For the Sonorous
2018 Sonorous Summer Writing Workshop
The 2018 Sonorous Summer Writing Workshop seeks to help women of color and non-binary people of color gain confidence and power in their voices. To that end, we urge motivated, dedicated, and passionate high school students to apply. Mentees will be paired with mentors who have experience in writing for four weeks of growth, catharsis, and writing writing writing.
If you are strong but silenced, brave but afraid, alive and breathing and empowered: join us.
The Basics
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Four weeks: July 15 - August 11
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Two genres: Poetry and Prose (Fiction & Creative Non-Fiction)
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6 mentors & 12-18 mentees
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Workshop designed for high school (grades 9-12) women and non-binary people of color
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Informal environment that encourages collaboration, experimentation, and sisterhood
Features
Weekly Peer Editing Sessions & Mentor Feedback: Each week, participants will turn in a new piece of writing. Writers will then receive detailed feedback from their peers and mentors about what aspects of their pieces are strong, and what can be improved.
Weekly Readings: Participants will be given the opportunity to read published works alongside their peers. They will discuss them analytically in an informal, open setting and focus on what techniques they might want to implement in their own writing.
Discussions and Advice: Participants and mentors will engage in weekly discussions to dissect the complexity and fluidity of their craft. This will include sharing advice with each other on how to achieve certain effects, how to approach certain techniques, and how to develop a distinct voice and style, among others. Mentors will also guide mentees on ways to become involved in the writing community through competitions and publications, notify them of resources geared towards young writers, and any other pieces of advice that can go towards amplifying each writer’s voice.
Group Activities: Mentee groups will participate in engaging activities, such as word wars and seminars, meant to spark creative ideas, increase enthusiasm for writing, and foster a close-knit writing community.
Publication: Participants will select one piece of work that was written and developed during the workshop to be published in a special anthology of For the Sonorous.
How to Apply
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Send applications to sonorouswritingworkshop@gmail.com with the subject line “LastName_FirstName: Summer Workshop Application”
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Writing sample for specified genre (1-2 poems or 1-2 works of prose)
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Mentees interested in both prose and poetry should submit 1-2 poems and 1-2 works of prose and will be placed into one of the genres, if selected.
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100-300 word statement detailing your interest for this program. Why do you want to be involved in this workshop? How can you grow and contribute to our community?
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100-250 word statement on what areas, questions, and techniques you are interested in exploring during the workshop
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Optional resume
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Send the application as one .doc(x) or .pdf file.
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Due July 8
Note: If selected for this workshop, mentees must be able to participate throughout its duration. Mentor pairings and more information will be given to participants by July 12