ABOUT THE PROGRAM
A rigorous, year-long program for writers serious about making big strides on a book-length manuscript, in any genre, who would benefit from the structure, guidance, and support of a monthly workshop group. The workshop groups are each limited to ten writers, meet virtually once a month via Zoom, include access to an additional interactive online classroom, as well as many other program features. Admission by application (at the bottom of this page). All relevant information is on this page.
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 project over the course of one year, beginning in March and concluding in February the following year. Applications open each year in late fall and close in early January. Applicants are notified by the end of January, and the workshops begin each year in March and run through February the following year. The program is fully 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 a draft of a manuscript. Writers who are just beginning with an idea as well as writers who are mid-draft (or ready for revision) would both benefit from the program, but the explicit goal of all workshop groups is to have a finished first draft (or large chunk of it) at the end of twelve months.
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 Classroom). At their core, each workshop group is centered around giving and receiving feedback, craft instruction focusing on a different topic each month, building a supportive community, and the push toward completing a full-length manuscript. Over the course of the year, writers in all manuscript groups 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, but it does require a rigorous commitment to your work and a clear project in mind that you plan to work on for the entire year. The ideal applicant is someone who is deeply committed to their growth as a writer, the commitments of being in a year-long program, as well as to furthering their manuscript; they understand the rigorous nature of this program and they and their work thrive in an environment where craft readings and books are discussed frequently, prompts and other resources are made available, and feedback is given monthly to their peers, all in addition to their own writing.
In addition to the individually-designed curriculum and class features that each instructor brings to their year-long workshop (see class descriptions below), all year-long workshop groups also include the following:
For more program info, including descriptions and outlines of each workshop group, instructor information, important dates, frequently asked questions, eligibility, and application information, scroll down. All program information is on this page. If you have questions after reading through everything here, please join us at our November 21, 2021 virtual Year-Long Program Open House for a chance to meet the instructors, current students, learn more, and have your questions answered!
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 Classroom). At their core, each workshop group is centered around giving and receiving feedback, craft instruction focusing on a different topic each month, building a supportive community, and the push toward completing a full-length manuscript. Over the course of the year, writers in all manuscript groups 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, but it does require a rigorous commitment to your work and a clear project in mind that you plan to work on for the entire year. The ideal applicant is someone who is deeply committed to their growth as a writer, the commitments of being in a year-long program, as well as to furthering their manuscript; they understand the rigorous nature of this program and they and their work thrive in an environment where craft readings and books are discussed frequently, prompts and other resources are made available, and feedback is given monthly to their peers, all in addition to their own writing.
In addition to the individually-designed curriculum and class features that each instructor brings to their year-long workshop (see class descriptions below), all year-long workshop groups also include the following:
- A vibrant and supportive writing community.
- Support in goal-setting as well as well as working toward goals and deadlines.
- At least two rounds of feedback (and brainstorming on your project) from the group and instructor on workshop submissions of approximately 20 pages (each time).
- Access to a user-friendly online classroom space (Google Classrooms), where discussions, interaction, and sharing of materials will happen.
- Regular craft tips, instruction, and frequent talks from your instructor.
- Monthly readings and discussions on many relevant topics (see individual course outlines below) so we can understand our own historical and contemporary context as writers and learn from the masters.
- Learning to “read like a writer” toward deep study and critical thinking about readings, one’s own work, and others’ work. (The Fiction Workshops read 4 - 5 published novels together over the course of the year, toward this end.)
- Professional written feedback from the instructor on at least two (20-page) chapters or excerpts from your manuscript.
- Robust online correspondence with other participants and the instructor between meetings, including a monthly accountability system that keeps you in touch with your peers throughout the month.
- Monthly revision and generative exercises, both in-class and at-home (in between meetings).
- Discussions on the basics of publishing: query letters, finding an agent, and the different paths the publishing journey can take.
- Two one-on-one meetings with the instructor to discuss your manuscript in depth.
- An opportunity (optional) to read your work at one of our virtual Year-Long Program Reading Nights, in February before the program ends.
For more program info, including descriptions and outlines of each workshop group, instructor information, important dates, frequently asked questions, eligibility, and application information, scroll down. All program information is on this page. If you have questions after reading through everything here, please join us at our November 21, 2021 virtual Year-Long Program Open House for a chance to meet the instructors, current students, learn more, and have your questions answered!
