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Immerse yourself in a focused, intensive and exhilarating writing experience this
summer when you "Write by the Lake."
Please join us June 15-19, 2009! Information will be available online around January 1, 2009 or before. This program offers a graduate credit option in English.
So far, 2009 instructors and sections will include:
Your workshop time will be spent in our new, state-of-the art adult education building, The Pyle Center, overlooking Lake Mendota.
It's also next door to the famous Memorial Union outdoor terrace where you'll find good food, camaraderie, and musical entertainment.
A lakeshore path running from The Pyle and Lowell Centers to the west end of our campus provides spectacular views for an inspirational walk or jog.
Nearby on State Street you'll find great places to explore: theaters, history and arts museums, public library, bookstores, shopping, new restaurants and coffee shops, the State Capitol, a Wednesday and Saturday farmer's market, and the new arts
district and Overture Center.
Our city also features a botanical garden, a children's museum, historical and research libraries open to the public, geology museum, an observatory, a beautiful free zoo, and much more to do in your spare time or with family.
You'll go home invigorated, with your goals achieved. And if goal-setting has been a challenge in your hectic life, we'll help you lay out a plan for the week and beyond.
Choose ONE from the following areas of writing. Enrollment is limited to 15 in each section. A more detailed syllabus is available for each section.
Choose one from the following areas of writing. Enrollment is limited to 15 in each workshop. A more detailed syllabus is available for each section.
1. The World of Writing for Children From getting started to getting published to getting the word out about your book, we’ll cover it all!
Spend the week writing exciting and marketable children’s books in a safe, encouraging and lovely setting. Get ready to take lots of notes, share your works-in-progress, revise and conquer, produce several pieces of children’s writing that are ready to send to editors and develop a personal writing plan guaranteed to put you on the path to publication. It will be high energy, non-stop fun—and Michelle promises to bring the chocolate!
Specifically, we’ll explore:
Instructor: Michelle Medlock Adams
Contact: coordinator Christine DeSmet, 608-262-3447, e-mail: cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu.
Information coming soon from a new instructor in 2008:
Michelle Medlock Adams is the author of 22 published children’s books. Her picture book, Conversations On the Ark earned her the “Barnes & Noble Texas Author of the Month” honor in May 2003. During 2006-2007, Michelle’s books What Is Halloween?; What Is Christmas?; Why I Trust You, God; Why I Praise You, God; Why I Thank You, God; Divine Stories of the Yahweh Sisterhood, Secrets of Beauty and Secrets of Happiness were released. In 2008, her children’s/tween titles, I Will Not Be Afraid; Sports Shorts: 10-Minute Devotions for Guys; and Sports Shorts: 10-Minute Devotions for Girls will debut, as well as her Christian Living title, Experiencing The Names of God. She is also the ghostwriter for five children’s books due out in 2008.
Michelle taught “Writing For Children” during the fall semester at Taylor University in Fort Wayne, IN., in 2006.
Michelle is also an award-winning journalist and book author, earning top honors from the Associated Press, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Sunday and Features Editors, and the Hoosier State Press Association. Since graduating with a journalism degree from Indiana University in 1991, Michelle has worked as a newspaper reporter for a daily newspaper in Southern Indiana, acted as a stringer for the Associated Press, written full time for a worldwide ministry’s website and magazine with 550,000 circulation, authored 38 books for publishers such as Simon & Schuster and Zonderkidz, and crafted hundreds of freelance articles for newspapers, websites and magazines including The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Today’s Christian Woman, CBN.com and Writer’s Digest. Michelle’s Christian Living book, Living the Love Chapter earned her the title of “Writer of the Year” in 2001 at the Write-to-Publish Conference in Wheaton, Illinois.
Michelle has been a featured guest on several TV and radio programs.
Michelle is married to her high school sweetheart, Jeff, and they have two teenage daughters, Abby and Allyson, and three miniature long-haired dachshunds, Maddie, Miller and Mollie Mae. The Adams family resides in Bedford, Indiana where Michelle cheers on the Indiana Hoosiers all year long! www.michellemedlockadams.com
2. Character, Behavior and Subtext: There Lies the TruthGood writers have a lot going on beneath the surface of characters and relationships. It’s called subtext and it is a magic ingredient in fiction and drama.
