Islanders Write Immersives are online writing workshops taught by Vineyard authors that will be offered over the winter. Each of these workshops will give you an opportunity to do a deeper dive into some of the topics that have been discussed at our live events.
The money raised from your participation in these workshops will go directly toward supporting our Islanders Write events at Featherstone Center for the Arts in March and August, which will remain free to attend.
MV Times members get a 20% discount! Use discount code ISLANDER20 when checking out. If you’re not yet a member, click here to join us.
JANUARY
Obits, Profiles, and Biographies – Writing about People with Bob Drogin
Mondays – January 5, 12, 19.
6:30 – 8:00 pm EST
Cost: Non-members $250 / MVTimes members $200
People are key to every story, and the goal of this class is to bring them to life with accuracy, depth and empathy in narrative nonfiction. We will discuss how to research and interview people to understand their motivations and feelings. We will look at using description, dialogue and context to show how public personas differ from private lives. We will review sources and ethics when writing about others. We will focus on writing obituaries as opposed to eulogies, highlight the key moments and narrative arcs in magazine-length profiles, and look at the extended reporting and historical perspective in biographies. Each session will include readings and writing exercises.
This three week Islanders Write Immersive is for nonfiction writers of any level.
About Bob Drogin: Bob has won or shared a Pulitzer Prize, two Robert F. Kennedy Awards, and numerous other journalism awards. During his 38 years at the Los Angeles Times, he served as a national correspondent based in New York, a foreign correspondent in Asia and Africa, and a Washington correspondent and editor. Since retiring in 2021, he has written 35 advance obits of foreign leaders and other historic figures for The Washington Post. His 2007 book, “Curveball: Spies, Lies and the Conman who Caused a War,” won the Cornelius Ryan Award for best nonfiction book on international affairs, and was the basis of the Off-Broadway play “Who’s Your Baghdaddy?”
The Architecture of the Essay, and the Art of the Lead with Charles Sennott
Thursdays – January 8, 15, 22, and 29
4:00 – 6:00 pm EST
Cost: Non-members $250 / MVTimes members $200
MVTimes publisher Charles Sennott, with four decades of experience in local, national, and foreign news, will be sharing lessons learned from newsrooms. One of the finer aspects in structuring a successful news feature or essay is the art of the lead. It is the very top of the story, the lead-in or the hook has to be artfully designed to get readers to want to keep reading. Sennott will go through leads he has written and leads he has admired written by others and will discuss why some of these leads work and why some are less effective. But no matter how great a lede is, it cannot make up for a poorly structured story. At the end of the day, an essay writer needs to clearly set out on where they want the piece to go with the right navigational tools to get the piece there. Sennott will share his own experience in structuring essays and some of the deeper insights from the true masters such as: Anna Quindlen, Renee Graham, Gail Collins, Joseph Mitchell and Pete Hamill. He will also ask the class bring their own favorite examples of great essay writing.
This four-week Islanders Write Immersive is for people of all writing levels interested in essay writing and will include writing exercises.
About Charles Sennott: Charlie is the publisher of The MV Times, founder of GroundTruth and publisher of the GroundTruth newsletter on Substack. An awardwinning correspondent for the Boston Globe and bestselling author and editor with 30 years of experience in international, national, and local journalism, Sennott started GroundTruth in 2014, and in 2017 launched the nonprofit organization’s local reporting initiative, Report for America. He is a graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. Sennott was the 2024 recipient of the World Press Freedom Award given by the James W. Foley Foundation.
Workshop Wednesdays – Writing from Where You Are: An exploration of Journals, Literature, and Truth in a Digital Age with James W. Jennings
Wednesdays – January 7, 14, 21, 28.
6:00 – 8:00 pm EST
Cost: Non-members $250 / MVTimes members $200
This workshop will offer time and space for you to explore your creativity while delving into deeper ideas in a safe, curated environment. Whether you’re just getting started or well on your road, writing from where you are allows us all a chance to learn and unlearn anew in this workshop. Willing participants will have the option of workshopping their own work within the group as well.
This four-week Islanders Write Immersive is for people of all writing levels and is structured so that you can share as much or as little as you like as we have fun with journaling, a selection of literature, and conversation.
