Writing Ourselves–

Editing & the Editor

with

Anne Wood

editor & educator

"In the most productive author-editor relationship, the editor, like a good dance partner who neither leads nor follows but anticipates and trusts, can help the writer find her way back into the work, can cajole another revision, contemplate the deeper themes, or supply the seamless transition, the telling detail." –Gillespie & Lerner

On Saturday, October 17th, twenty-two MWP/SMWP writers and guests gathered at Erskine Academy to celebrate "Writing Ourselves," the second in a series of workshops sponsored by the Maine Writing Project and Southern Maine Writing Project.

Editor and educator Anne Wood presented a daylong workshop on revision. From an intimate look at ground-breaking editor Max Perkins to practical revision activities for writers, the workshop featured time to write, space to chat, and material to consider. As always, writing project chat, good food, and laughter made this sunny Saturday even brighter.

Our next Writing Ourselves day will feature SMWP's own, Kate Kennedy. Stay tuned for this day on fiction writing in April 2010!

–Click on photos to enlarge.

Writing Ourselves: Editing & The Editor with Anne Wood

Writing Ourselves: Editing & The Editor with Anne Wood

Effective Practices Conference, Friday October 2nd, 2009: Hutchinson Center, Belfast, Maine (FYI: click on photos to enlarge)

Today, a wonderful collection of 120 educators--teachers, administrators, education technicians, college professors, and future teachers--gathered at the University of Maine's Hutchinson Center in Belfast for the annual Effective Practices Conference hosted by the Maine Writing Project and the Southern Maine Writing Project. This special day of "teachers teaching teachers" featured new teacher-consultants of Maine's two National Writing Project sites. We were also treated to an inspiring, educational, and humorous keynote by writing project friend Professor Harvey Kail. Special thanks to Heather Pullen and Ken Martin for organizing a great day of learning.

Effective Practices Conference, Friday October 2nd, 2009: Hutchinson Center, Belfast, Maine

Effective Practices Conference, Friday October 2nd, 2009: Hutchinson Center, Belfast, Maine

Effective Practices Conference, Friday October 2nd, 2009: Hutchinson Center, Belfast, Maine

Effective Practices Conference, Friday October 2nd, 2009: Hutchinson Center, Belfast, Maine

Effective Practices Conference, Friday October 2nd, 2009: Hutchinson Center, Belfast, Maine

Effective Practices Conference, Friday October 2nd, 2009: Hutchinson Center, Belfast, Maine

Writing Project teacher-consultant Bailey Hill enthralls her audience with poetry ideas at the 2008 Effective Practices Conference in Belfast.

Writing Ourselves

with Monica Wood

On Saturday, April 4th, seventy teacher-consultants of the Maine Writing Project and Southern Maine Writing Project gathered at the Maple Hill Farm Bed & Breakfast Inn and Conference Center in Hallowell for an inspiring day of writing, sharing, and reconnecting. 

Organized by Heather Pullen, Maureen Montgomery, & Rich Kent and sponsored by MWP Professional Development, led by Kristen McCollum and Maureen Montgomery--and the many teacher-consultants (TCs) who present statewide--Writing Ourselves began with an intimate keynote by novelist and longtime writing project friend, Monica Wood. 

Following Monica's keynote, we got down to work in a fast-paced workshop that had TCs creating a personal toolkit for our own writing.  We left the morning session with pages of ideas and tired hands and brains. 

Lunch was a scrumptious buffet of gourmet veggie lasagna, chicken, a wowza salad, and a homemade custard. 

The afternoon kicked off with writing time and then small group discussions on fiction/nonfiction writing, finding time and space  for our writing, writing centers, technology and writing, poetry, and publishing. 

And we capped off the day with a social "hour" (Insert: 90 minutes) filled with conversation, great food & drink, and friends. 

You may click on many of the photos below to enlarge.

Monica Wood offering a very personal keynote prior to her workshop.  

Click on photo to enlarge. 

Monica Wood and Rich listen in to a sharing. 

We filled pages upon pages during Writing Ourselves and left with a toolkit of writing exercises, ideas, and prompts. We'll be sharing the toolkit prompts in the next MaineWrites newsletter. 

MWP & SMWP teacher-consultants busy writing during Monica's workshop. 

Claire Moriarty reads to a few of her TC friends from her Summer Institute class of 2005.