A Novel Idea: Bjorklunden Offers Seminar on Writing Fiction & Novels

From Oct. 4 until Oct. 9, Lawrence University’s Björklunden is offering the seminar “Visions and Revisions: Starting Your Novel or Story and Revising It” with Dwight Allen. This seminar will take place at Björklunden’s lodge, just south of Baileys Harbor.

This workshop is designed for both those who are just beginning to try their hands at writing fiction and those who have been writing a novel or stories for some time and want to find ways to deepen and enrich their work. William Maxwell, the novelist and short story writer who was a longtime fiction editor at The New Yorker, said that all good writing has “the breath of life” in it. In this workshop, participants will talk about some of the elements of craft (character, dialogue, place, point of view, language and image, time management) that, once absorbed, can better enable them to breathe more life into their writing. There will also be a discussion of strategies for revision. Before the seminar begins, participants will be asked to submit a story or piece of novel that will be discussed in class.

Allen received an M.F.A. from the University of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop, where he was a teaching-writing fellow. He has taught at the University of Iowa and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He was on the editorial staff of The New Yorker for nine years. Allen currently lives in Madison.

For complete course descriptions and fees, call 920.839.2216, email [email protected] or visit lawrence.edu/s/bjorklunden/bjorkseminars.