Class Description

You have a rough draft of a novel -- amazing! Now what? In this class we will tackle revisions head-on by workshopping one another's writing, and through mini craft lessons inspired by the pages turned in that week. We'll address craft elements like point of view, dialogue, plotting, suspense and tension, voice, setting, nailing beginnings and endings, and more, as well as how to handle the scope of revisions without losing the forest for the trees (or your mind). Each week two writers will turn in up to 25 pages each, which will be read by the group ahead of time and discussed during class. The instructor will moderate the discussion and will give mini craft talks and may assign short readings as needed. Students will be expected to come to class having read the work for that week, and will be expected to provide written and verbal comments to both of that week's presenters. The instructor will provide both written and verbal feedback. Writers will leave the class with a clearer plan for revising their novel or stories, as well as a better understanding of various craft elements that they can then use to improve their work. Limited to 8 writers. PRE-CLASS WORK: Two students' work will be emailed to the group prior to the first class, and students are expected to come the first week having read the assignments, and should be prepared to discuss them in class. IMPORTANT: This class is intended for students who have a completed full draft of a novel (any genre) or short story collection, so they shouldn't be scrambling to complete pages each week. Writers will be expected to read roughly 50 pages of student work each week and provide roughly a page of written feedback for each submission, as well as be able to speak about each piece in class. WORKSHOP METHOD: Each writer in the group speaks for 5-6 minutes, beginning with what they think works well in the piece, then noting what may not be working as well. The goal of feedback is to identify areas for improvement, not to tear one another down. Workshopping will be civil, uplifting, and generative, and the instructor will closely moderate the discussion and will curb any discussions that are overly negative, overly prescriptive, or unhelpful. ELIZABETH GONZALEZ JAMES is a screenwriter and author of the novels, Mona at Sea and The Bullet Swallower, as well as the chapbook, Five Conversations About Peter Sellers. Originally from South Texas, Elizabeth now lives with her family in Massachusetts.