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Take a ten-week online novel-writing class from Masha.

Dates: Feb. 5 through April 15 for Novel I; Jan 15 through March 25 for Novel II

Novel Writing I is right for any writer who has been thinking about starting a novel or is up to halfway through. The class will include weekly lectures, critiques, and exercises aimed at helping you see your work freshly. We’ll motivate you as we cover discovering the essence of your novel (and learning how to convey it in a single sentence), as well as the importance of the opening chapter. We’ll discuss where to start the story, how to create a strong protagonist, the dramatic arcs of major characters, choosing a point of view, and exploring the voice of your novel as well as individual characters within it. We’ll analyze scene and delve into the dramatic possibilities created by strong dialogue. We’ll also look at setting, pacing, profluence and psychic distance. Finally, we’ll consider the business end – where and how to market your novel manuscript – and you’ll get guidance on the next step. Limited to ten students. $500 for ten weeks.

Novel Writing II is for the writer who has more than half of a novel completed and is looking for a critical, helpful eye before the manuscript reaches the agent or editor. In this class, more of your work will be critiqued, and you will be called upon to write detailed weekly critiques yourself. Lectures will spring more naturally from the nature of the work. We’ll talk about motivation in the soggy middle of our manuscripts. This will be a chance to workshop a large portion of your completed work, and resubmit if you choose. We’ll focus on the skills of revision and layering your novel, as well as how to become our own teachers, learning by reading the work of others. The class also will include guidance on what to do once the manuscript is finished. Limited to six students. $650 for ten weeks.

Classes are small to allow for lots of individual attention to manuscripts.

Questions? Send email here.

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Masha has taught novel-writing privately, on-line, and for Gotham Writers Workshop in New York City, 92^nd Street Y/Makor in New York City, Ann Arbor Writers’ Workshop in Ann Arbor, MI, Pima Writers’ Workshop in Tucson, AZ, Willamette Writers in Portland, OR., Ocean Park Maine Writers’ Conference near Portland, ME., Poets and Writers League, Cleveland, OH, and others.

Masha’s students have gone on to get agents, get published, to be accepted to prestigious MFA programs in creative writing. Here are some comments:

Masha is a born writer—and a born teacher. I believe she can help writers on any level with story, character, even sentence structure. I’ve earned an MFA in writing but I turn to Masha for something that no academic environment offers: concise, practical advice that brings results immediately. Plus, her energy and enthusiasm inspires me to keep writing, which is the most important issue of all. She’s the best! — John, Brooklyn

Masha Hamilton gears her writing classes to suit varying skill levels without sacrificing the pace or content of her teaching. No matter how much you’ve written, there is always something to learn. Balanced, substantive critiques combine with meaningful exercises and readings to create a productive and memorable workshop experience. Masha’s ability to maintain open classroom camaraderie while facilitating rigorous analysis of student work is particularly impressive. If you want to sharpen your craft, and approach your writing and revision with greater depth and objectivity, look no further. — Maggie, New York

The wisdom and energy Masha Hamilton brings to teaching the art of writing a novel are nothing short of inspirational. It would be hard for me to imagine having finishedThe Boy Who Killed Caterpillars and getting it published by a literary press if it weren’t for her four workshops that I took during the process of writing it. I charge Masha for my own intense focus on character, voice and subtext. — Joshua Kornreich, author of The Boy Who Killed Caterpillars

When I took the step into novel writing two years ago, Masha was there with open arms. She inspired me to dig deeper, much deeper, in my writing. She was not willing to accept the status quo. At the same time, she respected and nurtured my individuality, not bending me to her will but guiding me through self-discovery. And, as a sign of a truly great teacher, she was never too busy to take time to calm my fears as I struggled through the unknown, deeply emotional waters of writing. — Rob, California

