A 1-Day Fiction Workshop
Saturday, April 5, 10 AM - 4 PM
Time is central to narrative storytelling. Change—the engine of all writing—occurs over time. A scene captures a specific moment. Pace is inextricably linked to tone and emotion, and shifting pace is one of the essential ways a story gains texture and dynamism. And yet time on the page is wonderfully liquid. Centuries can pass in a sentence; a moment can expand to fill stories, chapters, and whole books.
And so one of the writer’s most important jobs is the management of time. Some large structural choices are obvious: When does this story start? How much time does it cover? When does it end? But nearly every sentence presents choices about time. A character falls down—do we represent that in a clause or a paragraph or a novella? A character falls in love—do we represent that in a clause or a paragraph or a novella? When do we leap over time, summarizing or eliding altogether? How do we do that? Why do some stories seem to drag even if much is happening? Why do some moments feel rushed, breaking the suspension of disbelief simply through poor management of time?
Workshop participants will consider these questions, looking at a variety of excerpts to consider how different writers manage time; how they compress or expand certain moments; and how pace informs style, tone, and emotion. Participants will also look at excerpts of their own in-progress work to discuss their own management of time and how it supports and fits with the stories and moments they want to explore.
+ SUBMIT After registering, participants are asked to submit a manuscript (a novel or story excerpt preferably covering a stretch of time that is dynamic or difficult or transitional) of up to 1,000 words by 9:00 a.m. on March 30. Please email the manuscript as an attachment (Word files are preferred, but PDFs are acceptable) to programs@mainewriters.org with the subject line: “MERRILL 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).
$120 Members/$175 Nonmembers
Judson Merrill grew up in Maine, studied literature and writing at Brown University, and received his MFA from Brooklyn College. He has taught writing at Brooklyn College, the University of Southern Maine, and a number of conferences, workshops, and seminars. 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.
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 programs@mainewriters.org.
REGISTER BY PHONE
Call 207-200-7180 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. Email programs@mainewriters.org to see if the scholarship is still available. Application Due by March 17 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