A 1-Day Fiction Workshop
Sunday, June 8, 10 AM - 1 PM
It is often said that the most important line of a story is the last one and the second most important line is the first one, but one could argue that without a compelling first line—or paragraph—the last line might never even get read. Several years ago, I asked the editor of one of my favorite literary journals what she, as an editor, is looking for as she begins to ‘cold read’ a new piece. Her answer? ‘I am looking for the burden to shift.’ What she meant is that she is looking for that buy-in moment, that turning point where she relaxes into the story because she senses that the writer is in charge.
What is it that “shifts the burden” and makes readers feel that they want to spend time inside a writer’s world? In this one-day class, we will focus on first lines and first paragraphs: what they should do versus what creates confusion and keeps the burden on the reader. We will discuss specific types of beginnings and look at examples of some great beginnings, analyzing what makes them great. If time allows, we will apply these ideas to the first lines and paragraphs of stories in a recent issue of Best American Short Stories.
Participants will bring the first paragraph (~250 words) of an in-progress story or novel, which we will workshop during class. Participants will leave with specific feedback on their opening as well as a better understanding of how to write and revise beginnings in the future. The class will be interactive and practical with an eye toward writing better openings that will compel readers to keep reading.”
$90 Members/$135 Nonmembers
Lori Ostlund is the author of Are You Happy? (Astra House, May 2025). Her novel After the Parade (Scribner, 2015) was a B&N Discover pick, a finalist for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and a NYTimes Editors’ Choice. Her first book, The Bigness of the World (UGA, 2009; Scribner, 2016), received the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, the Edmund White Debut Fiction Award, and the California Book Award for First Fiction. Her stories have appeared in the Best American Short Stories, the PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories, ZYZZYVA, and New England Review, among other places. Lori has received a Rona Jaffe Foundation Award and was a finalist for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize. She has served as the series editor of the Flannery O’Connor Award since 2022 and is on the board of the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund. She lives in San Francisco with her wife, the writer Anne Raeff. www.loriostlund.com
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED
All MWPA workshops require advanced registration. We accept registration by phone, mail, and online via our website. We cannot guarantee registration in the final 24-hours before a workshop, and can rarely accommodate day-of registration.
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If you need to withdraw from a class after registering for any reason, please email or call the MWPA immediately. You may be eligible for a partial refund or credit, depending on how far in advance you cancel. → MORE INFORMATION
QUESTIONS
For any questions regarding this workshop, please contact programs@mainewriters.org.
REGISTER BY PHONE
Call 207-200-7180 and register with your VISA or MasterCard.
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If you prefer to pay by mail, please print this registration form (downloadable PDF) and mail it to the MWPA with a check or credit card information.
SCHOLARSHIP
The MWPA is proud to offer one partial scholarship to this workshop for members-only. Scholarships are awarded on a combination of need and merit. Email programs@mainewriters.org to see if the scholarship is still available. Application Due by April 10 at 9:00 a.m.
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