Central Lincoln County and RSU 40/MSAD 40 Adult Education Programs will be offering a Creative Writing Workshop Series with three, four-week sessions that build on each other. Students are welcome to sign up for individual sessions or for the full twelve week series.

The first session in both locations will be starting the fourth week of September; there will be a day and an evening option. The CLC (Damariscotta) class will be held at Skidompha Library on Wednesday afternoons from 1 – 4 pm, and the RSU 40/MSAD 40 class in Waldoboro will be held at Medomak Valley High School on Thursday evenings 5:30 – 8:30 pm.

The instructor for the series is Elizabeth Potter, a poet and teacher residing in midcoast Maine. Her poetry has been published both locally and nationally, most recently in On the Issues and Yankee magazines. In 2013, she was the featured poet on the Poet’s Café airing on CTN channel 5 (ctn5.org). Elizabeth is a certified Amherst Writers and Artists workshop leader (amherstwriters.com) and has been leading writing workshops for all ages for the past fifteen years.

The first session in the three-part series is Creative Writing Workshop I, which offers participants an opportunity to get the creative juices flowing, overcome the internal critic, and let heart and soul flow out onto the page! Just as importantly, it also provides a tight knit, supportive community of fellow writers to share the fruits of your labor with. Elizabeth will present proven writing prompts and techniques to tickle your muse and coax even the most hesitant voice onto the page.

The second session, Creative Writing Workshop II, builds and expands on writing techniques and exercises presented in Creative Writing Workshop I. As participants build a portfolio of rough drafts, they will begin the process of editing and revision, in addition to clarifying individual goals for works in progress.

The final session, the Critique/Publishing Workshop, provides an opportunity to fine tune work in progress through intensive group critique and editing, resting on the old adage, “Many eyes are better than one”. In this workshop, we provide as a group honest, constructive feedback, both on what is strong and effective in a piece of writing, as well as what might be hindering its full expression. In addition, possible publishing leads and resources will be presented in each class.

The dates for the daytime workshops at the Skidompha Library in Damariscotta are: Sept. 24-Oct. 15; Oct. 22-Nov. 12; Nov. 19-Dec. 17. (There will be no class on the Wed before Thanksgiving.) The cost for each 4 week session is $94 (or $89 if you register 1 week before the start of class). Please register online at: www.clc.maineadulted.org or call the office at 207-563-2811.

The dates for the evening workshops at Medomak Valley High School in Waldoboro are: Sept. 25-Oct. 16, Oct. 23-Nov. 13, Nov. 20-Dec. 18. (There will be no class on Thanksgiving.) The cost for each 4 week session is $94 for non-residents and $89 for residents of the school district. Please register online at: www.msad40.maineadulted.org or call the office at 207-832-5205.

Elizabeth also offers a Women’s Writing Circle in Wiscasset on Friday mornings 9-noon at Mac’s Place (just past Red’s Eats on the right, heading southbound on Route 1). Registration is on a rolling basis. Anyone interested may call or email Elizabeth Potter at 207-315-0180 or potterem@hotmail.com.