The Year-Long Workshop Groups
Novel • Memoir • Short Story • Nonfiction • Poetry/Hybrid
All workshop groups meet virtually ONLINE via Zoom, and run from March 2022 - February 2023
Please Note: If you have questions regarding where your work would best fit even after reading the descriptions for all workshop groups, we encourage you to apply anyway, and if accepted into the program, we will place you in a group we think fits your work best. We also suggest planning to attend our November 21 (1 - 2pm EST) program open house, where you can meet the instructors and current students and have your specific questions answered. For questions regarding the overall program (and not specific workshops) you can also email Joy at joy@pioneervalleywriters.org.
12 Months: Begins March 21, 2022 • Meets third Mondays on Zoom (6 - 9pm EDT) • $1900
Year-Long Novel Workshop: First Draft
with Kate Senecal
This workshop is for fiction writers who are working on their first draft of a full length manuscript. Writers who are just beginning with an idea as well as writers who are mid-draft would both benefit from this group, but the explicit goal of this course is to have a finished first draft, ready for the first stage of revision, by the end of the year. This course meets over zoom once a month for three hours, in small accountability buddy groups of 2-3 people at least once between meetings (but often more often), and is in regular contact via a virtual classroom space. Over the course of the year, we'll set active, clear goals that will help participants both get to the finish line and better understand craft elements in novel writing, such as character development, structure, plot, scene construction, and more. Each month, writers will be offered a slew of prompts, writing exercises, craft lectures, discussion questions, and readings designed to maintain momentum, solidify a regular writing practice, and provide support around all of the highs and lows of the novel writing process. For more details about what this course entails, including overall features of the program such as monthly accountability buddies, instructor meetings, and general program structure and info, see the above "About the Program" section, as well as the "Important Program Information" sections below. Limited to 10 writers.
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About the InstructorKATE SENECAL is the Assistant Director of PVWW and the Program Director of PVWW's Year-Long Manuscript Program. She holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine, is the former fiction editor of Storychord, and a UMass professor. She's received an honorable mention in Glimmer Train’s 2019 Short Fiction Contest, and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2016. Kate’s fiction has been published in The Laurel Review, The Foundling Review, and in Storychord.com.
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Monthly Course Outline and Craft Topics Covered
- MARCH (2022): Theme and how that drives the story/What do you already know about your book
- APRIL (2022): Plot/Story Arc and narrative tensio
- MAY (2022): Characters and their relationship to problem
- JUNE (2022): Character defining techniques: specificity
- JULY (2022): Perspective/Narrative Strategy
- AUGUST (2022): Why show don’t tell is a joke
- SEPTEMBER (2022): How to write good scenes
- OCTOBER (2022): How to write good dialogue
- NOVEMBER (2022): Navigating time: different types of structures
- DECEMBER (2022): The Devil is in the details: specificity and place
- JANUARY (2023): Beginnings and endings
- FEBRUARY(2023): Planning for revision
12 Months: Begins March 28, 2022 • Meets last Mondays on Zoom (6 - 9pm EDT) • $2400
Year-Long Novel Workshop: Revision
with Kate Senecal
This workshop is for fiction writers who have finished a complete draft of a full-length manuscript and are looking for support and structure in the revision process. The explicit goal of this course is to complete one full revision of a completed draft of a manuscript. Prior to the start of the course, the instructor will read all participants' full manuscripts.* This course meets over zoom once a month for three hours, in small accountability buddy groups of 2-3 people at least once between meetings (but often more often), and is in regular contact via a virtual classroom space. Over the course of the year, we'll set active, clear goals that will help participants both get through a full revision and better understand craft elements in novel writing, such as character development, structure, plot, scene construction, and more. Each month, writers will be offered a set of linked, progressive exercises geared toward helping writers revise or see their novels in a new light, a slew of prompts and writing exercises that are geared toward re-writing necessary sections of the book or reworking existing pages, craft lectures, discussion questions, and readings designed to maintain momentum, solidify a regular writing practice, and provide support around all of the highs and lows of the novel revision process. Writers should be prepared to read and discuss up to six novels over the course of the year, as well as craft readings, as assigned by the instructor. For more details about what this course entails, including overall features of the program such as monthly accountability buddies, instructor meetings, and general program structure and info, see the above "About the Program" section, as well as the "Important Program Information" sections below. Limited to 10 writers.
