A 3-Week Online Fiction & Nonfiction Workshop
Tuesdays, August 6-20, 6-8 PM
This three-part class will explore how different modes of characterization and a more nuanced sense of place add depth and meaning to fiction and nonfiction. We’ll also discuss how these aspects of prose narrative relate to other elements of story: scene writing, summary narration, exposition, & interiority.
Class #1 will focus on how character motivation and desire impact action; using appearance to characterize; and indirect methods of characterization (through a narrator or other characters—critical in nonfiction!).
Class #2 will focus on writing effective dialogue and the different functions of dialogue in scenes.
Class #3 will explore setting, or more accurately, sense of place, which Rebecca Solnit describes as “…the sixth sense, an internal compass and map made by memory and spatial perception together.” Through a series of targeted craft discussions and real-time writing exercises, participants will learn to:
· Develop rich, engaging characters using a variety of approaches.
· Sharpen dialogue writing skills to contribute to character development, reveal emotional subtext, and further the action in a story.
· Create a clear sense of place that grounds your story in a vivid world.
+ PREPARATION: Please plan on submitting two brief (250-word) descriptions prior to the first workshop—one of a character you are working with (we’ll use that term for nonfiction, too!) and one of a setting in the same story. *These will be shared with the group. Selected readings will be sent to participants two weeks prior to the course start date.
+ PLEASE NOTE This workshop will occur ONLINE via Zoom. Students do not need to create an account to participate, but should test out Zoom before their class if they are first-time users. The week of the workshop, students will be emailed a link that they may click to enter the class.
+ REQUIRED EQUIPMENT A reliable, fast internet connection (broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE), speakers & a microphone (built-in or USB plug-in), and a webcam (built-in or USB plug-in).
Writer and editor Tanya Whiton’s fiction is forthcoming in Hypertext, and has recently been
featured in Collateral, CutBank, Fanzine, The Cincinnati Review, and Beer & Weed Magazine. A finalist for the 2019 Tennessee Williams Contest, she won second place in Zoetrope: All Story’s 2017 Short Fiction Contest. A two-time recipient of the Martin Dibner Memorial Fellowship for Maine writers Tanya has also received New England Press Association Awards for her nonfiction work. In 2022, her essay, “For the Winter” was included in Breaking Bread: Essays from New England on Food, Hunger, and Family. And in 2014, with photographer Heidi Killion, she published a collection of travel essays, Two for the Road: Adventures in Maine. She is also the co-writer and an associate producer of the documentary feature THE ZEN SPEAKER: BREAKING THE SILENCE, and is currently adapting Maine author Elizabeth Garber’s memoir, Sailing at the Edge of Disaster, for a limited television series. For more, visit https://www.tanyakwhiton.com/ .
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 Meghan Sterling at programs@mainewriters.org.
REGISTER BY PHONE
Call 207-228-8263 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.
$180 Members/$300 Nonmembers
SCHOLARSHIP
The MWPA is proud to offer one full scholarship to this workshop for members-only. Scholarships are awarded on a combination of need and merit. Email programs@mainewriters.org to see if the scholarship is still available. Application Due by July 23 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