WORKSHOP FULL--Please email hannah@mainewriters.org to be added to the waiting list.
A 5-Week Fiction Intensive
Thursdays, January 21 to February 18
Level: All Levels
How does a writer develop an idea into a finished work of fiction? Writing is not just jotting down ideas as they arrive: it's a process of drafting, shaping, and revising that leads to a polished final work. In this course, participants will dive into how to jumpstart their story ideas, from inception to the creation and revision of drafts.
Participants will explore the elements of fiction writing craft—such as voice, structure, character, and perspective—and will work on honing and revising stories. The class will discuss how to make writing bold, vital, and believable, and how to craft and sustain narrative and thematic threads. Participants will read classic examples of short fiction, as well as early drafts of classic stories, and study how stories change from a rough draft to the final published work.
Weekly readings will include stories by Raymond Carver, Zadie Smith, Karen Russell, George Saunders, Rick Moody, and Flannery O’Connor, and novel excerpts from Virginia Woolf and Nabokov. Short, optional exercises will be offered as prompts for writing between classes. Participants will also be expected to read and offer feedback on each other’s work.
This workshop will be limited to 10 participants.
CLASS TAKEAWAYS:
- In-depth peer and instructor feedback on a novel chapter or short story and short homework submissions
- Each week’s session will include manuscript workshopping and discussion of fiction-writing craft.
- Strategies for staying productive and keeping your writing going in the future
+ SUBMIT After registering, participants are asked to submit a manuscript (short fiction or a novel excerpt) of up to 5,000 words by no later than 9:00 a.m. on January 14. Please email the manuscript as an attachment (Word files only, please; email Hannah Perry if this is not possible for you) to hannah@mainewriters.org with the subject line: “HURLEY WORKSHOP MSS.” Please use standard formatting (1” margins, double-spaced, 12 pt font).
+ PLEASE NOTE This workshop will occur online, using the video meeting platform Zoom. Students do not need to create an account to participate, but should test out Zoom before their class if they are first-time users. On Tuesday, January 19, from 5:30pm to 6:30pm, MWPA’s Hannah Perry will offer a test session on Zoom. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the test session, which usually takes only 5-10 minutes, and those who do not are responsible for ensuring that they are able to use Zoom on their own. The week of the workshop, students will be emailed a link that they may click to enter the test session and the class.
+ REQUIRED EQUIPMENT A reliable, fast internet connection (broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE), speakers & a microphone (built-in or USB plug-in), and a webcam (built-in or USB plug-in).
If you would like to quickly and easily test your internet connection and your computer’s compatibility with Zoom, click HERE. Full details on supported Operating Systems, internet browsers, and more can be found HERE. To download and familiarize yourself with Zoom, click HERE.
Blair Hurley is the author of The Devoted, published by W.W. Norton, which was longlisted for The Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize. Her work is published or forthcoming in The Georgia Review, Ninth Letter, Guernica, Paris Review Daily, West Branch, Mid-American Review, and elsewhere. She received a 2018 Pushcart Prize and scholarships from Bread Loaf and the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts. VISIT www.blairhurley.com
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED
All MWPA workshops require advanced registration. We accept registration by phone, mail, and online via PayPal. We cannot guarantee registration in the final 24-hours before a workshop, and can rarely accommodate day-of registration.
PAYMENT & CANCELLATION POLICIES
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 Hannah Perry at hannah@mainewriters.org.
REGISTER BY PHONE
Call 207-228-8263 and register with your VISA or MasterCard.
REGISTER BY MAIL
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. Please note that mail delivery to the MWPA office is currently experiencing extensive delays, so please email hannah@mainewriters.org first if you would like to register by mail.
SCHOLARSHIP
The MWPA is proud to offer one full scholarship to this workshop for members-only. Scholarships are awarded on a combination of need and merit. Application Due on January 11 at 9:00 a.m.
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MWPA WORKSHOP POLICIES
Registration in any MWPA workshop, program, or event constitutes your agreement to our terms and conditions. → MORE INFORMATION