Special Opportunity, summer 2022
Study Creative Writing in Vienna with Atelier26 Publisher,
Portland State University Professor, and author M. Allen Cunningham
4-credit course open to all PSU students and non-PSU students alike! Details HERE.
Study Creative Writing in Vienna with Atelier26 Publisher,
Portland State University Professor, and author M. Allen Cunningham
4-credit course open to all PSU students and non-PSU students alike! Details HERE.
Watch here for our next Portland Workshop
Award-winning publisher Atelier26 Books holds
creative writing workshops in Portland, Oregon
*Don't live in or near Portland? See also our manuscript consultation offer.
Award-winning publisher Atelier26 Books holds
creative writing workshops in Portland, Oregon
*Don't live in or near Portland? See also our manuscript consultation offer.
The Atelier26 Creative Writing Workshops are an opportunity to explore and refine your writing craft in the context of a small and committed group of writers. The group (numbering no more than 10) meets on Tuesday evenings in Portland for 6 weeks. Focusing on fiction and creative nonfiction, workshops center around intensive critique of participant work and may include discussion of inspiring published texts. Author and Atelier26 editor M. Allen Cunningham facilitates. See below for more info.
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The workshop left me challenged and inspired. I gained meaningful connections, received constructive feedback, and learned new concepts that have pushed my skill and motivation forward. Thanks Atelier26!"--Workshop Participant I walk away from each session feeling inspired. Our classes are one of the best parts of my week."-Alisha, Workshop Participant |
Workshop Format
Our skillfully guided workshops follow the MFA format and are limited to a size most conducive to deep and enriching creative exploration. Each participant shares their work of fiction or creative nonfiction of up to 20 pages and hears the work discussed, interpreted, analyzed, and constructively critiqued with reference to the principles of effective and compelling creative writing; participants receive written commentary and suggestions on their manuscripts from their fellow writers and the instructor; in turn they offer all of the above to their peers. Workshop participants find that they benefit as much from the discussion and analysis of their fellow writers' work as they do from the extensive feedback that their own writing receives. For further enrichment, workshops often include the study of outside texts (supplied by the instructor). Participants share their own work 1 - 2 times within the workshop cycle.
About the Publisher
Atelier26 is the publisher of numerous books, including current 2018 PEN/Bingham Prize semi-finalist A Thousand Distant Radios by Woody Skinner, Sidney Wade's Bird Book, as well as Margaret Malone’s People Like You (a 2016 PEN/Hemingway Award finalist and Balcones Fiction Prize winner) and Harriet Scott Chessman’s The Beauty of Ordinary Things (called “a song of the soul” by Foreword Reviews). Established in 2011, Atelier26 is dedicated to producing beautifully designed and expressive books that get people listening, talking, and sharing ideas. Atelier26 titles are distributed throughout North America by Independent Publishers Group.
About the Instructor
M. Allen Cunningham is the publisher of Atelier26 Books. He is the author of seven books, including Perpetua's Kin, recently named one of the Most Anticipated Titles of Fall 2018 in New York Magazine. He is also the author of The Green Age of Asher Witherow (Unbridled Books), which was named a #1 Indie Next Pick by the American Booksellers Association and was a finalist for the Indie Next Book of the Year Award; Lost Son (Unbridled Books), which was a Top Ten pick in the Oregonian; and The Honorable Obscurity Handbook: Solidarity & Sound Advice for Writers and Artists, which Cynthia Ozick calls “Ingenious…inspiring and inspiriting.” He edited and wrote the introduction for Funny-Ass Thoreau, a compendium of humor by the author of Walden. Cunningham's short stories and essays have appeared in numerous outlets such as Glimmer Train, Tin House, The Kenyon Review, Alaska Quarterly Review, and Poets & Writers. He was a Semi-finalist for the 2017 American Short Fiction Prize, a Finalist for the 2014 Flann O’Brien Award for Innovative Fiction, and is the recipient of grants and fellowships from Literary Arts, The Oregon Arts Commission, the Regional Arts and Culture Council, and two residencies at Yaddo. He is a contributing editor at Moss Literary Magazine. Cunningham holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has taught in various capacities for more than ten years. He is a frequent public speaker on the subjects of writing, publishing, and literary culture, an instructor at Literary Arts, and teaches at Portland State University and elsewhere.
