10-Month
Manuscript
Program
An Intensive, Virtual Program for Writers Working on Books!
If you're working on a book-length manuscript (any genre) and are looking for a (virtual) program that might support you over a longer period of time - with opportunities for feedback, community, craft study, and consultations with an author-instructor - our 10-Month Manuscript Program might be for you!
Our 2024 instructor lineup is powerful.
Study with award-winning authors in all genres.
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Liz Harmer
Novel Revision
Blair Hurley
Novel First Draft
Carolyn Zaikowski
Poetry/Hybrid & CNF
Kim Adrian
Memoir
What the literary world is saying about our instructors and their books.
“A delight from start to finish."
—New Yorker critic James Wood, on KIM ADRIAN's Dear Knausgaard
"[LIZ HARMER'S Strange Loops is a ] slender, wildly compelling novel that asks infinite questions—a dizzying, kaleidoscopic foray into the desires and fears that make us so imperfectly human. I was compelled from beginning to end—this is a novel that sinks into your very bones."
—Amanda Leduc, author of The Centaur's Wife
"Lean and enthralling, [LIZ HARMER's] Strange Loops is brimming with the complexities and questions of human relationships. A story that burns with intensity and daring."
—Iain Reid, author of I’m Thinking of Ending Things, and Foe
"[BLAIR HURLEY's novel Minor Prophets is] a rich and entertaining novel about a woman, a seeker, whose life, existence and relationships are all centered around a devout Buddhist meditation practice in Boston―until they aren't. I couldn't put it down."
― Anne Lamott, author of Almost Everything: Notes on Hope
“A vivid, vibrant glossary of a life. [KIM] ADRIAN's sharp prose and unique form combine to illustrate how powerfully our childhoods reverberate throughout our lives.”
—Dinty W. Moore, author
"Readers will have a tough time turning away from this chilling dive into fanaticism."
—Publishers Weekly, on BLAIR HURLEY's Minor Prophets
"[BLAIR HURLEY's] The Devoted is a beautifully written story of the seductions of faith, its many desperations both light and dark. A most absorbing and psychologically astute novel that announces Blair Hurley as a brave new talent."
― Chang-rae Lee, author of The Surrendered
Our 10-Month Manuscript Program
has 5 sections to choose from:
APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED
​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 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 us at at admin@pioneervalleywriters.com.
About the program
Program Cost: $2,500*
*Novel Revision Workshop / Section: $3,400
The 10-Month Manuscript Program at PVWW is for writers (in any genre) who are serious about making big strides on a book-length manuscript, and who would benefit from the structure, guidance, and support of a monthly workshop group. 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 sections is to have a finished first draft (or large chunk of it) at the end of ten months. The program is divided into separate sections (workshop groups) by genre, and each section meets virtually once a month via Zoom as well as interacts via an online classroom space. 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. Applications open each year in late fall and close at the end of the year. Applicants are notified of their status in January, and the workshops begin each year in March and run through December of that year. All relevant information is on this page.
While each instructor will have their own teaching approach and style, all sections include the following:
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Monthly Workshop Meetings
Each workshop group is limited to ten writers (eight writers for Novel Revision) and meets (virtually) once a month for three hours* with the exception of two months, in which the group will meet twice. (See each the description below for each separate workshop section for specific dates.) Each participant in the program will receive two rounds of feedback (and/or brainstorming) on their project from the group and instructor, on workshop submissions of approximately 20 pages (each time).**
*Kim Adrian's section of the program (memoir) will meet two times each month for two hours.
**For Novel Revision: Writers will read and offer feedback on full, completed manuscripts, maximum 90K words.
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Virtual Classroom Space (Google Classroom)
Each workshop group in the manuscript Program will have access to a user-friendly online classroom space (Google Classrooms), which allows communication with classmates and instructor between meetings, as well as provides an easy-to-access hub where writing prompts, generative / revision exercises, craft lectures, reading assignments, and other materials will be posted. The Google Classroom allows frequent online correspondence without email chains that get lost in inboxes, and it's been a popular part of the program.
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Monthly Accountability (Solidarity) Buddies​
Each month, the writers in each workshop group of the program will be placed into pairs or small groups (maximum of three writers per group), with the specific assignment to check-in with each other and meet (on Zoom) or talk at least once, and to share approximately five pages of their in-progress manuscripts. Some instructors will give buddy groups a question or topic to discuss, and some buddy groups choose to meet weekly or check-in multiple times, others just once. The goal of the buddy groups is to offer an added sense of accountability and community over the course of the month, and it has been one of the aspects of the Manuscript Program that participants enjoy the most.
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Monthly Reading Assignments
In addition to craft lectures and essays shared by workshop instructors, all sections of the program focus on developing the skills of "reading like a writer," as part of a deep study and critical thinking about craft. Toward this end, all workshop groups read up to six published books together over the course of the year. (​Reading load will be lighter in the Novel Revision workshop, due to reading full manuscripts.)
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One-On-One Instructor Meetings
Each writer in the Manuscript Program will have two opportunities over the course of the program to meet one-on-one with their instructor, to discuss their manuscript in more depth and/or to review their bigger-picture manuscript and writing goals.
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​Post-Program Opportunities
Near the end of the program year or shortly after the program ends, each workshop group will be featured in a virtual reading, open to all family, friends, broader PVWW community, and the general public. This is an (optional) opportunity to read an excerpt of your work aloud and participate in a celebration after completing a rigorous year in the program. In addition, all Manuscript Program alumni will have the opportunity to participate in a one-day Next Steps workshop on different paths to publishing as well as applying for residencies, grants, and other opportunities; join a Beta Reader Alumni Network; as well as sign up for ongoing Writing Groups open only to fellow Manuscript Program alumni.
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Is this program right for you?
The program is open to writers at all stages of the process, and at a range of different levels, 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, their role in a long-term 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, all in addition to work on their own manuscripts.
Questions?
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. For questions regarding the overall program (and not specific workshops) you can also email us at at admin@pioneervalleywriters.com.
Our 10-Month Manuscript Program
has 5 sections to choose from:
PVWW 10-Month Manuscript Program
Novel (First Draft)
10 Months: March - December, 2024 • Meets First Mondays on Zoom (6-9 pm EDT) • $2,500
10-Month Novel Workshop: First Draft with Blair Hurley OR Peter Medeiros
This workshop section of the Manuscript Program 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, but the explicit goal 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 participants opt to meet more frequently), and participants are 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 of their first draft 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. Each participant will have two opportunities to share fresh pages of their novel with the group (20-pages each time), who will then support the writer by providing encouraging feedback, reflect back to them what they see happening thematically on the page, brainstorm with the writer about possible plot choices, and offer general support in moving forward. Writers should be prepared to read and discuss up to five 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, see the above About the Program section. Limited to 10 writers.
About the Instructor
​BLAIR HURLEY is the author of THE DEVOTED, which was longlisted for The Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize. Her second novel, MINOR PROPHETS will be published in 2023. Her work is published in New England Review, Electric Literature, The Georgia Review, Guernica, Paris Review Daily, West Branch, and elsewhere. She is a Pushcart Prize winner and an ASME Fiction award finalist.
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​Blair Hurley's Course Outline and Craft Topics Covered
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MARCH: Story structure / The shapes of novels
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APRIL: Language and Voice
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MAY: Laying the Foundation
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JUNE: Character / Developing Narrative Urgency
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JULY: Scene-writing
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AUGUST: Perspective
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SEPTEMBER: Activating Setting
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OCTOBER: Finding the Heart of Your Story
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NOVEMBER: Novel Outlining
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DECEMBER: Finding Your Ending
About the Instructor
PETER MEDEIROS teaches writing and Kung Fu--though never at the same time. His teaching in and around Boston remains a major inspiration for much of his fiction. He received his MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College. He been publishing fiction since 2013, and was most recently featured in the July 2022 issue of GigaNotoSaurus. Peter is represented by Susan Velazquez Colmant at JABerwocky Literary Agency. Find him online at www.PeterMedeiros.com.
