FULL/WAIT LIST ONLY—email hannah@mainewriters.org to be added
A 5-Week Workshop on Longform Features
Thursdays, April 15 to May 13
Level: All Levels
Whether your heroes are John Jeremiah Sulllivan for GQ, Nikole Hannah-Jones for the New York Times Magazine, Ta-Nehisi Coates for the Atlantic, or Susan Orlean at the New Yorker, many writers dream of publishing deeply researched and sharply written features that are also a pleasure to read. But how do you get started? Whether it’s travel and food writing, opinion pieces and profiles, or deep dive investigations, submitting freelance work to magazines, newspapers, and digital publications, the process of reporting, writing, and pitching longform articles can seem daunting.
In this workshop, we’ll dive into that process: beginning with story origination and research plans, then transitioning to best practices in research, voice, and form, and finally, the pitch and editorial process. Along the way, we’ll explore issues including how to select a target publication, cultivating sources, contract negotiation, trends in commercial publishing, and the realities of making a living as a freelance writer.
This is a writing intensive class, and the goal for all participants will be the completion of a publishable feature story. Over the course of our time together, participants will have the opportunity to develop a story from nascent idea to 5000-word feature. As time allows, we’ll also discuss how to cultivate a digital platform and the process of converting a published story into a book proposal and contract. Readings for this course will include selections from Best American Essays, Telling True Stories: A Nonfiction Writers Guide from the Neiman Foundation, and articles curated by participants. This is a workshop-based course, which means that participants will also be expected to regularly share their work and to provide feedback to others.
This workshop is limited to 10 participants.
Required texts:
Aciman, Andre. Best American Essays 2020. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN-10 : 0358359910
Kramer, Mark and Call, Wendy. Telling True Stories: A Nonfiction Writers Guide From the Neiman Foundation. Plume. ISBN-10 : 0452287553
Class takeaways:
During our time together, participants will have the opportunity to:
• Evaluate exemplary publications
• Learn the distinctions between writing for different audiences and modes
• Refine their narrative voices
• Draft a publishable piece of work
• Engage with contemporary publishing trends and expectations
+ 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, April 13, 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.
PAYMENTS MWPA members may pay for this workshop in one payment, or may pay in two installments of $122.50, due at registration and April 30. *PLEASE NOTE If you have selected to pay for this multi-week workshop on the installment option, once registration for the workshop has closed, you are responsible for paying all of the remaining installments. If you should, for any reason, leave the workshop after registration has closed, you are still responsible for paying all of the remaining installments.
CEU The MWPA is proud to offer Continuing Education Units (CEU) for this workshop. The CEU is a nationally recognized method of quantifying the time spent in the classroom during non-credit learning. Ten hours of instruction equal one (1) CEU. (*Please note that by definition, CEUs are non-credit continuing education and therefore not transferrable as academic credit.)
Kathryn Miles is the author of five books including the forthcoming, Shenandoah: Love, Murder, and the Quest for Justice in America’s Wilderness. Her essays and articles have appeared in publications including Audubon, Best American Essays, Best American Sports Writing, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, Outside, Politico, and Time. A contributing editor at Down East Magazine, Miles also serves as a scholar-in-residence for the Maine Humanities Council and as a faculty member in several MFA programs.
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED
All MWPA workshops require advanced registration. We accept registration by phone, mail, and online. 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 April 5 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