This workshop is full. To be added to the waitlist, email Meghan at programs@mainewriters.org.
A 2 Day Memoir Intensive
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 5 & SATURDAY FEBRUARY 12
Level: Advanced
Getting inside the stories and sentences of another writer, trying to determine what works and what needs adjustment, is one of the best ways to improve our own writing. The rewards of this workshop will be twofold: the insights you’ll receive on your manuscript from others, as well as those derived from engaging in a supportive critiquing process.
This workshop is geared for authors who are ready to take their personal narrative to the next level. Two weeks prior, each participant will submit an essay or excerpt from a work in progress. Everyone will then receive two manuscripts to fully mark up, based on provided guidelines. At the time of the first session, participants will receive a half hour of floor time, starting with a reading of their submitted piece of writing. The two assigned readers will then lead the critique (again, based on provided guidelines), with the instructor facilitating. In the week interim, participants will have the chance to revise their piece or generate a new one. During the second session, each will have the same chance to share that new/revised work and receive critiques. Any remaining time will be used for airing writing concerns, questions, or quandaries.
+ SUBMIT After registering, participants are asked to submit either an essay or a 5 page excerpt from a work in progress by no later than 9:00 a.m. on Thursday January 27 . Please take this deadline seriously as late submissions likely cannot be accepted. Also, please include a statement as to where you are in your process (for example: just starting, stalled, looking to expand, ready for publication) and what you hope to get out of the class Please email the manuscript to programs@mainewriters.org with the subject line: “PEAVEY WORKSHOP MSS.” *Please use standard formatting (1” margins, 12 pt font), and Word docs (ideally) or PDFs only.
+ PLEASE NOTE This workshop will occur online via 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 Thursday, February 3 from 5:30pm to 6:00pm, MWPA staff will offer a tech help session on Zoom. Students are encouraged to attend the tech help session, which usually takes only 5-10 minutes, if they have any tech concerns, use Zoom infrequently, or simply would like to test their connection, 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.
Elizabeth Peavey has been teaching memoir and personal narrative for MWPA since the days of quill and parchment. She is the author three books and countless print columns and features, including for Down East magazine, where she is a contributing editor. Her one-woman show, My Mother’s Clothes Are Not My Mother, ran for six years and received the Maine Literary Award for Best Drama. She has conducted personal narrative workshops for Bay Path University and Stonecoast's MFA programs, as well as for new Mainers, prison inmates, an online elders group, and middle school boys, among others. She is a frequent keynote and guest lecturer at conferences and schools, and she provides communications training – with an emphasis on story – to institutions and organizations in fields ranging from finance and health, to the arts, education, and advocacy.
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.
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 Meghan Sterling at programs@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.
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 27th 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