*Full manuscript reading by the instructor is in service of the two hour-long meetings all participants will have with the instructor over the course of the year, and for a more enriched experience of the course. Written feedback will not be provided on the full manuscript; however, for all work submitted for the workshop, participants will receive written feedback letters and marginalia.
*Full manuscript reading by the instructor is in service of the two hour-long meetings all participants will have with the instructor over the course of the year, and for a more enriched experience of the course. Written feedback will not be provided on the full manuscript; however, for all work submitted for the workshop, participants will receive written feedback letters and marginalia.
For those planning on applying to the Year-Long Novel Revision Workshop : Full novel manuscripts must be submitted by the January 9th 2022 application deadline, along with a complete application, to be considered for the Novel Revision Workshop. Manuscripts should be in standard formatting (double spaced, 12pt font, Times New Roman, one-inch margins, etc.) and emailed to Kate Senecal as a .doc, .docx, or PDF. Please use email subject "Year-Long Revision Group Application: Full Manuscript for [NAME]".
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Monthly Course Outline and Craft Topics Covered
- MARCH (2022): What is revision? What did you create? The importance of seeing your story for what it is and then deciding what it wants to be through constructing a reverse outline
- APRIL (2022): People and their problems as catalysts for action
- MAY (2022): Structure and Beginnings and Endings
- JUNE (2022): Point of View/Narrative Strategy
- JULY (2022): Characters: who do we most care about
- AUGUST (2022): Scene/Summary balance: the value of exposition
- SEPTEMBER (2022): Making a good scene
- OCTOBER (2022): Setting and the importance of specificity in details
- NOVEMBER (2022): The power of withholding details, understanding subtext
- DECEMBER (2022): Navigating time, different structures in regards to genre
- JANUARY (2023): Recurring symbols and motifs/any craft related loose ends
- FEBRUARY (2023): Consistency issues and sentence level edits
12 Months: Begins March 2, 2022 • Meets first Wednesdays on Zoom (6 - 9pm EDT) • $1900
Year-Long Short Story Workshop
with Sara Rauch
This group is designed for short fiction writers who are interested in diving deeply into the craft of short fiction and producing several new stories over the course of the year. Each month, we’ll undertake in-class and at-home generative exercises designed to help hone your understanding of what a short story is and how it functions as a contained unit. We will also keep in mind the revision process and various methods to approach revising short fiction as we go. By the end of the year, participants can expect to have solid drafts of between six and twelve short stories. Over the course of the year, we will give each other intensive feedback on drafted stories, as well as spend time studying and discussing published short story collections (approx. 6 collections, plus occasional individual stories). Students will be encouraged to keep a “project journal” throughout the year, which will provide a place to record ideas, capture inspiration, work through important questions about your work, and document the creative process. Alongside your own writing, we will cover specific elements of craft, such as characterization, plot, scene building, dialogue, details, world building, setting, structure, and more. Craft essays will supplement our in-class lessons and provide further understanding of how the various elements of craft interact with one another on the page. Finally, as we wrap up the year, we will talk about the world of literary magazines and best practices for pursuing publication of individual stories as well as what the process of putting together a story collection entails. For more details about what this course entails, including overall features of the program such as monthly accountability buddies, instructor meetings, and general program structure and info, see the above "About the Program" section, as well as the "Important Program Information" sections below. Limited to 10 writers.
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Monthly Course Outline and Craft Topics Covered
- MARCH (2022): What is a Short Story + Crafting a Scene + Reading Like a Writer: In this first class, we will discuss various definitions of the short story form; the basics of how to craft a scene; and how to read fiction with a writer’s eye.
- APRIL (2022): Beginnings + Point of View: This month, we’ll cover the various ways to begin a short story as well as the options available to you for point of view and how each option might influence how a story is told.
- MAY (2022): Characterization & Plot: We’ll discuss how characterization and plot go hand-in-hand in literary fiction (arguably, in all good fiction regardless of genre) and different ways you might dovetail the two craft elements together in your work.
- JUNE (2022): Characterization Deep Dive: This month, we’ll dig deeper into the act of creating memorable characters.
- JULY (2022): Dialogue: Following on our characterization intensive, in this class we’ll discuss dialogue do’s and don’ts. We’ll also explore how to utilize dialogue in scene and how to approach “unusual” dialogue.
