Current WordPlay Offerings
are listed alphabetically here.
To view upcoming opportunities
by start date, click here.

COASTAL WRITING RETREAT: Connect with Your Creativity at the Sunset Inn (Writing—and more—as Renewal and Inspiration) / 1 weekend session

Back by popular request: a weekend writing retreat full of activities to reconnect you to your creativity. Renew yourself, whether you are a practicing writer, closet writer, or as-yet-to-pick-up-the-pen writer! The techniques and prompts we’ll use will spur your imagination, and can be used to create nonfiction, fiction, and/or poetry—the choice is yours. There’ll be ample free time to savor your beautifully appointed private room with king-sized bed, private bath and balcony, the large porches with rocking chairs and swings, and the coastal setting. For more information on the Sunset Inn, which is a five-minute walk from Sunset Beach and is next to a peaceful marsh where herons and cranes live, see www.thesunsetinn.net. You’ll return home refreshed, with new ideas and energy for your writing. $400 includes retreat sessions, two nights’ lodging, two breakfasts and Saturday lunch (hotel tax and Saturday dinner at a local restaurant not included). You’ll need a copy of Spinning Words into Gold, available for $23.54 at retreat. Or order a copy now:

WHERE: The Sunset Inn, 9 North Shore Dr., Sunset Beach, NC 28468
WHEN: Friday, February 24 - Sunday, February 26, 2012
OR Friday, March 2 - Sunday, March 4, 2012
(Two separate sessions; choose the dates that work for you!)
TO REGISTER: Contact the Sunset Inn at 888.575.1001 or 910.575.1000. Register early — this is a popular event! The Inn will hold your reservation with a credit card.

THE GIFT OF MEMOIR: WRITING PERSONAL AND FAMILY STORIES (Preserving Family History / Writing for and about Your Family / The Art of Memoir) / single or multiple sessions
Our life stories are a precious legacy. Putting them in writing is a gift to all who know and love us—they can be treasured and enjoyed for generations to come. It is also a gift to ourselves. As best-selling author Rachel Naomi Remen says in her book Kitchen Table Wisdom, facts bring us to knowledge, but stories bring us to wisdom. If you are interested in writing family and/or personal life stories—those significant tales of adventure, transition, love, loss, and triumph, as well as lovely everyday moments from times past or the present, come learn specific tools and techniques to retrieve and record them. $35/individual sessions.
WHERE: Covenant Presbyterian Recreation Center, 1000 East Morehead St., Charlotte, 28204. Click here for map.
WHEN: Thursdays, January 12 and 26, February 2 and16, March 8 and 22, and April 12 and 26, 10 am to noon
TO REGISTER: This class is currently full; email Maureen to check availability and/or request a spot in an upcoming class.

THE HEALING POWER OF WORDS (Writing As a Healing Process) /
5 sessions
What benefits can writing provide – physically, mentally, spiritually? Are some ways of writing more healing than others? And can we create quality literary work as we heal? In this workshop that incorporates Dr. James Pennebaker’s ground-breaking ideas, we’ll discuss and implement ways to use writing as a transformational tool. And, if you’re looking, you’ll find the genesis of new poetry, creative non-fiction, and/or fiction. Warning: Laughter likely. Inspiration guaranteed. 5 sessions.
WHERE: Myers Park High School (through CPCC)
WHEN: Mondays, February 13 - March 19, 2012, 7 to 9 pm (no class 2/27)
TO REGISTER: Click here to register through CPCC.

ROMANCING YOUR WRITING (Fueling a Current or Languishing Writing Project / Rekindling Your Writing Passion / Getting Unstuck) / 1 session
Maybe you have a writing project (or several) in mind or underway. Maybe you’re stuck. Maybe you're uninspired. Maybe you just miss having writing be a part of your life. Here, in honor of Valentine’s Day, is a workshop to rekindle your writing passion. Bring your working projects, abandoned projects, and/or as yet to be begun projects, and watch what happens as you, through a series of playful and profound exercises, "show them some love." $35 includes supplies.
WHERE: The Respite, 4919 Monroe Road, Charlotte, NC 28205
WHEN: Tuesday, February 7, from 7 pm to 9 pm
TO REGISTER: Click the link below to register through The Respite. http://therespite.org/Workshops.asp

UNDER CONSTRUCTION: YOUR WRITING (Fulfilling Writing Dreams & Goals; Creating New Writing; Revising & Polishing Your Writing) /
12 sessions
This class is designed to fulfill your writing dreams and projects. You'll set goals and support structures and watch your writing flow! You'll also get feedback on your work (any genre) and learn revision tools. Jumpstart your pen and receive the knowledge and inspiration you need to write, whatever your preferred genre. Each week, writing prompts will generate material for new writing or further a piece in process. Through examples of accomplished writers, you’ll learn techniques to aid you right where you are in the process. $400/12 sessions. You’ll need a copy of Spinning Words into Gold, available for $23.54 in class. Or order a copy now:

WHERE: Covenant Presbyterian Recreation Center, 1000 East Morehead St., Charlotte, 28204. Click here for map.
WHEN: Thursdays, January - April, 7 pm - 9 pm
TO REGISTER: SORRY, THIS CLASS IS FULL. IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE PUT ON A LIST FOR THE NEXT SESSION, EMAIL wordplaysupport@maureenryangriffin.com.

WRITE LIKE A GENIUS (Expanding Our Creativity / Learning New Tools for Our Writing and Our Lives / Creating New Writing) - week-long workshop
Discover your own genius as you learn to apply seven fascinating approaches of Leonardo da Vinci to your writing. These techniques enliven non-fiction, poetry and fiction. Expect fun, inspiration and writing galore in your preferred genre, with opportunities to share your work. You’ll need a copy of Michael Gelb’s How To Think Like Leonardo da Vinci. Tuition is $568 for the week.
WHERE: John C. Campbell Folk School, North Carolina Mountains
WHEN: Sunday, June 3 - Saturday, June 9, 2012
TO REGISTER: Click the link to register through John C. Campbell Folk School. https://www.folkschool.org/index.php?section=class_detail&class_id=5627

WRITING FROM YOUR HEART (Creating New Writing; Expanding Your Relationship to God, Self, Others, and the World) / single or multiple sessions
Reap writing's benefits - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual through exploring and expressing what matters most to you. Ideal for beginners and those interested in renewing and expanding their writing and their relationship to God, self, others and the world -- for personal growth or publication. $15/session. You’ll need a copy of Spinning Words into Gold, available for $23.54 in class. Or order a copy now:

WHERE: To be announced.
WHEN: 2012 dates coming soon.

TO REGISTER: Click here to download a printable registration form to mail in.
Or register online. Just click on the correct "add to cart" button below: