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About the Year-Long Manuscript Group Program
The Year-Long Manuscript Group Program at PVWW is for writers in any genre who are serious and committed to completing (or revising) a book-length manuscript over the course of the year. The program is completely virtual,
intensive and comprehensive, and was
designed in the spirit of building a community of writers committed to supporting each other through the rigorous and sometimes lonely process of completing (or revising) a full manuscript. Each workshop group is limited to ten writers, meets (virtually) once a month for three hours, and also involves communication with the group between meetings via an easy-to-access online classroom space (Google Classrooms). At their core, the year-long workshops are centered around giving and receiving feedback, craft instruction, building a supportive community, and the push toward completing a full-length manuscript. Over the course of the year, writers in the program will be guided to set active, clear goals that will help them both get to the finish line and better understand craft elements related to their genre.
The program is open to writers at all stages of the process, in any genre, but it does require a rigorous commitment to your work, a clear project in mind that you plan to work on for the entire year, as well as a commitment to the writers in your cohort and the various aspects of the program. If you have not already, we highly recommend you review the complete information on the
Year-Long Manuscript Program
before applying, which also includes a month-by-month breakdown of what each year-long workshop will cover.
About the Instructors
The Novel (First Draft & Revision):
KATE SENECAL
is the Assistant Director of PVWW and the Director of PVWW's Year-Long Manuscript Group Program. She is the former fiction editor of
Storychord
, a fiction instructor at Grub Street, and a professor at UMass Amherst. She's received an honorable mention in Glimmer Train’s 2019 Short Fiction Contest, and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2016. She holds
an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and her fiction has been published in
The Laurel Review, The Foundling Review,
and in
Storychord.com.
Memoir
:
DORIAN FOX
is a writer and freelance editor in Boston, where he teaches courses at GrubStreet, a nonprofit creative writing center. His essays have appeared in
The Rumpus
,
Gay Magazine
,
Atticus Review
,
Longridge Revie
w,
Under the Gum Tree
,
december
and elsewhere, and received special mentions in the Anne C. Barnhill Prize and Curt Johnson Prose Awards contests, among others. More of his work can be found at
dorianfox.com
.
Poetry Hybrid & Nonfiction:
CAROLYN ZAIKOWSKI
is is the author of the hybrid novels
In Dream, I Dance by Myself, and I Collapse
(Civil Coping Mechanisms, 2016) and
A Child Is Being Killed
(Aqueous Books, 2013). Her fiction, poetry, and essays have appeared in
The Washington Post, Denver Quarterly, The Rumpus, PANK, West Branch, DIAGRAM, Everyday Feminism,
and elsewhere. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Naropa University's Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics and is currently an English professor and volunteer death doula.
Short Story:
SARA RAUCH
is the author of
What Shines from It: Stories
, which won the Electric Book Award. Her prose has also appeared in Paper Darts, Meetinghouse, Hobart, Split Lip, and So to Speak. She holds an MFA from Pacific University, and lives with her family in Holyoke, MA. Find her online at
www.sararauch.com
.
Application for the 2022 Year-Long Manuscript Program
Before you begin
: Please be aware that this application form does not autosave and should be completed in one sitting. We strongly recommend saving your answers to the short answer questions in a separate document. We also strongly recommend that you read through everything on the
Year-Long Program page
and understand fully what this program entails before submitting your application. All applications must be receive before or on January 9, 2022 to be considered for the 2022 - 2023 program year.
*
Indicates required field
Name
*
Email Address
*
How did you learn our Year-Long Manuscript Program and/or Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop?
*
Since these workshops meet virtually, writers can participate from anywhere in the world. Where would would you be joining us from? (City, Sate or City, Country)
*
Past Experience
What's your experience with writing workshops?
*
Lots of workshop experience at a high level; MFA or equivalent degree
Lots of workshop experience at rigorous programs like Bread Loaf, Tin House, and others, but no MFA or long-term study
Casual workshop experience at smaller, local, and/or non-application-based organizations, such as Grub Street
At least one prior workshop
Very casual workshop experience with friends and writing groups
No workshop experience
Feel free to elaborate about your relevant past experience, with workshops, programs, publications, etc.
*
The Workshop Groups
Which year-long workshop group are you applying to be in?
*
Novel: First Draft (with Kate Senecal)
Novel: Revision (with Kate Senecal)
Short Story (with Sara Rauch)
Memoir (with Dorian Fox)
Nonfiction (with Carolyn Zaikowski)
Poetry and Hybrid (with Carolyn Zaikowski)
If applicable to your manuscript and/or writing goals, please let us know your SECOND CHOICE if you do not get into your first choice workshop group:
*
Novel: First Draft
Novel: Revision
Short Story
Memoir
Nonfiction
Poetry and Hybrid
The group I am applying for is the only one I am interested in. If I do not get in, I am not interested in any other group.