Sometimes a smile hides a roiling fury. A pleasant conversation can cloak anything from disdain to lust to love. A glance can reveal a lie, a stutter insecurity, a posture fear. The simplest stories are sometimes the tip of an emotional iceberg. Good storytellers from Shakespeare to Chekhov to Hemingway, from Arthur Miller to Kazuo Ishiguro largely refrain from interpreting the action. They coax the reader to read again, to read between the lines, to analyze a look, a tone, syntax, the things said and not said and said twice to find the meaning, the subtext, beneath everyday behavior.
We’re often afraid our readers won’t get it. We over explain, tell things we’ve already adequately shown, bog our story down with intrusive narration and abstract modifiers, all to protect the reader from ambiguity and ourselves from coming up short. But guess what? Readers like to work. They like to read carefully. They like to interpret for themselves. Ever been in a book group? Asking more questions than you answer is what turns the pages. It’s pleasurable and intriguing, and it makes your writing something people will buy, read and talk about.
In this workshop we will:
The tools you take away from this workshop will make your characters and relationships more complex, intriguing and memorable to the reader, your writing more subtle, sophisticated and focused. Roll up your sleeves and bring a pen. We’ll do a lot of in-class writing, some overnight exercises and plenty of in-session critique.
If your characters and relationships don't have agents and editors beating a path to your door, join this workshop and banish ordinary characters from your writing forever.
We will do several writing exercises per session and overnight writing assignments to expand our set of character tools. 
Download syllabus
Instructor: Bob Curry
Contact: coordinator Christine DeSmet, 608-262-3447; e-mail: cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu.
Bob Curry has been a retreat leader and writing instructor for University of Wisconsin-Madison for several years. He writes fiction, plays, and screenplays, including the script for The Last Great Ride, starring Ernest Borgnine and Eileen Brennan. He also teaches at Madison Area Technical College. Bob edits fiction and drama on a professional freelance basis, and is working on a novel of his own. He has MFA degrees in fiction and acting.
"He made everybody feel valued. Great handouts." ~ Rosalie La Rocque, Madison, Wis.
"This was the best week of my life. This week was transformational." ~ Joan Sochat, Williams Bay, Wis.
3. Writing a great mystery, horror, suspense, and thriller - sometimes all at the same time. "A mystery presents the reader with a puzzle. Suspense plunges her into a nightmare."
We’ll explore the art and craft of writing mystery, horror, suspense, and thriller fiction—without taking the mystery, the magic, or the thrill out of our stories or the joy out of the writing process.
We’ll examine the differences among these genres and the techniques of maintaining tension and conflict no matter what kind of stories we’re writing.
We’ll stress these seven critical fundamentals:
1) Deciding where the story, the chapter, and the scene rightly begin and end
2) Building character(s)
3) Making a scene—and keeping in scene
4) Letting the dialogue do the heavy lifting
5) Creating and maintaining suspense
6) Plotting without plodding
7) Creating the “double-oh” response
"The reader of a mystery should be one step behind the sleuth. The reader of a suspense should be one step ahead of the hero or heroine." Download syllabus
Instructor: Marshall J. Cook
Contact: Marshall J. Cook, 608-262-4911; e-mail: mcook@dcs.wisc.edu
Marshall J. Cook teaches writing for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Continuing Studies. His 27 published books include the Monona Quinn Mystery Series (Murder over Easy, Murder at Midnight, Twin Killing) and the true crime book The Great Wisconsin Manhunt of 1961. Writer’s Digest recently published his guide, Give ’Em What They Want: The Right Way to Pitch Your Novel to Editors and Agents, written with Blythe Camenson. He edits Creativity Connection: the writer’s quarterly encouragement.
"I particularly appreciated the time Marshall took to comment on works-in-progress. I look forward to doing this again. I feel energized, and I can't wait to get back to my computer. An outstanding experience!" ~ Charles P. Murphy, Abingdon, Ill.
4. Write Your First Novel Fast and SureWriting fast is one thing, but how do you find your “voice” and write something that will actually sell or that you’ll be proud to self-publish? What do you do when the story falls apart by Chapter Five or Three? Where do you find all that stuff to fill 300 or more pages? What if your first draft is 500 pages? What’s a plan for cutting it down without losing the story?
How do you make readers care? What’s a conflict that can sustain a novel? Why do lengthy character bio charts fail writers and what might serve you better? What things court rejections?
What’s all this stuff about needing tension on every page? What does that mean specifically? What do I put on each page in order to please an agent or editor?
