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Speakeasy Workshop: Reading Like A Writer

Wednesdays September 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th join me to learn to read like a writer. In this discussion- and lecture-based class, we’ll use short assigned texts to become stronger and more engaging writers. This workshop has four sessions.

We tend to read as readers and then write as writers, missing out on many of the craft lessons we could be learning from the stories, novels, and memoirs we love. You might pause to admire a great line, but when was the last time you took apart an author’s structure, or charted out their use of tension, or examined their scenes as units?

In this four-week class, we’ll use short assigned texts as jumping-off points for craft talks about scene structure, summary and exposition, character interiority and exteriority, and stakes. Most importantly, we’ll learn how to read (and even watch movies) for craft so that we’ll never run out of free writing education.

Class meetings will be discussion-and-lecture based; this is not a workshop class. Students will have access to an exclusive community to continue the discussion outside of class time, sharing reading notes and recommendations.

Course Info: Wednesdays | Sep 8 – Sep 29 | 5pm PT / 8pm ET| 90 min | Limited to 20 participants
Price: $400.00 for all four sessions: September 8, September 15, September 22, September 29, 2021

on May 19 2021· Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Lighthouse Lit Fest: Interiority Complex

The great advantage of prose (over theater, film, and life) is that we’re privy to characters’ interior states. But how can a writer get thoughts and emotions across, other than by stating them flat-out or by updating us constantly on breathing and heart rate? We’ll explore ways to use tangent, gesture, backstory, action, association, and more to give characters a rich internal life without resorting to the old cardiopulmonary check-in.

This class accommodates 25+ writers.

on May 18 2021· Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

Lighthouse Lit Fest Advanced Weeklong Fiction Workshop: The Arc Of Story, The Architecture Of Plot With Rebecca Makkai

No one’s ever going to force you to write a traditional plot arc, but the tools of narrative momentum—cause and effect, development, change, stakes, suspense—should be in every writer’s tool kit, if only so we know what to rebel against. We’ll workshop student fiction in this light—focusing on arc, on shape, on plot or the intentional lack thereof—asking, in every case, what moves the story along, and how it earns and keeps its audience.

Accepted participants will submit up to 20 pages of fiction by May 10, either a complete short story or a section of a novel, and will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with Rebecca during the week of class.

Priority applications for Lit Fest Advanced Workshops close at midnight MT on March 13. Accepted applicants will be notified and able to register for this workshop in early April. Apply here and learn more about Lit Fest here.

 

START DATE: Mon, Jun 07, 2021 | 9:00am – 11:30am MDT
END DATE: Fri, Jun 11, 2021 | 9:00am – 11:30am MDT
VENUE: Zoom: Remote Participation
LEVEL: Advanced

on May 18 2021· Tagged: , , , , ,

Hugo House Workshop: “Blind Date”

This brainstorming workshop will explore the alchemy of combining seemingly disparate concepts into one narrative. We’ll each take our own unused, unloved ideas and, after we discuss the fine art of narrative matchmaking, set them up together for a lifetime of happiness—or at least a few paragraphs of fun. In addition to something to write with, bring whatever notebook or computer file contains your miscellaneous ideas. You’ll leave with the makings of several new pieces.

Due to COVID-19, all classes will take place online-either through Zoom or through Wet Ink, Hugo House’s asynchronous learning platform.

Member Price: $135

Non-Member Price: $150

Minimum Class Size: 10 / Maximum Class Size: 20

on May 17 2021· Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Speakeasy Workshop: This Will Be Character-Building

Join Rebecca Makkai for an intimate workshop designed to help you write an original short story or the first chapter of a novel or memoir — or to continue work on one in progress. In each session, Rebecca will teach a different aspect of writing craft: backstory, motivation, dialogue, and character evolution. This event has four sessions.

E. M. Forster wrote that “incident springs out of character, and having occurred it alters that character.” How do we create characters who will both cause interesting things to happen and be changed by their world? How do we get a whole lifetime across without an awkward backstory dump? What differences should we consider when crafting characters for novels versus short stories? How can a memoirist get real-life characters onto the page?

This workshop is designed to help participants write an original short story or the first chapter of a novel or memoir — or to continue work on one in progress. Participants will work on their projects outside of the workshop sessions.

In each session, Rebecca will teach a different aspect of writing craft. (In our four sessions, we’ll focus on backstory, motivation, dialogue, and character evolution.) There will be discussion of what we’re writing and what we’re reading, but sessions will primarily focus on Rebecca’s craft lessons. Because you won’t be workshopping each other, this class will be a friendly and challenging learning environment for writers at all levels of education and experience.

?After the fourth session, participants will submit their projects (no more than 12 pages) to Rebecca, and she will provide feedback to each person in the form of a marked-up manuscript and a brief feedback letter.

