The Writers Workshop

A writer writes' is the universal mantra of the writing life, but one of the critical steps in developing a work in progress is getting constructive feedback. Unfortunately, all too often, a writer ends up disappointed because the feedback received is superficial, too polite, or little more than proofreading. This course teaches students to workshop in a meaningful way, responding to content, focus, coherence, and organizational issues. Students learn to elicit more feedback from their workshop colleagues, demonstrating the relationship between reader and writer. The class will explore a variety of genres, and each student produces short exercises and longer projects that demonstrate a grasp of various aspects of the writing craft. Periodically, guest authors with different writing specialties join the class to discuss the writing experience and shed light on the workshop process.