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The Craft and Ineffable Magic: a 10 Week Fiction Workshop

A 10 Week Fiction Workshop

Mondays, January 23rd—April 3rd

LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED

We learn to write by reading, and one of the most valuable resources out there for helping writers understand both the craft and the ineffable magic of fiction is the Best American Short Stories series. In this class we will read—with care, intent, and a sharp critical eye—selections from the Best American Short Stories 1998, Edited by Garrison Keillor, which is, in the instructor’s opinion, one of the best of the Best.

Everything a writer needs to know is contained in this one slender volume, from the whip-smart dialogue in Lorrie Moore’s “People Like That Are the Only People Here,” to the dreamlike magical realism of Chris Adrian’s “Every Night for a Thousand Years.” Each week participants take apart a story from the BASS 1998 and see what makes it tick, after which they will engage in a writing exercise based on the reading.

 Participants of The Craft & The Ineffable Magic should come prepared to work. Each week, class time will be dedicated to both discussion of reading from the 1998 BASS and group workshopping of participants’ stories. Attendees will be expected to thoroughly and perhaps repeatedly read and take notes on course materials in order to contribute to the discussions.

 Over the ten week course, exercises will include: writing a BAD story with wooden dialogue, unbelievable characters, and syntactical pileups—an exercise that will yield enlightening and, perhaps, surprising results—as well as exercises based on the strongest craft aspects of each story in the BASS 1998—for example, with “People Like That Are the Only People Here” by Lorrie Moore there will be an exercise dedicated to dialogue, and with "Body Language" by Diane Schoemperlen there will be an exercise narrative strategies that eschew the usual specifics like names and personal details, that drive directly at making the particular universal through a sort of anonymity of character.

 Finally, the last class session will be dedicated entirely to a discussion of the practical aspects of publishing: how to submit stories, find an agent, publish and promote a book.       

+ PLEASE NOTE Class will not take place on March 13th, but will pick up the next week on March 20th.                  

+ SUBMIT After registering, participants are asked to submit a manuscript (a novel excerpt) of up to 5,000 words by no later than 9:00 a.m. on January9th. Please email the manuscript as an attachment (Word files are preferred, but PDFs are acceptable) to programs@mainewriters.org with the subject line: “CURRIE WORKSHOP MSS.” Please help MWPA conserve paper by using standard formatting (1” margins, double-spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman) and keeping spacing between sections to a minimum (e.g. no title page). 

 + 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, January 19th 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.


Ron Currie, Jr. was born and raised in Maine, where he still lives. His first book, God is Dead, won the Young Lions Fiction Award from the New York Public Library and the Addison M. Metcalf Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His debut novel, Everything Matters!, has been translated into a dozen languages, and was an Indie Next Pick and Amazon Best selection. Currie’s second novel, Flimsy Little Plastic Miracles, was hailed as his "most grounded work yet and perhaps his darkest" by the New Yorker. His most recent novel is The One-Eyed Man. Currie’s short fiction has appeared in many magazines and anthologies, including Alaska Quarterly Review, The Sun, Ninth Letter, Swink, The Southeast Review, Glimmer Train, Willow Springs, The Cincinnati Review, Harpur Palate, and New Sudden Fiction (W.W. Norton, 2007).


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 Scholarship slot has been filled. The MWPA is proud to offer one partial scholarship to this workshop for members-only.
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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