Writing at the Madeline Island School of the Arts

Dear writing friends:

I’ll be teaching a workshop called The Achievable Climb: Writing the Book-Length Work at the Madeline Island School of the Arts in Northern Wisconsin October 8 – 12th.

The workshop will be useful to those working on either a memoir or fiction project. If you have a manuscript underway, or just an idea for one you’d like to begin, I’ll give you lots of ideas, exercises, feedback, and support. It’ll be a great time to get experienced, constructive instruction from me, to join the company of others “making the climb” who can give you helpful comments, and to have free time to yourself to concentrate on your writing away from the usual distractions and temptations of everyday life. On an island, no less!

We’ll be tackling the “usual suspects”: voice; structure; what to put in and what to leave out; how to find what the book is REALLY about; where to start; how to work through drafts; and how to complete the work.

There will be 3-4 hours of classroom time each day, with exercises designed to help you with various aspects of your project; opportunities to get feedback on your work from members of the workshop; examples of successful techniques to model; and time to work on your book each day. I’ll meet with each of you for an individual conference on your project.

Island time for yourself

If you have questions you can email me at pbalden@aol.com or via my website contact form, or call me at 612-920-1896.

I’m really looking forward to it!

Fall leaves on Madeline

This is the first time I’ve taught a workshop for MISA, but I hear wonderful things about the experience there. Madeline Island, on Lake Superior, will be so beautiful in the fall! It’s about a five hour drive from the Twin Cities, or you can fly into Duluth and drive about two hours from there. You reach the island by ferry–talk about away from it all.

The workshop is limited to 15 students. You can call 715-747-2054 or email the School at misa@chequnet.net to ask questions or reserve your place. The cost for the workshop is $425.00 for non-credit, and $520.00 for 1 graduate credit from the University of Minnesota at Duluth. These links will also give you information about MISA and my workshop. You can also register online.

http://www.madelineartschool.com/

http://www.madelineartschool.com/Classes_detail.cfm?recordno=13&Product_CatalogID=176&ProductNumber=WPBA100812&ProductCode=49&NewProduct=0

Milk House at Madeline School of the Arts

Various lodging is available on the island, including B&Bs, campgrounds and cottage accommodations at the school. Things fill up fast, so do think about booking now.

Please help me get the word out about the workshop. If you know of someone who is working on a book-length work, please forward this information on to them. THANKS! For writers’ groups, there is a group discount if 4 or more sign up. There is also information on my website under “events,” at www.paulettealden.com.

I hope to see you there!

Best,

Paulette

Madeline Island map

Hi, folks,

I’m posting notice of my workshop next October (I know — it’s a LONG WAY OFF) because there is a limit of fifteen students, and more to the point, lodging is limited on the island and if you want to reserve a place in the workshop and a place to lay your weary head, the sooner the better.

Here’s the link to a description of the workshop: http://www.madelineartschool.com/Classes_Teachers.cfm?StaffID=133

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Your rental bike in KW in January

I’ll be teaching a workshop for the Key West Literary Seminar next January, and while I realize you don’t want to think about January just when it’s FINALLY spring (I speak as someone living in Minnesota, mind you), do keep it in mind.  Come the winds and snows of November, Key West in January will be looking pretty good to you…(and me).

My workshop is called “The Truth Speaker: Developing Voice in Memoir” and you have to submit some work to be admitted.  The description and details are on the KWLS website at http://www.kwls.org/workshops/paulette_bates_alden/.   Finding the right voice for a piece of writing is what actually allows you to write it.   Voice is what melds everything together, coalescing all the disparate elements to make a whole.  And it can be developed, just as a singer’s voice can be developed (up to a point, in both writing and singing).   I have an article on my website called “Voice Lessons” that you might be interested in (click “Articles by Paulette” on my main website menu and scan down).

Check out all the Key West workshops, because there are amazing writers teaching other workshops you may want to take. I know I would.  Margaret Atwood, Billy Collins, E.J. Miller Laino, Valerie Martin, Mary Morris, Lee Smith, Robert Stone.  http://www.kwls.org/workshops/

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