Description
Saturday, Apr 11, 10:30am-4:30pm
Open to all
Limited to 12 participants
Hybrid Workshop*
The sentence is the building block from which all stories are made, whether short flash fiction or a full-length novel. In this one-day intensive workshop, we’ll slow down and study the sentence on its own terms. Through close readings of work by masters of prose like Michael Ondaatje, Margaret Atwood, Cormac McCarthy, and Alice Munro, we’ll explore what gives a sentence its shape, clarity, and strength—and how we can apply those techniques in our own writing. We will develop an appreciation for the impact attention to the sentence can have on the larger work.
While most workshops focus on larger elements like plot, structure, or theme, in this one, we’ll turn our attention to the sentence itself. We’ll look at how choices in diction, syntax, rhythm, and sound affect how a sentence works. In-class exercises will include writing new sentences and reworking old ones, both through generative prompts and revision practice. Writers will leave with a deeper understanding of the sentence as a tool—and how to use it with care and control.
Students are welcome to bring a paragraph of their own writing for a revision exercise.
*This workshop will take place at the QWF Office (Room 3, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Westmount, Quebec) with up to 2 virtual spots for participants who are unable to attend in-person because of distance or disability. By default, all workshop registrations are for in-person spots. If you would like to request a virtual slot, contact Riley at riley@qwf.org stating the reason for which you would need the virtual spot, then wait for a response before registering. Please do not register until you receive confirmation of a virtual spot for you.
