A 5-Week Nonfiction Workshop
Wednesdays, September 30 - October 28, 6-9 PM
The best science and nature writing helps us to unlock the mysteries of the world, while making sense of our place in it. Fueled by our curiosities and informed by contemporary and historical research, effective science writing goes beyond translating jargon to finding untold stories with characters that captivate. Why do fireflies flash in unison? How does a 5-ounce sandpiper migrate 10,000 miles every year? Why did a pod of killer whales start wearing salmon as "hats?" What do we know about the science behind these phenomena, and why does it matter?
In this five-week workshop, participants will read, discuss, and reverse engineer powerful examples of science and nature writing, learn to identify newsworthy story ideas, find credible sources and research material, practice the art of the interview, and craft compelling pitches for editors. Students will receive writing prompts for in-class exercises and will have the opportunity to workshop their own science and nature essays and articles. By the end of the course, students will have developed up to three polished story pitches, a list of target publications, and a draft of an essay or feature article on a science or nature topic of their choosing.
$275 Members/$355 Nonmembers
Alix Morris is a science writer and environmental journalist based in Portland, Maine. Her work has appeared in the Boston Globe Magazine, Smithsonian, Sierra Magazine, MIT Technology Review, Down East Magazine, and elsewhere, and she has graduate degrees in science writing from MIT and global health from Johns Hopkins. She is the author of the narrative nonfiction book, A Year with the Seals (Algonquin Books/Hachette Book Group, 2025), which was supported by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and received the Maine Literary Award for Nonfiction.
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED
All MWPA workshops require advanced registration. We accept registration by phone, mail, and online via our website. We cannot guarantee registration in the final 24-hours before a workshop, and can rarely accommodate day-of registration.
PAYMENT & CANCELLATION POLICIES
If you need to withdraw from a class after registering for any reason, please email or call the MWPA immediately. You may be eligible for a partial refund or credit, depending on how far in advance you cancel. → MORE INFORMATION
QUESTIONS
For any questions regarding this workshop, please contact programs@mainewriters.org.
REGISTER BY PHONE
Call 207-200-7180 and register with your VISA or MasterCard.
REGISTER BY MAIL
If you prefer to pay by mail, please print this registration form (downloadable PDF) and mail it to the MWPA with a check or credit card information.
SCHOLARSHIP
The MWPA is proud to offer one partial scholarship to this workshop for members-only. Scholarships are awarded on a combination of need and merit. Application Due two weeks prior to the workshop start date, at 9:00 a.m.
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MWPA WORKSHOP POLICIES
Registration in any MWPA workshop, program, or event constitutes your agreement to our terms and conditions. → MORE INFORMATION