Welcome to The Detroit Writing Room
We offer professional writing coaches to help with all your writing needs! We also host writing workshops and author talks. Become a DWR member and meet a community of writers and creatives!
We offer professional writing coaches to help with all your writing needs! We also host writing workshops and author talks. Become a DWR member and meet a community of writers and creatives!
We offer an inspirational community for writers, creatives and entrepreneurs. Whether you’re working on the next Great American novel or a business plan, you can sign up with an experienced writing coach who will give feedback on your work and make sure your commas are in all the right places. It never hurts to have a second pair of eyes!
Join us for a writing workshop to get your creative juices flowing, and meet fellow writers in your community. Or attend one of our book talks to hear the inspiration behind stories and get writing and publishing advice from authors.
From aspiring memoirists to bestselling authors, we’re here to support you.
Dec. 8 from 6:30-8 p.m.
Come celebrate the talented poets, screenwriters, children's book authors, novelists and writers of all ages from Metro Detroit at the 2025 Detroit Writing Room Awards! Writers and photographers from the region applied to the awards, and our team of judges narrowed down the finalists in each category. During the ceremony emceed by DWR coach and Detroit Free Press columnist Neal Rubin, you'll find out who takes first, second and third in 9 different categories.
Guests will first enjoy a happy hour with beer, wine and apps. You'll get a chance to mingle with fellow writers and DWR Award judges who are award-winning authors, journalists and photographers as well as DWR and Coaching Detroit Forward coaches.
Plus! Attendees will be entered in a raffle for a chance to win the "Detroit Voices" publication featuring finalists, a Detroit Writing Room membership ($199 value), 2 tickets to Detroit Public Theatre's "Holiday Cabaret," and other prizes!
Oct. 3-5, 2025
Join award-winning author and writing coach Lynne Golodner for an interactive weekend writers retreat in Detroit.
We’ll hear from local authors, meander among artwork, murals and nature, kayak along the Detroit River and canals that flow into it, and taste some of the best flavors the Motor City has to offer, all as inspiration for our writing!
This generative retreat, open to writers of all genres and experience levels, includes time to write, focused instruction, two breakfasts, two lunches, a welcome reception and Saturday happy hour. Participants will receive writing materials, including a purple journal and pen. Morning writing sessions will be held at the Wayne State University Press.
Accommodations and transportation to Detroit are on your own. The retreat begins at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 3 and concludes at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5.
Oct. 11 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Your book is calling louder than ever. Answer the call, finally, with a day-long experience that will inspire and instruct you with everything you need to know to write, publish and promote a great book. Author, publisher and Detroit Writing Room coach Elizabeth Ann Atkins will teach you how to write your book in a day.
As the bestselling author of nearly 60 books and CEO of Two sisters Writing & Publishing®, this book coach who has taught college-level writing will share her experience and expertise to help you finally write your book. She will inspire with the mindset required to achieve this dream, and she will provide the mechanics required to write an impactful, engaging book that captivates your target audience.
Register
Oct. 28 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. EST
Are you a freelance journalist who keeps getting ghosted by editors? Or a writer intimidated by the idea of pitching big-name outlets? Or someone with a compelling story but without a roadmap for where and how to tell it? Get the nitty-gritty details from New York Writing Room coach Anna Medaris, a health and lifestyle journalist with more than 15 years of experience landing successful pitches in publications including The Washington Post, Women's Health magazine and Vox. Since going full-time freelance in 2023, Anna has built a robust portfolio from her pitches, ranging from a consequential investigation into a fraudulent postnatal “retreat” for New York Magazine to a colorful feature on sauna culture for the New York Post.
As a former editor at outlets including U.S. News & World Report and Business Insider, Anna also knows what catches staff editors’ eyes — and the increasing insanity of their inboxes. Join this virtual workshop on to dissect Anna’s real pitches that yielded “yeses,” learn strategies for finding what editors are looking for, demystify how “full-time” freelance journalists make ends meet and get feedback on your own story ideas in real time.
Nov. 18 from 5-6 p.m. EST
Copy editing is an essential step for any author, but many may not know what exactly it is, and most importantly, the consequences of not copy editing their manuscripts. Pulling from her experience as a book editor, New York Writing Room coach Johanie Martinez-Cools will lead you through the basics of copy editing and how to avoid some crucial mistakes that could impact your writing careers. This interactive virtual workshop is geared toward nonfiction writers and fiction writers whose stories are set in the real world. Attendees will leave with a tip sheet for copy editing their manuscripts. We also encourage you to come with your copy editing questions! Early bird rate is $35 until Oct. 18.
Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to noon
DWR coach Justin Brouckaert has served as a literary agent, editor and coach to hundreds of authors over the past decade, helping writers shepherd their work from the blank page to bookstore shelves — and, along the way, giving them the tools to become sharper, more thoughtful and more incisive editors.
Attendees of this fun, collaborative and intensive two-hour workshop will walk away with some of those tools. In this session, you’ll learn to implement helpful tips and refine common mistakes, participate in small group workshops and complete exercises meant to refine your vision as a writer and editor. Whether you’re working on a specific project or are just looking to become a more capable editor for yourself or others, you’ll walk away with a new set of strategies, mantras and hands-on experiences that will make the art of revision a little less daunting.
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Receive help editing business materials and literary works, including: press releases, website copy, grant proposals, social media content, business plans, query letters, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting and more.
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We have a dream team of professionals ranging from award-winning journalists and New York Times bestselling authors, to communications specialists of Fortune 500 companies, photographers and designers.
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The Detroit Writing Room hosts a variety of events including book talks, writing workshops and open mic nights. You can also work with us to customize a workshop for your business or organization.
Each Wednesday, we shine a light on the talented writers who make up our vibrant Detroit Writing Room community. From aspiring novelists to seasoned poets and screenwriters, our members and coaches are working on an array of creative writing projects.
Get to know the writers behind the words as we delve into their inspirations, writing processes and the stories they're bringing to life. Join us each week to celebrate the power of the written word and the individuals who wield it with passion and skill.
“The Detroit Writing Room is the place to hone your craft, unlock your voice, connect with others and explore all you can become in the world of writing and publishing. Through their seminars and educational programming, I’ve met other writers from Michigan and across the globe, explored new avenues for my work and connected with literary agents seeking submissions and new clients.”
— ELIZABETH WEIGANDT, AUTHOR OF "QUEEN BEE"
“I’ve been utilizing the coaching services of The Detroit Writing Room and the results have been terrific. I’m currently working with Laura Berman, and my project has benefitted significantly from her guidance and editing. Laura is a wonderful resource!”
— GERRY BOYLAN
“The Detroit Writing Room workshops and Happy Hours have provided me with great insight into becoming a better writer. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the speakers and the content provided, and I feel that I am elevating my creative capacity — much more so than just a regular online course.”
— KRISTEN SCHMITT-DYKES
“DWR is essential to me and my crew for educating, teaching, coaching, youth coaching support, writing and artist support — allowing expression of authors, poets, entrepreneurs alike in the ‘D’, and beyond to flourish!”
— PETER JAMES BILLING, AUTHOR OF "THE ROAD HOCKEY CREW"