- AUGUST (2022): Worldbuilding + Setting: This month, we’ll talk about how to develop the architecture of your story worlds, the importance of specificity in settings, and how to use time and rules effectively to create the place where your stories play out.
- SEPTEMBER (2022): Details, Details + Show and Tell: This month, we’ll cover the importance of detail in your writing, and how to use them well in your stories. We’ll also take on the old “show, don’t tell” adage and discuss ways in which showing and telling can be balanced over the course of a narrative.
- OCTOBER (2022): Structures, Part One: In this class, we’ll talk about the importance of a solid story structure, as well as cover the basic shapes of the most common, linear, story structures.
- NOVEMBER (2022): Structures, Part Two: Following on our previous class, this month we’ll focus on unusual story structures, such as spirals, radials, meanders, and other non-linear shapes a story might take.
- DECEMBER (2022): Endings: This month, we’ll discuss how different types of endings function, as well as figuring out how to “land” an ending (choosing the right type and getting it on the page).
- JANUARY (2023): Revision: Though we will be touching upon revision techniques throughout the year, this class will focus on revisions great and small: approaches, ideas, learning to trust your writerly instinct about what needs to be cut, a different way of thinking about the common advice to “murder your darlings,” and more.
- FEBRUARY (2023): Story Meet World! Advice & How-to + Lit Mags + Putting together a collection: For our final class, we’ll talk about making the leap from writing to publishing, and we’ll cover some best practices for submitting to literary magazines, dealing with the inevitable rejections, celebrating successes, and being a good literary citizen; we’ll also discuss some ideas on how to assemble a short story collection.
Begins March 2, 2022 • Meets first Wednesdays on Zoom (6 - 9pm EDT) • $1900
Year-Long Poetry & Hybrid Workshop
with Carolyn Zaikowski
This workshop is designed for poets and hybrid writers who have a manuscript in progress, plus those who have a vision but are just beginning. Poetry projects may be in a wide range of poetic forms. Hybrid projects may be those that mix or experiment with forms. This may include mixed prose/poetry texts, experimental or poetry-based memoir or essay, mixed visual/language texts, and poetic or lyric essays which stretch the boundaries of traditional or popular prose-based creative nonfiction.* In studying poetry and hybrid together, we'll see the vast and surprising overlaps between these terms, both in historical context and in practice. In addition to work on our own manuscripts, we'll read about and discuss traditions in lyricism, prose poetry, fixed and free verse, hybrid and cross-art, modernism, and more. Students can expect to read numerous monthly excerpts and 4 short books. By the end of the year, participants will have a solid first draft of either chapbook-length (approx. 30 pages) or full-length (approx. 60-70 pages for poetry, or a wide range of pages for uncategorizable or hybrid work.) For more details about what this course entails, including overall features of the program such as monthly accountability buddies, instructor meetings, and general program structure and info, see the above "About the Program" section, as well as the "Important Program Information" sections below. Limited to 10 writers.
*Creative nonfiction writers working in more traditional or general prose-style should apply to the nonfiction workshop (course description below, on this page).
*Creative nonfiction writers working in more traditional or general prose-style should apply to the nonfiction workshop (course description below, on this page).
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Monthly Course Outline and Craft Topics Covered
- MARCH (2022): Introduction: We’ll ask the big questions: What, why, where, and how is poetry and/or hybrid? What is the nature of genre and form, anyway? What is lyricism? What’s the nature of the writing process and the generation stage?
- APRIL (2022): Lyricism, Narrative, and Prose Poetry: We’ll study prose poetry and do a deeper dive into the possibilities of lyricism, including an introduction to the lyric essay and proto-hybrid texts from long ago. We’ll also be invited into the concept of “notebook practice” and “follow the pen” as generation strategies.
- MAY (2022): Fragmentation and Mixed Forms: We’ll study the nature of poetic or hybrid fragmentation on the page, what its purposes might be in regards to creating an “experiential” text, and what happens when form and content mirror one another. We’ll see how this sometimes connects to sociopolitical concepts like non-binary identities or postcolonialism.
- JUNE (2022): We’ll look at using the stuff of real life to create a text, including basic research concepts for those writing nonfiction content. We’ll also explore experimental or verse-based memoir-style texts, and continue our discussion of how to represent, through form, the fragmented nature of experience.
