The Whole Shebang: Writing that Book Inside You
Award winning author and teacher Laura Pritchett leads Fishtrap’s 2019-2020 Yearlong Writers’ Workshop. Pritchett is a much-loved veteran Summer Fishtrap instructor, and a we think a perfect choice lead this popular program.
We asked Laura a little bit about herself, her views on the practice of writing, and what she hopes her students will gain from the Yearlong experience.
Fishtrap: You’ve titled your Yearlong Writers’ Workshop, “The Whole Shebang: Writing that Book Inside You.” Can you tell us a little bit about where that came from?
Laura Pritchett: One thing I find missing from many MFA programs and other types of gatherings is a sincere and honest examination of what goes into writing a book-length manuscript. And there are good reasons for that! It’s a huge commitment to look at the whole, both on the part of the mentor and the writer. While there are certain writing craft elements that can be pulled out and discussed separately (smashing dialogue, revealing setting, character development), it’s both essential and difficult to talk about the whole shebang. Does a novel’s plot hold? Does the theme of a memoir come through early and is it sustained? Do readers want to set the book down at some point, and if so, why? And what does a writer do when she’s ¾ of the way through a book and then loses steam? These are things no one discussed with me—and I think I wasted some time and gained a lot of wrist pain from too much typing (well, nothing is wasted, but you know what I mean—I could have moved faster and with more confidence), so this year is based on everything I wish I’d known sooner about a book-length work.
Fishtrap: Many people tell us they’ve been working on their manuscript for years or, know they have a book inside them but just can’t get it out. What are some of the techniques you’ll use during the Yearlong Workshop to help them complete their story and be happy with it?
LP: Well, first, to hone in on the story they really want to tell and then get as deeply honest about that story as they can. Then it’s bird-by-bird, baby. (To use a writerly slang). Take it segment by segment, while thinking of the whole. Have deadlines and have a support system. Have earnest and thoughtful feedback. I’ll ask that writers be willing to sit at the computer. Be willing to revise. Be willing to break their book apart into segments (so as to examine themes and arcs and movement and minor characters and so on…..) and then put it back together. I will be there with them, month by month, to help them in whatever way I can. My goal? That they complete their story in a way that deeply satisfies.
Fishtrap: What do you like most about working with emerging writers?
LP: Their willingness to learn. If someone is a reader, they likely inherently know how to write. It doesn’t take an MFA to know how to write. But it does take reading. It does take a fire. It does take an openness. It does take dedication. I like working with advanced writers too—the ones who know they still have something to learn. We all have something to learn. I’ve learned so much from other authors at Fishtrap—and it shows in my work, I think. May we all be guides for one another.
Fishtrap: The Yearlong Writers’ Workshop is bookended with two weeks together at Summer Fishtrap. How is that different than other low-residency writing programs?
LP: I’ve taught at a few other low-residency programs but there’s nothing quite like Fishtrap. This sounds cliché, but heck: it’s partly the week and partly the community. What a week, what a real-deal group of people. I think there’s also a very nice balance between meeting with your group and then having the option of craft talks, panels, readings, informal yakking time with other writers. It’s a very intense time, but heck, that’s what folks are paying for. I don’t think you could ever leave a Summer Fishtrap gathering and think, “Geez, I didn’t have the chance to get my money’s worth,” and that’s not always true. I think most people leave the week with their brain spinning and their souls charged.
About the Yearlong Writers’ Workshop:
The Yearlong Writers’ Workshop is a 13-month intensive low-residency program for a writer who is ready to commit a year to their craft with a goal to either complete that manuscript they’ve been working on, or launch the book they’ve been thinking about for years. Fishtrap is now accepting applications for the 2019-2020 Yearlong Writers’ Workshop. Click here to learn more and apply.