Ā Make Your Writing Dreams Come True! Learn from Poet, Essayist, and Author Sheila Bender

NEW! Il Chiostro is sponsoring my “4 sessions over 8 weeks” Zoom writing workshop,
Flexing Your Writing Muscles: Images, Scenes, Time and Flash!

Assignments are provided days beforeĀ the meetings where we will workshop your writing and discuss the craft.
Dates and times for the Zoom meetings:Ā Ā 

Monday’s 11 am – 1 pm, Pacific Time 10/21, 11/4, 11/18, 12/2Ā 

Ā  Click for information and to register for Writing It Real online and other Zoom writing workshops. Scroll down to see current classes.

Since Then Poems and Short Prose

Since Then: Poems and Short Prose, a collection of Sheila Bender’s work written in the almost 21 years since her son’s death achieves peace after the great loss. Abigail Thomas, author of “What Comes Next and How to Like It writes, “Reading Sheila Bender’s Since Then, we come to understand that surrendering to grief does not diminish life, but serves to deepen it. This is a beautiful book. I am the wiser and the richer for having read it.

View the book trailer here.



Remember: When it comes to work-in-progress there is no bad writing, only opportunities for good writing. Beginning new work or reshaping older work? Sheila and the Writing It Real community will help you look into your creative nonfiction, memoir, personal essay, poetry and short fiction, for surprises and wisdom. Sign up for a class or one-on-one service today and become a member of Writing It Real. Itā€™s the ā€œwriteā€ place for expert guidance and tremendously useful resources. Judy Kvinsland writes:

Ā “In short, you changed my life,Ā andĀ while my journey as a writer has not been as voluminous as some, it has been just right for me. Just right!Ā  I look forward to more opportunities with WIR as they come my way!”

Writing It Real Has Created Five Themed Anthologies of Writing It Real Members’ Work.
Please download free pdf editions of each by clicking on the book covers and enjoy fine writing from personal experience.

How and Why We WriteHoliday Times
On MishearingPleasures Taken