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​Peter Medeiros' Course Outline and Craft Topics Covered
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March: Character & Entry Action
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April: Character & "The Cast"
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May: Plot, Escalation, & "Bears"
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May: Scene, Summary, & Everything Else
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June: Dialogue & "What Goes Unsaid"
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July: Point of View, or "What You Know"
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August: Mysteries, or "What You Don't Know"
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September: The World of Your Novel
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October: Time (Isn't the Main Thing)
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October: (What We Talk about When We Talk About) Theme
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November: How to Say Goodbye (& Endings)
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December: Revision, Querying, & The Future
PVWW 10-Month Manuscript Program
Novel (Revision)
10 Months: March - Dec, 2024 • Second Wednesdays on Zoom (6 - 9 pm EDT) • $3,400
10-Month Novel Workshop: Revision with ​Liz Harmer
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. All participants and the instructor will read up to 90K words of each others’ full manuscripts over the course of the year, and each writer will have two opportunities to discuss their manuscript with the entire group, where they will receive written and verbal feedback. Writers will meet with the instructor for two one-on-one hour-long sessions, one of which will focus on deep verbal feedback and recommended approaches to revision of their full manuscript, and the other on discussing up to 6,000 words of revised material. 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, 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 them as they revise, a slew of prompts and writing exercises 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 four 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, see the above About the Program section​.
Limited to 8 writers.
About the Instructor
​​LIZ HARMER is the author of the novels The Amateurs (2018) and Strange Loops (2023). Her stories, essays, and poems have been published at the Globe & Mail, The Walrus, Best Canadian Stories, The New Quarterly, Hazlitt, Image Journal, and elsewhere. A recent fellow at the Bread Loaf and Sewanee Writers’ Conferences, she was also the runner-up for the Mitchell Prize in poetry. She’s the winner of a National Magazine Award for Personal Journalism, a CRAFT Literary Creative Nonfiction Award, and the WAGs-ProQuest Award Distinguished Masters Thesis, among other prizes. She teaches in the MFA program at Chapman University.
​Monthly Course Outline and Craft Topics Covered
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MARCH : Theme and how that drives story / Introduction to reverse outlining and a strategy of multiple passes / Finding the heart of your book
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APRIL: Plot / Story Arc and narrative tension / Seeing your novel's bigger picture
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MAY : Characterization techniques / Using the reverse outline to bring characters to life
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JUNE: Perspective / Narrative Strategy / Choosing the right narrator
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JULY: Scene writing techniques / How to decide when to cut or write new scenes
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AUGUST: Using your narrator to summarize, provide context, and manage time
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SEPTEMBER: Writing authentic and dramatic dialogue
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OCTOBER: Structure and organization / Experimenting with timelines
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NOVEMBER: Subtext, using specific details, and place / How to know when you’re finished
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DECEMBER: Beginnings and endings / How to query agents and ways to publish
PVWW 10-Month Manuscript Program
Poetry / Hybrid
10 Months: March - Dec, 2024 • ​First Wednesdays, on Zoom (6 - 9 pm EDT) • $2,500
10-Month 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 verse and poetry 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 forms together, we'll see the vast and exciting 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 lyric and narrative poetry, prose poetry, fixed and free verse, hybrid and cross-art, and more. Students can expect to read numerous monthly excerpts and five short books. Students’ goal for the end of the year will be a working first draft of either one or more chapbook-length (approx. 30 pages) or full-length (approx. 60-70 pages) manuscript (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, see the above About the Program section​. ​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).
About the Instructor
​​CAROLYN ZAIKOWSKI is is the author of two hybrid novels In Dream, I Dance by Myself, and I Collapse (Civil Coping Mechanisms Press) and A Child Is Being Killed (Aqueous Books, 2013). Her fiction, poetry, and essays have appeared widely in The Washington Post, Denver Quarterly, The Rumpus, PANK, West Branch, DIAGRAM, 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. Find her online at www.carolynzaikowski.com.
​Monthly Course Outline and Craft Topics Covered
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MARCH: We’ll ask the big questions: What, why, where, and how is poetry and/or hybrid? What’s the nature of genre and form? What are lyricism and narrative?
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APRIL: We’ll build on our ideas by looking at prose poetry, plus an introduction to the lyric essay and proto-hybrid texts from long ago.
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MAY: 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.
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JUNE: We’ll explore a bit of the history of poetry/hybrid/experimental writing as a sociopolitical statement, particularly sociopolitical concepts like non-binary identities or postcolonialism.
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JULY: We’ll see free verse as a way to represent the mind’s natural flow of language on the page, plus continue lyric essay explorations.
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AUGUST: We’ll touch on the idea of the “anti-memoir” and experimental memoir, plus some mixed-media possibilities and contemporary epistolary forms.
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SEPTEMBER: 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."
