Learn how to write about science and technology for the masses, from a Discover editor who wrestles with the problem every day. Writing exercises and group discussion of published and unpublished examples will teach you to create lively and accurate narratives; this workshop will also offer tips for avoiding the pitfalls that can turn popular science coverage into deadly or vapid prose.

Corey Powell teaches advanced science writing in the Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program at NYU and is executive editor of Discover magazine, where he oversees the magazine's design and editorial content. Previously, he held positions as a features editor at Discover, as the magazine's news editor, and as the director of Discover.com. Before joining Discover he spent eight years on the Board of Editors at Scientific American; he has also worked at Physics Today and NASA's Godard Space Flight Center. His first book, God in the Equation, an exploration of the spiritual impulse in modern cosmology, was published in 2002 by Free Press. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, Newsday, the Los Angeles Times, World Art and The Forward

Dialogue is one of the great tools nonfiction writers can use to develop characters and create captivating scenes that bring stories to life. But how is it done? This course, taught by writer and actor David Prete, will teach you how to use dialogue as a storytelling tool through in-class exercises and discussion of readings.

David Prete is a writer, actor and teacher who lived and worked in New York City for 15 years and currently teaches theater and fiction at the University of Memphis. His dramatic experience and training strongly influence his dialogue, his characters' voices, and the structure of his scenes. His first book, Say That to My Face, was published by W. W. Norton in 2003.

Getting a book published often requires more than having a good idea and completing a manuscript. Increasingly, writers are asked to submit a book proposal, which involves using a different style of writing, conducting market research, and following a standard set of guidelines. This six-hour session will teach the techniques and specific details every editor looks for when reading a book proposal to determine whether the writer is one a publisher can sell. Learn how to be that writer. Course participants should have a manuscript or book-length project ready for the proposal stage. Irene Prokop is a former editor with Random House/Crown Publishers and former Editor-in-Chief of Jeremy P. Tarcher. She is currently Executive Editor of the Creative Nonfiction Mentoring Program and Editor-in-Chief of Milford Magazine.

This workshop explores the psychological issues most writers face, from procrastination and writer's block to loneliness and fear of rejection. Through the use of examples and in-class writing exercises, you'll learn valuable tools to help address these common but often paralyzing issues, and gain the confidence to navigate the perils and promise of the writing life.

Learn how to apply the processes of interview, immersion, observation and note-taking to create powerful narrative nonfiction science stories. This workshop will be valuable for writers seeking to develop the skills needed for successful narrative reporting on any topic, including interviewing techniques that foster the intimate settings that allow your subjects to be themselves.

Journalistic writing can often be detached and dry, while the best creative nonfiction provokes an emotional response. In this workshop we'll examine the art and craft of creative nonfiction, learning how to tell a truly compelling nonfiction story without sacrificing the accuracy and truth of the material. With a focus on learning to understand and use a full range of literary techniques, we'll discuss the use of dialogue, the creation of scene, attention to style and crafting structure from true events. We'll also touch on the particular ethical responsibilities that come with writing creative nonfiction. Paying close attention to which facts and observations are most essential to your work, we'll discuss how to transform these into a vivid, compelling literary narrative--whether in memoir, essays, profiles or in-depth journalism.