- JULY (2022): We’ll go deeper on the history of poetry/hybrid/experimental writing as a sociopolitical statement, particularly in the context of modernist movements; we’ll also review the lyric essay.
- AUGUST (2022): We’ll explore free verse as a way to represent the mind’s natural flow of language on the page. We’ll see mixed media possibilities, such as visual-poetry texts, plus creative use of writing that’s not ours, like found poetry, black-outs, white-outs, and “creative plagiarism”.
- SEPTEMBER (2022): We’ll look at concept of “poetry of witness” and explore the idea of audience members/readers as witnesses to complicated human experiences. We’ll also study what it means to engage with narrative and storytelling, whether real-life or fictional.
- OCTOBER (2022): We’ll play with the fun and surprising hows and whys of constraints and fixed forms, plus do some preliminary revision explorations and goal-setting.
- NOVEMBER (2022): We’ll review and deepen core concepts from class, plus experiment with exercises in revision at the line-level, with attention to sharpening detail, word choice, and voice.
- DECEMBER (2022): We’ll continue with the concept of revision and what it means to “order” a poetic, lyric, or fragmented text; we’ll spend some time deepening our understanding, in hindsight, of our vision for our project.
- JANUARY (2023): We’ll catch-up on what we’ve missed or need to go deeper on, plus create plans for our next steps for writing, drafting, and revision.
- FEBRUARY (2023): We’ll do a basic overview of the practicalities and realities of publishing poetry and hybrid work, plus reflect on where we’ve been, where we’re at, and where we’d like to go.
Begins March 3, 2022 • Meets First Thursdays on Zoom (6 - 9pm EDT) • $1900
Year-Long Nonfiction Workshop
with Carolyn Zaikowski
This workshop is designed for creative nonfiction prose writers in non-memoir genres (nature and science writing, philosophy and spiritual writing, travel or food writing, biography, history, politics, social commentary, literary journalism, etc.) who have a manuscript in progress as well as for those who have a vision but are just beginning. By the end of the year, participants will have a solid draft of a complete manuscript. To this end, we will give each other feedback, spend time closely studying published writers to learn about craft and context, and do in-class and at-home generative prompts and exercises. Additionally, we will study numerous monthly excerpts and 3-4 books from the masters, both to understand our context as writers, and to see how the masters apply their craft. For more details about what this course entails, including overall features of the program such as monthly accountability buddies, instructor meetings, and general program structure and info, see the above "About the Program" section, as well as the "Important Program Information" sections below. Limited to 10 writers.
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Monthly Course Outline and Craft Topics Covered
- MARCH (2022): We’ll ask introductory questions like: What is CNF? What’s the difference between memoir and personal essay? What is the truth, anyway? We’ll also look at the hows/whys of the generation stage and getting words on the page.
- APRIL (2022): We’ll explore narrative nonfiction basics like character/people, settings, dialogue, and scene, particularly via the concepts of literary journalism and the “nonfiction novel.” We’ll continue a discussion of truth, memory, and ethics in CNF.
- MAY (2022): We’ll examine the difference between exposition and scene, plus how and why to use one or both of them. We’ll also do a deep dive into the question: What’s the basic “so what” or point at the center of your work?
- JUNE (2022): We’ll look at different ways to approach an “essay of ideas” plus deepen our understanding of how to make decisions about exposition vs. narrative; we’ll also experiment with ways to generate sharp sensory and emotional detail.
- JULY (2022): We’ll examine basic research methods and the do’s and don’ts of incorporating outside information into your work. We’ll also be introduced to the subtle concept of creating voice and tone, including how this relates to rhetorical concepts like audience and purpose.
- AUGUST (2022): We’ll look at the possibilities of lyric essay and fragmentation and what these modes can teach us about the nature of memory, nonfiction, and representing content via form. We’ll also go deeper with the concept of voice and purpose, plus possibilities for point of view.
- SEPTEMBER (2022): We’ll review lyric and poetic essay approaches, plus see fun and enlightening examples of CNF that we forget are CNF, like political manifestoes, stand-up comedy, epistolary forms, nonfiction poetry, and spoken word/performance.
- OCTOBER (2022): We’ll discuss the basic nature of revision and the next steps in the writing process, plus review and revise our “so whats” and visions. We’ll also deepen our understanding of what it means to structure our work: What should go where, and why? Must things be presented in a linear fashion? What settings, characters, or events do and don’t need to be included?
