The Writers Circle will

Build writing confidence
Spur imagination and self-expression
Ignite a passion for reading
Improve compositional skills
Teach the value of rewriting
Make writing fun

Here's what people are saying:

My son has been feverishly writing his story since your class. I'm truly amazed! You don't know what it would take for me to have him work on a book report or just write two sentences for his reading log every week. Now he even took his writing journal in the car on his way to his soccer game this morning! Thank you for providing that inspiration for him!

- Kathleen B., Montclair, NJ

"Thank you for your energy and ability to inspire creativity."

- Janice J., West Orange, NJ

"My son had to write a book report every week when he was in third grade. It was a painful task for him and for me. I decided to register him for Story Magic, and wow! What a difference after the first week. Thank you! I'm so grateful for this class."

- Roxanne S., Elizabeth, NJ

"My son is enjoying Michelle's class very much. He says that she allows him to be imaginative and creative as he is often times restricted in his school. My daughter is having fun in your class as well!"

- Anthony E., Livingston, NJ

My daughter has so been enjoying Story Magic. Judith has a wonderful way of offering encouragement and specific positive feedback at the same time that she points a way forward and offers constructive suggestions.

- Jerusha N., Verona, NJ

My son has made huge strides this year and I attribute The Writers Circle with breaking through his block against and anxiety about writing. He actually skipped out the door and through the rain yesterday on his way to the car to go to class. The day before he was bored and begging to play Wii. I suggested he get out his writer's book and HE DID! He wrote for at least 20 minutes which is huge for him. THANK YOU!

- Carol H., West Orange, NJ

Judith Lindbergh is delightful, knowledgable, and very supportive. She's a mom and has great rapport with kids. Well worth it.

- Susan B., West Orange, NJ

I wasn't sure at all how my son would feel about taking a creative writing class, since he has never really seemed comfortable writing at school, so I just signed him up and told him afterwards. From the moment we got to class, I knew Judith would support him and make him feel comfortable.

After the first class, we could tell he had really enjoyed himself and was proud of the story he had started. When we put him to bed that night, he asked if he could have his notebook to finish the story. He said it would help him fall asleep, and although we didn't believe that for a minute, we did want to encourage him, so we agreed. At 11pm, when we thought he must be asleep, he came downstairs and asked us to read the finished piece. I was so impressed by how creative it was and also that he had taken the time to do it (in the past, he'd speed through any writing assignment that came his way). I am so grateful that the class has given us the opportunity to take writing out of a school context and make it fun for him.

- Stacey H., South Orange, NJ

(TWC takes care not to identify its young students, including their last names, on the web!)

10 Truths about Creative Writing

1. Write whatever comes into your head. You can always fix it later.

2. You can write about anything. No subject is taboo.

3. Writing is an adventure (and can be about an adventure).

4. Words are toys, costumes, props, the playground. Writing is the game.

5. You can go anywhere, do anything, be anyone through your writing.

6. Writing is better than screaming, yelling, punching or crying.

7. Writing is how you can be heard even when no one will listen.

8. Writing is about joy, hopes, dreams, and fantastic futures.

9. Writing isn’t an assignment, it’s an invitation.

10. With writing, there are no rules.

At the Writers Circle...

We believe in the uniqueness of each writer's voice. Our workshops nurture that pure, honest self-expression in each of our students.

We welcome the most reluctant child, the adult who feels like a beginner, and the experienced professional looking for a group of insightful peers.

The Writers Circle is more than a place to take a class. It is a community joined by the love of writing.

