Using Research to Create & Enrich Fiction
Level: All Levels
Along with memory and imagination, research is often a vital piece of a fiction writer’s creative process. Curiosity, obsession, or simply the demands of the story can push an author to venture into the unknown.
Research can unearth a story, like the idea Jennifer Egan found for her novel Manhattan Beach while studying personal letter archives. It can be used to forge believable characters, like the interviews Rebecca Makkai conducted with numerous AIDS survivors and activists while writing The Great Believers. Authors like Hilary Mantel and Anthony Marra rely on research to create detailed, vibrant worlds, whether in 16th century England or war-torn Chechnya.
In this workshop, participants will learn how to apply common research techniques to fiction writing. Combining story analysis, research practice, and writing prompts, the workshop will address how to find information, sort through it, and blend it seamlessly into the narrative.
+ PLEASE NOTE This workshop will occur online, using the video meeting platform Zoom. Students do not need to create an account to participate, but should test out Zoom before their class if they are first-time users. On Thursday, August 12, from 5:30pm to 6:30pm, MWPA staff will offer a test session on Zoom. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the test session, which usually takes only 5-10 minutes, and those who do not are responsible for ensuring that they are able to use Zoom on their own. The week of the workshop, students will be emailed a link that they may click to enter the test session and the class.
+ REQUIRED EQUIPMENT A reliable, fast internet connection (broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE), speakers & a microphone (built-in or USB plug-in), and a webcam (built-in or USB plug-in).
If you would like to quickly and easily test your internet connection and your computer’s compatibility with Zoom, click HERE. Full details on supported Operating Systems, internet browsers, and more can be found HERE. To download and familiarize yourself with Zoom, click HERE.
Evgeniya Dame is a 2020-2022 Stegner Fellow in Fiction at Stanford University. Her fiction appears in Ploughshares, The Southern Review, Subtropics, and Joyland. Her non-fiction and interviews have been published in Electric Literature and New England Review online. She has received a Fulbright scholarship, a Martin Dibner Memorial Fellowship for Maine Writers, and is currently a fiction editor at Joyland. She grew up in Samara, Russia, where she taught English for more than ten years before moving to the United States. She is spending the next year living between Maine and Northern California.
Registration for this workshop is now closed.
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED
All MWPA workshops require advanced registration. We accept registration by phone, mail, and online via our website. We cannot guarantee registration in the final 24-hours before a workshop, and can rarely accommodate day-of registration.
PAYMENT & CANCELLATION POLICIES
If you need to withdraw from a class after registering for any reason, please email or call the MWPA immediately. You may be eligible for a partial refund or credit, depending on how far in advance you cancel. → MORE INFORMATION
QUESTIONS
For any questions regarding this workshop, please contact Hannah Perry at hannah@mainewriters.org.
REGISTER BY PHONE
Call 207-228-8263 and register with your VISA or MasterCard.
REGISTER BY MAIL
If you prefer to pay by mail, please print this registration form (downloadable PDF) and mail it to the MWPA with a check or credit card information. Please note that mail delivery to the MWPA office is currently experiencing extensive delays, so please email hannah@mainewriters.org first if you would like to register by mail.
SCHOLARSHIP
The MWPA is proud to offer one full scholarship to this workshop for members-only. Scholarships are awarded on a combination of need and merit. Application Due on August 2 at 9:00 a.m.
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MWPA WORKSHOP POLICIES
Registration in any MWPA workshop, program, or event constitutes your agreement to our terms and conditions. → MORE INFORMATION