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Summer Solstice
Master Class
with Meredith Sue Willis
June 21, 2010
June 28, 2010
July 5, 2010
July 12, 2010

The four session Summer Solstice Master Class will have its first session on the Summer Solstice, Monday, June 21, 2010, with the other sessions posted online on Monday June 28, 2010; Monday July 5, 2010; and Monday July 12, 2010.
This is a class for writers who are already working on or trying to restart a project of fiction like a novel, a memoir, or other prose narrative. Rather than suggesting ways of starting, this class will focus on ways to expand, continue, restart, go deeper, and revise. Class members will be invited to submit specific areas of interest and concern in advance. There will be feedback from the teacher on up to 2000 words per student per week.
The class costs $60 per session or $240 total, payable in advance. There are no cash refunds. For more information about how online classes with Meredith Sue Willis operate, see Frequently Asked Questions.
To apply, read the information below, then email Meredith Sue Willis explaining why you think this class would be a good match for you and your needs. If you are accepted, she will send you the next steps. You must apply, be admitted, and have your payment arrive by Monday, June 14, 2010. The class will close sooner without notice if it fills.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is
an online writing class with Meredith Sue
Willis?
Online
Writing Classes with Meredith Sue Willis are creative writing
classes taught by Meredith Sue Willis through email and the Internet.
The classes include written lectures, writing assignments,
and one-on-one responses to homework. The sessions are emailed to the students, but it is recommended that students read the sessions online.
The students then e-mail passages of their writing to the teacher
who e-mails back her comments.
Who
is Meredith Sue Willis?
Meredith
Sue Willis is a writer and veteran teacher of writing with experience
that includes everything from university level teaching to work with small children.
For information about her teaching career and her publications,
see her biography, her publication
page, and her resumé,
What is the format?
The classes
are asynchronous: that is, everything will be done by email and online. Email is required; Internet
access is recommended but not required. You work at your own
pace, at any hour that suits you.
What
are the writing assignments like?
For a variety
of free sample writing exercises--not necessarily from the online
writing classes--go to Writing
Exercises.
How much do these online writing classes cost?
Cost is $60 per session. Payment
is by personal check or money order in advance. Payment in full
must be received before you are officially enrolled in the class.
There are no cash refunds.
When
does the next class begin?
The classes happen irregularly, but are often scheduled for July or January. If you are interested, check
back at this page for announcements and at Meredith Sue Willis's home page. If you
want to be notified directly, send an email request for notification
to Meredith Sue Willis.
What do students say about these online writing classes with Meredith Sue Willis?
Go to testimonials above to see comments by students.
How do I enroll?
Enrollment
is limited and will close early if the class fills. Go to the top of the page for instructions for the current class.
For
more information:
If you want to get on Meredith Sue Willis's
mailing list, send a blank e-mail to Readerbooks-subscribe@topica.com.
You'll receive MSW's free newsletter for readers and writers and
notice of all online classes. You may also send e-mail to MeredithSueWillis@gmail.com .
Testimonials
I hate to think what I would have missed if I had not taken the class.
-- Dreama Frisk
I'd
recommend MSW's on-line writing classes to any writer at any level.
She has deeply considered the best components for such a course,
keeping them simple to manage yet very likely to get quality writing
from each participant. The exercises are numerous, original, challenging
and, best of all, fun. Instructor feedback is fast and useful.
Not only did I have a blast, but I feel quite positive about the
story I got a good running start on. I'd take another class without
hesitation.
– Ed Davis
I found the exercises and the way they were positioned helpful and informative on a variety of levels. I liked how some got us thinking about our characters, some pulled us forward to stretch and see our novels as having length, and others asked us to think about structure. I found these last ones most fruitful, and I think that’s because I’ve been wanting to ask myself where I’m headed.
– Chris Echaurre
If
you're looking for a concise, insightful, personal writing class,
look no further. Meredith Sue Willis' on-line writing class
is well worth it! She'll challenge you, make you stretch, make
you think.
– Carter Seaton
