Much of the joy of drafting a work of fiction is the exciting urgency we feel to capture the movie playing in our head and to put it down on the page. Sometimes scenes from the story come to us in exciting detail — but often we know how we want characters to act and feel but haven’t (yet) fully evoked it in the manuscript. That’s where revision comes in: to make sure that your reader’s experience really matches what you imagined as that movie unfolded in your mind. Drawing on her experience as both a writer and a developmental editor of literary fiction, Martha Carlson will discuss:
- how writing that feels immediate and vivid draws readers into a work of fiction
- why revising is as important as writing that first draft — and how revising can actually be fun
- how the mindset we have while drafting often leads us to label rather than create the effects we want
- what to look for in your individual sentences and word choices to identify those places you can revise to make your fiction more vivid and immediate
The class will:
- discuss five frequent writing habits that signal places writers can revise their narratives
- discuss several “before and after” excerpts
- and, as time allows, do some in-class writing exercises
Martha Carlson has published several collections of poetry, including Begin with Trouble (Hobblebush Books, 2018), but for several years she has been writing fiction and working as a developmental editor of literary and upmarket fiction. She loves offering her clients close attention to their work, to provide them with clarity about their manuscripts — and to reignite their excitement about revising their work. You can find more information about her editing services at marthacarlsoneditor.com
WHERE: Hybrid offering: at the Ford House or on the internet.
WHEN: October 15, 2022, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
COST: $55 members/$75 nonmembers