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OCTOBER: We’ll look further at using the stuff of real life to create a text. We’ll do some preliminary revision explorations, including how to “order” and organize a manuscript.
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NOVEMBER: We’ll review and deepen core concepts from class, plus experiment with revision exercises, with attention to sharpening detail, word choice, and voice.
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DECEMBER: 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.
PVWW 10-Month Manuscript Program
Nonfiction / CNF
10 Months: March - Dec, 2024 • ​First Thursdays on Zoom (6 - 9 pm EDT) • $2,500
10-Month 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. Students’ goal will be that by the end of the year, they will have a working draft of their manuscript. To this end, we will give each other feedback, and do in-class and at-home generative prompts and exercises. Additionally, we will study numerous monthly excerpts and four to five published books, both to understand our context as writers, and to see how the experts apply their craft. For more details about what this course entails, including overall features of the program, see the above About the Program section​. Limited to 10 writers.
About the Instructor
​​CAROLYN ZAIKOWSKI is is the author of two hybrid novels In Dream, I Dance by Myself, and I Collapse (Civil Coping Mechanisms Press) and A Child Is Being Killed (Aqueous Books, 2013). Her fiction, poetry, and essays have appeared widely in The Washington Post, Denver Quarterly, The Rumpus, PANK, West Branch, DIAGRAM, 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. Find her online at www.carolynzaikowski.com.
​Monthly Course Outline and Craft Topics Covered
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MARCH: We’ll ask introductory questions like: What is CNF? What are the potential differences between memoir and personal essay? What are our “so whats” and visions for our work?
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APRIL: We’ll explore narrative nonfiction basics like character/people, settings, dialogue, and scene, and how that differs from and interacts with exposition and telling.
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MAY: We’ll look at the possibilities of lyric essay, fragmentation, and what these might teach us about the nature of memory, nonfiction, and form.
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JUNE: 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.
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JULY: We’ll explore the concept of literary journalism, including the “nonfiction novel”, and begin a discussion regarding writing about other people.
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AUGUST: We’ll continue our exploration on writing the “other”, plus basic research considerations. We’ll also look at voice, tone, point of view, audience, and purpose.
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SEPTEMBER: We’ll start discussing big-picture levels of revision: What should go where, and why? What can be developed, what can be condensed, and how?
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OCTOBER: We’ll deepen revision concepts and explore ways to shape the parts of a manuscript, including linear and nonlinear structures.
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NOVEMBER: We’ll review key concepts and do revision exercises focusing on the line-level, like how to sharpen imagery, word choices, and sentence structures.
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DECEMBER: 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. ​​
PVWW 10-Month Manuscript Program
Memoir
10 Months: March - Dec, 2024 • Special schedule, see below • $2,500
10-Month Memoir Workshop
with ​Kim Adrian
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 section of the Manuscript 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 three to four 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, see the above About the Program section​.
Limited to 10 writers.
About the Instructor
​KIM ADRIAN is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir, The Twenty-Seventh Letter of the Alphabet, Sock (a Bloomsbury's Object Lessons book), and Dear Knausgaard, which James Wood (literary critic for The New Yorker) described as “a delight from start to finish.” She edited The Shell Game: Writers Play with Borrowed Forms, and wrote the libretto for the chamber opera "The Strange Child." Several of her short stories and essays have been listed as Notable or Distinguished in the Best American Essays, Best American Short Stories, and Pushcart Prize anthologies. Her work has garnered many awards and recognitions, including, most recently, a fellowship from the Oberpfälzer Künstlerhaus in Bavaria, Germany. Find her online at www.KimAdrian.com.
Schedule: The workshop meets for two hours, twice a month on Thursdays (6 - 8pm ET) for the months of March, April, May, June, July, September, October, and November, but just once a month in August and December.
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​Monthly Course Outline and Craft Topics Covered
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MARCH: What is a memoir, and why write one? What’s the difference between autobiography, memoir, and the more old-fashioned “memoirs”? Why is the modern memoir an important genre? How do we choose the right “material” for a memoir from the raw material of our lives?
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APRIL: How does time work in memoir? What role does memory play? How does wisdom figure into things?
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MAY: What is a scene? What is an image? What is dialogue? The answers to these questions seem self-evident when we’re reading. They’re a lot tricker when we’re writing.
