Need an Author to do a School Visit, Conference Workshop or Library Event? I’m here for you!

As long-time contributing editor for The Writer Magazine and an instructor in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University, I have so much knowledge to share! I've taught at writing conferences for writers, teachers, librarians, and booksellers all over the Pacific Northwest, as well as in California and New York. I’ve been a guest presenter and a keynote speaker at universities and libraries, at retirement homes & for non-profits and Oregon Battle of the Books.

Sample Workshops

  *  Write, Revise & Submit Short Memoir in a Weekend. Students study published personal essays and learn about their components, then identify their own areas of expertise and intrigue and how to craft and submit a short piece to magazine and newspaper editors.

  *  Turn Your Passion into Paychecks: Writing Feature Articles for Magazines and Newspapers. Students study a variety of published articles, then learn what editors look for. They learn how to write and submit an effective query letter, and how to find and interview expert sources, then incorporate interviews into their articles.

   * Reach Out to Readers and Have Fun Doing It: The Art of Building a Platform. Students learn a variety of ways in which to determine the ideal audience for their work, and then build that audience through word-of-mouth, social media, and literary citizenship.

​   *  How to Plan and Begin Your Book-Length Memoir. Students study excerpts of book-length memoir and consider how to structure their own story around topic, theme,​ and/or era. They study and practice the literary elements of memoir, and how to plot a book-length work with an eye toward narrative and character arcs.

* Literary Citizenship to Build Your Network and Your Platform. In helping other writers to become visible to readers, you inevitably grow your own audience. Learn how to create book launch teams, pitch author panels, write paid book reviews, and harness the power of #BookTok. You’ll come away inspired!

* How to Craft a Query Letter So that Editors Say “Yes!” A query letter is an audition—for your novel or nonfiction book, for your feature article or profile or book review or screenplay. With these writing tips, your queries are guaranteed to impress editors.

* Biplanes, Juggling Clubs, and My Naked Great-Grandmother. Learn how to research and write historical fiction and nonfiction. This historical writing workshop includes a robust list of resources, plus discussion on how to create narrative scenes, and how to publish short essays and articles related to a historical book project.

And in person . . .

• April 4-8, 2024—”Crafting Your Memoir” residential workshop at Playa Summer Lake, Oregon

• April 26-27, 2024—Featured Presenter at Oregon Writers Colony’s Sylvia Beach Writers Conference, Nye Beach, Oregon

• July 12-13, 2024—Oregon Country Fair, Veneta, Oregon

• August 29-September 1st, 2024—”How to Write & Sell Personal Essays” at Chanticleer Inn, Ashland, Oregon

“People loved your sessions. Thank you for teaching at the conference.”

—Julie Zander, president of Southwest Washington Writers’ Conference

“I found both of your presentations to be informative and fun. I was very impressed with your positive energy, and with your ability to field questions throughout the presentation. Just being in the same room with you was encouraging.”

—Christopher Luna, poet and teacher at Willamette Writers Conference

Oregon-based author Melissa Hart is available to teach writing classes online and in person. She’s been a keynote speaker at writing conferences across the Pacific Northwest, and has enlivened many a Pacific Northwest writing workshop with her lively and supportive workshops on both fiction and nonfiction, and her tendency to start each class by juggling like her vaudevillian great-grandfather.