- NOVEMBER (2022): We’ll explore the question: What details, voice, or approach makes this project uniquely mine, as opposed to a vague or general take? Building on this, we’ll do revision exercises focusing on the line-level, like how to sharpen imagery, word choices, and sentence structures.
- DECEMBER (2022): We’ll go deeper with revision by reviewing the art of “ordering” things in a CNF text, plus experiments in radically adding, cutting, or “folding” sections, people, events, and settings.
- JANUARY (2023): We’ll use this time to catch up on what we’ve missed or need to go deeper on, plus review or recreate goals and plans for our project and its next stages.
- FEBRUARY (2023): We’ll do an overview of CNF publishing basics and methods, plus reflect on where we’ve been, where we’re at, and where we’re going.
Begins March 1, 2022 • Meets First Tuesdays on Zoom (6 - 9pm EDT) • $1900
Year-Long Memoir Workshop
with Dorian Fox
This workshop is designed for memoirists who have a manuscript in progress as well as for those who have a ‘body of work’ they can identify as a ‘possible manuscript.’ In this year-long program, we’ll discuss the history of the memoir genre and study memoir-writing techniques by reading and analyzing a mix of craft essays and stellar works of personal narrative, including 3-4 book-length memoirs that represent different stylistic and organizational approaches to the form. Alongside our active reading and discussion, we’ll find structure and purpose in our own work by defining clear individualized writing goals, doing regular generative exercises and providing consistent and thoughtful feedback on each other’s pages. By the end of the year participants will have drafted a substantive manuscript, portions of which may be ready for submission for publication. Equally important, each writer will have sharpened their vision and parameters for the book they’re writing and expanded their toolkit for bringing their project to fruition. For more details about what this course entails, including overall features of the program such as monthly accountability buddies, instructor meetings, and general program structure and info, see the above "About the Program" section, as well as the "Important Program Information" sections below. Limited to 10 writers.
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About the InstructorDORIAN FOX's essays, articles and stories have appeared in a wide range of literary publications, including Brevity, The Rumpus, Gay Magazine, Atticus Review, Under the Gum Tree, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, december, Creative Nonfiction’s Sunday Short Reads and others. His work has also been honored in various competitions and received nominations for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. A longtime Massachusetts resident, he now lives in Brighton, MA. Find him online at dorianfox.com
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Monthly Course Outline and Craft Topics Covered
- MARCH (2022): Why write memoir? What is the role of the memoirist? How can we craft meaning from the raw material of experience?
- APRIL (2022): We’ll examine how narrative voice works in memoir and how to manage the necessary layering of moments across time.
- MAY (2022): We’ll discuss techniques for presenting yourself as both narrator and character in your memoir.
- JUNE (2022): We’ll dig into the inevitably “messy” drafting process in personal writing, and discuss how to focus your efforts while still leaving room for discovery and surprise.
- JULY (2022): Continuing our discussion of structure, we’ll think about how to impose order on a messy draft and identify a book’s emotional arc. We’ll also look at various structural models.
- AUGUST (2022): We’ll tackle the ethics of writing about others, especially family. How can we balance truth-telling with respect for others’ feelings and privacy?
- SEPTEMBER (2022): How does place shape us? We’ll discuss how to capture external environments in our work while conveying their impact on our selves.
- OCTOBER (2022): We’ll talk strategies for handling grief and trauma in our work. How do we face our toughest experiences on the page? Where is the line between honesty and overwhelm?
- NOVEMBER (2022): We’ll consider tonal richness: How can we inject light and even humor into our storytelling when our material is difficult or dark?
- DECEMBER (2022): We’ll discuss the role of imagination in memoir and how to responsibly deal with uncertainty and unknowns in nonfiction.
- JANUARY (2023): We’ll delve into publishing concerns, including an overview of the literary landscape, how to query agents and editors, submitting work to journals and magazines, and how to craft portions of a book into viable standalone essays and excerpts.
- FEBRUARY (2023): We’ll talk about next steps, with an open and encouraging discussion of each writer’s project and progress, and how they might push forward with their work
Important Program Information
All Manuscript Workshop Groups will meet virtually throughout the year and are open to writers everywhere. There are no in-person meetings or commitments. All groups begin in March 2022 and run through February of 2023 (see complete 2022 Program Calendar below, for all important dates).
