A Typical Week

As this is a workshop, our main concern is writing and critiquing work-in-progress. We will, of course, supplement that work by considering published stories and talking about the craft of fiction writing in general.

Here's how a typical week will go:

Monday
Individual Conferences / Receive Weekly Critique Packet & Reading Assignment

Tuesday
Individual Conferences / Discuss Assigned Reading

Wednesday
Critique

Thursday
Critique

Friday
Conference & Critique Drafts Due

Submit drafts to my ASFA e-mail account -- tjbeitelman(at)asfa.k12.al.us -- using your own ASFA e-mail account.

A few other notes:

Stephen King says the only -- only -- way to learn how to write is to write a lot and read widely. I don't know about "only," but I take his point.

You will have what I call "studio time" throughout the week, depending on that day's activities. Here are the three appropriate uses of "studio time," roughly in order:

1. Work on your next conference or critique draft.

2. Read something I've assigned.

3. Write/Read for yourself. The creative, mindful (as opposed to "destructive, mindless") kind of writing/reading. Those are admittedly subjective terms, so if you are unsure of what I mean, just ask. I'm probably going to err on your side, though, because I basically agree with Stephen King: the most important work you do as a student of writing is the stuff that's self-directed.

The most common goof-off excuse is that you'll do your creative writing work at another (presumably better) time and place. Okay. I know feng shui's important. But your ASFA creative writing assignments are really only a gateway to your writing life. That whole vast world is yours to make alone, and this (here, now) is such a golden opportunity to get started. See the last sentence in the paragraph above.