Get your novel underway with confidence and with a mentor who has “fiction first aid” at the ready. Discover how to lay out “story” vs. “plot,” deepen characters, and write the first three chapters (and the whole thing) in a way that editors and agents can’t resist. We explore the 6 essential components of novels. Create true hooks for the beginning and “pinches” for the middle, find keys to pace and tension, improve your style, discover your ending, make settings a selling point instead of mere backdrop, and improve your dialogue.
We also cover the query letter, synopsis, pitching to agents, and other marketing matters. Christine will critique 15 additional pages after the retreat, included in the fee. Send the first two pages of your novel to Christine by June 2, to be shared in class. Download syllabus
Instructor: Christine DeSmet
Contact: Christine DeSmet, 608-262-3447; e-mail: cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu.
Christine DeSmet is an award-winning writer of novels and feature film screenplays. At UW-Madison, Christine teaches fiction and screenwriting, and mentors and critiques novelists throughout the year. Her first short story, “Sex with the Man in the Moon,” was published in the anthology, Tales from the Treasure Trove, Volume I, which earned two national awards, including the Romantic Times magazine Reader’s Choice Award. Her “Mischief in Moonstone” series of humorous, romantic mystery short stories have appeared in several anthologies from Whiskey Creek Press, including her own collection published in 2008. Her romantic suspense novel, Spirit Lake, is a bestseller for publisher Hard Shell Word Factory. She’s a member of Writers Guild of America, East, and Romance Writers of America. With a scriptwriting partner she’s optioned feature film screenplays and a TV series, and was a past winner of the Slamdance Film Festival contest, and in 2007 earned placement in the Top 10 Percent of the Austin Film Festival contest. Her first stage play was a top 10 finalist in Wisconsin’s 2007 statewide playwright’s contest.
“Really knew story structure. Great knowledge of what works and doesn’t work.”
“One of the best experiences of my life. Thoughtfully put together. I can’t imagine the work preparing for this. Learned a lot and made great new friends.” – Kris O’Horo, Delafield, Wis.
“Wonderful, nurturing environment. I was completely taken by surprise how much I learned not only from having my own work critiqued, but by listening to my classmates’ work being critiqued. Much more effective than just lecture alone. Great experience!” – Debbie Hart, Algonquin, Ill.
“You are an excellent teacher. My book crawled out of the mire and stared me in the face.” – Lisa Bandt, Poynette, Wis.
“Christine provides thorough, accurate, and insightful feedback—on the spot. She’s analytical and empathic. Great handouts packed with tips! Great assignments and exercises.” – Kristine Miller, Warrenville, Ill.
5. Who Said That? P.O.V., Narrators and the Secrets of VoiceP.O.V. sounds rather simple. First person, third person. Limited. Omniscient. To take the hoariest of examples: “It was a dark and stormy night. She heard a shot ring out.” Whose point of view is it? Third person. “She.” Who said, “It was a dark and stormy night?” Well, she didn’t. Unless she is in the habit of sitting around for hours thinking, “It’s a dark and stormy night. It’s still a dark and stormy night. A minute later and it’s a night, a dark and stormy one.” That voice, the one telling the reader the weather, that’s the narrator.
The narrator is the secret character of the story. In third person it’s the character we never see, the one who is never described. And yet that voice, wry and knowing, scientific and observant, witty, appalled or even confused, is the voice of the story. Writers sometimes say that they can’t get a story going until they get the voice right, but often they are unaware of what that “voice” is.
What about first person stories? At least the voice of those should be easy. It’s the “I.” Well, yes, but when? Is “I” telling the story the day it happened, when it is still fresh and the “I” may not even know what to think or feel about what happened? Or is the “I” many years older, looking back on something, telling the story with some distance?
For many writers, P.O.V. is the piano they play by ear, without really knowing how they find the voice of a story. When a writer finds a good voice, that’s no problem. But when the voice of story is elusive, when the story feels as though the writer can’t quite get a hold of it, sometimes knowing a little about voice can be a way in.
In this class, we’ll explore issues of P.O.V., play with unreliable narrators, recollected first person, characters with secrets, and lots of exotic sounding but actually quite fun techniques. If you are just beginning to write, you’ll leave class with a good start on a piece of writing, either novel or short story length. If you have been working on a piece for awhile, we’ll open the hood and look at the engine of the story, and see if you can’t tune it up, or even, if it’s not running, make it go.
