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• OCWW “Reading Like a Writer” Summer Series Program

  • When
    August 20, 2020
  •  
    11:00 AM - 1:30 PM (CDT)
  • Location
    Remote Learning

  Off-Campus Writers' Workshop “Reading Like a Writer” Summer Series Program

  Oh!  Those lazy, hazy days of August!  They are upon us.

  What's the cure?

  Alice Munro — 2013 Nobel Laureate in Literature.

  We open to a page of Munro.  She takes us by the hand and with that rhythmic golden voice she beckons us along, into her story, and before we know it we are enrapt in the land of cool lakes and tall pines, where the surface of things often belies the depths that draw us into the heart of it.

  How does she do that?  What's her secret?

  Come join us for our last session of the season as OCWW concludes its “Reading like a Writer” Summer Series Program on August 20th — from 11 am to 1:30 pm — moderated by Aurelia Nichols.

  What are we reading?  Munro's short story, "Passion," first published in the March 22, 2004 edition of The New Yorker, and then some months later in her 2004 short story collection, Runaway.

  Munro's works have been likened to a 3-D chessboard and this story is no exception.

  What will we be talking about?  Story structure, specifically the use of narrative layering and temporal framing techniques.  Pacing.  Narrative voice.  The resonance of silence: how it's used to build tension; and how what is not told may be just as transformative as what is.  The tension of dualities that Munro maintains in her work.  And of course anything else people would like to discuss regarding the story.

  Our prime focus will be on the final version of "Passion," published in Runaway.  However, in the months following The New Yorker's publication of "Passion," Munro reportedly made over 200 changes to it, so both versions also offer us a rare opportunity to examine the final edits of a master story-teller, and understand her intentions.

  Sign up for our final session by emailing OCWWSummerSeries@gmail.com, and letting us know you'd like to register.  If you've already registered for it earlier in the season, you don't have to register again.

  This online Zoom meeting is free, but participants must be current in their OCWW membership for the 2020-2021 season.

  If you cannot attend, sessions are recorded and the link sent to those who registered.  So, you can still "listen in," even if you cannot be there.

  Hope to see you soon on Zoom!

  Show details
• Fred Shafer - The Experiments the Reader Doesn’t See (4 Pack)

  • Start
    September 03, 2020
  •  
    (CDT)
  • End
    September 24, 2020
  •  
    (CDT)
  • Schedule
    4 sessions
  • Location
    Remote

  Register

  

  Remote Session

  “I think all writing is experimental,” the late Irish writer William Trevor once said.  “I experiment all the time but the experiments are hidden.” His words may surprise people who think of experimental writing and conventional writing as operating on separate tracks, especially when an experimental project is aimed at denying or ignoring any connection with real life. What could a writer like Trevor, whose short stories and novels are regarded as masterpieces of conventional and realistic fiction, have been getting at when he mentioned his experiments, and what can be learned from them? 

  In his four workshops, Fred Shafer will try to uncover the experiments that are hiding in Trevor’s fiction and in the work of some other contemporary writers who are also resourceful in meeting conventional objectives.  Each presentation will address potentials and needs that Fred is accustomed to seeing in manuscripts. He’ll show that, in the spirit of experimenting, you can bend or break the usual rules about such things as point of view, plot, structure, and the passage of time, in order to deepen the reader’s sense of the reality and meaning of your story or novel.

  Fred’s presentations will be built around one or two of Trevor’s stories, with occasional references to his other stories and the work of other writers.  At each meeting, Fred will announce the main story he’ll use the following week, in case members of the audience would like to read it.  But reading ahead won’t be necessary, because a handout, with the excerpts he’ll discuss, will be emailed on the day before each meeting and a link to the handout will also be posted in the comments section.  Audience members are urged to bring the handout to the meeting.

  The story Fred will use the first week will be “Giotto’s Angels,” from Trevor’s final collection, Last Stories (Viking, 2018).  The handout will be emailed to all registrants on Wednesday, September 2.  

  Bio: Fred is a literary editor, writer, and teacher of writing.  He was an editor with TriQuarterly, the international literary journal published by Northwestern University, where he taught fiction writing in the School of Professional Studies for many years.  He presently leads three private workshops in short story and novel writing, from which his present and former students have published more than 250 stories and thirty novels and collections of stories.  His own essays, reviews, and interviews with writers have appeared in several periodicals.