I spent a year working with Masha on completing my first novel. Masha’s insights both as a reader, writer and teacher were invaluable to me in understanding how to overcome the challenges of my story. She took the time to carefully critique my work in a positive and constructive way. In class she fostered a supportive environment, which brought out the best comments and feedback from fellow students. As a result of studying with Masha, I completed that novel and recently signed with a literary agent and am working on my next novel. If what you want is feedback and guidance, then Masha’s class is the way to go. – Teri, New York

Wow, what a meeting!!!! (I know, don’t use more than one exclamation point, but it is necessary in this case.) It was truly our pleasure to have you with us. How you involved us was not only sharing a valuable technique but enlightening/liberating as well. Thank you so very much for sharing your expertise with us. – Jan, Portland, OR

Very encouraging yet helpfully points out weaknesses and how to start to fix it. Gets an A+++ from me on this and on her presentations. – attendee, Pima Writers’ Workshop, Tucson, AZ

Take a ten-week novel-writing class online from Masha.

Dates: Sept. 4 through Nov. 13.

Novel Writing I is right for any writer who has been thinking about starting a novel or is up to halfway through. The class will include weekly lectures, critiques, and exercises aimed at helping you see your work freshly. We’ll motivate you as we cover discovering the essence of your novel (and learning how to convey it in a single sentence), as well as the importance of the opening chapter. We’ll discuss where to start the story, how to create a strong protagonist, the dramatic arcs of major characters, choosing a point of view, and exploring the voice of your novel as well as individual characters within it. We’ll analyze scene and delve into the dramatic possibilities created by strong dialogue. We’ll also look at setting, pacing, profluence and psychic distance. Finally, we’ll consider the business end – where and how to market your novel manuscript – and you’ll get guidance on the next step. Limited to 10-15 students. $500 for ten weeks.

Novel Writing II is for the writer who has more than half of a novel completed and is looking for a critical, helpful eye before the manuscript reaches the agent or editor. In this class, more of your work will be critiqued, and you will be called upon to write detailed weekly critiques yourself. Lectures will spring more naturally from the nature of the work. We’ll talk about motivation in the soggy middle of our manuscripts. This will be a chance to workshop a large portion of your completed work, and resubmit if you choose. We’ll focus on the skills of revision and layering your novel, as well as how to become our own teachers, learning by reading the work of others. The class also will include guidance on what to do once the manuscript is finished. Limited to 6-10 students. $650 for ten weeks.

Classes are small to allow for lots of individual attention to manuscripts.

Questions? Send email here.

Masha has taught novel-writing privately, on-line, and for Gotham Writers Workshop in New York City, 92^nd Street Y/Makor in New York City, Ann Arbor Writers’ Workshop in Ann Arbor, MI, Pima Writers’ Workshop in Tucson, AZ, Willamette Writers in Portland, OR., Ocean Park Maine Writers’ Conference near Portland, ME., Poets and Writers League, Cleveland, OH, and others.

Masha’s students have gone on to get agents, get published, to be accepted to prestigious MFA programs in creative writing. Here are some comments:

Masha is a born writer—and a born teacher. I believe she can help writers on any level with story, character, even sentence structure. I’ve earned an MFA in writing but I turn to Masha for something that no academic environment offers: concise, practical advice that brings results immediately. Plus, her energy and enthusiasm inspires me to keep writing, which is the most important issue of all. She’s the best! — John, Brooklyn

Masha Hamilton gears her writing classes to suit varying skill levels without sacrificing the pace or content of her teaching. No matter how much you’ve written, there is always something to learn. Balanced, substantive critiques combine with meaningful exercises and readings to create a productive and memorable workshop experience. Masha’s ability to maintain open classroom camaraderie while facilitating rigorous analysis of student work is particularly impressive. If you want to sharpen your craft, and approach your writing and revision with greater depth and objectivity, look no further. — Maggie, New York

