6 sessions, Wednesdays, April 8 to May 13th, 7-9pm Eastern
12 students max; online
$420
Enroll in this course.
Time to revise your draft! Get out your scissors, your matches, your most brutal thinking cap, the echoes of every reader who told you to cut cut cut till you whip that baby into a smaller, leaner version of itself, right?
Wrong.
What if I told you the best way to strengthen your draft was by rejecting the mindset of trimming, fixing, and slashing (and the language of diet culture to boot)? That the best way to revise was writing more, writing in, to think in expansion rather than contraction? What if I also told you revision could be fun? That you could still make discoveries, the kind that set you on fire during your first stage of your project?
In this six week hands-on craft class, I'll teach you how to refine your draft through addition. An underutilized tool of revision, generative work is as necessary for completed drafts — fiction that already has made its preliminary choices regarding setting, characters, voice, timeframe, and so on — as it is in early drafting stages. I'll help you find the same freedom and play you felt when starting a project at this stage when you're trying to bring it closer to the finish line.
First, we'll identify opportunities for generative revision in completed drafts using your existing text, your instincts, and a few new tricks. Then we'll dive into the work of deliberate experimentation, deepening and layering those drafts by paying close attention to their potential and parameters (and when necessary, blowing them open). Though not a workshop, the group serves as a space for accountability and sharing process, ideas, and of course, support and guidance. We'll read the occasional craft essay, learn concrete strategies for revision via generation, and put them into practice during our sessions. This course works best for students who have a draft of a novel or multiple short stories ready for revision.
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
“Danielle Lazarin is an insightful teacher whose pragmatic and empathetic approach to the practice of writing resonates for both new and more experienced writers. Working with Danielle I found writing muscles I didn’t know I had, and a fresh perspective on how letting the mind find its way to new ideas and getting out of one’s own way may be two of the most powerful tools in the writer’s toolbox.”
“Danielle’s class catalyzed my re-entry into my novel project. The insightful mix of practical and psychological elements informs me every time I sit down to write.”
“Danielle's instruction on revision reoriented my writing life. Her exercises demystified revision and made the process from first draft to final draft so much clearer. I no longer dread drafting, but see each iteration as an opportunity with an obvious goal.”