Women Writing led by Lauren Winner

“Paradox: Woman and Writer are separate categories; but in any individual woman writer, they are inseparable.”—Margaret Atwood 

In this workshop for women, we will focus on the art and craft of prose writing (fiction or non-fiction welcome), addressing questions of technique (pacing, plot, character development), as well as some questions that emerge most forcefully in women’s writing (Have female writers, in the last decade, gravitated toward certain voices? What are the literary payoffs and drawbacks of these voices? What’s the relationship between the authority a woman’s spiritual or religious community has granted her and the authority she is willing or able to claim as an author?  What is the range of women’s experiences in the literary marketplace? How does the archetypal shape of a woman’s lifecycle intersect with her writing life?”). 

“[W]omen are so vulnerable to displacing themselves, into something other than themselves…[I]n the modern and contemporary world, women had a lot of choices and didn’t have to do that anymore. But nevertheless, there is still an enormous amount of misery and self-sabotage, and they are still shooting themselves in the foot.” – Toni Morrison 

Long stretches of the days will be reserved for quiet writing time. And each day, we will meet as a group to workshop one another’s prose, discuss sterling examples of recently published women’s writing, or explore writing exercises designed to generate ideas and improve craft. 

“When someone asks me what women I admire, they’re normally women who have turned their backs on the world; they’re women who have been selfish to some degree, who have gone against the grain.” – Gloria Naylor 

Due to COVID precautions, workshop participants are asked to be fully vaccinated and to show proof of vaccination before arriving on the Collegeville Institute campus.

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 term.

Women who are writing fiction or non-fiction prose are invited to apply.

NOTE: There will be advance preparation (both reading and writing) for this workshop. 

Application Process:

The application deadline for this workshop has passed.