for Writer House's panel. WriterHouse also has a library where members can look at literary magazines, as well as the "Writers' Market." I've enjoyed getting to know other writers -- and their work -- at WriterHouse. In short, what's not to like?

I'm really happy I discovered WriterHouse. I became a member in Sept. 2010. I've taken a class, joined the Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, Speculative Fiction Writer's group, attended readings, participated in a reading, participated in a seminar, and have made new friends with really excellent people. More importantly, I am writing a lot and reading other writer's work.

Three years ago, my writing group decided we needed a "clubhouse"--a place to write and to share our work. We had an inkling that there might be others in our community who would also like a place to gather, so we started WriterHouse. From those initial seven members, we're closing in on 200 now, with nearly 50 classes and workshops a year and monthly author events and member gatherings. This organization has more than fulfilled our dream of community. I've watched as books are written and published, friendships form and flourish, minds are opened and filled, and new writers read their work in front of an audience. I can't imagine a more supportive and nurturing environment for the literary arts.

I've been writing for publication since I was fifteen. It's hard finding other people, in a setting conducive to creativity, and safe for the open discussion of one's efforts. But WriterHouse is such a place. Here there is collegiality, humor, encouragement, opportunities, and a physical environment that is ideal for putting words on paper— or on the computer screen, as the case my be.

Charity is defined as a generous action to aid the poor, ill or helpless. Writer House as a non-profit organization goes far beyond that! I approached them last year out of sheer desperation and they reached out to me with an astounding sense of generosity, grace, acceptance and kindness.
I'll describe myself as a typical a middle aged married woman, mother of four and a human being that was drowning in family turmoil following my husband's job loss, the down turn of our economy and simultaneously, as a parent suffering heartwrenching pain from watching a young adult son with mental health and addiction issues fall through the cracks of the healthcare system.
Writing for me, has often been a largely solitary and lonely form of self expression, an art form which I have loved since I could hold a pencil. It is my release when I am unable to make myself be heard or simply lack the inner strength to communicate words that are too painful to utter aloud. It has also brought me great joy, these words, which fall one at a time, knitting themselves like a carpet of leaves at the base of a majestic old tree.
I NEED to write. I need a PLACE to write. I want to LEARN to be a better writer in the hopes that someday, my words might help or bring joy to another human being.
I wrote a letter to the board at Writer House and shared my story. My real life story and enclosed some examples of my writing and asked if I might be considered for a scholarship of any kind. a membership, a place to write, a class so that I could learn.
In just a few days I was contacted by a warm and caring board member who invited me to take an eight week class of my choice for whatever cost I could afford to pay.
My teacher gave me support and guidance and absolutely helped me to reach within myself to become a stronger writer and has continued to encourage and nurture my talents in a way that illustrates the beauty of the educational process that takes place within the walls of Writer House. My teacher is the 2010 National Book Award Winner -Children's Literature, Kathryn Erskine.
Writer House has since become my salvation and the people there have become my friends. I'm delighted that I've been asked to volunteer for special events that Writer House hosts to raise funds and reach out to our community.
I find great security in knowing that I have a place to go, where I can shut the door without apologies or explainations, plug in my computer and just hammer away at the keys. I 'm also grateful that if I "hit the wall" as a writer and need to take a break I can wander out to the community kitchen, a warm inviting and comfortable place. I can make a cup of tea or put on the coffee pot, I can rummage through the pantry for a cookie or crackers with the same freedom you would at your own home or the home of a dear friend and TALK to other writers there for the same purpose: To put the written word down on paper for the benefit of their fellow man.
Whatever the genre or purpose, to share, tickle, delight, inform, teach, inspire or scare the pants off the reader we are a diverse community of people with a bond as tight as glue, where outside differences do not matter. Newcomers are welcomed like freshly discovered cousins. I have found myself a part of a greater whole that I have been searching a lifetime for and consider myself to be a very fortunate person indeed to have been invited into Writer House of Charlottesville, Virginia.

I joined WriterHouse after publishing an article in a magazine. I was hoping for a quiet space to write every now and then. I have found that, yes, but so much more. Since joining WriterHouse, I have been encouraged to:
write a draft of a novel and begin researching it
write two short stories (and submit them)
learn about grant writing

I have met other writers and begun to think of myself as a writer due to their support. I have been welcomed with open arms and encouraged to share what I know.

I've made friends.

All this, and a quiet place to write to boot.

I am a 55 year old poet in the making. This is my 2nd (3rd) career and Writerhouse has helped immensely with my poetry, which has helped me immensely in my life. I have wanted to write all my life, tried when I was a child, but couldn't for various reasons. Suddenly, last year, I began to write poetry, as if my life depended on it, which in some ways it did. I've a new direction for my life, which includes poetry, memoir, and essays on growing up in an abusive family. Writerhouse is helping me heal. The teachers are fantastic, my classmates wonderful. Thank God for Writerhouse. I'm so inspired that I intend to complete an MFA in Creative Writing.