The Roman god Janus gazes — or glares, depending on one’s interpretation — into the past with one face and looks toward the future with another. January was named for this double-faced deity, who has been called the god of “beginnings, endings, transitions, doorways, and time” (thank you, AI, for putting it so succinctly).
A lot of writers I know, myself included, put on the mask of Janus this month by reviving projects that have sputtered and stalled out, and jumping into them anew. My own January-Janus plan is to get back to work on a book proposal that I had hoped to finish during the fall of 2024 — whoops.
Looking ahead, the new year is prime time to find inspiration, get motivated, and make new writer friends by taking a writing workshop, which is why we decided to launch Islanders Write Immersives early in 2026. For the first time, The MV Times will be offering a slate of online writing courses through Islanders Write. You can see the full list of classes and register online at islanderswrite.com.
Then in March, Islanders Write will be back at Featherstone Center for the Arts for in-person workshops over the weekend on March 14 and 15. We will also be partnering with Edgartown Books for our second Vineyard Authors Book Fair. This is open to all published, Vineyard-connected authors who are here in March. If you are interested in taking part, please reach out to either me at kate@mvtimes.com or Mathew Tombers at Edgartown Books, at mtombers@edgartownbooks.com.
I had a December deadline for the print version of this article, and therefore what you read in print won’t match the rest of what you are reading here. Since my original writing of this, and deadline, Sharisse Scott-Rawlins kicked-off the Islanders Write on-line workshops with a powerful and inspiring 30-day reflective challenge.
There is still time to sign up for all the other workshops being offered, which include:
- Creating Characters Who Belong Where You Put Them, with Nicole Galland
- The Architecture of the Essay, and the Art of the Lead, with Charles Sennott
- Workshop Wednesdays — Writing from Where You Are: An Exploration of Journals, Literature, and Truth in a Digital Age, with James W. Jennings
- Planning and Executing a Book Publicity Strategy, with Elisa M. Speranza
- The Joy of Learning to Write Sex Scenes in Fiction and Memoir, with Elizabeth Benedict
- Fictionalizing Your Life, with Kate Feiffer
I also am delighted to be able to share a bit of news about the March 14 and 15 Islanders Write, which will take place at Featherstone Center for the Arts.
On March 14 will be a day devoted to workshops focused on craft. Then on March 15, we will be talking about the path to publication.
I am still working on the schedule, but I can reveal some of the topics for the writing workshops on March 14.
Judith Hannan will be back to kick things off with her Wake Up and Write! Workshop. Sherry Sidoti will be giving a workshop called “The Embodied Storyteller: Writing Scenes that Pull the Reader in Close.” James W, Jennings will have a workshop on journaling. Lynn Ditchfield will teach a workshop on writing for social justice. And Nicole Galland will be giving a workshop on Playwriting, with an emphasis on dialogue. Please check the website for more updates to come.
And while on the topic of the talented novelist and playwright Nicole Galland — if you are working on a novel or a screenplay or play and want to do a deep dive into creating fictional characters, I highly encourage you to sign up for her on-line workshop called “Characters in Context: Creating Characters Who Belong Where You Put Them,” (Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 21 and 22. Cost is $250 or $200 for MV Times members).
Here’s a more thorough description of the class: Jay Gatsby doesn’t talk like a Valley girl. Harry Potter doesn’t wear plaid. Mr. Darcy is not a Buddhist. These examples are low-hanging fruit to make a point: Characters are most believable in a context that makes sense for them. This workshop will help you make sure your characters are true to their fictional setting. Participants are welcome to arrive with a particular character/story/setting in mind, but the workshop also accommodates writers without specific projects, who are simply interested in adding character-building tools to their writers’ toolbox. Beginning with the creation of a List of Contexts, we’ll get precise about how our characters dress, speak, eat, work, relax, travel, and treat their families, neighbors, and strangers. We’ll consider what they dream about, and what they daydream about; their health, their daily habits and obligations, their conscious belief system, and their unconscious beliefs as well. By the end of the workshop, we’ll have each finessed a character (or have learned the skills to finesse a character) who’s in sync with the world of their story.
I hope to see some of you online this winter and in person in March!
Kate Feiffer is the director of Islanders Write. Visit islanderswrite.com for more information.