The biggest emphasis in this class will be on your fiction. That’s what we’re here for. That’s what we’ll read and discuss. Participants are invited to bring a short opening of a current writing project (up to three pages) for us to discuss on Monday. Otherwise, we’ll discuss work generated in class. Be prepared to do a lot of writing. Download syllabus
Instructor: Maureen McHugh
Contact: coordinator Christine DeSmet, 608-262-3447; e-mail: cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu.
Maureen McHugh is the author of four novels and a collection of short stories. Her collection of short stories, Mothers & Other Monsters, was a finalist for The Story Prize, in 2006. She taught fiction writing for several years at John Carroll University. For the last couple of years she’s been writing freelance for mixed media internet fictions called ARGs, a potentially new artform arising out of the internet. It’s hard, it’s interesting, and it pays pretty good but her heart belongs to books. She currently lives and writes in Austin, Texas.
"Clear and insightful teacher who is generous with her time, and positive. Would love to take something else from Maureen.".
As Flannery O'Connor wrote: “A story is a way to say something that can't be said any other way, and it takes every word in the story to say what the meaning is.”
How does the successful short story writer craft work that invites and
rewards multiple readings? Compression is key. In this workshop, you will test the weight of words and develop your own voice in the flexible form of the short story.
In addition to reading and discussing several exemplary published stories, in-class workshopping of student work as well as one-on-one conferences with the instructor will make up the central activities during our Write-by-the-Lake retreat. Bring work-in-progress with you to Madison—work to be honed with the goal of publication in mind.
Experiment with teasers and prompts, and generate new fiction over the course of the week. Pursue either or both of these opportunities as you aim to tell fresh stories in the most vital ways, as you aim to make every word count. Download syllabus
Instructor: Gale Renee Walden
Contact: coordinator Christine DeSmet, 608-262-3447; e-mail: cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu.
Gale Renee Walden has taught fiction and poetry at the University of Illinois, Columbia College, Harvard University, and Salem State College. One of her short stories will be in Best American Short Stories 2007. She is the author of Same Blue Chevy, a collection of poetry published by Tia Chucha Press. She has published short stories in Fiction, Prairie Schooner, The Antioch Review, Mid-America Review, and other literary magazines. She won the 2004 Boston Review Fiction contest and has completed a novel based on the winning story, “Men I Don’t Talk to Anymore.” She has published essays in the Crab Orchard Review, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Another Chicago Magazine, Salon and “Parenting and Professing” by Vanderbilt University Press, and is currently working on a book about a ghost town on Route 66. Also a poet, she was the 2005 feature poet in Spoon River Quarterly. Her poetry has been anthologized in Red, White, and Blues, published by University of Iowa press, and Real Things, published by Indiana University Press.
"Extremely gifted teacher."
"Bring her back! She's fantastic."
"She was generous, encouraging, she brought out the best in everyone's writing. She asked astute questions of writers—she improved our craft. A superior writing instructor and coach."
7. Polishing the Novel: The Scene and Everything In-Between Would you like a new strategy for revising your novel? The scene is where everything starts. As Ulf Wolf puts it, the scene is “a focused, vivid world where things happen.” But is that enough to help you write great scenes? Given how tough it is to land an agent these days, will a definition like that crackle your pages with electricity? Will this definition electrify what’s between the scenes themselves?
You’ll start your week of deep novel revision by analyzing the energy of the scenes within your book. How might you raise the standards for how characters behave within scenes? That way you’ll keep readers wondering about and worrying over those characters.
The redefining process will consider how your scenes resemble those in your favorite movie, and this is a parallel you can exploit. We’ll discuss how to do just that, using examples from the work of group members as illustration.
Yet in any good novel, scenes are also nothing like films. Yes, this, too, is a strategy to exploit. Again, we’ll illustrate the qualities of the fictional scene using actual examples from the group.
By this point it’ll be time to consider what we might call “The Big Picture.” How do individual scenes contribute to the underlying structure of your novel? Do any scenes overlap? Does each and every one thrust the momentum of your novel forward?