The wisdom and energy Masha Hamilton brings to teaching the art of writing a novel are nothing short of inspirational. It would be hard for me to imagine having finishedThe Boy Who Killed Caterpillars and getting it published by a literary press if it weren’t for her four workshops that I took during the process of writing it. I charge Masha for my own intense focus on character, voice and subtext. — Joshua Kornreich, author of The Boy Who Killed Caterpillars

When I took the step into novel writing two years ago, Masha was there with open arms. She inspired me to dig deeper, much deeper, in my writing. She was not willing to accept the status quo. At the same time, she respected and nurtured my individuality, not bending me to her will but guiding me through self-discovery. And, as a sign of a truly great teacher, she was never too busy to take time to calm my fears as I struggled through the unknown, deeply emotional waters of writing. — Rob, California

I spent a year working with Masha on completing my first novel. Masha’s insights both as a reader, writer and teacher were invaluable to me in understanding how to overcome the challenges of my story. She took the time to carefully critique my work in a positive and constructive way. In class she fostered a supportive environment, which brought out the best comments and feedback from fellow students. As a result of studying with Masha, I completed that novel and recently signed with a literary agent and am working on my next novel. If what you want is feedback and guidance, then Masha’s class is the way to go. – Teri, New York

Wow, what a meeting!!!! (I know, don’t use more than one exclamation point, but it is necessary in this case.) It was truly our pleasure to have you with us. How you involved us was not only sharing a valuable technique but enlightening/liberating as well. Thank you so very much for sharing your expertise with us. – Jan, Portland, OR

Very encouraging yet helpfully points out weaknesses and how to start to fix it. Gets an A+++ from me on this and on her presentations. – attendee, Pima Writers’ Workshop, Tucson, AZ

Thursday, June 21, NEW JERSEY
Barnes & Noble, Springfield, NJ
Gotham Writers’ Workshop, free writing workshop, 8 p.m.

Thursday, June 28, RIDGEFIELD, CT
Ridgefield Library
Summer Reading Kick-off for book drive, 7-8:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 15, Aquebogue, NY
Writers on the Vine hosted by Larry Davidson
11:30 a.m., with Bob Drury and Ann Liguori

Thursday, August 2nd, Raleigh, NC
Cameron Village Library in cooperation with Quail Ridge Books
Reading, 7 p.m.

Saturday, August 4th, Waynesville, NC
Haywood Book Mania book fair
Sponsored by Osondu Booksellers
Details TBA

Wednesday, August 15th, PORTLAND, ME
Portland Public Library, Brown Bag Series
Reading/talk, noon

Thursday, August 16th, PORTLAND, ME
Ocean Park Writers Conference
Teaching/afternoon session

Friday-Saturday, Sept. 14-15, Cheyenne, WY
Wyoming Book Festival
Details TBA

Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 27-29, River Falls, WI
University of Wisconsin
Details TBA

Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 4-6, FLORIDA
Amelia Island Book Festival
Details TBA

Thursday, Oct. 11, Coralville, IOWA
Iowa Library Association banquet

Earlier events in 2007:

Thanks so much for the chance to participate in readings at the following bookstores, libraries, festivals and conferences:

Barnes & Noble Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY
West Side YMCA Writer’s Voice reading series, Manhattan, NY
McNally Robinson Booksellers, Manhattan, NY
10th Annual Arizona Book Festival, Phoenix, AZ
The Loft Literary Center, Minneapolis, MN
NJ Library Assoc. 2006 Conference, Long Branch, NJ
Westport Public Library, CT
Kepler’s, Menlo Park, CA
Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA
Black Oak Books, Berkeley, CA
Williamette Writers, Portland, OR
Powell’s at Cedar Hills Crossing, Portland, OR
Des Moines Public Library, IA
Prairie Lights Bookstore, Iowa City, IA
Center for Community Change, Washington, DC
Barnes & Noble, Lincoln Center, Manhattan, NY
Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD
Ann Arbor Book Festival
Antigone Books, Tucson, AZ
Pima Writers’ Workshop, Tucson, AZ
Chicago Tribune’s Printer’s Row Book Fair