Year-Long Manuscript Group Open House & Reading:
Deadlines & Important Dates:
Cost:
Refund Policy:
Frequently Asked Questions:
Year-Long Manuscript Group Open House & Reading:
- Learn more about the Year-Long Manuscript Program at our Open House on Sunday, November 21, 2021 (1 - 3pm EST)
- RSVP for the Open House on the PVWW Event Page
Deadlines & Important Dates:
- See Program Calendar below.
Cost:
- Year-Long Fiction Revision Manuscript Group: $2400.
- All Other Year-Long Workshops: $1900
Refund Policy:
- Because the groups are selective and spots are limited and every person admitted into a year-long workshop group is taking a crucial spot, we are not able to offer refunds for withdrawals from any workshop group (exceptions for unforeseen medical emergencies will be considered on a case-by-case basis). All deposits and tuition are final and nonrefundable.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Still have questions? Check out the program FAQ page.
Program Calendar / Important Dates
November Virtual Open House & Reading - Sunday, November 21 (1 - 2:30pm EST)
• Featuring readings from the writers of the 2021 Year-Manuscript Groups
• Meet all program instructors and administrators
• Q&A with program instructors and current students
• RSVP for the Year-Long Program Open House
February Readings, featuring 2021 Year-Long Manuscript Groups - Dates TBA
• Each Year-Long Manuscript Group will be featured in a separate evening reading
Application Deadline - Sunday, January 9, 2022
Applicants will be notified by the end of the month (January, 2022)
Fiction (Revision) Workshop Group Only: Full manuscripts due via email* - Monday, January 9, 2022
*Manuscripts should be in standard formatting (double spaced, 12pt font, Times New Roman, one-inch margins, etc.) and emailed to Kate Senecal as a .doc, .docx, or PDF. Please use email subject "Year-Long Revision Group Application: Full Manuscript for [NAME]".
Deposit ($500) due* - Sunday, February 6, 2022
*Deposits are nonrefundable. Accepted students are welcome to pay the complete tuition in one payment, if that is easier.
Program Orientation and Virtual Welcome Party* - Sunday, February 20, 2022 (3 - 4pm EST)
*PVWW will welcome you to the program! Writers will meet others from different workshops, have an opportunity to ask questions, and meet in small groups (all virtually) with their instructor and classmates for the first time.
Workshops begin:
Remaining tuition due - Sunday, March 6, 2022
• Featuring readings from the writers of the 2021 Year-Manuscript Groups
• Meet all program instructors and administrators
• Q&A with program instructors and current students
• RSVP for the Year-Long Program Open House
February Readings, featuring 2021 Year-Long Manuscript Groups - Dates TBA
• Each Year-Long Manuscript Group will be featured in a separate evening reading
Application Deadline - Sunday, January 9, 2022
Applicants will be notified by the end of the month (January, 2022)
Fiction (Revision) Workshop Group Only: Full manuscripts due via email* - Monday, January 9, 2022
*Manuscripts should be in standard formatting (double spaced, 12pt font, Times New Roman, one-inch margins, etc.) and emailed to Kate Senecal as a .doc, .docx, or PDF. Please use email subject "Year-Long Revision Group Application: Full Manuscript for [NAME]".
Deposit ($500) due* - Sunday, February 6, 2022
*Deposits are nonrefundable. Accepted students are welcome to pay the complete tuition in one payment, if that is easier.
Program Orientation and Virtual Welcome Party* - Sunday, February 20, 2022 (3 - 4pm EST)
*PVWW will welcome you to the program! Writers will meet others from different workshops, have an opportunity to ask questions, and meet in small groups (all virtually) with their instructor and classmates for the first time.
Workshops begin:
- Memoir: Begins Tuesday, March 1, 2022 (6-9pm EST). Meets on the first Tuesday of every month.
- Poetry/Hybrid: Begins Wednesday, March 2, 2022 (6 - 9pm EST). Meets on the first Wednesday of every month.
- Short Story: Begins Wednesday, March 2, 2022 (6 - 9pm EST). Meets on the first Wednesday of every month.
- Nonfiction: Begins Thursday, March 3, 2022 (6 - 9pm EST). Meets on the first Thursday of every month.
- Novel (First Draft): Begins Monday, March 21, 2022 (6 - 9pm EST). Meets on the third Monday of every month.
- Novel (Revision): Begins on Monday, March 28, 2022 (6 - 9pm EST). Meets on the last Monday of every month.