Last, but certainly not least, the scenes in a good novel—of any genre—are connected causally; one thing leads to another. We’ll discuss how you make those connections in your novel. Dwight Swain calls these in-between moments of narrative summary the “sequel.” We’ll work on making your transitional sections as intriguing as the scenes they set up. You’ll take away new insight into your novel. Rediscover why you love it, or how to fall back in love with it. Come develop a revision plan so that everyone else will love it, too. Download syllabus
Instructor: Laurel Yourke
Contact: Laurel Yourke; e-mail: lyourke@dcs.wisc.edu
Laurel Yourke, of the UW-Madison Department of Liberal Studies and the Arts, published Take Your Characters to Dinner: Creating the Illusion of Reality in Fiction, in 2000. This text forms the backbone of credit and noncredit courses offered in print and online to writers all over the world. In 1997 Laurel received the Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence and in 1999 the Council of Wisconsin Writers Award for Encouragement of Wisconsin Writers. Her critique workshops for intermediate and advanced fiction writers and poets have existed since 1995. Her poetry has appeared in university presses; Wisconsin Academy Proceedings, and Wisconsin Academy Review. In 2003 she was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in poetry. In 2004 she published articles in Anew and the Wisconsin Academy Review. Her poetry collection, Waiting for Beethoven, came out in 2005.
"Laurel's in-depth presentation of the material was excellent. She knows so much about the craft of writing and was able to convey a lot of helpful information in a very short time. This was a fun week. I enjoyed her humor and her supportive atmosphere. The conference was very helpful—going out to lunch was great! Write-by-the-Lake is a Wisconsin treasure and Laurel is a gem." ~ Mary Wimmer, New Berlin, Wis.
"Laurel is fabulous as a teacher and human being (compassionate, appropriate standards). I found every minute worth spending—lunches also (together) and then reviewing, studying and writing at home what we'd handled in the morning. I will spend the next six months processing this valuable experience and applying it to my writing. Thanks for a great week!" ~ Evelyn Kain, Ripon, Wis.
“I was amazed at how well Laurel knew each of our novels. She constantly pulled examples—including character names and situations—from the work we had submitted earlier. Her level of commitment to each student and to that student’s vision allowed us to trust her judgment—and our own—as we tackled the difficult process of deep revision.”
– Hilda Demuth-Lutze, Valparaiso, Ind.
8. Making the Leap: Becoming a Successful Fulltime (or Part-time) Freelance WriterDreamed of writing for a living? Freelance writing can be a lucrative sideline or a satisfying full-time career—if you know what it takes to succeed. No, you can't toil away at your version of the great American novel fulltime and make a living. But you can make a good living if you have solid writing skills, treat your writing like a business, work as efficiently as possible, and create relationships with editors, experts, clients, and other writers.
Surprised? During this week, you'll learn firsthand about the techniques successful freelancers use to launch and sustain their careers, crack top markets, develop ongoing relationships with publications, and work more efficiently. You'll also learn how to write a killer query, locate and conduct interviews with sources, perform research, develop a specialty, create a personal platform, and set goals for your freelance career.
Please note that this is not a writing class per se, but more a class on the business of writing. While we will work on query letters and talk about how to organize material and write articles, we'll also address important business issues like deciphering contracts, negotiating with editors, tracking business expenses, and obtaining work from businesses and corporate clients. We'll also address how to stay motivated when the going gets tough (and it does) and how to cope with the isolation and loneliness freelancers face. In-class work will include some writing time, and optional homework will be given so that by the end of the week you will have at least three queries ready to be sent to editors.
If you want to take your nonfiction writing career to the next level, this is the perfect opportunity. You'll come away with new insights about how to maximize your writing time, treat your writing like a business, and boost your bottom line in the process. Download syllabus
Instructor: Kelly James-Enger
Contact: coordinator Christine DeSmet, 608-262-3447; e-mail: cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu.
Kelly James-Enger escaped from the law in 1997. Since then, the former attorney has maintained a successful fulltime freelance career, writing more than 700 articles for 50 national magazines including Redbook, Health, Self, Woman’s Day, Parents, and Continental. She's the author of eight published books including books including Ready, Aim, Specialize! Create your own Writing Specialty and Make More Money (Marion Street Press, 2008), Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer’s Guide to Making More Money (Random House, 2005); and Small Changes, Big Results: A 12-Week Action Plan to a Better Life (with Ellie Krieger, R.D., Random House, 2005).
More importantly, her business has not only survived but thrived during the last decade of changes in the publishing and media world. In addition to writing, James-Enger speaks at events throughout the country, and has freelanced and consulted for a variety of clients. She's an ACE-certified personal trainer and the owner of BodyWise Consulting; she lives outside Chicago with her husband, son, and golden retriever. Visit www.becomebodywise.com for more info about her.
