We are pleased to announce another Image Intensive, an opportunity to dive deeper into your craft, guided by faculty from our community who understand the unique impulses and challenges facing artists at the intersection of art and faith.

For serious writers, the real work of shaping an idea into a publishable piece often lies in the revising process. In this MFA-style workshop, renowned author and National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr will counsel participants in the art and science of revision. How does one identify and build on the finest gems in their writing? How do we maintain a consistent voice when revisiting a piece many times? How far is too far in the revising process? What are the best questions to ask when soliciting feedback from outside readers? These questions and more will be addressed during this six-week class, open to writers of narrative prose—both fiction and creative nonfiction.

Each class session will combine close reading of a participant’s manuscript and discussion of various elements of revision and the writing craft via exploration of student work. Each student will receive an in-depth review of a 15-20 page manuscript, with a few representative in-document comments from Sara and other notes available from workshop discussion.

In a small-group setting capped at 12 students, participants will experience:

• One 90-minute Zoom session each week for 6 weeks.
• MFA-style workshop sessions workshopping student manuscripts. Attendees will submit 15-20 pages of a piece in progress. Pieces may include any narrative prose including fiction and creative nonfiction (no poetry or criticism for this class).
• Exploration of various craft elements via review and discussion of multiple pieces of work. We will use the workshop pages as springboards for talking about broader matters of craft beyond the words on the given pages, as well as seek opportunities to talk about what is off the page or outside the frame.
• Peer review of your manuscript. Participants do not need to prepare commentary or feedback on pieces in advance, but are expected to read through that week's manuscripts once before we meet in order to derive the most benefit from the class discussion..
• The final class will also include a Q&A about publishing and how to navigate the sometimes opaque pathway to publication.

This workshop is for writers of fiction and creative nonfiction of all levels who wish to refine a manuscript and explore the intricacies of revision. If you are yearning for a compassionate writing community, seeking to learn more about yourself, hoping for a thorough review of your work, or wishing for a supportive place to grow in your craft, this workshop is for you.