Writing Workshops

Elements of Transcendence in Fiction with Miciah Bay Gault

$495

8 Sessions

Out of stock

Once a week Wednesdays, 7:00 pm EDT - 9:00 pm EDT September 13 to November 1, 2023

Online via Zoom

We all appreciate a good story, and as writers we’re striving for excellence. And—we’ve all read pieces that seem to transcend mere excellence. What are the elements that take a story from great to sublime? How do published authors move their carefully crafted pieces from tidy and proficient to something more memorable and far-reaching? Together we’ll read a few published pieces in hopes of finding out. Perhaps we’ll see moments of fluidity in point of view and narrative distance, or instances of unexpected speculative wonder. Maybe we’ll notice piercing exposition, or incantation on the sentence level. Think of this workshop as an investigation. I don’t have the answers, but I love a good question. We’ll then workshop student work with this particular question in mind. Where are the moments and elements of transcendence in these pieces, and how might they be amplified? Using generative writing assignments when helpful, we’ll dig into what’s often overlooked in workshops—the transcendent flashes, the crescendos, the big finishes, the sneaky quiet moments of meaning, the chills, the heartbreak, the astonishment.

Course Outline

In each session of this workshop we will:

Discuss a published story
Workshop 1–2 student stories, focusing on moments of transcendence
We’ll also reserve time for generative work (free-writes, list-making, or other writing exercises) to inspire revision toward transcendence.

Capacity: 12

Led by

Miciah Bay Gault

Miciah Bay Gault

Miciah Bay Gault is the author of the novel Goodnight Stranger (Park Row, 2019), which was nominated for a Shirley Jackson award, longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and selected for Poets & Writers’ First Fiction roundup.

Miciah is a Breadloaf fellow and a Vermont Arts Council creation grant recipient. Her short fiction and essays have appeared in Tin House, the Sun, Agni, the Southern Review, the Harvard Review, the New York Times ‘Modern Love’ column, and other places. She teaches in the MFA in Writing program at Vermont College of Fine Arts and is coordinator of the Vermont Book Award. You can keep up with Miciah on Instagram at @miciahbay, Facebook at @miciahbay, and Twitter at @miciahbay.

Photo Credit: Daryl Burtnett

By Miciah Bay Gault

.

Goodnight Stranger

By Miciah Bay Gault

Published by Park Row Books

PURCHASE

Lydia and Lucas Moore are in their late twenties when a stranger enters their small world on Wolf Island. Lydia, the responsible sister, has cared for her pathologically shy brother, Lucas, ever since their mom’s death a decade before. They live together, comfortable yet confined, in their family house by the sea, shadowed by events from their childhood.

When Lydia sees the stranger step off the ferry, she feels an immediate connection to him. Lucas is convinced the man, Cole Anthony, is the reincarnation of their baby brother, who died when they were young. Cole knows their mannerisms, their home, the topography of the island—what else could that mean? Though Lydia is doubtful, she can’t deny she is drawn to his magnetism, his energy, and his warmth.

To discover the truth about Cole, Lydia must finally face her anxiety about leaving the island and summon the strength to challenge Cole’s grip on her family’s past and her brother. A deliciously alluring read, Goodnight Stranger is a story of choices and regrets, courage and loneliness, and the ways we hold on to those we love.

About this series

Writing Workshops

We strive to make our classes the most inviting and rewarding available, offering an intimate environment to study with award-winning, world-class writers. Each class is specially designed by the instructor, so whether you’re a fledgling writer or an MFA graduate polishing your novel, you’ll find a perfect fit here.

Groups+Workshops

More Groups+Workshops

Groups+Workshops