9. Raising the Stakes: Taking Risks in Poetry (Intermediate/Advanced) Writing a good poem isn’t just about nailing your metaphor or tightening language so it sizzles. It’s taking chances, breaking “rules” and exposing yourself to the risk of discovery. Isn’t that where the energy lies? Crucial truths are at stake, and the bigger the truth the greater the stakes.
Taking risks can generate disaster or fulfillment, but the more you practice, the luckier you tend to get. Each day of the workshop, you’ll move beyond your comfort zone with a different craft element. We’ll look at:
As Mark Strand put it, “The poems that are of greatest value are those that break rules so that they may exist, whose urgency makes rules about how to write or not write poems irrelevant.”
Through discussion, analysis and exercises, come challenge your expectations. Raise the stakes. Go for those “big truths.” Download syllabus
Instructor: Angela Rydell
Contact: coordinator Christine DeSmet, 608-262-3447; e-mail: cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu.
Angela Rydell teaches poetry workshops for the UW-Madison Division of Continuing Studies, including the annual Writers’ Institute conference. She has also taught creative writing workshops throughout Madison, in the adult education program at Edgewood College, as poet-in-residence in elementary schools, and in programs for senior citizens. Her work has been published in Alaska Quarterly, Prairie Schooner, Poets & Writers, and other journals. She holds an MFA in poetry from Warren Wilson College.
"Group and individual critiques were awesome."
"Well-planned by Angela and the whole program was well worth the time and energy. Loved having time to sit by the lake and have time to meet other poets. A really creative atmosphere!" ~ Kathleen Phillips, Waukesha, Wis.
From Angela's other workshops last year:
"I appreciated the positive feedback, particularly for inexperienced poets. I also found Angela's interest and enthusiasm for the subject to be contagious." ~ Beth Schneir, Madison, Wis.
"Angela, you bring such passion and interest and enthusiasm to the class [that] it is inspiring and contagious! Thank you! I wish this class was ongoing. I would love to attend this class 52 weeks a year." ~ Jennifer Woods, Belleville, Wis.
10. The Triggering Subject, or Crafting the Poem (For New and Intermediate Poets)The great American poet Richard Hugo writes, “A poem can be said to have two subjects, the initiating or triggering subject, which starts the poem or causes the poem to be written, and the real or generated subject...which is discovered in the poem during the process of writing.” You’ll start poems from triggering subjects in your own life experience and then shape them through revision into finished work.
Beginning with the initial “triggering subject,” you’ll play with words
in order to bring a new level of meaning to that experience.
You’ll try your hand at different types of poems, including lyric (short, song-like poems) and narrative (poems that tell a story).
Along the way you’ll explore imagery, simile and metaphor, sound, rhythm
and line breaks.
Using the work of American poets such as Charles Simic and Billy Collins as guideposts, you’ll write poems and revise them. By the end of the week you'll leave with a better sense of how to craft a poem, and maybe look forward to getting some of your work published. Download syllabus
Instructor: Elizabeth Tornes
Contact: coordinator Christine DeSmet, 608-262-3447; e-mail: cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu.
Elizabeth Tornes earned a Ph.D. Creative Writing from the University of Utah, and an M.A. in English and Writing from the University of New Hampshire. She has published poetry in many journals and anthologies, including Antioch Review, Boulevard, Durak, Field, Gulf Coast, High Plains Review, Missouri Review, The New Republic, Ploughshares, Quarterly West, Southern Review, Western Humanities Review, and the Wisconsin Poets’ Calendar. Her poetry has won many prizes and awards, and her work has been anthologized in The Anatomy of Water: Contemporary American Prose Poetry (Linwood Press) and New Models of the Universe (Field Press). She has also published a nonfiction book of Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe oral histories, Memories of Lac du Flambeau Elders (Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures, University
of Wisconsin Press, 2004).
11. W.R.A.P.* Your Screenplay (*Write, Revise, Adapt, and Pitch) Welcome! This workshop is designed for new and experienced screenwriters, as well as writers of novels, stage plays, and short stories who want to adapt their work or borrow screenwriting techniques.
