Writing gig in 2007
I'm teaching at Writing By the Lake in Madison, WI again next year.
June 18-22, 2007
Monday through Friday
Enroll by calling 608-262-7942, Program #7108
It's a great place to teach. Maybe, in its way, as cool as Seattle, but that may only be because I was teaching in Seattle during a heat wave.
Last year at Write By the Lake, I taught Fantasy and SF. I held office hours outdoors by the lake (beer was optional) and the whole class went to lunch together at one of the nifty restaurants near University of Wisconsin at Madison. It was great.
This year I'm teaching plot. That's a little scary, but there you are.
My entry in the brochure:
9. THINGS GET WORSE: Plotting in Fiction
Plot can be described as character in situation. Or it can be described as “the events.” Or maybe it’s really impossible to separate plot from story. But here’s the deal, we’ll explore a number of different ways to address plot, and a number of different kinds of plot.
We’ll do exercises to generate plot. We’ll talk about plot as a journey, or plot as a stranger comes to town. We’ll give our characters a situation to deal with, and then we’ll have things get worse. We’ll deal with plot that drives the story, and plot that arises out of the character’s own psychology, and all the permutations we can think of. And we’ll write. And of course, plot.
Come prepared to write and to share your writing with your fellow students. We meet as fellow writers, some with a lot of experience, some with a little experience. We meet as fellow readers, as well. This is a peer workshop where we will share our strengths and our knowledge as readers and writers.
Maureen McHugh writes novels and short stories. Her latest collection, Mothers & Other Monsters, was a finalist for the Story Prize in 2005. She has recently moved, with her husband and two dogs, to Austin, Texas, where she is learning to say, “Hook ’em Horns,” although she isn't sure what that means.
“Clear and insightful teacher who is generous with her time, and positive. Would love to take something else from Maureen.”
Contact: coordinator Christine DeSmet, (608) 262-3447; email: cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu
June 18-22, 2007
Monday through Friday
Enroll by calling 608-262-7942, Program #7108
It's a great place to teach. Maybe, in its way, as cool as Seattle, but that may only be because I was teaching in Seattle during a heat wave.
Last year at Write By the Lake, I taught Fantasy and SF. I held office hours outdoors by the lake (beer was optional) and the whole class went to lunch together at one of the nifty restaurants near University of Wisconsin at Madison. It was great.
This year I'm teaching plot. That's a little scary, but there you are.
My entry in the brochure:
9. THINGS GET WORSE: Plotting in Fiction
Plot can be described as character in situation. Or it can be described as “the events.” Or maybe it’s really impossible to separate plot from story. But here’s the deal, we’ll explore a number of different ways to address plot, and a number of different kinds of plot.
We’ll do exercises to generate plot. We’ll talk about plot as a journey, or plot as a stranger comes to town. We’ll give our characters a situation to deal with, and then we’ll have things get worse. We’ll deal with plot that drives the story, and plot that arises out of the character’s own psychology, and all the permutations we can think of. And we’ll write. And of course, plot.
Come prepared to write and to share your writing with your fellow students. We meet as fellow writers, some with a lot of experience, some with a little experience. We meet as fellow readers, as well. This is a peer workshop where we will share our strengths and our knowledge as readers and writers.
Maureen McHugh writes novels and short stories. Her latest collection, Mothers & Other Monsters, was a finalist for the Story Prize in 2005. She has recently moved, with her husband and two dogs, to Austin, Texas, where she is learning to say, “Hook ’em Horns,” although she isn't sure what that means.
“Clear and insightful teacher who is generous with her time, and positive. Would love to take something else from Maureen.”
Contact: coordinator Christine DeSmet, (608) 262-3447; email: cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu
posted by Maureen McHugh at 4:03 PM
7 Comments:
I should come and take this, since I have terrible troubles with plot. I sometimes wonder at my nerve at teaching the plot section of my classes.
I love the definition of plot as "things get worse."
Lucette, I have read your work and I am here to tell you, you would get nothing out of this class. But I'd love if you'd come anyway.
How's the kitchen doing? Is it still on hiatus?
I recommend Maureen's class. I was glad I attended. (Even if she never answers email.) ;)
Sean Stewart did give you a copy of that Perfect Circle tie-in comic, right? It's got "Hook 'em Horns" covered.
I just was up in Madison, WI for a costuming symposium. It is a lovely place to teach! Even if you're just teaching about the headdresses of the fourteenth century.
Really tempted to sign up for this. I've seen the lake, it's pretty, and I am such a bear at plotting. (If I get one more 'this story has no plot' critique I'm gonna scream!)
Marie, you know there's something kind of silly about me teaching plot--you've read some of my stuff--but it would be fun to have you there.
Would be be plotting to overthrow something?
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