Details
Location: Portland, OR
Inclusive dates: tba
Eligibility: Applicants must be age 25 or older and committed to the rigors and disciplines of creative writing; prepared to provide and receive serious, well-considered and constructive criticism both spoken and written; and ready to participate in a literary discourse that includes the analysis of published texts (supplied by the instructor).
Please note: Due to the reciprocal nature of the workshop, applicants should be prepared to attend all six sessions.
Tuition is on a sliding scale: tba
Participants must sign up for the complete multi-week cycle. The balance will be payable (cash, check, or credit card) once a place in the workshop has been offered and accepted (week of December 24th), with a portion of the full balance understood to be nonrefundable in the event of a participant’s cancellation.
Credit cards are accepted at www.Atelier26Bookshop.com.
To apply: E-mail a simple cover letter indicating any prior workshop experience, along with a 5-page writing sample in your workshop genre of choice (fiction or creative nonfiction) to atelier26books@gmail.com. Questions? E-mail us.
Application closing date: tba
Our skillfully guided workshops follow the MFA format and are limited to a size most conducive to deep and enriching creative exploration. Each participant shares their work of fiction or creative nonfiction of up to 20 pages and hears the work discussed, interpreted, analyzed, and constructively critiqued with reference to the principles of effective and compelling creative writing; participants receive written commentary and suggestions on their manuscripts from their fellow writers and the instructor; in turn they offer all of the above to their peers. Workshop participants find that they benefit as much from the discussion and analysis of their fellow writers' work as they do from the extensive feedback that their own writing receives. For further enrichment, workshops often include the study of outside texts (supplied by the instructor). Participants share their own work 1 - 2 times within the workshop cycle.
About the Publisher
Atelier26 is the publisher of numerous books, including current 2018 PEN/Bingham Prize semi-finalist A Thousand Distant Radios by Woody Skinner, Sidney Wade's Bird Book, as well as Margaret Malone’s People Like You (a 2016 PEN/Hemingway Award finalist and Balcones Fiction Prize winner) and Harriet Scott Chessman’s The Beauty of Ordinary Things (called “a song of the soul” by Foreword Reviews). Established in 2011, Atelier26 is dedicated to producing beautifully designed and expressive books that get people listening, talking, and sharing ideas. Atelier26 titles are distributed throughout North America by Independent Publishers Group.
About the Instructor
M. Allen Cunningham is the publisher of Atelier26 Books. He is the author of seven books, including Perpetua's Kin, recently named one of the Most Anticipated Titles of Fall 2018 in New York Magazine. He is also the author of The Green Age of Asher Witherow (Unbridled Books), which was named a #1 Indie Next Pick by the American Booksellers Association and was a finalist for the Indie Next Book of the Year Award; Lost Son (Unbridled Books), which was a Top Ten pick in the Oregonian; and The Honorable Obscurity Handbook: Solidarity & Sound Advice for Writers and Artists, which Cynthia Ozick calls “Ingenious…inspiring and inspiriting.” He edited and wrote the introduction for Funny-Ass Thoreau, a compendium of humor by the author of Walden. Cunningham's short stories and essays have appeared in numerous outlets such as Glimmer Train, Tin House, The Kenyon Review, Alaska Quarterly Review, and Poets & Writers. He was a Semi-finalist for the 2017 American Short Fiction Prize, a Finalist for the 2014 Flann O’Brien Award for Innovative Fiction, and is the recipient of grants and fellowships from Literary Arts, The Oregon Arts Commission, the Regional Arts and Culture Council, and two residencies at Yaddo. He is a contributing editor at Moss Literary Magazine. Cunningham holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has taught in various capacities for more than ten years. He is a frequent public speaker on the subjects of writing, publishing, and literary culture, an instructor at Literary Arts, and teaches at Portland State University and elsewhere.
Details
Location: Portland, OR
Inclusive dates: tba
Eligibility: Applicants must be age 25 or older and committed to the rigors and disciplines of creative writing; prepared to provide and receive serious, well-considered and constructive criticism both spoken and written; and ready to participate in a literary discourse that includes the analysis of published texts (supplied by the instructor).
Please note: Due to the reciprocal nature of the workshop, applicants should be prepared to attend all six sessions.
Tuition is on a sliding scale: tba
Participants must sign up for the complete multi-week cycle. The balance will be payable (cash, check, or credit card) once a place in the workshop has been offered and accepted (week of December 24th), with a portion of the full balance understood to be nonrefundable in the event of a participant’s cancellation.