TWC's Founder and Director Judith Lindbergh

	Judith Lindbergh’s debut novel, The Thrall's Tale, about women in Viking Age Greenland, was a Booksense (IndieBound) Pick, a Borders Original Voices Selection and praised by Pulitzer Prize winners Geraldine Brooks and Robert Olen Butler. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including Archaeology Magazine, Scandinavian Review, The World & I, the literary journal Other Voices, and more. She also contributed to the Smithsonian Institution’s exhibition Vikings: The Norse Atlantic Saga and was an expert commentator on the History Channel’s documentary series MANKIND: The Story of All of Us. Since 2006, Judith has mentored adult writers through the Writers Support Circle at the South Orange-Maplewood Adult School. In January 2010, she created The Writers Circle, extending her workshops to children and expanding her offerings for adults. She traces her teaching approach to her background as a professional dancer and actress, and from the lessons learned from one of her greatest writing mentors, Madeleine L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time. Judith believes in the uniqueness of each writer’s voice. All writers have something valid to say. Judith’s classes aim to coax that pure, honest expression from each of her students. Learn more about her novel at www.judithlindbergh.com and about her teaching philosophy at The Writers Circle Blog.
TWC's Associate Director Michelle Cameron
	Michelle Cameron's The Fruit of Her Hands: the story of Shira of Ashkenaz relates the life of the author's 13th Century ancestor, Rabbi Meir of Rothenberg. Publisher’s Weekly praised the novel’s “powerful immediacy” and Library Journal its “rich details.” Her full-length novel in verse, In the Shadow of the Globe, was named the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's 2003-4 Winter Book Selection. Michelle taught business and marketing writing at the College of Saint Elizabeth, creative writing at the Poetry & Prose Winter Getaway in Cape May and Seaview, and gave seminars and workshops for Murphy Writing Seminars, the Morris Museum, Drew University’s Shakespeare in Performance Colloquium II, Brandeis University, and at various local libraries and poetry festivals. She attributes her literary success to a unique muse, her son, whose intense passion for writing made Michelle persist in her literary ambitions despite the pressures of work and family. Michelle has been blessed by the generosity of various writing teachers during her journey as a writer, and hopes to offer other aspiring writers the same encouragement and support.
TWC Teachers
	Laurie Lico Albanese has published in almost every genre, including fiction, poetry, journalism, creative nonfiction and memoir. Her books include Blue Suburbia: Almost a Memoir, Lynelle by the Sea, and The Miracles of Prato, co-written with art historian Laura Morowitz. Her travel and general-interest pieces appear in The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, Mothering magazine, and elsewhere. Honors include a New Jersey State Council in the Arts Fellowship in Fiction Writing, a Catherine R. Dodge Foundation Fellowship to the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and, with her writing partner Morowitz, a 2012 Research Grant from the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute for their novel-in-progress about the Viennese painter Gustav Klimt. Laurie has taught creative and formal writing to all ages, from Montclair elementary schools to her adult workshops at Studio 129 in Montclair, as well as Montclair Kimberley Academy Upper School and Wagner College on Staten Island.
	Paula Balzer is a literary agent and the author of Writing & Selling Your Memoir (Writers Digest Books/July 2011). Her authors include New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Robbins (Pledged, Quarterlife Crisis, Secrets of the Tomb), Oscar-Award winning writer of “Juno” Diablo Cody (Candy Girl), American Idol judge Randy Jackson (What’s Up Dawg?) and Bobby Henderson (Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster).
	Donna Baier Stein's poetry and prose have appeared in Virginia Quarterly Review, Kansas Quarterly, Prairie Schooner, Washingtonian, and many other journals and anthologies. Her story collection Great Drawing Board of the Sky was a Finalist in the Iowa Fiction Awards; her novel Fortune received the PEN/New England Discovery Award and is now represented by William Morris Endeavor. Donna was a founding editor of Bellevue Literary Review, and currently is the Editor and Publisher of Tiferet: A Journal of Spiritual Literature.
	Chip Davis has worked in both theatre and television for the past thirty years. An alumnus of The Juilliard School’s Drama division, he has acted, written and directed in numerous mediums Off-Broadway, online, and a few other off-and-on places. His last work, Resonant Pitch, can be viewed online at www.moseshaygood.com.
"Allie is a superb teacher, mentor and a knowledgeable authority on the industry. The class was a great experience." - Lou Savarese	Allie Dvorin is a professional director, writer, and producer. He is best known for his work in family film, including THE SANDLOT 3, LIKE MIKE 2, and DR. DOLITTLE 3, all produced by 20th Century Fox. Allie has several projects currently in development, including THE PETER WESTBROOK story at Disney, THE CLUB at Paramount, CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN 3 at 20th Century Fox, and SPY VS STU at Dignity Distribution. Allie’s feature film directorial debut, A NOVEL ROMANCE, starred Steve Guttenberg, Milena Govich and Shannon Elizabeth, and was released in theaters in late 2011. A NOVEL ROMANCE was chosen as the "Closing Night Film" at the 2011 NY Independent Film and Video Festival, screened at the 2011 Berkshire International Film Festival, and distributed in North America and across the globe. Allie's latest directing effort, LURID, a psychological thriller starring Vinnie Jones, is currently in post production and will be released in 2013.