Remaining tuition due - Sunday, March 6, 2022
Eligibility and Requirements
Is this program right for you and your manuscript? The ideal applicant will have the following:
Other requirements:
- A clear project in mind (or already begun): All participants in our manuscript group program are expected to have a clear, concrete project they are interested in working on and developing over the course of the year. The project can be at any stage of development, including early in the first draft, but in order to be admitted into the program, you MUST have a clear, coherent project you are eager to work on.
- Commitment to all aspects of the program: All participants must be willing to give and receive feedback on their own and others' work in a kind, thoughtful, and respectful manner, as well as attend workshops regularly, complete assignments, and regularly engage with the group and the course materials for a full year. A commitment to working regularly on your manuscript is also required. Each workshop group offers a virtual Google classroom space that is regularly updated with relevant materials, readings, and resources, and workshop participants should plan on regular engagement with the Google classroom. The ideal applicant will be deeply engaged with all aspects of the program and willing and able to put in the requisite time into thoughtful feedback on their peers' writing, engagement with the course materials in Google Classrooms, engagement with their assigned accountability buddy each month, reading and preparation, as well as advancing their own manuscript. Consequently, we are looking for applicants who are comfortable with and thrive in a rigorous program.
Other requirements:
- Non-discrimination: The program welcomes writers of all levels, genres, backgrounds, races, colors, national or ethnic origins, ages, religions, disabilities, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and veteran statuses. The program and PVWW prohibit all discrimination against/harassment of any writer (instructor or classmate) on the basis of any of the above.
- Computer use: All participants must be comfortable with basic computer use, including attending meetings on Zoom, frequent emailing, attaching documents in email, and correct formatting of submitted pages. Each group will also have an online classroom where materials will be posted and shared, so basic comfort with computer use and/or a willingness to explore and learn will be helpful.
- Applicants with disabilities: We do everything we can to accommodate participants who need extra assistance, though we are not able to offer typing services, direct computer or tech support, or alternatives to screen use. If you are wondering if/how we can accommodate you, please don't hesitate to get in touch and ask! You can email Joy at joy@pioneervalleywriters.org.
The Application
A complete application to the program includes the following, submitted on or before January 9, 2022 (midnight, EST) :
For any questions regarding the application, please email joy@pioneervalleywriters.org.
Applications must be received by or on January 9, 2022.
- An application form (see below link) with all short answer sections completed.
- A work sample of approximately 1500 words (or 5 pages) in standard formatting (double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font) from the project you plan to work on, or a project in the same genre, attached to the application as a .doc, .docx, PDF, or copied into the application directly.
- For Novel (Revision) Applicants Only: Your full novel manuscript (double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font) must be emailed to Kate Senecal as an attached PDF by the January 9th deadline.
For any questions regarding the application, please email joy@pioneervalleywriters.org.
Applications must be received by or on January 9, 2022.
What Program Alums Are Saying
"This course was tremendous. I was consistently impressed by Kate's ability to facilitate a meaningful and productive conversation between a group of very different writers, all at different stages in their manuscripts and writing careers. The long-term commitment to the class fostered accountability and a sense of community and mutual support. I found the "accountability buddy" system Kate put in place between class meetings to be nearly as helpful as the classes themselves. Most of all, I enjoyed getting to know my fellow classmates and reading their work."
- Chris Geier, 2019 Year-Long Fiction Manuscript Group (with Kate Senecal)
"I think Kate is an exceptional teacher. I loved the way she paired craft lessons with excellent short stories and the novel Beloved. I enjoyed having accountability buddies, and I really loved having to meet deadlines when I was on the hot seat. I very much depended on and appreciated the personal attention Kate gives each of her students. Class discussions were very well organized, and I wouldn't change a thing."
- Nerissa Nields, 2019 Year-Long Fiction Manuscript Group (with Kate Senecal)
"The written and verbal feedback I received from the instructor (Kate) on my manuscript submissions was educational, encouraging and validating. Both Kate and my classmates were supportive of the work done by all students. I think this was due largely to Kate explicitly setting that expectation. Our work received careful and honest feedback delivered in a positive or neutral manner. Class discussions were lively and instructive. I reliably took 2 or 3 pages of notes per class."
- Chris Fox, 2019 Year-Long Fiction Manuscript Group (with Kate Senecal)