8 sessions, Tuesdays, April 21 to June 9th, 7-9pm Eastern
10 students max; New York City*
$840
Enroll in this course.
Real talk: there is simply no substitute for being in a room with other writers, discussing writing. If you've never experienced the magic of an in-person workshop, participating in a compassionate, conversation-oriented circle of other writers who show up for your work as wholeheartedly as they do for their own, your mind might be blown by what a writing space can offer outside the confines of Zoom.
In this 8 week fiction workshop, we'll gather in person in New York City* to read your work-in-progress, examining its idiosyncratic workings, choices, and opportunities, and engage in thoughtful, useful discussion about the next steps for the draft and you, the writer. I run writer-centered workshops focused on noticing, not correcting or changing. I see our job as a workshop as one of helping you write the story you want to by drawing your attention to the choices you’ve made and to others you might want to make in the future. I see my role as guiding the writers in workshop towards being support systems for one another, sharing my expertise and experience, and keeping us focused.
You’ll have two opportunities to workshop either short stories or novel chapters. In addition to extensive notes on the draft from your peers and myself, every participant gets a private conference with me via Zoom to discuss their work, writing practice, and goals. But more than that, you’ll learn how to give, receive, and make actionable feedback, sharpening the reading and editing skills that will make you a better independent processor of your own work. You’ll get to know one another through your work, your questions and curiosities, your perspective as a writer and as a reader, and hopefully make some lasting connections as writing peers.
*Location to be finalized closer to start date, but will be somewhere between 14th and 34th street in Manhattan.
Is this workshop for you?
• This course is for writers with work ready, or very close to ready, for feedback. Manuscripts for workshop should be single stories or multiple chapters totaling no more than 8,000 words. You'll need to have two of those more or less ready to go in the time we meet.
• Have work that needs feedback but never been in a workshop before? Does the word workshop fill you with funny feelings? No problem! I'll walk you through being a good workshop participant and make sure no one bites.
• If you’re looking to workshop fantasy, romance, science fiction, or other work that embraces conventions of a single genre, this probably isn’t the course for you. My expertise, and the class focus, will be on literary fiction. If you have questions about what this means and whether the course can help you, feel free to reach out to me at backtalklazarin@gmail.com to discuss.
Enroll in this course.
About the instructor
Danielle Lazarin is the author of the short story collection BACK TALK. Her fiction and essays have been published by places such as The Southern Review, Colorado Review, Glimmer Train, The Cut, Catapult’s Don’t Write Alone, and Literary Hub, amongst others. A graduate of Oberlin College’s creative writing program, she received her MFA from the University of Michigan. Her work has been honored by the New York Foundation for the Arts, Hopwood Awards, Millay Colony for the Arts, and The Freya Project. She lives and works in New York.
Student Testimonials from Previous Workshop Participants
“I can't say enough good things about Danielle. The feedback she provides is thoughtful, thorough, and actionable. She facilitates productive and fun (and often, funny!) workshop conversations that make everyone in the room a better writer and a better reader. I'm grateful to have crossed paths with her and I am excited to continue working with her.”
“It was truly a blessing to be in a class taught by Danielle. Danielle has cultivated a classroom environment where everyone was eager to learn, share their writing, and to help one another succeed. It was also really cool to learn from one another just as it was to learn from her. I get giddy thinking back to how much I've progressed through her class because it really has been amazing. I can't recommend her enough - she's easily one of my favorite teachers.”
“Working with Danielle has changed my writing life. Not only does she bring with her the knowledge and wisdom of someone who has been writing and deeply thinking about writing for over two decades, but she brings the empathy of those years of experience too. As well as her craft expertise, I have been additionally grateful for her ability to shine light on deeper, longer-term issues that might be holding me back in my work, and to offer methods of successfully moving through those kinds of blocks. The results are real; learning from her is truly a gift that keeps on giving.”