Sample Schedule: One-Day Revision Workshop
This carefully constructed workshop gives students our core revision curriculum, practice with critique groups, and time for one-on-one critiques. We've offered it to a group as large as 50 people (in Columbus, Ohio, in early March 2018). In advance: submit manuscript for review and comments by workshop leader.
Student preparation: Bring 8 copies of up to 5 pages of your manuscript for possible use in critique groups.
9:15 – Welcome, introductions, and review schedule.
9:30 – Introduction: Reader Response vs. Lit. Crit—different ways to respond to a manuscript and how to use them.
10:30 – Feedback from Others: Critique Groups and Beta Readers—includes general guidelines and suggestions for setting up a group.
11:00 – Break into ad-hoc critique groups to get peer feedback. Use our "focus questions" to provide structure and focus.
Sign-up sheet available at lunchtime in case people want to continue with critique groups or work with partners, etc., during 3:30 to 5 individual meetings with workshop leader.
12:30 – Lunch.
2:00 – Big Picture Revising – techniques and what they do for your manuscript.
2:45 – Sweating the Small Stuff -- Yes, the details matter! Again, techniques and what they do for you.
3:30 – Writing time guided by insights from the critique group and our notes, OR more work with critique groups. During this time students can also meet one-on-one with editors to discuss direction of manuscript—next steps, goals.
5:00 – Lessons Learned—what you've learned about yourself, what do you do next? Discussion. Final questions.
This agenda can be changed as needed. We offer it as an example of one of a number of possible workshops that we -- Eileen Robinson and Harold Underdown -- can present to your group, covering a variety of topics and running in length from a halfday intensive to a week-long writing retreat.