The Story is Smarter: Facing the Hard Work of Revision [Eric McMillan]

Intermediate / Advanced | Even with a competent draft in hand, sometimes you just know when a story doesn’t feel done yet. Placing a finger on the problem can be maddeningly difficult. Maybe the hardest thing a writer has to learn is how to get out of the way of a story. In this workshop, we’ll practice a form of laser-focused close reading to reveal subliminal designs and subconscious content, illuminating aspects of revision that often feel most elusive: how to clarify thematic arguments or attend to our characters’ emotional labor. Along the way, we’ll work on tools that enhance our attention to our prose, and we’ll pick up a few pointers on craft in stories by T.C. Boyle, Yiyun Li, Jamel Brinkley, and Deborah Eisenberg.