Fees are listed at the end of each course
description. For further information about Next Level Workshops
or to apply, please contact Barbara
Rogan.
REVISING FICTION
When it comes to publishing fiction, good
isn’t nearly good enough. The market is so competitive that
beginning writers cannot hope to be published, or midlist writers
to continue being published, unless their work is outstanding.
Writers must be able to edit their own work in order to reach
that standard. Yet, despite a plethora of books and courses on
writing fiction, there are almost none on the essential art of
self-editing.
The Next Level Workshop on Revising Fiction is based on a
method developed by Barbara Rogan over the course of 8 novels. It
involves a series of edits, each focusing on a different aspect
of the work. Since there's no point fine-tuning scenes that may
not make the cut, students look at the big-ticket items first:
the arc of the story, where it begins and ends, pacing and
tension. Another session will deal with subplots by reading only
those scenes in which the subplot takes place. Writers will also
consider the themes of their stories, which often emerge at some
point in the writing process, and what can be done to strengthen
and clarify those themes.
The next major item is characterization. Students look at
character arcs by reading only those scenes in which each major
character appears, to ensure the character is constantly
motivated and evolving. Secondary characters are also
scrutinized: Are they doing their jobs, earning their keep?
At that point participants are ready for some fine-tuning. A
separate reading isolates dialogue; another looks at description
and setting. Each scene is evaluated as a thing in itself: Is it
pleasing, is it shapely, does it start and end in appropriate
places, does the ending draw the reader further on? The final
edit (and the only one most unaided writers do) is a
sentence-by-sentence edit for language and style.
Participants must have a finished draft of a novel or a body of
short stories. This can be a first draft or a tenth—the
object in this workshop is to bring your work to the next level,
whatever that level is. Participants undertake to critique their
classmates’ work and will receive critiques from them as
well as from Barbara. Revising Fiction is intensive and requires
a significant commitment of time. But the reward is commensurate
with the effort, for students invariably emerge from this course
with work that is far more polished and coherent than their
previous versions.
Class size is limited to 10, and applicants are asked to submit
writing samples. There are seven sessions in the course, spaced
2-3 weeks apart. Tuition is $700 USD; returning students receive
a 10% discount. Students who enroll but decide that the course is
not right for them can withdraw and receive a refund of the full
tuition less the registration fee, provided they do so within two
weeks of the start date. The next session of this class will
begin in February 2010. To apply, or for additional information,
please contact
Barbara Rogan.
NOVEL WORKSHOP
The Novel Workshop is for writers with at least 25,000
words of a novel written. This course contains no fixed lectures
but lots of critiquing and discussion of craft arising directly
from the participants' work. In each of five sessions,
participants post up to 5000 words to be read and critiqued by
Barbara Rogan and the other writers in the group. Novelists will
be asked to provide synopses of their works-in-progress, and the
workshop will address the overall shape and coherence of each
envisioned work. But the focus of this course will be on the
student’s actual writing, and on the crafting of strong,
effective scenes, because if writers can produce one compelling
scene after another, they can produce stories and
novels.
The critiques in this workshop will be most helpful for writers
who’ve progressed far enough in their stories to have a
good grasp on their characters and plot trajectory. In the
earliest stages of a novel, when it is still largely unformed and
highly malleable, critique can do as much harm as good. But for
writers who are pretty sure of where they want to go with their
stories and just need some help getting there, this workshop will
provide that boost.
Class size is limited to 8, and
applicants will be asked to submit writing samples and short
synopses. There are five sessions in the course, spaced 3 weeks
apart. Tuition is $700 USD; returning students receive a 10%
discount. Students who enroll but decide that the course is not
right for them can withdraw and receive a refund of the full
tuition less the registration fee, provided they do so within two
weeks of the start date. The '09 workshop has just ended, but
the course will be offered again in 2010. To apply, or to be
notified of upcoming courses, pleasecontact Barbara
Rogan.
ONE GOOD SCENE
Whether filmed, staged, or
written, scenes are the basic building blocks of all stories.
Fiction is like a pearl necklace, with a series of scenes strung
on a chain of narrative. Any writer who can write one good scene
after another, choosing the appropriate scenes to tell the story
and ordering them for maximum effect, can produce a creditable
story or novel. Far too often, however, aspiring writers
undertake these longer compositions before mastering the basic
unit: hence this workshop, which focuses on the writing of one
good scene at a time.
All the modes of writing that go into fiction also factor into
the composition of scenes. In this workshop, we focus on each
mode individually, as well as their integration into a seamless,
shapely whole. Topics will include setting, characterization and
motivation, action, conflict, point of view, interior monologue,
structure and style. The final session is devoted to plotting, so
that students can apply what they’ve learned about writing
the scene to a short story or novel.
ONE GOOD SCENE consists of six one-week sessions. Like all
Next Level Workshops, this one is intensive and requires a
significant commitment of time, but since the class is on-line
and asynchronous, the time can be at the student’s
convenience. Participants should be prepared to undertake weekly
writing assignments, peer critiques, and participation in class
discussion. All student work will be critiqued by Barbara as
well.
Class size is limited to 10. Tuition is $350 USD; returning
students receive a 10% discount. Students who enroll but decide
that the course is not right for them can withdraw and receive a
refund of the full tuition less the registration fee, provided
they do so within one week of the start date. The ’09
workshop has ended, but another will be offered in the spring of
2010. To apply, or for additional information, pleasecontact
Barbara Rogan.
Workshops Available:
