PRACTICUM FOCUS

T. S. Eliot said, “Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers.” Writers, when writing, are not editors; but, when rewriting, they need to learn how to see objectively in order to edit their own work. Perspective is not easily come by: it requires that you read carefully, attending to what is actually written on the page, not what you intended to write. The practicum will focus on the participants’ work and developing skills critical to evaluating the work, from word selection to sentence structure, from paragraph building to character development to plot structure. Special attention will be given to the choices writers make with every word they write. Any manuscript, however rough, has elements essential to the finished product. It takes perspective and close attention to identify those elements—elements that once isolated and enumerated will dictate the shape of the whole. This perspective is what an editor brings to the work: you can learn to read your own work as an editor reads it.

Group discussions will focus on common aspects of writing embodied in all the participants’ work. One-on-one meetings will focus on each participant’s writing. Throughout, the emphasis will be on the craft of reading critically and writing.

Students will submit complete drafts of their work along with a summary statement of the specific issues with which they are grappling in the submitted material.

Workshop Fee of $1,195 includes cozy, individual cabins; all meals (provided by a top-notch chef); airport pickup service, if needed; and an intimate teaching setting in the living room of the Founders of Highlights for Children!

Individuals with a serious interest in writing for children who have an established financial need are invited to apply for a Highlights Foundation grant. For more information, email contact@highlightsfoundation.org.