Online Workshops

2012 workshops are set to begin on Monday, January 16, and run through March 25. This ten weeks includes a bye-week for the AWP Conference, February 29-March 3.

To apply, send a Word attachment of a 20-page writing sample—fiction, nonfiction, or poetry—to editor-in-chief Michael Czyzniejewski at mikeczy@bgsu.edu. Type "online workshop application" in the subject line, and include a brief note, telling something about yourself, including your goals for a successful workshop. Send any queries to the same address.

What would you get out of the workshop?
The workshops are led by MAR's editorial staff. Feedback will include familiar workshop methods, but will also offer editors' perspectives on how the work could more effectively find publication and how future projects can benefit from current concerns. Thorough attention from the workshop will be given to each writer, as well as individual attention from the workshop leaders.

How does it work?
The MAR Online Workshops are run on a blog/wiki site called Wetpaint, where the workshop leaders post attachments of your poems, stories, and essays, then start discussion threads where the other Workshop members (and only the other Workshop members) can access the stories and respond, blog-style.

For poetry, each Workshop member has a new poem discussed every week, and for the prose genres, each member sees three of their works discussed over the course of the workshop, one every three-week round; it is also possible to have more pieces discussed, if you're writing short-shorts.

In addition to the workshops, several other discussion threads are initiated, especially concerning tips for publication, everything from nuts and bolts to more complex strategies. Other topics have included MFA programs/applications, what everyone's reading/recommendations, and writing habits.

The fee for the workshop is $425 and includes a three-year subscription to MAR and an ongoing relationship with its editors and your co-workshoppers. The fee is payable by check, money order, or credit card. We can even set up a payment plan, if this works better for the writer.

Each class consists of 6-9 members and the workshops are filling quickly. To apply or for more information, contact Michael Czyzniejewski at mikeczy@bgsu.edu.

Testimonials
"A great workshop with serious, experienced writers, plus a behind-the-scenes look at how editors typically evaluate a story."
            —R. E. Bowse, Montague, Massachusetts

"The MAR Online Workshop has given me a better understanding of how to write a story that has an interesting plot and complex characters; I feel like it really has helped me take my writing to the next level."
            —Lori D'Angelo, Charleston, West Virginia

"The MAR Online Workshop is an intoxicating blend of two parts criticism, one part validation and one part guidance on publishing, heavily garnished with the insight and motivation writers need to keep at their craft."
            —Amie Heasley, Kalamazoo, Michigan