  Manuscript critiques are available only to OCWW members who have registered for the session to which a member is submitting. Using the Microsoft Word editing system, Fred will write comments on fiction manuscripts in all genres, for readers of all ages.  Manuscripts in Word, up to 20 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12 pt font with 1 inch margins may be submitted via email to ocww.info@gmail.com. The fee is $3.00 per page. Manuscripts must be submitted and paid for before they will be sent to Fred. You will receive an invoice with a link to pay via paypal or credit card. If you do not receive an invoice within 36 hours of submission please let us know through another email to ocww.info@gmail.com. The deadline for Week 1 is August 20. For Week 2 it is August 27. For Week 3, it is September 3 and for Week 4 it is September 10.  The manuscripts will be returned later in the day on Thursday, but if Fred receives an overload of manuscripts, some may be returned by Friday or Saturday.

  9:00-9:30   Socializing

  9:30-12:00 Program

  Show details
• Fred Shafer - The Experiments the Reader Doesn’t See ( Session 1)

  • When
    September 03, 2020
  •  
    9:30 AM - 12:00 PM (CDT)
  • Location
    Remote

  Register

  

  Remote Session

  “I think all writing is experimental,” the late Irish writer William Trevor once said.  “I experiment all the time but the experiments are hidden.” His words may surprise people who think of experimental writing and conventional writing as operating on separate tracks, especially when an experimental project is aimed at denying or ignoring any connection with real life. What could a writer like Trevor, whose short stories and novels are regarded as masterpieces of conventional and realistic fiction, have been getting at when he mentioned his experiments, and what can be learned from them?

  In his four workshops, Fred Shafer will try to uncover the experiments that are hiding in Trevor’s fiction and in the work of some other contemporary writers who are also resourceful in meeting conventional objectives.  Each presentation will address potentials and needs that Fred is accustomed to seeing in manuscripts. He’ll show that, in the spirit of experimenting, you can bend or break the usual rules about such things as point of view, plot, structure, and the passage of time, in order to deepen the reader’s sense of the reality and meaning of your story or novel.

  Fred’s presentations will be built around one or two of Trevor’s stories, with occasional references to his other stories and the work of other writers.  At each meeting, Fred will announce the main story he’ll use the following week, in case members of the audience would like to read it.  But reading ahead won’t be necessary, because a handout, with the excerpts he’ll discuss, will be emailed on the day before each meeting and a link to the handout will also be posted in the comments section.  Audience members are urged to bring the handout to the meeting.

  The story Fred will use the first week will be “Giotto’s Angels,” from Trevor’s final collection, Last Stories (Viking, 2018).  The handout will be posted on Wednesday, September 2.  

  Bio: Fred is a literary editor, writer, and teacher of writing.  He was an editor with TriQuarterly, the international literary journal published by Northwestern University, where he taught fiction writing in the School of Professional Studies for many years.  He presently leads three private workshops in short story and novel writing, from which his present and former students have published more than 250 stories and thirty novels and collections of stories.  His own essays, reviews, and interviews with writers have appeared in several periodicals.

  Manuscript critiques are available only to OCWW members who have registered for the session to which a member is submitting. Using the Microsoft Word editing system, Fred will write comments on fiction manuscripts in all genres, for readers of all ages.  Manuscripts in Word, up to 20 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12 pt font with 1 inch margins may be submitted via email to ocww.info@gmail.com. The fee is $3.00 per page. Manuscripts must be submitted and paid for before they will be sent to Fred. You will receive an invoice with a link to pay via paypal or credit card. If you do not receive an invoice within 36 hours of submission please let us know through another email to ocww.info@gmail.com. The deadline for Week 1 is August 20. For Week 2 it is August 27. For Week 3 it is September 3 and for Week 4 it is September 10.  The manuscripts will be returned later in the day on Thursday, but if Fred receives an overload of manuscripts, some may be returned by Friday or Saturday.

  We offer a free discounted student membership with discounted session fees at $5.00 per session. You must send verification of your student status. Please contact Claudia Katz at ckatz17755@aol.com for details.
  

