Barrelhouse runs 8 week online fiction and poetry workshops for writers who are looking to hone their craft in a professional, fun, and encouraging environment. Participation is $250 and proceeds go to Barrelhouse and our guest instructors. Workshop space is limited to 12 participants.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
These are online workshops, so, you know, everything is online. Participants don’t have to be in a certain place at a certain time. They log in to the workshop space throughout the week, whenever convenient for them. We’ve had workshop participants from all over the world.
The workshop uses the Moodle learning management system. Work is generally are posted every week, and each participant posts their comments to that week’s discussion board. Discourse grows during the course of the week, ideally very similar to a face-to-face workshop. At the same time, we frequently have a number of discussions happening on various topics, including general writing-related and publishing issues and questions, to very specific elements of craft.
- Tools for Revision: Fiction workshop begins June 2
- Creative Nonfiction, Personal Essay, and Memoir, with Tom McAllister: workshop begins June 2
- Online Poetry Workshop with Stan Mir: workshop begins June 2
TOOLS FOR REVISION: FICTION WORKSHOP WITH MIKE INGRAM: STARTING JUNE 2, 2013
ABOUT “TOOLS FOR REVISION:”
Crafting engaging, publishable short stories involves about 20% drafting and 80% revising, yet too many writers focus on the former and ignore the latter. In this class we’ll discuss practical strategies for revision, ways to deepen and complicate our narratives until they’ve reached their full potentials. Our focus will be on reading and responding to each others’ works-in-progress, with an eye toward readying those stories to be submitted for possible publication in literary journals. Each participant will be expected to submit two draft stories for workshop. We’ll discuss various issues of craft—story structure, point of view, inventive dialogue—and ways to push our stories to the next level.
WHEN?
The workshop starts on June 2, 2013, and runs for 8 weeks.
HOW MUCH?
The workshop is $250.
ABOUT MIKE INGRAM:
Mike Ingram is one of the founding editors of Barrelhouse Magazine, and an assistant professor at Temple University. A graduate of the Iowa Writers Workshop, his fiction has appeared in a number of journals, including EPOCH, The Southeast Review, Eyeshot, and Monkeybicycle.
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CREATIVE NONFICTION, PERSONAL ESSAY, AND MEMOIR WORKSHOP WITH TOM MCALLISTER
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:
This workshop-based course will focus on the craft of creative nonfiction, discussing how to shape your personal experience into meaningful literature, how to connect with readers who don’t share those experiences, and how to walk that fine line between fiction and nonfiction. Shorter works are ideal in this setting, but students who are working on book-length projects are also welcome, provided that they submit self-contained excerpts of the memoir.
WHEN?
The workshop starts on June 2, 2013, and runs for 8 weeks.
HOW MUCH?
The workshop is $250.
ABOUT TOM MCALLISTER
Tom McAllister is the author of the memoir “Bury Me In My Jersey” and the Nonfiction Editor at Barrelhouse. His work has appeared in Barrelhouse, Black Warrior Review and Storyglossia, among other publications. He is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and La Salle University in Philadelphia. A lecturer in the English Department at Temple University, he lives with his wife and two dogs in New Jersey.
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Tom McAllister is the author of the memoir “Bury Me In My Jersey.” His work has appeared Black Warrior Review and Storyglossia, among other publications. He is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and La Salle University in Philadelphia. A lecturer in the English Department at Temple University, he lives with his wife and two dogs in New Jersey.
ONLINE POETRY WORKSHOP WITH STAN MIR: STARTING JUNE 2, 2013
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:
As William Carlos Williams once suggested, “a poem is a small (or large) machine made of words.” With this in mind, we will pay particular attention to the making and writing of poems in our workshop discussions. While this class will focus primarily on poems written by the students, there will also be some assigned readings. One of the peripheral goals of the course will be to introduce students to a sampling of contemporary poets. As a poet, I take an interest in working with local, immediate detail. So, in the course we will also spend some of our time discussing how we can write poems that are more responsive to our environments. Because this course will include poets from all over we should be able to have some interesting conversations on this topic. This course is open to all levels of experience.
WHEN?
The workshop starts on June 2, 2013, and runs for 8 weeks.
HOW MUCH?
The workshop is $250.
ABOUT STAN MIR:
Stan Mir is the author of two recent books of poetry, Song & Glass (Subito Press) and The Lacustrine Suite (Pavement Saw Press). His poetry and reviews have also appeared in publications such as American Letters & Commentary, Colorado Review, Fence, The Poetry Project Newsletter, and Verse. An Assistant Professor at Temple University, he lives in Philadelphia with his wife and daughter.
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WHAT PAST PARTICIPANTS HAVE SAID (ABOUT BARRELHOUSE WORKSHOPS IN GENERAL):
Not to brag or anything, but we’re going to brag a little here. Here are some responses from the last Barrelhouse online fiction workshop:
This is a lively environment of smart, talented writers. The quality of workshop participants, and thus the feedback they give, was significantly higher than other workshops I’ve participated in. The online structure fit the pace of my life, it was easy to log on anytime, anywhere. I would recommend this to a friend without hesitation.
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The instruction was great, the class was great, the format was easy. Tons of fun and very gratifying. Now maybe I can make my stories suck less. (I consider that a reasonable goal.)
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The level of responses received were better than I received in fiction workshops at the graduate level. No, seriously. And this was a hell of a lot cheaper than 3 credits at the graduate level.
QUESTIONS:
Email dave@barrelhousemag.com with any questions.