Thanks to Mainstream Media Project. Also thanks to the following radio stations:
WIZM AM, La Crosse, WI, Mike Hayes
WGCV AM, Columbia, SC, Don Frierson, Urban Scene
KRXZ AM, CA, AZ and OR, Peter B. Collins Show, Patrick Mauro
KTAO FM, Taos, NM, Nancy Stapp
WCUB AM, Manitowoc, WI, Lee Davis Breakfast Club
WOON AM, Woonsocket, RI, Don Brunelle
CBC Radio, Vancouver, Canada, Freestyle with Cameron Phillips

(THANKS to Shannon Holman.)

I am 37 years old and have had rheumatoid arthritis since I was 9. I do not drive and I depend on my husband for a lot of things. One of my favors is that he picks up my books at the library. I am able to go online and find my favorite books and for the next week I am deeply engrossed in someone else’s life, another world, or sometimes even another planet. Reading takes away my pain and helps me escape and my library and bookclubs like Author Buzz bring new authors to my as if introducing me to new friends. – Lisa, Toms River, NJ

I became an avid reader in elementary school where I was a regular visitor to the school library, and I walked to my neighborhood library as often as I could. When my library branch moved further away from my house, my walks became longer, so therefore, I had to check out more books per visit. I would carry a stack of books home in my arms, with an open book on top so I could read while I walked. My mother frequently received phone calls from concerned neighbors who worried I would step off a curb in front of oncoming traffic, because they believed I “never lifted my nose out of the book” long enough to check the traffic flow… I continue to make regular use of my library to this day (I am now 62 years old). – Bonnie, Ridgefield, WA

As an elementary school student, I remember the bookmobile that came to my neighborhood and the library in the school. I read books like they had mimimum daily requirements. So much of the world opened up to me in books. I saw different places in our country and in others. I sampled numerous cultures and traveled back and forward in time. That was the start of a life-long relationship with libraries and reading. – Peggy, Idaho Falls, ID

Books have always been an important part of my life and especially those from the library. I grew up in a small town in Nebraska (about 500 people). During the summer months, my visits to the library were cherished. I traveled so many miles through the stories I read without ever leaving the dirt roads of my farming community. I think I read nearly every book the library had! – Rebecca, Charlotte, NC

I can still remember the smell of the bookmobile that would visit our elementary school every week. Even though we had a wonderful school library, and my sisters and I were blessed with a mother who encouraged reading and took us to our local library every Saturday, that small bus was just a wonderful place to get to visit. Books packed top to bottom, every inch crammed with books. And to think, you could pick out any book there and get to take it home, bring it back, and get another. And the selection inside would change like magic! Our regional library kept its bookmobile until just a few years ago. I loved to see it parked beside the library, its green color slowly fading in the hot Mississippi sun. What a blessing that bus was to so many children. – Brenda, Brookhaven, MS.

There are so many reasons I love libraries starting from the wonderful smell of books. My hometown library has introduced me to people, places, history, cultures, true lives, inspiration & adventures I’ll never physically experience in this short life. Each and every book I’ve read has helped me imagine all the different aspects of living…There isn’t a better place to get to know the world and other readers than a hometown library, what fun it is to sit in the swing spending an afternoon with good people and great reading. – Ann, Charlton Heights, WV

Since I was a very young child, the library has been a place of refuge and wonder, an oasis to quench my never ending thirst for knowledge. This love of the library was so intense that when I was in first grade and was naughty at school, the nuns punished me by taking away my library privilege for the week – absolute torture! … Today, at age 56, I still go to the library. Every Saturday you’ll find me at the Library, in my favorite chair, reading for at least an hour… And anyone who suggests taking away my library privileges will have a fight on their hands! – Tessa, Bayside, WI