	Sondra Gash's collection of poems, Silk Elegy, (CavanKerry Press, Ltd.) tells the story of a young girl from an immigrant family whose life is disrupted by her mother’s mental illness. The setting is Paterson, NJ, the silk manufacturing capital of the country during the turbulent years of the early 20th century. Silk Elegy was chosen as a Finalist for the 2003 Paterson Poetry Prize. Sondra's poems have appeared in the New York Times, The Paterson Literary Review, Calyx, U. S.1 Worksheets and the anthology Washing Lines. A featured reader and teacher at the Dodge Poetry Festival in Waterloo, NJ, she has taught writing skills at Rutgers University and has had several residencies in public and private schools in the area .She is a recipient of fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (for fiction and poetry), Yaddo, The Puffin Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Presently Sondra is at work on a memoir about a woman who works as a museum curator and has grown up in the family of an idealistic activist father who became a prominent political leader.
	Christina Kapp has spent most of her life writing and nurturing an obsession with books. After beginning her career in book publishing at William Morrow, she left to pursue a M.A. in writing at Johns Hopkins University and become an academic administrator for Johns Hopkins and Columbia Universities. Over the years, she has published her short fiction, poetry, and essays in numerous publications including Barn Owl Review, Gargoyle, DOGZPLOT, Forge, Pindeldyboz, PANK, Anderbo.com, apt, and many others. As well as her M.A. in writing, she also has a M.A. in English literature from Rutgers University. She currently teaches at Rutgers—Newark asnd works as a freelance writer, editor and tutor.
"Loved this class. Great insights and such a wealth of info. Thanks for sharing all the stuff no one ever talks about." -Claudia Broglio	Tara Lazar studied English and Creative Writing at Rutgers College and intended to work in children's publishing but got lured by high-tech's "irrational exuberance." A decade later in 2006, after the birth of her second daughter, she began writing for children by joining The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators plus a local critique group. Her first picture book, THE MONSTORE, will be released with the Aladdin imprint of Simon & Schuster in 2013, with I THOUGHT THIS WAS A BEAR BOOK (Aladdin) as well as LITTLE RED GLIDING HOOD (Random House) to follow in 2014. In October 2012, she will be the “Success Story” speaker at the prestigious Rutgers University Council on Children’s Literature One-on-One Conference. When she's not writing stories for children, she prefers baking with her daughters and creating jewelry.
	Lisa Romeo teaches in the Rutgers University Writing Program Extension and online, and works as an independent manuscript editor, freelance writer and editor, and writing coach. Her personal essays, nonfiction narratives, feature articles and poetry have appeared in mainstream print and online venues, literary journals, and essay collections and anthologies, including The New York Times, O-The Oprah Magazine, Sweet! A Literary Confection, Barnstorm, Sport Literate, and many others. Lisa holds a B.S. in journalism and an MFA in creative writing. Her work has been recognized with several awards and she has received grants and scholarships from the Vermont Studio Center and the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Lisa is at work on a memoir of linked essays. She lives in Cedar Grove with her husband and two sons.
	Mia Siegert recently graduated from Goddard College’s MFA program. Excerpts from her MFA thesis, Outgrown Horses - a novel about a young, troubled show rider - were published in Word Riot and Clapboard House. Other short stories and articles have been published in the National Gallery of Writing, The Normal Review, and The Montclarion. Mia’s short story, “A Vertical West,” won honorable mention in the 2009 Montclair State University English Department Awards for Fiction. As a writer, Mia is most interested in literary fiction with strong lyrical prose and often experimental and hybrid elements. She also writes dark/contemporary young adult, steampunk, and commercial fiction. Mia has taught workshops in writing fiction and memoir at the Hunterdon County Library.
	Tynia Thomassie is the author of four picture books: Feliciana Feydra LeRoux: A Cajun Tall Tale, Feliciana Meets D’Loup Garou, Cajun Through and Through and MIMI’s Tutu. She won the Louisiana Young Reader’s Choice Honor Award in 2000 when 3rd, 4th and 5th graders selected Feliciana Meets D’Loup Garou their favorite book after Harry Potter. She is a graduate of the Fairleigh Dickinson M.F.A. Writing Program and has had her non-fiction published in the Literary Review and poetry published in Oil and Water and Other Things That Don’t Mix Anthology. Tynia was selected Teacher of the Year for Essex County in 2011 and has taught at West Orange High School since 2005.
	Jennifer Walkup is a young adult novelist who loves to lose herself in the words and worlds of a good book and believes some of the best friendships can be made on the written page. When she's not reading, she writes young adult novels and short fiction for adults. Jenn's debut novel, Second Verse, will be published by Luminis Books in 2013. She has also published in a variety of venues, most recently the Genre Wars Anthologyand Gloom Cupboard. She serves as fiction editor for The Meadowland Review and is thrilled to be teaching creative writing at The Writer’s Circle.
	Amanda Zoe doesn't really remember when she actually started writing, but it was probably around the time she started drawing. Her lifelong interest in creative writing and art led her to pursue an Animation Degree at Pratt Institute of Art. She is currently a graduate student at Kean University, studying Art Education. She continues to write and illustrate her own stories and comic books. She hopes to publish her stories someday soon. Amanda's favorite novels include magic, mystery, dragons, and the occasional haunted pirate ship or two.