Details
Mondays: April 5 – April 26, 2021
5pm PT / 8pm ET – 90 min
Limited to 15 participants
$500.00 for all four sessions

Code of Conduct

We look forward to building an inclusive, supportive community of writers during our workshop and will not tolerate racist, sexist, or homophobic views. By signing up for this workshop, you’re agreeing to uphold these norms. Though we don’t expect this to happen, if someone violates these norms, they will be removed from the workshop without a refund.

Written feedback from Rebecca is contingent on the writing sample you submit being coherent. You don’t need to be an experienced (or published!) writer by any means, nor do you need to have perfect command of all aspects of English grammar, but your writing should be comprehensible.

on March 3 2021· Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Speakeasy Workshop: This Will Be Character-Building

Join Rebecca Makkai for an intimate workshop designed to help you write an original short story or the first chapter of a novel or memoir — or to continue work on one in progress. In each session, Rebecca will teach a different aspect of writing craft: backstory, motivation, dialogue, and character evolution. This event has four sessions.

E. M. Forster wrote that “incident springs out of character, and having occurred it alters that character.” How do we create characters who will both cause interesting things to happen and be changed by their world? How do we get a whole lifetime across without an awkward backstory dump? What differences should we consider when crafting characters for novels versus short stories? How can a memoirist get real-life characters onto the page?

This workshop is designed to help participants write an original short story or the first chapter of a novel or memoir — or to continue work on one in progress. Participants will work on their projects outside of the workshop sessions.

In each session, Rebecca will teach a different aspect of writing craft. (In our four sessions, we’ll focus on backstory, motivation, dialogue, and character evolution.) There will be discussion of what we’re writing and what we’re reading, but sessions will primarily focus on Rebecca’s craft lessons. Because you won’t be workshopping each other, this class will be a friendly and challenging learning environment for writers at all levels of education and experience.

?After the fourth session, participants will submit their projects (no more than 12 pages) to Rebecca, and she will provide feedback to each person in the form of a marked-up manuscript and a brief feedback letter.

Details
Mondays: April 5 – April 26, 2021
5pm PT / 8pm ET – 90 min
Limited to 15 participants
$500.00 for all four sessions

Code of Conduct

We look forward to building an inclusive, supportive community of writers during our workshop and will not tolerate racist, sexist, or homophobic views. By signing up for this workshop, you’re agreeing to uphold these norms. Though we don’t expect this to happen, if someone violates these norms, they will be removed from the workshop without a refund.

Written feedback from Rebecca is contingent on the writing sample you submit being coherent. You don’t need to be an experienced (or published!) writer by any means, nor do you need to have perfect command of all aspects of English grammar, but your writing should be comprehensible.

on March 3 2021· Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Speakeasy Workshop: This Will Be Character Building

Join Rebecca Makkai for an intimate workshop designed to help you write an original short story or the first chapter of a novel or memoir — or to continue work on one in progress. In each session, Rebecca will teach a different aspect of writing craft: backstory, motivation, dialogue, and character evolution. This event has four sessions.

E. M. Forster wrote that “incident springs out of character, and having occurred it alters that character.” How do we create characters who will both cause interesting things to happen and be changed by their world? How do we get a whole lifetime across without an awkward backstory dump? What differences should we consider when crafting characters for novels versus short stories? How can a memoirist get real-life characters onto the page?

This workshop is designed to help participants write an original short story or the first chapter of a novel or memoir — or to continue work on one in progress. Participants will work on their projects outside of the workshop sessions.

In each session, Rebecca will teach a different aspect of writing craft. (In our four sessions, we’ll focus on backstory, motivation, dialogue, and character evolution.) There will be discussion of what we’re writing and what we’re reading, but sessions will primarily focus on Rebecca’s craft lessons. Because you won’t be workshopping each other, this class will be a friendly and challenging learning environment for writers at all levels of education and experience.

?After the fourth session, participants will submit their projects (no more than 12 pages) to Rebecca, and she will provide feedback to each person in the form of a marked-up manuscript and a brief feedback letter.

Details
Mondays: April 5 – April 26, 2021
5pm PT / 8pm ET – 90 min
Limited to 15 participants
$500.00 for all four sessions

Code of Conduct

We look forward to building an inclusive, supportive community of writers during our workshop and will not tolerate racist, sexist, or homophobic views. By signing up for this workshop, you’re agreeing to uphold these norms. Though we don’t expect this to happen, if someone violates these norms, they will be removed from the workshop without a refund.

Written feedback from Rebecca is contingent on the writing sample you submit being coherent. You don’t need to be an experienced (or published!) writer by any means, nor do you need to have perfect command of all aspects of English grammar, but your writing should be comprehensible.

on March 3 2021· Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Speakeasy Workshop: This Will Be Character-Building

Join Rebecca Makkai for an intimate workshop designed to help you write an original short story or the first chapter of a novel or memoir — or to continue work on one in progress. In each session, Rebecca will teach a different aspect of writing craft: backstory, motivation, dialogue, and character evolution. This event has four sessions.

E. M. Forster wrote that “incident springs out of character, and having occurred it alters that character.” How do we create characters who will both cause interesting things to happen and be changed by their world? How do we get a whole lifetime across without an awkward backstory dump? What differences should we consider when crafting characters for novels versus short stories? How can a memoirist get real-life characters onto the page?

