Workshop Guidelines
Your workshop material is due by Monday, April 15, 2024.
A core required activity of every residency is the workshop. Each workshop consists of a small group of students working in the same genre and a faculty mentor who leads the discussion. In the workshop, students serve as resources for each other while honing their critical abilities.
Please keep in mind that this work will be read and commented on by your peers and workshop mentor. Workshop booklets will be available online one month before the residency.
If you are having trouble generating a workshop piece, experiencing anxiety at the prospect of workshopping, or are in any other way having a hard time, please reach out to your mentor and/or the MFA team as soon as possible so that we can advise and assist you. Remember that a workshop piece is meant to be a work in progress, ready for commentary and feedback—not a true first draft or a completely finished piece of writing. We are here to support you however we can; don't hesitate to reach out with questions and concerns.
Please email your submission to mfacreativewriting@antioch.edu as an attachment, with the subject line: WORKSHOP SUBMISSION—YourLastName (PDF and Word for poetry; PDF for Writing for the Screen and Playwriting; Word for all other genres).
Please see the genre-specific guidelines below. Additional pages beyond the limit will not be included. Proofread your material before sending. You may not change your workshop submission once it is submitted.
Formatting
Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Young People:
12-point Times New Roman font, text double-spaced.
Set all margins at 1".
Your last name and page numbers must appear in the UPPER RIGHT CORNER of every page as part of a header. Name and page numbers should appear as “YourLastName 1, YourLastName 2, YourLastName 3,” and so on. Do not include the title in this section.
Use consecutive numbering. Even if you submit more than one piece, the second piece should not begin with page 1.
Download and use a sample Word template here:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=16GsGVYVbYZSj-qEHc5jZjvoMXSoynPN-
Poetry:
Use 12-point font (Times New Roman preferred, but other fonts are accepted)
Set all margins at 1".
Your last name and page numbers must appear in the UPPER RIGHT CORNER of every page as part of a header. Name and page numbers should appear as “YourLastName 1, YourLastName 2, YourLastName 3,” and so on. Do not include the title in this section.
Use consecutive numbering. If you have poems that extend to more than a single page, begin the next poem on a separate page.
Download and use a sample Word template here:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=16GsGVYVbYZSj-qEHc5jZjvoMXSoynPN-
Writing for the Screen and Playwriting:
Use the standard format appropriate for the genre. Use of FinalDraft is strongly encouraged as industry standard; other options include Celtx, Trelby, and WriterDuet. If you are using Final Draft or any other screen- or play-formatting software, use the default margins. If you're not familiar with the format and not using the specialized software, please refer to this template to format your piece. For plays, please refer to this resource to prepare your piece for the workshop: https://www.dramatistsguild.com/script-formats
Use consecutive page numbering. Page numbers must appear in the UPPER RIGHT CORNER of every page as part of header. Even if you submit more than one piece, the second piece should not begin with page 1.
Please submit your piece in PDF format.
Please contact Colette Freedman if you need more guidance with formatting your piece of dramatic writing for the workshop: dfreedman2@antioch.edu
Length
Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Young People:
20 pages maximum, with text double-spaced. If the selection is not a stand-alone piece, provide information the reader may need—e.g., what is the main setup the reader should know? For shorter pieces, you may want to state if they are somehow connected, or if they are individual pieces. This introduction should not be more than one paragraph and must fit within the 20-page limit. This section may be single-spaced, but must be Times New Roman font size 12. If your piece can stand alone, there is no need for this paragraph.
Poetry:
7 pages maximum with no more than one poem per page, with the text spaced however you choose. If you have poems that extend to more than a single page, begin the next poem on a separate page. For poetry students only: please submit both a Word and PDF version, so we know your intentions for any special formatting.
Writing for the Screen and Playwriting:
20 pages maximum. Use the standard format appropriate for the genre (see the formatting section above).
You may include a separate title page in front of your material with your name and what you have submitted (i.e. 20 pages of screenplay, or outline for TV pilot, etc.) With the title page, the maximum length of your workshop submission may be 21 pages.
Content Warnings
Content warnings are verbal or written notices that inform the reader of potentially sensitive content. These notices flag the contents of the material that follows, so readers can prepare themselves for the reading. As the work you submit will be read and commented on by your peers and workshop mentor, please include a Content Warning if your work contains potentially sensitive content, such as:
-Rape and Sexual Assault
-Abuse (physical, mental, emotional, verbal, sexual)
-Child abuse/pedophilia
-Animal cruelty or animal death
-Self-injurious behavior (self-harm, eating disorders, etc.)
-Suicide
-Excessive violence
-Depiction of pornography (including child pornography)
-Incest
-Kidnapping
-Death or dying
-Miscarriages/Abortion
-Mental illness
-Racism
-Homophobia
Please note that these content warnings will be included at the back of your workshop booklet as a part of an index. Please submit this content warning information in the body of the email you send. Format the content warning by stating the name of the piece and the type of warning.
Example: Title of Piece: Animal cruelty