CREATIVE WRITING

Tuition: $425

Welcome to the Creative Writing Workshop. Once again we are offering an updated version of the basic workshop for those who are looking to embark on a new adventure, and also the second-level workshop where the emphasis is on getting into and beyond the “Dreaded Second Draft.”

The Creative Writing Workshop challenges participants to explore the various tactics used in building the skeleton of a well-written piece then fleshing it out with carefully crafted language. Starting with the technical details involved in the selection of Point of View strategies and crafting voices, then to the subtle nuances of subtext and the four different techniques for presenting dialogue, “hands-on” will be emphasized. Writers will be encouraged to use these tools in a learning environment where they are urged to apply them in developing their own approach to story-telling.

The second-level workshop closely focuses on the revision process. Participants should have a completed first draft that is ready to go into fine tuning. Expect challenging questions about just how well you know your own characters, and not just those in principal roles. Every story has an arc, and so does each of the characters. The conflict lies in the intersection of these arcs, and that is where the reader wants the writer to lead them. Many authors find the revision process daunting, but it is the critical step needed to bring the basic story to life, and to prepare it for publication.

While most find working with digital methods to be nothing short of liberating, some prefer working directly to paper. Whatever your preference is, bring it along because being comfortable is the first order of business for effective writing.

Class size is limited to eight, and participants under 18 will need parental permission as some writers pursue adult themes. Both workshops are intended for mature adults, and both are twelve hours spread over five days. All genres are welcome, both fiction and non-fiction.

The scheduling doesn’t work for you? Do not be reluctant to ask.

Bring your laptop, your clay tablet, or whatever your favorite writing tool happens to be. If printing is needed, it can be done at the Lubec Memorial Library, just steps away. The genre of your choice can be explored, in formats from the Flasher to the Epic.

A Word from your Instructor

John Rule

You wake up with a phrase in your head and it just won’t go away. Does it belong to a character who is haunting you right now? No? Maybe it’s the voice of one lurking deep in your subconscious, hoping to break free and onto the page. Your page. You labor over every word, demanding of yourself: Is it really the right one? Or is there maybe one with more poetry, more subtext, more clarity.

You don’t fret about using words your reader won’t get because you know they will, but you worry endlessly about using language that is not right for your character. After all, you may be their only friend. When they tell you things you listen, sometimes hearing their rants late at night when they croon in your ear, expounding and sulking and pleading that you get it. You are a writer.

Introduction to Summerkeys

Workshop Dates

  • July 8-12
  • July 15-19 (Advanced Writing II)
  • August 5-9
  • August 12-16 (Advanced Writing II)

Creative Writing Faculty

John Rule

John Rule

John Rule, currently working on his next two releases while marketing a string of novels, […]

SummerKeys Creative Writing WorkShop

A Music Adventure in Lubec, Maine