  9:00-9:30   Socializing

  9:30-12:00  Program

  Show details
• Fred Shafer - The Experiments the Reader Doesn’t See ( Session 2)

  • When
    September 10, 2020
  •  
    9:30 AM - 12:00 PM (CDT)
  • Location
    Remote

  Register

  

  Remote Session

  “I think all writing is experimental,” the late Irish writer William Trevor once said.  “I experiment all the time but the experiments are hidden.” His words may surprise people who think of experimental writing and conventional writing as operating on separate tracks, especially when an experimental project is aimed at denying or ignoring any connection with real life. What could a writer like Trevor, whose short stories and novels are regarded as masterpieces of conventional and realistic fiction, have been getting at when he mentioned his experiments, and what can be learned from them

  In his four workshops, Fred Shafer will try to uncover the experiments that are hiding in Trevor’s fiction and in the work of some other contemporary writers who are also resourceful in meeting conventional objectives.  Each presentation will address potentials and needs that Fred is accustomed to seeing in manuscripts. He’ll show that, in the spirit of experimenting, you can bend or break the usual rules about such things as point of view, plot, structure, and the passage of time, in order to deepen the reader’s sense of the reality and meaning of your story or novel.

  Fred’s presentations will be built around one or two of Trevor’s stories, with occasional references to his other stories and the work of other writers.  At each meeting, Fred will announce the main story he’ll use the following week, in case members of the audience would like to read it.  But reading ahead won’t be necessary, because a handout, with the excerpts he’ll discuss, will be emailed on the day before each meeting and a link to the handout will also be posted in the comments section.  Audience members are urged to bring the handout to the meeting. 

  Bio: Fred is a literary editor, writer, and teacher of writing.  He was an editor with TriQuarterly, the international literary journal published by Northwestern University, where he taught fiction writing in the School of Professional Studies for many years.  He presently leads three private workshops in short story and novel writing, from which his present and former students have published more than 250 stories and thirty novels and collections of stories.  His own essays, reviews, and interviews with writers have appeared in several periodicals.

  Manuscript critiques are available only to OCWW members who have registered for the session to which a member is submitting. Using the Microsoft Word editing system, Fred will write comments on fiction manuscripts in all genres, for readers of all ages.  Manuscripts in Word, up to 20 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12 pt font with 1 inch margins may be submitted via email to ocww.info@gmail.com. The fee is $3.00 per page. Manuscripts must be submitted and paid for before they will be sent to Fred. You will receive an invoice with a link to pay via paypal or credit card. If you do not receive an invoice within 36 hours of submission please let us know through another email to ocww.info@gmail.com. The deadline for Week 1 is August 20. For Week 2 it is August 27. For Week 3 it is September 3 and for Week 4 it is September 10.  The manuscripts will be returned later in the day on Thursday, but if Fred receives an overload of manuscripts, some may be returned by Friday or Saturday.

  We offer a free discounted student membership with discounted session fees at $5.00 per session. You must send verification of your student status. Please contact Claudia Katz at ckatz17755@aol.com for details.
  

  9:00-9:30   Socializing

  9:30-12:00  Program

  Show details
• Fred Shafer - The Experiments the Reader Doesn’t See ( Session 3)

  • When
    September 17, 2020
  •  
    9:30 AM - 12:00 PM (CDT)
  • Location
    Remote

  Register

  

  Remote Session

  “I think all writing is experimental,” the late Irish writer William Trevor once said.  “I experiment all the time but the experiments are hidden.” His words may surprise people who think of experimental writing and conventional writing as operating on separate tracks, especially when an experimental project is aimed at denying or ignoring any connection with real life. What could a writer like Trevor, whose short stories and novels are regarded as masterpieces of conventional and realistic fiction, have been getting at when he mentioned his experiments, and what can be learned from them?

  In his four workshops, Fred Shafer will try to uncover the experiments that are hiding in Trevor’s fiction and in the work of some other contemporary writers who are also resourceful in meeting conventional objectives.  Each presentation will address potentials and needs that Fred is accustomed to seeing in manuscripts. He’ll show that, in the spirit of experimenting, you can bend or break the usual rules about such things as point of view, plot, structure, and the passage of time, in order to deepen the reader’s sense of the reality and meaning of your story or novel.

  Fred’s presentations will be built around one or two of Trevor’s stories, with occasional references to his other stories and the work of other writers.  At each meeting, Fred will announce the main story he’ll use the following week, in case members of the audience would like to read it.  But reading ahead won’t be necessary, because a handout, with the excerpts he’ll discuss, will be emailed on the day before each meeting and a link to the handout will also be posted in the comments section.  Audience members are urged to bring the handout to the meeting.

