Writing Between the Lines: The Power of Multiple Revisions
A Workshop with YA Author Carmen Rodrigues
Interviewer: How much rewriting do you do?
Hemingway: It depends. I rewrote the ending of Farewell to Arms, the last page of it, 39 times before I was satisfied.
Interviewer: Was there some technical problem there? What was it that had stumped you?
Hemingway: Getting the words right.
--Ernest Hemingway, "The Art of Fiction," The Paris Review, Interview, 1956
Our first job as storytellers is to birth the story onto the page, but a first draft is just that--a draft. How do you transition from first draft to final product? One word: Revision. A true craftsman knows that the power of storytelling is found during the revision process. Here, you can step back to consider the bigger picture, and then work diligently towards finding the right words and the right moments.
In this workshop, we will discuss the power of multiple revisions, as well as participate in several writing exercises designed to help you craft your story. You'll also learn how to open yourself up to the process and how to determine whose advice--if any--to follow.
About the Speaker:
Carmen Rodrigues is the author of three young-adult novels: 34 Pieces of You, a finalist in the Young Adult category of the SIBA Book Award (Simon Pulse, 2012); Carry You With Me (forthcoming from Simon Pulse, Summer 2014); and Not Anything (Berkley Books, 2008).
Ms. Rodrigues earned her M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. In past lives, she was a reader for a NYC literary agency, a reporter, and teacher.
DATE: July 20th, 2013
TIME: 1 – 4PM
VENUE: El Segundo Library 111 W. Mariposa Ave, El Segundo, CA 90245
FEE: $30
*Fee includes workshop materials, handouts, worksheet and a copy of the author’s book 34 PIECES OF YOU
CBW-LA Members: Get a $10 Discount when you register online!