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The Telling Matters

A 2 Week Fiction Workshop

Thursdays, March 2nd and March 9th

LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED

In storytelling, the telling matters as much as the story. A barnburner of a story will not hold readers’ interest if the voice telling that story is inconsistent, flat, or a poor match for its subject. On the other hand, readers will happily spend time with a compelling voice—bold or subtle—if it is well-crafted, coherent, and matched to its material. Voice also emerges from page one, before it’s clear if the plot is going to sing or the characters shine. Because it provides such a quick measure of a writer’s skill and control, readers, publishers, and agents all rely heavily on voice when they’re deciding whether to read on.

Ultimately, a writer’s ability to craft a clear, coherent, and compelling voice comes down to how deftly she creates a variety of sentences. The differences between any two narrative voices are differences of diction and syntax, usage and grammar. It is no accident that the word “style,” when applied to prose, can serve as both a general term for the tenets of writing well (e.g., a style guide) or to the distinct voice of an individual writer or work (e.g., Toni Morrison’s style).

Participants will explore the strong connection between these two meanings of the word “style,” discussing the fundamentals of effective prose and looking at excerpts by writers such as Morrison, David Mitchell, Kurt Vonnegut, Elif Batuman, David Foster Wallace, Angela Carter, Lorrie Moore, and Rebecca Curtis to consider how technical proficiency allows the creation and control of narrative voice.

 + 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 23rd, 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.


Judson Merrill grew up in Maine, studied literature and writing at Brown University, and received his MFA from Brooklyn College, where he also taught writing for several years. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Iowa Review, Chicago Review, The Massachusetts Review, The Southampton Review, Unstuck, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and other publications. He has been an Artist in Residence at Millay Colony, Ox-Bow, Lighthouse Works, Guild Hall, and Hewnoaks. He now teaches at the University of Southern Maine.


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 partial scholarship to this workshop for members-only. Scholarships are awarded on a combination of need and merit. Application Due on February 16th at 9:00 a.m.
→ MORE INFORMATION

MWPA WORKSHOP POLICIES
Registration in any MWPA workshop, program, or event constitutes your agreement to our terms and conditions. → MORE INFORMATION