Join a Workshop!
Workshops:
Fiction Workshop
Location: Nichole's House
This workshop is for both new and experienced fiction writers. Authors at all stages of the prose composition process are encouraged to join.
Upcoming: None scheduled at this time. Check back later!
Poetry Workshop
Location: Nichole's House
This workshop is designed for both new and experienced poets, and focuses on the techniques and challenges of writing poetry in particular.
Upcoming: None scheduled at this time. Check back later!
Genre Workshop
Location: Nichole's House
This workshop is held periodically to discuss the creation of genre based fiction. The workshop is held when enough group members express an interest in exploring the nuances of a particular genre to hold the workshop. Popular genres include science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and romance.
Upcoming: None scheduled at this time. Check back later!
Women's Workshop
Location: Nichole's House
This workshop is designed for women who feel that their work would benefit from the careful, close reading of their female peers. These sessions are open to both men and women, but will principally focus on women's writing.
Upcoming: None scheduled at this time. Check back later!
Workshop Philosophy:
All workshops are meant to be communal exercises in close reading, and aim to benefit both the author whose work is being discussed, and the group doing the discussing. It is through the close reading of the works of our peers that we learn the most about our own writing. All types of writing are welcome; including genre fiction, with the exception of writing that qualifies as hate speech.
Goals of the Workshop:
- To help the author understand his or her piece better. After workshop, the author should be equipped to dig deeper into the psychology of characters, to close plot loop holes, and to clarify ambiguous passages. Ideally, the group will also be able to answer any questions that the author may have about his or her work and to provide suggestions for future development of the piece
- To help members of the group to understand, through the practice of critical reading, how to evaluate and expand their own work
- To hold one another accountable as writers, thereby encouraging members to write frequently and with passion
General Workshop Format:
Workshops last for 90-120 minutes, depending on the length of the piece being workshopped and the schedules of the members. Each session begins with one or two writing exercises, followed by a discussion of the piece being workshopped. One member of the group acts as group leader throughout the workshop, and guides the discussion. Each group member will have the opportunity to be the Workshop Leader (unless they don't want to). At the beginning of each session, the author will have the opportunity to explain the reason he or she chose the particular piece he or she submitted for workshop, and to discuss any particular issues or questions he or she would like the group to consider during the workshop.
If your piece is being workshopped for the next session, you will email it to the group members the day after the workshop meets. If you are submitting an excerpt of a longer work for review, please provide the group with a short explanation detailing any important contextual details that they will need to understand the piece.
Workshop submissions should be 10-20 pages of prose, or 3-4 poems.
Occasionally, a guest author will be present to give a reading of his or her work, or to lead the workshop and discuss a particular writing technique with the group.
