Midwest Writers Workshop is formatted into Part I and Part II. The one-day Part I Intensive Sessions are scheduled for Thursday, July 28. These six genre-specific learning sessions are designed for writers serious about pursuing a given genre. You will spend the day with the instructor and other writers who share your interest. The Part I Intensive small-group sessions are limited to small class sizes. They fill up rapidly so respond quickly. The cost for Part I is only $125 and includes lunch.
Part I Intensive Sessions
“Manuscript Makeover” – Dennis Hensley & Holly Miller. This interactive intensive is designed for those fiction and nonfiction writers who are ready to take a quantum leap forward in enhancing their writing skills. Participants will submit the first 10 pages of a manuscript in progress. The instructors will edit and critique these pages and display them (anonymously) to the class as a way of revealing strengths and weaknesses in the material. Additionally, the instructors will lead the students in writing exercises and offer advice on such topics as enhancing dialogue, learning to self-edit, mastering proofreading, finding the right markets for manuscripts and knowing when and how to go into writing full-time. This session is limited to the first 20 people to register. ALL MATERIALS should be appropriately labeled (i.e., LEFT CORNER: your name, address, phone, email; RIGHT CORNER: Manuscript Makeover). Mail the first 10 pages of your manuscript by JUNE 15 to: Jama Bigger (Midwest Writers Workshop), c/o E.B. & Bertha C. Ball Center, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306.
“Literary Fiction, The Art of Flash Fiction” – Lee Martin. What characterizes flash fiction other than brevity? What are the intentions of the form, and how can we best put it to use for the material that we have to shape on the page? This class will consider various approaches to flash fiction and will look at choices that writers make in structure, characterization, detail, point of view, and language in order to successfully practice the form. We’ll perform writing exercises designed to help us generate material and to invite us to work with techniques common to flash fiction. By the end of the sessions, you’ll have a better understanding of the form and when to use it. You’ll also have a few rough drafts to take with you back to your writing rooms for revision, or, who knows, maybe even a finished product ready for submission to an editor.
“Writing the Cozy Mystery Novel” – Julie Hyzy. Ask any writer and he or she will tell you: Ideas are everywhere, it’s turning them into a page-turner that’s tough. From setting the tone, to creating plot twists, to bringing characters to life, to those characters’ climactic do or die moments, writing mysteries is tough, but so much fun. We’ll touch on Point-of-View, playing fair with the reader, setting, pacing, and why readers seem to have an insatiable appetite for crime fiction. We’ll explore what works, what doesn’t, and “rules” (more like “guidelines”) for crafting satisfying tales.
“Writing the Mystery: Idea to Plot to Story” – Terence Faherty. In this interactive session, we’ll start with an idea for a mystery story, develop a well-structured plot, and work on the elements that will build that plot a sellable story. Topics we’ll explore in lectures, discussions, and short assignments include finding a “hook,” plot structure, outlining steps, building conflict, character development, and setting as character.
“Writing Nonfiction: How to Tell the Whole Truth” – Jack Heffron. Whether you’re writing a personal essay, magazine article or nonfiction book, telling the whole truth is easier said than done. In this intensive seminar, writers will gain hands-on experience through exercises and will receive first-hand critiques of their nonfiction work while learning techniques and strategies to take their work to the next level. You’ll focus on the elements of good storytelling as well as on weaving research and real-life experience into dramatic writing that pulls in readers and doesn’t let go.
“YD Double Header: Strategies for Crafting Compelling Young Adult Novels” – Erica O’Rourke. Love triangles are A two-part session that addresses key issues in young adult novels today: creating compelling love triangles and honing your YA voice. There’s no denying that teens love to read about love — and in The Geometry of YA Love Triangles, we’ll talk about how to create one that feels organic and believable, and actually strengthens the story you want to tell. We’ll analyze the construction of different types of love triangles, figure out what makes them successful (and what doesn’t), and look at how you can use a love triangle to further characterization and theme. In the second half of the day, we’ll spend time Stalking the Elusive YA Voice. Editors and agents often talk about the importance of an author’s voice when they’re deciding whether to take on a project. But what is “voice” and how can you tell if yours is the right fit for YA? We’ll look at examples of distinctive voices in YA literature, talk about how it can shape the story you want to tell, and learn some techniques for strengthening your voice — as well as common pitfalls to avoid.
“Poetry: Obstructionism: Finding Freedom in Poetic Restraint” – Kathleen Rooney. Poet Marvin Bell has remarked that “The plain truth is that, except for mistakes that can be checked in the dictionary, almost nothing is right or wrong. Writing poems out of the desire to find a way to be right or wrong is the garden path to dullness.” Through close attention to form, detail, and constraint, this intensive session will do its best to keep your poems from ever being dull. In order to achieve that end, this class will interfere with and re-direct your poetic intentions and drafts. This obstructionist approach—predicated on the idea that a poet can often find the greatest freedom of expression within the strictest of restraints—might, at times, be frustrating. But if you participate with an open mind and strive to cultivate an attitude of flexibility and fun, your willingness to embrace these obstructions will lead you to discoveries—about structure, about content, and about your processes and preoccupations as a reader and writer of poetry.