Credit cards are accepted at www.Atelier26Bookshop.com.
To apply: E-mail a simple cover letter indicating any prior workshop experience, along with a 5-page writing sample in your workshop genre of choice (fiction or creative nonfiction) to atelier26books@gmail.com. Questions? E-mail us.
Application closing date: tba
The Atelier26 workshop is excellent! Facilitator M. Allen Cunningham clearly empathizes with and respects writers and led each critique session with focus, kindness and a quiet determination to push each of us into a deeper understanding of our strengths and areas for improvement. The craft readings were inspiring and thought-provoking, and I came away from each session with my love of writing re-ignited. Highly recommended for serious writers in Portland."-Workshop Participant |
The Atelier26 workshop was every bit as rewarding and instructive as I knew it would be. The feedback and support was incredibly positive and productive. A wonderfully substantive learning process." -Theresa, Workshop Participant Look no further: Atelier26's writing workshop will fire your mind and move your pen across paper!" |
The hour-long discussion of my submission, the extensive annotations, and additional reading material provided by the instructor proved to be invaluable and enjoyable. The workshop format was well-balanced, enlivening, and informative. The instructor is highly intelligent and he creates an atmosphere of generous discussion and literary exploration."--Erin, Workshop Participant
ONGOING:
One-on-One Manuscript Feedback
For those who don't live in Portland or would prefer individualized attention,
we're pleased to offer private consultations on your short manuscripts.
Provide up to 20 pages (5,000 words) of your work and receive in-depth edits,
written commentary, and suggestions from creative writing instructor
and Atelier26 publisher M. Allen Cunningham.
Price: negotiable
(Optional follow-up feedback & consultation available)
To sign up, ask questions, or request editorial work samples, e-mail: atelier26books@gmail.com
One-on-One Manuscript Feedback
For those who don't live in Portland or would prefer individualized attention,
we're pleased to offer private consultations on your short manuscripts.
Provide up to 20 pages (5,000 words) of your work and receive in-depth edits,
written commentary, and suggestions from creative writing instructor
and Atelier26 publisher M. Allen Cunningham.
Price: negotiable
(Optional follow-up feedback & consultation available)
To sign up, ask questions, or request editorial work samples, e-mail: atelier26books@gmail.com
These specifics on shaping and improving my manuscript are EXACTLY what I was seeking. Thank you, and well done." -Note from recent course participant |
Very thought-provoking. I think of my writing in a new way."-evaluation comment from a recent course participant |
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PAST COURSE:
Writing Fiction with Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton"
Dates TBA
Taught by M. Allen Cunningham
Broadway smash and cultural sensation, Hamilton: An American Musical
is a masterpiece of fictional form. With its ingenious handling of time, characterization,
plot, perspective, voice, theme, and all the other essential elements of storytelling,
Hamilton offers writers every ingredient for a master class in creating fiction.
This 4-week class will explore the inner fictional workings of the sensational
genre-bending musical. Through inspiring listening exercises, writing prompts,
analysis, discussion, and related readings, participants will use Hamilton
to unlock their understanding of how fiction functions and what makes a good story great.
Writing Fiction with Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton"
Dates TBA
Taught by M. Allen Cunningham
Broadway smash and cultural sensation, Hamilton: An American Musical
is a masterpiece of fictional form. With its ingenious handling of time, characterization,
plot, perspective, voice, theme, and all the other essential elements of storytelling,
Hamilton offers writers every ingredient for a master class in creating fiction.
This 4-week class will explore the inner fictional workings of the sensational
genre-bending musical. Through inspiring listening exercises, writing prompts,
analysis, discussion, and related readings, participants will use Hamilton
to unlock their understanding of how fiction functions and what makes a good story great.
FUTURE COURSE:
New Short Story & Creative Essay Course
Dates & info TBA
New Short Story & Creative Essay Course
Dates & info TBA
OTHER PAST COURSES:
Sold-Out 3-Part Series on Novel-Writing at Literary Arts in Portland:
1. Beginning the Novel (4 hours)
Literary Arts, Portland
Taught by M. Allen Cunningham
This one-day class will demystifies the ways one begins writing a book-length work of fiction, with in-class writing exercises, readings, discussion, and helpful techniques to get you started on your way. Among other things, we consider character, setting, theme, and tone, and how these serve you as you generate and pursue your vision for your novel.
