FULL/WAIT LIST ONLY - email hannah@mainewriters.org to be added
A 5-Week Intensive Workshop on Pacing in Fiction
Wednesdays, May 5 to June 2
Level: All Levels
In writing, as in life, timing is everything. When should the dramatic action slow down to create a moment? When should it speed up? How should flashbacks be introduced? Too many allusions to the past and you risk losing the reader; too few, and your characters may feel insubstantial. Over the course of five weeks, we will examine different strategies so that the reader is neither bogged down with too much information nor confused by its absence, and is propelled forward by a narrative that’s neither too slow nor too rushed.
We will consider flashbacks (“rewinds”), scenes where time slows for dramatic effect (“pause”), and accelerated action (“fast forward”), with an eye towards pacing. Specific discussion topics will include:
Different approaches to incorporating background, from short flashbacks to more dedicated forays into the past
The strategic question of when to bring in backstory and how much space it should be given
How to create an extra "beat" to invite the reader into the scene
The use of segues and pivots to resume “play”
Techniques for moving the action along
Throughout, we’ll read specific examples from fiction to understand how stories achieve liftoff. Authors we'll turn to include Jhumpa Lahiri, Michael Cunningham, Julian Barnes, Zadie Smith, and Donna Tartt. Each week, students will share their work (a completed short story or an excerpt from a novel) for peer feedback. Ultimately, the goal of this workshop is to give you options for how to manipulate time and a better understanding of how to employ pacing techniques to keep the reader hooked.
CLASS TAKEAWAYS:
In-depth peer and instructor feedback on a novel excerpt or short story
A brief lecture each week on a different aspect of fiction, along with manuscript workshopping
Writing prompts and strategies to help you generate and/or revise material
+ SUBMIT After registering, participants are asked to submit a short story or novel excerpt of up to 5000 words by no later than 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 28. 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: “SHANBHAG LANG WORKSHOP MSS.” Please use standard formatting (1” margins, double-spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman). *Word docs (ideally) or PDFs only, please.
+ 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, May 4, 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 May 17. *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.)
Maya Shanbhag Lang is the author of What We Carry, named a New York Times Editor's Pick, an Amazon Best Memoir of 2020, and featured on several "Must Read/Best Of" lists, including Bustle, BookRiot, Parade, Bookshop, PopSugar, and Times of India. Lang is also the author of The Sixteenth of June, longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and called one of the summer's best reads by CBS and InStyle. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and others. Winner of the Neil Shepard Prize in Fiction, she holds a PhD in Comparative Literature.
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 April 26 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