Want to get involved at the Midwest Writers Workshop? Interested in professional experience as well as credit? ENG299x: Literary Citizenship is the class for you.

This summer ’16 course is offered from June 20 to July 22. Once the course is over, students will attend and work at the Midwest Writers Workshop national writing conference, from July 21-23.

You may ask, what is a literary citizen, and what does it have to do with professional experience? A literary citizen is an aspiring writer who understands that you have to contribute to, not just expect things from, the publishing world. This course will teach you how to take advantage of the opportunities offered by your local, regional and national literary communities, and how you can best contribute to those communities given your talents and interests. It will also help you begin to professionalize yourself as a writer, or in a writing-related career.

Along with reading and reviewing numerous books (including at least one by the authors attending the Workshop, as well as interviewing writers) you will also be learning how to:

  1. use a professional blog or website as a literary citizen
  2. organize a multi-day literary event
  3. create content for the Midwest Writers Workshop’s e-newsletter, website, and social media
  4. promote the event to local, state, and national constituencies

At the end of the semester, you will apply what you learned and serve as either a Literary Agent Assistant or a Social Media Tutor at the Midwest Writers Workshop.

How to Apply:

Permission for this course is by instructor only. In an email, include a link to your blog or website where it is easy to find a) a third-person bio or “about” page, including a recent photograph of yourself, b) your resume, and c) a page or a post of about 250-500 words explaining why this opportunity will benefit you professionally and what you think you can bring to the service aspect of the course. Do not send attachments–upload the materials to your blog or website.

Send the email to Jama Bigger, Director of the Midwest Writers Workshop, at midwestwriters@yahoo.com. Applications are due by March 18, 2016 at noon. Permission for this course is by instructor only, so get those applications in! You will learn if you have been accepted into the course when you receive your summer registration time ticket. This class can count as an elective or a main course for English majors.