You’ve worked long and hard on your novel manuscript, screenplay, stage play, or short story. (Or maybe you’re just starting it.) You want to present a masterpiece to the marketplace. You want to gain the attention of literary or film agents, and you want to sell your work to film, television, and internet outlets. By the hour, studio and production company development executives are searching for material to be made into film, television, and website-based content. Your work is sought by these insiders within these departments and can yield a high-end salary and credits for you.
In this workshop, we’ll examine why you’ve chosen to write your subject matter, and re-write/revise your material to assure it resonates to audiences, learn how to adapt your material (i.e. from manuscript to screenplay, screenplay to manuscript), and learn how to pitch your work as we navigate the current marketplace.
Suggested reading prior to attending: The Writer’s Journey, by Chris Vogler, and Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting, by Syd Field. Please familiarize yourself with trade newspapers Variety and The Hollywood Reporter (see online versions and your local bookstore), and peruse the following websites: www.boxofficemojo.com, www.cynopsis.com. We’ll build from there. Generous handouts will include a list of other recommended resources for further study. Download syllabus
Instructor: Laurie Scheer
Contact: coordinator Christine DeSmet, 608-262-3447; e-mail: cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu.
Laurie Scheer has worked as an assistant, d-girl, producer, and network vice president for some of the most powerful media conglomerates in the world. She's been a professor of media studies at numerous colleges and universities across the U.S. and she is a published author. She considers herself a media goddess, assisting writers, artists, and the next generation of media professionals in realizing their goals of working and improving the 21st century media. Her book Creative Careers In Hollywood: From Extra Girls to Errand Boys (Allworth Press, 2002), chronicles and celebrates all of the movies ever made that feature working in Hollywood. Her new DVD about “Pitching Your Projects to Hollywood” is now available. She is very enthusiastic about sharing her love of working in Hollywood with the rest of the world. She is currently teaching at Yale University, develops seminars with mediabistro.com and Women In Film on the East Coast, and serves as the Pitching Coach for NATPE's Boot Camp and consults for a number of internet networks on the West Coast. She resides between New Haven, Connecticut and L.A.
Location:
Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St.
Schedule:
Monday, June 16–Friday, June 20, 2008; Core hours: 9:30 am–12:30 pm;
Presentation and social hour: optional 4–5 pm, Monday
Mini-classes (optional): 2–3 pm, Tuesday–Thursday; 8:30-9:30 am, Friday
Open-mike/fiction and poetry, Wednesday, 4–5:30 pm
Noncredit/Credit Options:
3.0 CEU (30 hours); 1–3 UW English graduate credits available.
Credit students—enroll by first calling 608-262-3447. Credit fees are extra.
Fee:
Program fee includes instruction, continental breakfast each day,
one social hour program, and guest speaker events. Lodging is on your own.
$325 by May 19; $355 after May 19
(Fee includes mini-classes and reception.)
Credit course fees are extra. $75 deposit reserves your spot now.
(Refundable before May 19.)
Register early!
Enrollment is limited to 15 students in each section.
Register now!
Do you want a day-by-day syllabus of each section?
Syllabi links are above.
We can also send you a print copy. Call 608-262-3447.
If you are interested in earning university credit, enroll by calling Christine DeSmet at 608-262-3447. There is no form to send in. To register without the credit option call 608-262-7942. Enrollment is limited to 15 in each section. You may ask to be put on a waiting list.
Online registration is also available for this year's program.
Schedule
Core classroom hours: 9:30 am-12:30 pm each day. Monday: optional 4-5 pm mini-class;
4 pm Social Hour/Welcome. Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday optional mini-classes
2-3 pm. An optional open-mike night for poetry and fiction participants Wednesday.
Noncredit/college credit available
3.0 Continuing Education Units (30 hours); 1-3 UW-Madison English graduate credits. Credit students—enroll by first calling 608-262-3447. Approved for teachers by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
How to enroll for graduate credit—follow these simple steps:
Fee and how to register
The $325 fee before May 19/$355 after May 19 covers instruction, coffee/tea/breaks, and Monday's social hour. To register, you must call 608-262-7942. There is no form to send in. Enrollment is limited to 15 each section. Ask to be put on a waiting list.
Nearby lodging
Please note: Lodging is on your own. We encourage you to reserve a room as soon as possible if you want to be close to campus.
What to bring
You have access to a computer lab during your stay; however, for your convenience
we recommend that you bring your laptop or computer and printer. Bringing
a computer is not necessary if you write or print legibly for assignments
during the week.