When the word library comes up in conversation, I think about the year I was 16. I had just received my driver’s license. My mother was going to allow me to drive the family car “alone.” She asked me, “Where would you like to go for your first drive? It can’t be too far, you know.” “I’ll go to the library.” The year was 1960. Philadelphia was a city of exciting sights and sounds, but the library was my building of choice. When I arrived at the library, I backed into a parking spot. I smashed and flattened the Pontiac Catalina’s fin on a tree nodule that was sticking out by the side of the street. (invisible to see because it was a smidge lower than the scope of the rearview mirror). What happened after that is a whole other story, but my love for the library never diminished, not then, not now, not ever. – Frances, Orlando, FL

Libraries have always been a big part of my life, because from an early age I have been addicted to books. There’s no other way to say it, I love to read! When I was younger my family didn’t have a lot of extra money because my parents were going to missions school so they could be missionaries in China, and during that time I was enrolled in a private school so that I could have the best education possible. This meant a lot of financial strain on my parents, and there wasn’t enough money to buy much in the way of food a lot of the times, let alone books. Without the local and school libraries. I would have never had the opportunity at that young age to continue to fulfill my desire for books – Rebekah, Tulsa, OK

My love affair with the library began when I was about seven in central Wisconsin. Our little village library was open two days a week, Monday and Friday. The room was equivalent to the size of a large spare bedroom and it was crammed with books. Mrs. Spencer, the librarian, had all the books organized and categorized. My sisters and I would walk to the library on these days and get our books. Coming from a rather strict family, we could count on the fact that when we got back home, we’d be able to read. Mom never interrupted us when we were reading. By age 10, I had my first job…at the library shelving returned books. At first I did it for fun and then Mrs. Spencer agreed to pay me ten cents an hour. I was in HEAVEN!! – Shirley, Issaquah, WA

A poignant, ennobling, and buoyant tale of risks and rewards, surrender and sacrifice. — Booklist, STARRED

Takes us right into a small village and the lives of its inhabitants. An excellent book club selection. — Book Sense choice by Independent Booksellers

Captivating third novel… Hamilton weaves memorable characters and elemental emotions in artful prose with the lofty theme of Western-imposed “education” versus a village’s perceived perils of exposure to the developed world. — Publishers Weekly

Vibrates with the life and landscape of Africa … peopled with characters readers can’t help but care about deeply. — BookPage

Hamilton’s portrayal of nomadic culture is lovingly and colorfully told. It’s a painterly glimpse into a world that few Westerners will ever see. – USA Today

Hamilton makes us see how much is really at stake in a poverty-stricken place where every possession carries the weight of significance. A larger conflict wouldn’t do justice to the notion of honor as lived by these people; it extends all the way down to the smallest stack of books. — New York Times

This captivating story about a determined chick with a big heart will touch you deeply. — Cosmo Magazine

Hamilton’s writing is so vivid that you’ll feel the Kenyan heat emanting from the pages, you’ll feel the dust on your arms … This is one of those books that you’ll want to pass on to your friends immediately. — Albany Democrat Herald

Quite possibly, this is one of those books you will remember the rest of your life. — Oshkosh Public Library, WI

“Masha Hamilton’s magical new novel transported me across the globe, teaching me about faith, ambition, and the surprise of love. Fi is a character to fall for and cheer for. Her interactions with the people of Mididima are spellbinding and broke my heart.” – Amanda Eyre Ward  

“I’ve always known that books can change lives. Masha Hamilton has opened my eyes to how books can also change entire communities, and not always in the ways one might expect. The Camel Bookmobile is a brave and astonishing novel; it transported me to a world I hadn’t known, and my life is all the richer for it.” – Gayle Brandeis

“In this vivid, absorbing novel Masha Hamilton transports her readers, even more surely than the camels do books, to the village of Mididima and the struggle between traditional values and western education. Richly peopled, full of conflicts and surprises, The Camel Bookmobile made me think and feel in all the best ways. My only regret was that the book had to end.” – Margot Livesey