About James W. Jennings: James is a novelist, painter, and educator with a B.A. in English from Emory University in Atlanta and an M.F.A. from CUNY-Brooklyn College. Originally from Hartford, Conn., Jennings has been a mentor, coach, nonprofit consultant, teacher, and dean within the NYC Department of Education, on Martha’s Vineyard at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School and the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School, and elsewhere. James is currently an unemployed educator. Instagram is best, @jameswjennings.
JANUARY & FEBRUARY
Writing the Story Only You Can Tell: A 30-Day Reflective Challenge for the New Year with Sharisse Scott-Rawlins
Sunday, January 4, and Sunday, February 1.
2:00–4:00 PM EST
Cost: Non-members $100 / MV Times Members $80
This two-part workshop and 30-day journaling challenge invites writers, artists, and seekers of all kinds to start the new year with intention. Drawing from her self-help poetry memoir Dear Fellow Warrior, Sharisse will guide participants through a transformative process of self-inquiry, journaling, and creative expression. Together, the class will explore how to write honestly from the heart, uncover the deeper meaning in life’s transitions, and build a daily reflective practice that strengthens clarity, confidence, and creativity. Between sessions, participants will embark on a guided 30-day journaling experience and spend 10–15 minutes a day reflecting on daily prompts that explore four weekly themes: Release, Restore, Reimagine, and Rise.
This Islanders Write Immersive is ideal for writers, poets, and creatives at any stage who are seeking to start the new year with clarity, courage, and a renewed sense of creative purpose. These classes combine teaching, reflection, and discussion. Slides and a journaling guide will be provided.
About Sharisse Scott-Rawlins: Sharisse is a true renaissance woman—fashion designer, poet, storyteller, and curator of soulful experiences. A visionary at heart, she views creativity as a sacred calling and honors her ancestors with every thread, word, and offering. Sharisse spent childhood summers on Martha’s Vineyard before moving to the Island full-time to heal from cancer—a journey that transformed her life and purpose. She launched her fashion brand bySharisse in high school and later earned a Fashion Design degree from Lasell University and an MBA from Howard University. Now based between Martha’s Vineyard and Atlanta, Sharisse continues to expand her creative platforms. As curator of Voices bySharisse at The Martha’s Vineyard Times, she amplifies underrepresented stories through culture and art. Her poetry memoir Dear Fellow Warrior invites readers to turn pain into purpose and approach life with creativity, resilience, and intention.
FEBRUARY
Planning and Executing a Book Publicity Strategy with Elisa M. Speranza
Saturday, February 7, and Sunday, February 8.
2:00 to 4:00 pm EST
Cost: Non-members $100 / MVTimes members $80
You’ve been toiling away on your book, and you’re excited to get it out into the world. Maybe you’ve been lucky enough to get an agent and a publisher, maybe you’re in the querying trenches, or maybe you’ve decided to go the independent route and hybrid- or self-publish. This Islanders Write Immersive will demystify and help participants navigate the world of book publicity, providing practical and creative advice for developing your book launch (or re-launch) strategy. It’s never too soon or too late to find your readers. This interactive online workshop is for you if you’re a writer working in any genre on a book you plan to publish and sell, and you need a road map for the way forward. We will touch on social media, but won’t focus on paid advertising or optimizing algorithms online.
This two-day Islanders Write Immersive will combine information-sharing and time for individual work. Slides used during the class will be provided after the workshop, along with templates for identifying goals and objectives, finding your target audience, and brainstorming key foundational questions.
About Elisa M. Speranza: Elisa spent 30-plus years in marketing, public affairs, and strategic communications before publishing her 2022 historical novel The Italian Prisoner. In 2022, Elisa co-founded the Martha’s Vineyard–based Washashores Writers Collective and co-edited the “Washashores Review,” published in 2025 by Featherstone Center for the Arts. Elisa helps fellow authors through her popular publicity workshops and one-on-one consulting. She serves on the board of the New Orleans Writers Workshop and is an active literary citizen in New Orleans, Martha’s Vineyard, and elsewhere. She also writes the biweekly Substack newsletter “The Bricklayer’s Daughter,” and is an Oak Bluffs seasonal resident. www.elisamariesperanza.com
Characters In Context: Creating Characters Who Belong Where You Put Them with Nicole Galland
Saturday and Sunday, February 21 and 22.