The guidance provided by Meredith Sue not only encouraged me to continue with my project, it taught me to review my material from a more professional standpoint. Her comments were insightful; her suggestions stimulating, provocative and very much on-target. I have participated in many workshops and groups. I found Meredith Sue’s on-line course to be a significantly positive influence on my writing. I am eager to sign up for the next course with her.
- Savannah Gill
The
January Plan for Novel and Memoir Writers offered on-line by
Meredith Sue Willis was truly a gem of a course. Although a
professional writer all of my life, I felt I needed a shot in
the arm, as well as some good advice as I pursued a genre unfamiliar
to me as a writer, the novel. The assignments, both major and
minor, as well as the pacing of these exercises all seemed just
right – hard enough to push me into new places and yet always
easily understandable and somehow accessible. I appreciated,
as well, the flexibility built into the overall course which
allowed me to stray from the letter of the assignment if I felt
I needed to do so. Quite frankly, however, I found the assignments
so compelling that even when they didn’t 'fit' the particular
needs of my project, I pursued them anyway. Furthermore, and
of equal value were Ms. Willis’s comments upon my submitted
work. Every word of advice, every critical observation I felt
had been weighed carefully and meted out with just the right
admixture of encouragement and suggestion. I simply can not
recommend her instructional skills too highly and envy those
students who count her as their teacher.
Just
wanted to say what a great get-back-to-work kick in the pants
this session has been. That sounds a bit too harsh though, since
the most wonderful aspect of it was how supported and encouraged
I felt by your thoughtful and insightful reading and response.
Each session was chock full of ideas for getting going with
writing, and I felt very cared for by the generosity of the
assignments both in their number and originality. I especially
thought the last one, to write a dream for a character, or write
about a dream you yourself had was great. I know I'll be responding
to that one and the one on the weather again and again. I appreciated
reading the other students' work, though right now I'm in such
a private kind of space, that I didn't make comments or join
in the on-line community, though I think it's another wonderful
aspect of the course and I most likely would take part at another
time.
More
Testimonials
.
I'd
recommend your workshops to anyone who wants coherent, polished
writing. The exercises are extremely valuable, and the editing
techniques you pass on turn a good idea into something worth reading....I've
enjoyed the sessions, and it was good to keep my fingers moving
over the keys while traveling. Just enough work, and lots to occupy
my thoughts while driving.
– Lynne Gleason
Meredith
Sue Willis's class, guaranteed to jump-start my writing, did more
than that. One of the characters in my novel may not be dead after
all and the others have more definition. Meredith Sue's careful
editing and comments helped me feel like I am on the right track
and gave me more tools to help me get where I want to go. Her
warmth and humor shows through with each interaction, an incredible
gift in a teacher, particularly when one is interacting through
cyberspace.
– Jamie
Rhein
Helped me
to stretch my imagination by using challlenging exercises. I came
away feeling I really am a writer as a result of her positive
supporting comments and suggestions.
– Suzanne
Gluck
The experience
of Meredith Sue is well worth your time and money
– Martha Jo Goff
Special Book Deal!
Buy any book by Meredith Sue Willis by mail order and get 10% off your entire order (exclusive of tax, shipping and handling). For information on books (or to order online--no discount), see Commentary. To order by mail with discount, go to Orders.
Subscribe to Meredith Sue Willis's
Free Newsletter
for Readers and Writers:
Photos found on the various pages of this web site may be used by anyone, but please attribute the source when it is specified.

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Click on the book cover for more information.

In the Mountains of America (Appalachian Short Stories
)

Dwight's House and Other Stories
(Short Stories)

Oradell at Sea
(Novel)

The City Built of Starships
(Science Fiction)

Quilt Pieces (chapbook)

Higher Ground
(Novel-- First book of the Blair Morgan Trilogy)

Only Great Changes
(Novel-- Second book of the Blair Morgan Trilogy)

Trespassers
(Novel-- Final book of the Blair Morgan Trilogy)

A Space Apart
(MSW's First Novel-- reprint edition)

Billie of Fish
House Lane
(Novel for Children )

The Secret Super
Powers of Marco
(Novel for Children )

Marco's Monster
(Novel for Children )

Blazing Pencils
(How-to-Write
Book for Students )

Personal Fiction Writing
(How-to-Write for Teachers & Writers )

Deep Revision
(How-to-Write for Teachers & Writers )
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