Thursday, January 20, 2011
WEEKEND SEMINAR ON REVISING FICTION
Saturday-Sunday, January 29-30th, 10:00am-5:00pm at Grub Street headquarters. www.grubstreet.org
You have a story or stories (or novel) that's not quite working, or that's very good but not quite good enough, or that keeps getting narrowly rejected. Whatever the case, you've lost perspective on it, but you know it needs revision – macro, micro or both. This weekend, get macro revision tips on Saturday, and then come back on Sunday for tips on line-editing and style. Or just pick one workshop or the other.
Saturday: Revision is a process that many writers find frustrating. Once you have a first or second draft of a story, what happens next? How do you follow through on the ideas your workshop suggested? How do you add depth to characters? How do you make the structure more direct? This workshop will teach a few basic concepts of revision that will help you address these issues, in addition to suggesting concrete techniques you can apply to stories at home. IMPORTANT: Students enrolling in this class will be required to bring a draft of a story in progress. Your story will serve as a frame of reference for the seminar's discussion and exercises.
Sunday: You've got the story down--now, it's time to fine-tune the language. Line editing your own work is one of your most difficult tasks, but it's also one of the most important: even a single word can create mood, reveal character, or signal a shift in understanding. In this one-day workshop, we'll step beyond proofreading to the nitty-gritty of language-level revision. Through published examples and exercises, we'll examine word choice, rhythm, and even paragraph breaks to make language work with your story. We'll also learn to identify--and correct--language "glitches" that wake the reader from your vivid and continuous dream. Towards the end of the workshop, you'll turn your newly critical eye on some of your own work, so please bring a copy of a story or essay you'd like to start polishing. Open to both fiction and nonfiction writers.
You have a story or stories (or novel) that's not quite working, or that's very good but not quite good enough, or that keeps getting narrowly rejected. Whatever the case, you've lost perspective on it, but you know it needs revision – macro, micro or both. This weekend, get macro revision tips on Saturday, and then come back on Sunday for tips on line-editing and style. Or just pick one workshop or the other.
Saturday: Revision is a process that many writers find frustrating. Once you have a first or second draft of a story, what happens next? How do you follow through on the ideas your workshop suggested? How do you add depth to characters? How do you make the structure more direct? This workshop will teach a few basic concepts of revision that will help you address these issues, in addition to suggesting concrete techniques you can apply to stories at home. IMPORTANT: Students enrolling in this class will be required to bring a draft of a story in progress. Your story will serve as a frame of reference for the seminar's discussion and exercises.
Sunday: You've got the story down--now, it's time to fine-tune the language. Line editing your own work is one of your most difficult tasks, but it's also one of the most important: even a single word can create mood, reveal character, or signal a shift in understanding. In this one-day workshop, we'll step beyond proofreading to the nitty-gritty of language-level revision. Through published examples and exercises, we'll examine word choice, rhythm, and even paragraph breaks to make language work with your story. We'll also learn to identify--and correct--language "glitches" that wake the reader from your vivid and continuous dream. Towards the end of the workshop, you'll turn your newly critical eye on some of your own work, so please bring a copy of a story or essay you'd like to start polishing. Open to both fiction and nonfiction writers.
Click HERE to view the Premium Art Deadlines List.