9:30 am – 12:00 pm & 2:30 – 5:00 pm EST
Cost: Non-members $250 / MVTimes members $200
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 synch with the world of their story.
This four-session Islanders Write Immersive will take place over two days. It is an intensive immersive and is open to people of all writing levels interested in character-driven fiction writing. The four 2.5-hour sessions will include writing time away from the Zoom screen, as well as writing assignments between sessions.
About Nicole Galland: Nicki’s newest novel is BOY, set in her favorite stomping ground, Shakespeare’s London. Her historical fiction includes The Fool’s Tale, I, Iago, Godiva, and Crossed: A Tale of the Fourth Crusade. She is also co-author, with Neal Stephenson, of the NY Times bestselling futuristic romp The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O., and her contemporary work includes the rom-com On the Same Page, about two competing newspapers on Martha’s Vineyard. Galland is the Managing Editor of Features at the MVTimes. She designed and taught a workshop on World-Building for University College Dublin, where she received her MFA. Her one-woman show, The Retreat, will debut at PlayGround SoloFest this winter. nicolegalland.com
MARCH
The Joy of Learning to Write Sex Scenes in Fiction & Memoir with Elizabeth Benedict
Sunday, March 1
4:00 – 5:30 pm EST
Cost: Non-members $80 / MVTimes members $72
Do you freeze up when your characters drift into the bedroom? Are you puzzled about how much to say and how to say it? What to call the body parts that bring us so much pleasure and so much anguish? If you’re writing a memoir and there’s a sexual encounter that’s important to your story, do you gape at the screen and throw up your hands? And what if your husband/mother/child sees what you’ve written? These are some of the issues that Elizabeth Benedict takes on in this one-time workshop, based on her classic how-to-book—the first of its kind—The Joy of Writing Sex: A Guide for Fiction Writers, in print since 1996 and revised in 2002. In the book and in dozens workshops Benedict has given, the focus is on not writing erotica or porn but sex scenes encountered in today’s fiction and memoir, whether characters are Gen-Z’s or grandmas, straight, LGBTQ, or doing god-knows-what on phones or computers. Among Benedict’s many lessons, with guidance on how to do this: A Good Sex Scene Does Not Have to Be About Good Sex.
This is a one-day “quickie” Islanders Write Immersive.
About Elizabeth Benedict: Liz is the author of six novels, including National Book Award Finalist “Slow Dancing,” and national bestseller “Almost,” and the recent memoir, “Rewriting Illness: A View of My Own”. Her book, “The Joy Of Writing Sex: A Guide For Fiction Writers,” has been in print since 1996, and is widely used in MFA classes. She has conducted many dozens of workshops on the subject. She’s the editor of three anthologies, including “Mentors, Muses & Monsters: 30 Writers On The People Who Changed Their Lives.” Please visit: ElizabethBenedict.com
APRIL
Fictionalizing Your Life with Kate Feiffer
Wednesdays April 6, 15, 22, 29.
6:00 to 8:00 pm EST
Cost: Non-members $250 / MVTimes members $200
We’ve all been told to write what we know, and as Nora Ephron famously said, “Everything is copy.” But writing what you know can be filled with anxiety, hurt feelings, and other minefields. It doesn’t have to be that way. This Islanders Write Immersive will dive into the growing popularity of “autofiction” (autobiographical fiction). We will discuss strategies and use writing exercises to help you liberate yourself when you’re stuck, because writing about the people and the events in your life can be hard and scary. This workshop will motivate you to reach beyond the facts of the matter and invigorate your characters, embolden your settings, and tell the stories that are inspired by the people, places, and events you’ve been trying to write about.
This four-week Islanders Write Immersive is for writers of any level. It is ideal for novelists wondering about where fiction begins, as well as for memoirists worried about revealing too much. It will include writing prompts.
About Kate Feiffer: Kate is the author of the 2025 comedic novel Morning Pages, in which she fictionalized her mother and other aspects of her life. She is also the author of 11 books for children, including Henry the Dog with No Tail and My Mom Is Trying to Ruin My Life. Kate is the Director of Islanders Write and the editor of the Islanders Write newsletter. Kate’s writing and illustrations have appeared in newspapers, magazines, and websites on and off of Martha’s Vineyard. www.katefeiffer.com
Please contact Kate Feiffer at Kate@mvtimes.com if you have questions.