• Home
  • About
  • Events
  • Podcasts
  • News
  • Giving
  • Dribbble
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Email
Collegeville Institute

Bearings Online

Menu
  • Residency Programs
      • Scholars, clergy, church leaders, thinkers, artists, and writers who are seeking to discern and communicate the meaning of Christian identity and unity in a religiously and culturally diverse world are invited to apply for our residency programs.
      • Get Practical Information »
      • Apply for a Fellowship »
      • View 2020 Scholars »
      • Resident Scholars Program

        for those looking to stay a semester or a full academic year

      • Program Details
      • Work and Scholarship
      • Housing and Facilities
      • Application Process
      • Former Resident Scholars
      • Apply Now »
      • Short term Residencies

        for those looking to stay for a shorter period of time

      • Program Details
      • Living and Working
      • Application Process
      • Former Short Term Scholars
      • Apply Now »
    • Close
  • Writing Workshops
      • Each summer, the Collegeville Institute opens its doors to pastors, ministers, lay leaders, and other thinkers and writers for week-long, intensive writing workshops geared toward various levels of writing skill, genre and interest.
        Each fall, the Collegeville Institute partners with other institutes, seminaries, or churches to coordinate regional off-site workshops.
      • Get Practical Information »
      • View 2020 Workshops »
      • Explore Past Workshops »
      • Read Participant Stories »
      • At Collegeville:

      • Apart, and Yet a Part: A Workshop with Writing Coach Michael N. McGregor
      • In the Thick of It: Explorations of Advanced Topics in Prose Writing
      • Exploring Identity and (Dis)belonging through the Personal Essay
      • Regional:

      • Writing for Mystic Activists
      • Mapping the Geography of Grace: A Writing Workshop for Clergy
      • Writing Spirit, Writing Faith: A Week with Mary Potter
      • Writing the Spiritual Life: A Creative Writing Workshop with Lauren Winner
    • Close
  • Vocation Projects
      • The Communities of Calling Initiative invites congregations into a 5-year project on vocation.
        The Collegeville Institute Seminars offer resources to explore calling in your community.
      • Vocation Projects Overview »
    • Resources on Vocation:

      • BridgeCalled to Life – a free program for small groups
      • Called to Work - hands at a laptopCalled to Work – a free program for small groups
      • FrancoisLives Explored – a video storytelling project
      • booksBooks – publications on vocation
    • Close
  • Fellows Program
    • Bringing together an ecumenical group of gifted Minnesota faith leaders, the Collegeville Institute Fellows Program focuses on leadership development with the goal of strengthening religious leaders’ sense of themselves as civic leaders.
    • Fellows Program Overview
    • Twin Cities Fellows Program
    • Rural Minnesota Fellows Program
    • Multi-Religious Fellows Program
    • Close
  • Faith and Writing
    • Good writing is essential to powerful theological education within congregations. In this section we highlight book reviews, provide resources for good writing, feature the writing of our program participants, and more.
    • Resources for Faith and Writing
    • Participant Publications
    • Bearings magazine
    • Submit Your Publication »
    • Close
  • Search
You are here: Home / Events / Revision, Christian Spirituality, and the Writing Life, with Lauren Winner

Revision, Christian Spirituality, and the Writing Life, with Lauren Winner

A workshop that, with a special focus on revision, brings together the disciplines of writing and Christian spirituality

September 30, 2016 By

Event Details

  • Date(s): Monday, Jun 5th, 2017-Wednesday, Jun 14th, 2017
  • Venue: Collegeville Institute
  • Categories: Writing Workshop
  • Tags: Christian spirituality, Lauren Winner, revision, spiritual practices, writing workshops
Lauren Winner

Diane Glancy once wrote: “I think in terms of revision because I have been revised. As a Christian, I feel I have started over and over, continuing one development after another. ….Writing is in the rewriting. It is in the revised. …[W]hen I write, there usually emerges both a death and a resurrection….I write if I can tolerate the snarl and gnarl of the writing process.”

In this workshop, we plunge into the fabulous work of revising. What is revision? How and why might one undertake revision?  We will examine the question of what makes for compelling spiritual writing—writing that opens up the ordinary, yet sometimes dramatic tensions between spiritual faith and human life. We will ask questions such as: How do I write about spirituality without preaching or falling into dogma? How do I share stories that lift people up? How do my words deepen beliefs or offer guidance? How do I help people pray or give them peace? How do I tap into topics that make delightful connections? How do I help readers wrestle with God? We will also consider how to shape a long piece of writing, asking What distinguishes a book from a long magazine article? What is the shape of a book?

The mornings will be reserved for writing time. In the afternoons, we will meet as a group to workshop one another’s prose, discuss sterling examples of spiritual writing, and explore writing exercises designed to improve craft.

This workshop is intended primarily for people who want to work on revising a long essay or two, a substantial portion of a book, or an entire book manuscript. We will have a bit of pieces for new pieces, but our primary focus will be on the revision process, and on the architecture of a 40,000-80,000 word piece (that is, a book).

The Collegeville Institute will cover travel expenses to and from the workshop within the continental United States, all workshop fees, and room and board. International travel costs, and travel from Hawaii and Alaska may be shared between the Collegeville Institute and the workshop participant. Those who join the workshop will be expected to reside at the Collegeville Institute throughout the entire week. Participants may share apartment space, though each person will be assigned a private bedroom. The program is limited to 12 participants.

Lauren is fantastic. She’s wise. Her tips were very helpful. Her craft advice was great. Her organization was great.

—participant in “Women Writing: A Week with Lauren Winner,” Summer 2015

Application Process:

The application deadline for this workshop has passed.

More from my site

  • Resident Scholars Share Gratitude at Holiday PartyResident Scholars Share Gratitude at Holiday Party
  • Words that Sing IWords that Sing I
  • Answering Questions: A Writing Task UpendedAnswering Questions: A Writing Task Upended
  • The Heron LessonThe Heron Lesson
  • Fracture: On Fracking in AmericaFracture: On Fracking in America

Writing Workshops

  • Current Writing Workshops
  • Practical Information
  • Past Workshops
  • Voices of Past Participants
  • Kilian McDonnell Writer-in-Residence Award

Event Categories

Latest News

Job Announcement: Executive Director

January 8, 2021

Resident Scholars Conclude Program on Zoom

December 18, 2020

Lauren Winner Leads Final 2020 Writing Workshop Online

December 14, 2020

Subscribe

Sign up for our email newsletter today, and keep up to date with what's going on at the Collegeville Institute.

Sign Up Today

Get Involved

Give online

Check out our writing workshops and our residential programs.

Contact Us

2475 Ecumenical Drive
PO Box 2000
Collegeville, MN 56321

Phone: 320-363-3366
Email: staff@collegevilleinstitute.org

Map/Directions

Copyright © 2021 Collegeville Institute. Read our Privacy Policy.