What are you looking for in a manuscript workshop group? How do you think this group would help you, and why do you think you'd be a good fit for the program?
*
Your Manuscript
Tell us about the project you'd be working on over the course of the year! How far along are you? What's your current process like?
*
What are your big-picture goals for the manuscript?
*
Work Sample
Guidelines:
Please upload (or copy/paste below) a sample of your work, from the project you propose to work on during your year in the program, or from a work in a similar genre (though we do recommend sharing an excerpt from the project you'd be working on).
Please follow the formatting criteria below:
All work samples should be no longer than 1500 words, or 5 double-spaced pages.
Please make sure your submission follows standard formatting (Times New Roman, 12 pt font, double-spaced, etc.)
All files must be either a PDF or .doc/.docx. We will not be able to open any files other than these!
Include your name and email address on your work sample, as well as page numbers.
Applications without work samples will not be considered for admission.
Upload your work sample here:
*
Max file size: 20MB
Or copy/paste your work sample here:
*
Please give a short description of the work sample above, especially if it is an excerpt from a longer work.
*
Commitment to and Engagement with the Course
In addition to regular work on your own manuscript, involvement in the workshop requires writers to read and offer thoughtful feedback on sections of their classmates' manuscripts on a monthly basis. How do you feel about the feedback-aspect of the program?
*
Excited! I learn best in environments where I am both giving and receiving feedback. I am excited to read the work of my classmates!
It makes sense and I'm fine with it.
I'm fine with it, though I do worry about having enough time for my own manuscript.
I am not a huge fan of giving frequent feedback.
While each workshop group meets via Zoom just once a month, each instructor curates a virtual Google Classroom space for writers to stay involved with each other and the course material in between meetings. The virtual classroom includes readings, craft lectures, writing prompts, discussion questions, and other resources all centered around the monthly craft topic. How engaged with this aspect of the course do you foresee yourself being?
*
Very engaged! I am looking forward to all of the materials and resources and am excited to actively engage throughout the month with the course materials and group.
Engaged. I hope to be an active participant in the Google Classroom, yet this may depend on my schedule and other commitments.
Somewhat engaged. I'm glad the resources are there, though I'm mostly looking forward to referencing them later, when I have more time.
Not that engaged. I am applying to the program because of the monthly workshop element and cannot foresee being actively engaged with a virtual classroom space.
Outside of unforeseen emergencies that would require you to withdraw, how serious would you be about attending all class meetings (once a month) and sticking with this group over the course of the year?
*
I am completely committed and foresee nothing that would interfere with my commitment to my manuscript and the group.
I am committed, but there are a few possible conflicts that could make the year-long commitment difficult.
I will try my best, but I really have no way of knowing.
If you answered that there are a few possible conflicts that could make attendance and/or sticking with the group over the course of the year difficult, please elaborate on the conflict here.
*
Payment & Policies
The cost of the Year-Long Manuscript Group Program is $1900 ($2300 for the Novel Revision workshop). Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop does not have the ability to offer financial aid or scholarships for participation in the year-long program, and with very few exceptions, we are not able to accommodate payment plans. Because of this, all participants in the program must be able to pay full tuition, which is due by the end of February 2022. Please let us know if this is possible for you.
If accepted into the program, are you able to pay full tuition by the end of February?
*
Yes, if accepted I am able to pay the full tuition by that date.
Yes, although I am only able to pay the full amount with a payment plan.
I am not able to pay the full tuition. I am interested only if I can receive partial financial aid, and I understand that this may not be possible.
If you are only able to attend with financial aid, please tell us a little bit about your situation, as well as what percentage of the tuition you would be able to pay.
*
Refund Policy: Except in the case of serious unforseen medical emergencies, we are unable to refund participants who need to withdraw from the program midway through the year, or at any point after deposits have been made. This policy is strictly upheld. Each group is small, admission is selective, and frequent withdrawals undermine the integrity and sustainability of the program. For this reason, we must make sure that all applicants understand and accept this policy.
*
I understand that if accepted into the program, my tuition payment is nonrefundable.
Thank you for your interest in PVWW's Year-Long Manuscript Program! We look forward to reviewing your application. All applicants will be notified of their status by the end of January 2022. Workshops begin in March.
Submit
About Us
What People Are Saying
Our Team
>
Intern at PVWW!
Apply to Teach at PVWW
Financial Aid
Policies
Media & Photo Gallery
Contact
Creative Writing Classes
Current Workshops & Classes
Year-Long Manuscript Program
Events
Readings & Events (Virtual)
Community Writing
Writing Across Borders Program
Editing & Consulting
Store