My fiction workshop is open to any level of writer, beginner or advanced or those who are flat-out afraid of picking up an old manuscript or returning to an old idea for a novel, short story or even a work of non-fiction. We will do a good deal of in-class writing, using various "tricks": to get at the heart of the story we wish to tell; to find our voices;to improve our descriptive powers, to make decisions about point of view and genre-mixing; to learn to begin and end a project; and to make a plan that works for daily writing outside of our day jobs. (e.g. I wrote my novel, Mother Tongue, in fifty minute segments every other day: consistency not quantity was the trick and the unit of time so unthreatening that I forgot to be afraid; it was finished in 9 months.) As one who has written two books of poetry, a novel, and a book of essays/newspaper columns, I take to our workshop a belief that working on craft in one area helps in all areas; creativity ! breeds creativity. We will work with your strenghths. If any one has questions, contact me at demetriajuly@aol.com When you send your sample manuscript to Michael Sullivan, please state on the cover letter whether or not this is a sample of a finished piece, or something you wish to continue working on in the class.