2. Plotting the Novel (4 hours)
Taught by M. Allen Cunningham
This class looks at ways of conceiving plot and structure in your novel. Through in-class writing exercises, readings, and discussion, we explore traditional and non-traditional plots, and consider how characterizations, the use of time, world context, and more contribute to a plot's design. Participants come away with a better understanding of the many permutations of plot available to the novelist.
3. Characters in the Novel (4 hours)
Literary Arts, Portland
Taught by M. Allen Cunningham
This class explores compelling character design from the ground up. Through in-class writing exercises, readings, and discussion, we study perspective, perception, voice, memory, the question of sympathy, and more as we move toward letting our fictional characters become their authentic selves.
Sold-Out Class at the Portland Book Festival
Starting the Novel (3 hours)
Taught by M. Allen Cunningham
This class demystifies the ways one begins writing a book-length work of fiction, with in-class writing exercises, readings, discussion, and helpful techniques to get you started on your way. Among other things, we consider character, setting, theme, and tone, and how these serve you as you generate and pursue your vision for your novel.
6-Week Class on Prose Forms at Literary Arts in Portland
Finding Form: Shaping Your Fiction or Memoir (6 weeks)
Taught by M. Allen Cunningham
Class meets at Literary Arts
A compelling narrative involves so much more than a beginning, middle, and end, and the imaginative forms available to writers of fiction or memoir are myriad. In this workshop-based class, we’ll look at a variety of uniquely structured literary works for inspiration and instruction. Through reading, conversation, and writing exercises, we’ll explore the flexibility of voice, linearity, perspective, text shape, and more, as we move together toward finding the right form for our own stories. Participants will share their work-in-progress 1 – 2 times, receive student and instructor feedback, and benefit from group discussion and prompts. All will leave the class equipped with examples from literature and a new appreciation of their own story’s special potential.
1. Beginning the Novel (4 hours)
Literary Arts, Portland
Taught by M. Allen Cunningham
This one-day class will demystifies the ways one begins writing a book-length work of fiction, with in-class writing exercises, readings, discussion, and helpful techniques to get you started on your way. Among other things, we consider character, setting, theme, and tone, and how these serve you as you generate and pursue your vision for your novel.
2. Plotting the Novel (4 hours)
Taught by M. Allen Cunningham
This class looks at ways of conceiving plot and structure in your novel. Through in-class writing exercises, readings, and discussion, we explore traditional and non-traditional plots, and consider how characterizations, the use of time, world context, and more contribute to a plot's design. Participants come away with a better understanding of the many permutations of plot available to the novelist.
3. Characters in the Novel (4 hours)
Literary Arts, Portland
Taught by M. Allen Cunningham
This class explores compelling character design from the ground up. Through in-class writing exercises, readings, and discussion, we study perspective, perception, voice, memory, the question of sympathy, and more as we move toward letting our fictional characters become their authentic selves.
Sold-Out Class at the Portland Book Festival
Starting the Novel (3 hours)
Taught by M. Allen Cunningham
This class demystifies the ways one begins writing a book-length work of fiction, with in-class writing exercises, readings, discussion, and helpful techniques to get you started on your way. Among other things, we consider character, setting, theme, and tone, and how these serve you as you generate and pursue your vision for your novel.
6-Week Class on Prose Forms at Literary Arts in Portland
Finding Form: Shaping Your Fiction or Memoir (6 weeks)
Taught by M. Allen Cunningham
Class meets at Literary Arts
A compelling narrative involves so much more than a beginning, middle, and end, and the imaginative forms available to writers of fiction or memoir are myriad. In this workshop-based class, we’ll look at a variety of uniquely structured literary works for inspiration and instruction. Through reading, conversation, and writing exercises, we’ll explore the flexibility of voice, linearity, perspective, text shape, and more, as we move together toward finding the right form for our own stories. Participants will share their work-in-progress 1 – 2 times, receive student and instructor feedback, and benefit from group discussion and prompts. All will leave the class equipped with examples from literature and a new appreciation of their own story’s special potential.
Sold-Out Class at the Portland Book Festival (Portland, OR)
Editing for Writers (2 hours)
Taught by M. Allen Cunningham
Learn the fundamentals of good editing as they apply to the writing and revision process, from the level of the line to broader structural concerns. Using numerous examples of early and late writing drafts, participants will gain experience focusing on editorial points both common and more complicated, with an eye toward tightening and sharpening our work before it arrives on an editor’s desk.
