Registration Deadline: March 26 at 9:00am
A Workshop on Revising and Submitting Short Fiction
This workshop offers guidance and strategies for writers who are ready to send their fiction out into the world.
In the first half of the course, participants will give and receive feedback on their stories, and will learn revision strategies and techniques for examining their work with critical detachment. The class will also take a close look at two elements of a short story that are crucial for holding the interest of both editors and readers: the first two pages and the ‘pay-off’ moment.
In the second half of the course, participants will review the process of submitting work; discuss what editors are looking for, and how to find the right fit for their work; and they will draft query letters to call upon when they are ready to submit larger work.
Submit
After registering, participants are asked to submit a short story or stand-alone novel excerpt of up to 2500 words by no later than 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 26. Please take this deadline and word limit seriously as late submissions likely cannot be accepted, and excess words will be cut. Please note that these manuscripts will be distributed in advance via email to the other workshop participants. Please email the manuscript to hannah@mainewriters.org with the subject line: “MAXWELL WORKSHOP MSS.” Please use standard formatting (1″ margins, 12 pt Times New Roman), and submit Word docs (ideally) or PDFs only.
Abi Maxwell is the author of two novels, Lake People (Vintage, 2013) and The Den (Knopf, 2019). Her short fiction and essays have also appeared in McSweeney’s, Literary Hub, and Electric Lit. A graduate of the MFA program at the University of Montana, Maxwell returned to her home state of New Hampshire, where she lives with her family, works in her local library, and teaches for GrubStreet in Boston.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune described Lake People as “skillfully executed…Redolent of the secrets that haunt small-town life…Suggests comparison to authors like Marilynne Robinson and Alice Munro.” Maxwell “turns experiences into myths and locales into symbols,” said Pulitzer Prize-winner Jane Smiley. In a starred review, Booklist says The Den is “a deeply satisfying, haunting work of literary fiction. Driven by characters who are uniformly engaging and beautifully realized, it is not to be missed.”
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.
Policies
All MWPA workshops require advance 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.
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
Registration in any MWPA workshop, program, or event constitutes your agreement to our terms and conditions. Workshop Policies
Questions
For any questions regarding this workshop, please contact Hannah Perry at hannah@mainewriters.org.
Scholarships
The MWPA is proud to offer two full scholarships to this workshop for members-only. Scholarships are awarded on a combination of need and merit. Application Due on March 23 at 9:00 a.m. More Information