  Bio: Fred is a literary editor, writer, and teacher of writing.  He was an editor with TriQuarterly, the international literary journal published by Northwestern University, where he taught fiction writing in the School of Professional Studies for many years.  He presently leads three private workshops in short story and novel writing, from which his present and former students have published more than 250 stories and thirty novels and collections of stories.  His own essays, reviews, and interviews with writers have appeared in several periodicals.

  Manuscript critiques are available only to OCWW members who have registered for the session to which a member is submitting. Using the Microsoft Word editing system, Fred will write comments on fiction manuscripts in all genres, for readers of all ages.  Manuscripts in Word, up to 20 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12 pt font with 1 inch margins may be submitted via email to ocww.info@gmail.com. The fee is $3.00 per page. Manuscripts must be submitted and paid for before they will be sent to Fred. You will receive an invoice with a link to pay via paypal or credit card. If you do not receive an invoice within 36 hours of submission please let us know through another email to ocww.info@gmail.com. The deadline for Week 1 is August 20. For Week 2 it is August 27. For Week 3 it is September 3 and for Week 4 it is September 10.  The manuscripts will be returned later in the day on Thursday, but if Fred receives an overload of manuscripts, some may be returned by Friday or Saturday.

  We offer a free discounted student membership with discounted session fees at $5.00 per session. You must send verification of your student status. Please contact Claudia Katz at ckatz17755@aol.com for details.
  

  9:00-9:30   Socializing

  9:30-12:00  Program

  Show details
• Fred Shafer - The Experiments the Reader Doesn’t See ( Session 4)

  • When
    September 24, 2020
  •  
    9:30 AM - 12:00 PM (CDT)
  • Location
    Remote

  Register

  

  Remote Session

  “I think all writing is experimental,” the late Irish writer William Trevor once said.  “I experiment all the time but the experiments are hidden.” His words may surprise people who think of experimental writing and conventional writing as operating on separate tracks, especially when an experimental project is aimed at denying or ignoring any connection with real life. What could a writer like Trevor, whose short stories and novels are regarded as masterpieces of conventional and realistic fiction, have been getting at when he mentioned his experiments, and what can be learned from them?

  In his four workshops, Fred Shafer will try to uncover the experiments that are hiding in Trevor’s fiction and in the work of some other contemporary writers who are also resourceful in meeting conventional objectives.  Each presentation will address potentials and needs that Fred is accustomed to seeing in manuscripts. He’ll show that, in the spirit of experimenting, you can bend or break the usual rules about such things as point of view, plot, structure, and the passage of time, in order to deepen the reader’s sense of the reality and meaning of your story or novel.

  Fred’s presentations will be built around one or two of Trevor’s stories, with occasional references to his other stories and the work of other writers.  At each meeting, Fred will announce the main story he’ll use the following week, in case members of the audience would like to read it.  But reading ahead won’t be necessary, because a handout, with the excerpts he’ll discuss, will be emailed on the day before each meeting and a link to the handout will also be posted in the comments section.  Audience members are urged to bring the handout to the meeting.

  Bio: Fred is a literary editor, writer, and teacher of writing.  He was an editor with TriQuarterly, the international literary journal published by Northwestern University, where he taught fiction writing in the School of Professional Studies for many years.  He presently leads three private workshops in short story and novel writing, from which his present and former students have published more than 250 stories and thirty novels and collections of stories.  His own essays, reviews, and interviews with writers have appeared in several periodicals.

  Manuscript critiques are available only to OCWW members who have registered for the session to which a member is submitting. Using the Microsoft Word editing system, Fred will write comments on fiction manuscripts in all genres, for readers of all ages.  Manuscripts in Word, up to 20 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12 pt font with 1 inch margins may be submitted via email to ocww.info@gmail.com. The fee is $3.00 per page. Manuscripts must be submitted and paid for before they will be sent to Fred. You will receive an invoice with a link to pay via paypal or credit card. If you do not receive an invoice within 36 hours of submission please let us know through another email to ocww.info@gmail.com. The deadline for Week 1 is August 20. For Week 2 it is August 27. For Week 3 it is September 3 and for Week 4 it is September 10.  The manuscripts will be returned later in the day on Thursday, but if Fred receives an overload of manuscripts, some may be returned by Friday or Saturday.

  We offer a free discounted student membership with discounted session fees at $5.00 per session. You must send verification of your student status. Please contact Claudia Katz at ckatz17755@aol.com for details.
  

  9:00-9:30   Socializing

  9:30-12:00  Program

  Show details