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JUNE: How to turn yourself into a character? We’ll play with several strategies.
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JULY: The importance of switching up narrative “speeds” to give temporal texture to your work.
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AUGUST: We’ll examine the ethics of writing about others, especially family.
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SEPTEMBER: Regarding structure, titles, and elevator pitches.
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OCTOBER: Writing a memoir can be emotionally extremely challenging. Where and how do we draw the line between honesty and overwhelm?
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NOVEMBER: What is the role of imagination in memoir?
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NOVEMBER: Voice, prose rhythms, tonal richness.
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DECEMBER: Sending our work “out.” How to write a pitch, query agents and/or editors, and submit excerpts of your work to journals and magazines.
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 and run through December of 2024 (see complete 2023 Program Calendar below, for all important dates).
10-Month Manuscript Program Open House & Reading:
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Watch a recording of our 10-Month Manuscript Program at our Open House and Reading that happened on Sunday, November 19, 2023
Deadlines to Apply:
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December 30, 2023 (by 11:59 PM ET)
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Cost​:
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Novel Revision Workshop: $3,400​
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All other 10-Month Manuscript Program Workshops: $2500​
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Tuition due (via check or online payment):
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Initial $500 deposit due in January/February (exact date for 2024 TBA)
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Remaining balance due at the end of February (exact date for 2024 TBA)
Financial Aid:
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We do not have financial aid available for this program. However, if you can only attend with partial aid, you are welcome to apply and mention that on your application, as in rare cases we have been able to offer some aid. However, this should not be expected and does not happen often or for all workshops. If you apply and let us know that you can only attend with aid, please know that we will offer you a spot in your first choice workshop only if we are also able to offer you aid.
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Payment Plans:​
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We have the ability to accept payment through PayPal's PayLater, which allows payment in several smaller installments. However, please note that if you use PayLater, any specific questions you have regarding billing or payments will need to be directed to PayPal, not PVWW. If you are interested in this, you can let us know on the application, and we will share more information if/when you are accepted into the program.
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Refund Policy:
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Because spots in each section of the program are limited and often in demand, we are not able to offer refunds for withdrawals from the program after payment has been made. All deposits and tuition are final and nonrefundable.
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Program Orientation and Virtual Welcome Party*:
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Date TBA (though usually mid-February). *PVWW will welcome you to the program! Writers will meet others from different sections of the program, have an opportunity to ask questions, and meet in small groups (all virtually) with their instructor and classmates for the first time.
Frequently Asked Questions:
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Still have questions? Contact us at admin@pioneervalleywriters.com.
Eligibility and Requirements
Is this program right for you and your manuscript? The ideal applicant will have the following:
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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.
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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:
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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.
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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. While participants may not be familiar with Google Classrooms, they must be comfortable and willing to learn, including asking for and seeking out help outside of the program if needed, as the sharing of materials will happen exclusively through Google Classrooms.
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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 us at us at admin@pioneervalleywriters.com.
The Application
A complete application to the program includes the following, submitted on or before December 15, 2023 (11:59 PM Eastern Time):
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A completed application form (see below link).
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A work sample of approximately 1000 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/pasted into the application directly. Please make sure your work sample has your name, email address, genre of work, and workshop to which you are applying listed at the top of the document.
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For any questions regarding the application, please email us at admin@pioneervalleywriters.com.
Applications must be received by or on December 30 (11:59 PM EST), 2023.
What Program Alumni Are Saying
"I've been working on my memoir for eight years, and this year, through the Pioneer Valley Writer’s Workshop Manuscript Program (with Dorian Fox), took a big step in completing the book. Reading others’ memoirs, lots of directed and personal writing, invaluable discussions and guided support made a big difference in focusing my writing, and creating a format for the book – at last!"
- Steve Watson, 2023 Manuscript Program (Memoir)
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"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 [given to each student]. Class discussions were very well organized, and I wouldn't change a thing."
- Nerissa Nields, 2019 Manuscript Program (Novel)
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"This course was tremendous...The long-term commitment to the class fostered accountability and a sense of community and mutual support. I found the "accountability buddy" system...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 Manuscript Program (Novel)
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"The written and verbal feedback I received from the instructor on my manuscript submissions was educational, encouraging and validating. Both instructor and my classmates were supportive of the work done by all students...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 Manuscript Program (Fiction)