PlySpace, the artist in residence program of the Muncie Arts and Culture Council invites emerging writers to attend “Building A Career As A Literary Artist”, an all-day in-person workshop facilitated by PlySpace Resident, Lyzette Wanzer. “Building A Career as a Literary Artist” will take place on Saturday, October 9, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at Carnegie Library in Downtown Muncie. This event is free and in partnership with Muncie Public Libraries. Masks are required. Space is limited and registration is required.
“Building A Career As A Literary Artist” led by PlySpace Artist in Residence Lyzette Wanzer, is an empowering, vital asset addressing the practical concerns of establishing a sustainable literary career. Topics include marketing and PR best practices, applying for literary grants and fellowships, writing a personal statement, creating and using a literary calendar, and how to present yourself as a professional, both online and off. Participants will receive a comprehensive packet of information that can be used for reference as their career begins to build. “Building A Career As A Literary Artist” is geared for creative writers who are ready to engage in the not-so-sexy but essential steps necessary to advance their careers and promote their work. Laptops, tablets, or iPads are required for this workshop. Attendees should be comfortable using computers and navigating websites. There are two breaks and a lunch break during this 10:00 am to 5:00 pm workshop.
Lyzette Wanzer is a San Francisco writer, editor, and writing workshop instructor. She received her MFA in Fiction from Mills College. A flash fiction connoisseur and essay aficionado, her work has appeared in Natural Bridge, The Los Angeles Review, Callaloo, Tampa Review, The MacGuffin, Ampersand Review, Journal of Advanced Development, Fourteen Hills, Journal of Experimental Fiction, Pleiades, Flashquake, Glossalia Flash Fiction, Potomac Review, International Journal on Literature and Theory, Fringe Magazine, and many others. She is a contributor to The Chalk Circle: Intercultural Prizewinning Essays (Wyatt-MacKenzie), Civil Liberties United: Diverse Voices from the San Francisco Bay Area (Pease Press), and 642 Tiny Things to Write About (Chronicle Books). Her articles have appeared in Essay Daily, The Naked Truth, and the San Francisco University High School Journal. Lyzette is the current judge of the Soul-Making Keats Literary Competition’s Intercultural Essay category and the Women’s National Book Association’s Effie Lee Morris Writing Contest’s nonfiction category.
Lyzette has been invited to present her work and/or panels at conferences across the country, including the American and Popular Culture Association, Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP), College English Association (CEA), Louisville Conference on Literature & Culture Since 1900, Litquake Festival, San Francisco Writers Conference, and others.
Lyzette is a member of the National Writers’ Union, where she serves on the Northern California Chapter's Steering Committee, The Authors Guild, and The Writers' Grotto nonprofit organization. She has also served on the Grotto's fellowship adjudication panel. Lyzette has been awarded writing residencies at Blue Mountain Center (NY), Kimmel Harding Center for the Arts (NE), Playa Summer Lake (OR), Horned Dorset Colony (NY), Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow (AR), Headlands Center for the Arts (CA), and The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Canada. She is the recipient of an Investing in Artists grant from the Center for Cultural Innovation, two Individual Artist Commission grants from San Francisco Arts Commission, and two Professional Development Grants from the Creative Capacity Fund. Her newest project is an essay anthology called Trauma, Tresses, & Truth: Untangling Our Hair Through Personal Narrative (Chicago Review Press, 2022). She is also working on Professionalize Your Creative Writing Practice: Building A Career As A Literary Artist, a professional development workbook for creative writers.
For more information about “First Sonatas” visit our website, www.PlySpace.org. PlySpace Fall Term events can be found on the PlySpace website at www.PlySpace.org/events and the PlySpace Facebook page. Questions or comments about the PlySpace Residency program, events, and community collaborations can be directed to the Program Coordinator, Sarah Shaffer, at sarah@munciearts.org. Learn more about Muncie Arts & Culture Council at www.munciearts.org.
PlySpace is a program of the Muncie Arts and Culture Council. This event is in partnership with Muncie Public Libraries. PlySpace is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Learn more at plyspace.org.