This workshop is designed to help participants write an original short story or the first chapter of a novel or memoir — or to continue work on one in progress. Participants will work on their projects outside of the workshop sessions.

In each session, Rebecca will teach a different aspect of writing craft. (In our four sessions, we’ll focus on backstory, motivation, dialogue, and character evolution.) There will be discussion of what we’re writing and what we’re reading, but sessions will primarily focus on Rebecca’s craft lessons. Because you won’t be workshopping each other, this class will be a friendly and challenging learning environment for writers at all levels of education and experience.

?After the fourth session, participants will submit their projects (no more than 12 pages) to Rebecca, and she will provide feedback to each person in the form of a marked-up manuscript and a brief feedback letter.

Details
Mondays: April 5 – April 26, 2021
5pm PT / 8pm ET – 90 min
Limited to 15 participants
$500.00 for all four sessions

Code of Conduct

We look forward to building an inclusive, supportive community of writers during our workshop and will not tolerate racist, sexist, or homophobic views. By signing up for this workshop, you’re agreeing to uphold these norms. Though we don’t expect this to happen, if someone violates these norms, they will be removed from the workshop without a refund.

Written feedback from Rebecca is contingent on the writing sample you submit being coherent. You don’t need to be an experienced (or published!) writer by any means, nor do you need to have perfect command of all aspects of English grammar, but your writing should be comprehensible.

on March 3 2021· Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Speakeasy Workshop: Chutes and Ladders: Four Pitfalls (and Solutions!) for Writing Prose

Mondays, February 1st, 8th, 15th, & 22nd, 5-8:00pm PT / 8-11:00pm ET

Join me for another digital workshop this February with Speakeasy!

Most obstacles to writing are not psychological (writers’ block is a myth!) but structural. In narrative fiction, it’s plot — cause and effect, development, change, suspense — that propels us forward. And yet these things don’t happen by accident. There are common missteps that will tank a story or novel in its earliest pages, and there are architectural solutions that will get us out of those traps.

This workshop is designed to help participants write an original short story or the first chapter of a novel. Participants will work on their projects outside of the workshop sessions. In each session, Rebecca will teach a different aspect of writing craft. (In our four sessions, we’ll focus on story arc, scene shape, momentum, and stakes.) Some participants might share relevant parts of their projects during these sessions to get feedback from Rebecca and the group, but these sessions will primarily focus on Rebecca’s craft lessons.?

After the fourth session, participants will submit their projects (no more than 12 pages) to Rebecca, and she will provide feedback to each person in the form of a marked-up manuscript and a brief feedback letter. Written feedback from Rebecca is contingent on the writing sample you submit being coherent. You don’t need to be an experienced (or published!) writer by any means, nor do you need to have perfect command of all aspects of English grammar, but your writing should be comprehensible.

Code of Conduct 

We look forward to building an inclusive, supportive community of writers during our workshop and will not tolerate racist, sexist, or homophobic views. By signing up for this workshop, you’re agreeing to uphold these norms. Though we don’t expect this to happen, if someone violates these norms, they will be removed from the workshop without a refund.

on January 12 2021· Tagged: , , ,

Speakeasy Workshop: Chutes and Ladders: Four Pitfalls (and Solutions!) for Writing Prose

Tuesdays, December 1st, 8th, 15th, & 22nd, 5-6:30pm PT / 8-9:30pm ET

Join me for a digital workshop this December with Speakeasy!

Most obstacles to writing are not psychological (writers’ block is a myth!) but structural. In narrative fiction, it’s plot — cause and effect, development, change, suspense — that propels us forward. And yet these things don’t happen by accident. There are common missteps that will tank a story or novel in its earliest pages, and there are architectural solutions that will get us out of those traps.

This workshop is designed to help participants write an original short story or the first chapter of a novel. Participants will work on their projects outside of the workshop sessions. In each session, Rebecca will teach a different aspect of writing craft. (In our four sessions, we’ll focus on story arc, scene shape, momentum, and stakes.) Some participants might share relevant parts of their projects during these sessions to get feedback from Rebecca and the group, but these sessions will primarily focus on Rebecca’s craft lessons.?

After the fourth session, participants will submit their projects (no more than 12 pages) to Rebecca, and she will provide feedback to each person in the form of a marked-up manuscript and a brief feedback letter. Written feedback from Rebecca is contingent on the writing sample you submit being coherent. You don’t need to be an experienced (or published!) writer by any means, nor do you need to have perfect command of all aspects of English grammar, but your writing should be comprehensible.

?

Code of Conduct 

We look forward to building an inclusive, supportive community of writers during our workshop and will not tolerate racist, sexist, or homophobic views. By signing up for this workshop, you’re agreeing to uphold these norms. Though we don’t expect this to happen, if someone violates these norms, they will be removed from the workshop without a refund.

on November 5 2020· Tagged: , , ,

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