WRITERS’ MILL WORKSHOPS: SUMMER 2010

To apply, please send a short sample of your writing and a few sentences about why you want to take the class to: workshops@writersmill.org

· Fiction and Memoir
Real or imagined, historic or fictional, a story is still a story.  In this workshop we will focus on the elements of craft that are shared by fiction and memoir including character, narrative voice, and scene.  We will do short weekly assignments inspired by published writing and in-class writing exercises designed for writers in all stages of their work. 
6-week session will meet on Monday evenings from 7-9 beginning on June 21 $190. Apply now!

 

· Poetry
Sound, shape, image, idea: These are the raw materials. Attention, courage, community: These are the mortar, the binding substance. In this workshop we will engage in the precise science and the chaotic art of making poems. In a supportive environment, we will write and share new work, read a wide variety of published poems, and experiment with a number of different poetic styles. We will surprise ourselves with the architecture we uncover.
6-week session will meet on Tuesday evenings from 7-9 beginning on June 22 $190. Apply now!

ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS

· The Next Step: How to Find an Agent and Sell your Book
You've written a manuscript or you have a fully fleshed-out concept...now what? Find out how to find an agent, write a query letter, and create a proposal that will sell to a publisher. We will also discuss the ever-growing fields of self- and E-publishing.
Saturday, July 17, 9:30 am -1:30 pm. $55.00 Apply now!

· Manuscript Mechanics
A one-day workshop designed to help you take a broad look at your fiction or memoir manuscript.  The instructor will read participants' manuscripts in advance (up to 75 pages) and then design workshop exercises that will help writers tune up their prose and figure out where their stories are going next.
Saturday, September 11, 9:30 am - 1 pm. Apply now!

· Stories from the Shuttered Room:  A Workshop for Mothers Who Write
WORKSHOP CLOSED
If you are a mother you have a story to tell.  So take a one-day break from lacing snow boots and hanging wet mittens to sit by the fire and write.  During this workshop with instructor and mother Erin White you will read the work of published authors, listen to the work of other mother writers, and engage with writing exercises that will help you learn how to turn your mother anecdotes and memories into narrative.
The Remington Lodge in West Cummington, MA. $40 ($25 for members of The Cummington Family Center)

 

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO APPLY:

Email us at workshops@writersmill.org

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INSTRUCTORS

Heather Abel received her MFA from the New School University in New York City, where she has been teaching writing for the past six years. Her essays have been published in the Los Angeles Times, the anthology The Friend Who Got Away, and elsewhere, and she is currently finishing a novel.

 

Lisa Papademetriou is the author of numerous books for young readers, from picture books to literary novels for young adults. Her titles include Prilla’s Prize (a Book Sense pick), Sixth-Grade Glommers, Norks, and Me (a Family Fun Best Book of the Year), and the New York Times bestselling Rani In the Mermaid Lagoon. Lisa has worked in an editorial capacity at Scholastic, HarperCollins Publishers, and Disney Press. Her most recent work is Accidentally Fabulous, a four-book series for Scholastic. For more of Lisa's titles and reviews, check out her website: www.lisapapa.com

Erin White received her MFA in creative writing from the University of Massachusetts where she taught writing for 3 years.   Her work has appeared in Creative Nonfiction, Passionfruit, Babble, Literary Mama, and elsewhere.  You can see her work at her personal website, hatchedbytwochicks.com

 

Lesley Yalen received her MFA from the University of Massachusetts where she taught writing for five years. Her poetry and fiction have been published in The Denver Quarterly, jubliat, GlitterPony, and webConjunctions. Her chapbook, This Elizabeth, is available from Minus House Press. You can read about her work as a freelance writer and editor at openquote.wordpress.com.

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TESTIMONIALS

 

“Writers’ Mill Workshops offered me a wonderful, safe environment to develop creative writing techniques that I look forward to developing in my future writing."

 

“The workshop introduced me to lots of creative, easy-to-implement strategies that will allow me to hone my craft. We all confront writers' block at some point, and I know that my WMW experience has helped me develop strategies for working through those challenging stretches."

 

"The critical feedback I received from my workshop instructor and peers was first-rate. I also received ample opportunities to critique others' work. The Writers’ Mill Workshops offered a truly collaborative learning experience."

 

"The class was wonderful, something to look forward to each week.  It got me more engaged with my own creative process.  As a teacher myself, I really appreciated Erin's pedagogical style.  She created a low-pressure but lively, engaging environment in which to learn about the craft of writing fiction.  She encouraged us and reflected our strengths to us, while also challenging us to think in new ways about our own work.  She modeled effective ways to give feedback on each other's work as well.  I think she opened doors for all of us. I learned to think about point-of-view and voice differently, and I feel that my project has become stronger and clearer since the workshop.  The reading at the end of the 9 weeks was a great way to create a sense of closure and accomplishment.  And the snacks were top-notch."

 

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