How long will it take to drive to class each day if I stay at my favorite
chain motel/hotel on the outskirts of the city?
Madison bustles with metropolitan flair, but it’s still a “small
town.” From lodging out by our malls or near the Interstate, you can
drive in, park, and walk to our building within 20-30 minutes easily. For other
lodging options and tourist information check the Madison Convention & Visitors
Bureau Web site: www.visitmadison.com, or call 608-255-2537 or
1-800-373-6376.
Information
For more details about Write-by-the-Lake, or for a sample syllabus for your
interest area contact any of the instructors, or on-site coordinator, Christine
DeSmet, cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu. For
information about Madison check the Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau
Web site: www.visitmadison.com,
call 608-255-2537 or 800-373-6376 for free brochures and maps.
You will find useful information regarding visiting Madison, including campus maps, parking maps, and visitor links, on the University of Wisconsin-Madison welcome page at http://www.wisc.edu/wiscinfo/welcome/.
This program is offered by UW-Madison in cooperation with UW-Extension.
If you have a disability and desire accommodations, please advise us ahead of time. Requests are confidential. University of Wisconsin provides equal opportunities in employment and programming including Title IX requirements.
"The [afternoon optional] panel discussions offered insight, information and ideas. The panel members were funny and knowledgeable and so willing to answer questions. Thank you!" —Carol Owens Campbell, Long Grove, IL
"The setting was outstanding. The instructor was perfect for the subject." —Melvin McCartney, Madison, WI
"The 3-hour class format is the best I've been in. Finally time to do more than just get started." —Peg Rosin, Ringle, WI
"Well, I almost chickened out and cancelled, but thank goodness I didn't. I found the discussion very helpful...and it gave me a confidence that surprised me. I liked the three-hour format...the pressure-free optional participation." — Martha Grasty, Madison, WI
"I feel energized, and I can't wait to get back to my computer. An outstanding experience!" — Charles P. Murphy, Abingdon, IL
"It was a breath of fresh air, much needed showers on my parched writing. Marshall was wonderful in his teaching, handouts and consultations."
— Janice Kaat, Sheboygan Falls, WI
Your workshop time will be spent in our state-of-the art adult education
building, The Pyle Center, overlooking Lake Mendota.
It’s also next door to the famous Memorial Union outdoor terrace where
you’ll find good food, camaraderie, and musicalentertainment.
A lakeshore path running from The Pyle and Lowell Centers to the west end of
our campus provides spectacular views for an inspirational walk or jog. Nearby on State Street you’ll find great places to explore: theaters,
museums, public library, bookstores, shopping, restaurants and coffee shops,
the State Capitol, farmer’s market, and the new Overture Center. Our city also features a botanical garden, a children’s museum, historical
and research libraries open to the public, geology museum, an observatory,
a beautiful free zoo, and much more to do in your spare time or with family.
You will find useful information regarding visiting Madison, including campus maps, parking maps, and visitor links, on the University of Wisconsin-Madison welcome page at http://www.wisc.edu/wiscinfo/welcome/. Another resource is the Convention & Visitors Bureau Web site: www.visitmadison.com, call 608-255-2537 or 800-373-6376 for free brochures and catalogs.
Coordinator Christine DeSmet
UW-Madison Liberal Studies & the Arts
610 Langdon St., Room 621
Madison, WI 53703
608-262-3447 for program questions
608-262-7942 for registration
To join the mailing list for any of our writing program complete our mailing list form.
We also encourage you to tell a friend about this page!
The annual Writers' Institute: A two-day conference for fiction and nonfiction writers.
Receive
the Writing News, our free e-mail newsletter.
If you subscribe, then 4-5 times a year you will receive from the Department
of Liberal Studies and the Arts a detailed e-mail with information about
our upcoming writing programs as well as news about student acheivements,
new programs, and opportunities for writers. To subscribe send a blank
e-mail message to: join-writing-news@lists.wisc.edu.
Photos by Jeff Miller, UW-Madison Publications
The Department of Liberal Studies & the Arts is a part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Continuing Studies. The units within Continuing Studies provide continuing education programs for lifelong learners, from precollege to seniors, as well as counseling services for adult learners. You will find the UW-Madison Continuing Studies home page at http://www.dcs.wisc.edu, or browse the Web site using the navigational links below.
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File last updated: October 6, 2008
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