Writing workshop on Beaver Island combines work and play
May 15, 2003
KALAMAZOO -- Western Michigan University will help up-and-coming writers make the most of a week off this summer by combining work and play during a workshop conducted in one of Michigan's most scenic settings.
The "Writing for Publication Workshop" will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Aug. 4 through 7, at the Beaver Island Community School in St. James on Beaver Island. The deadline to register is July 25, but space is limited, so early registration is encouraged.
This coached, hands-on writing experience is targeted toward educators and others who have little experience in writing for and getting published in magazines, particularly professional journals. It is being held on Beaver Island as a way of stimulating participants' creative juices and encouraging them to bring along families and friends for some group rest and relaxation after each day's session.
The workshop will focus on providing instruction and practice in perfecting a clear, forceful writing style. Topics to be covered include effective ways to start articles, eliminate jargon and fuzzy writing, and make articles attractive to periodical editors. Participants will leave the workshop with a completed article and submission letter.
Serving as instructor for the workshop will be Dr. Lawrence B. Schlack, WMU associate professor emeritus of educational leadership and a former superintendent of the Barry Intermediate School District in Hastings, Mich.
Schlack, who has taught writing across Michigan and in many other states for the past 20 years, helps educators and others produce articles suitable for publication in periodicals.
During his August workshop, participants will spend their mornings in an intensive learning environment, then be able to continue their work in the afternoons and evenings or use the time to tour Beaver Island and enjoy its recreational amenities.
The 90-square-mile island is located in Lake Michigan about
22 miles from Charlevoix and is considered one of Michigan's
most beautiful and treasured historic places.
Workshop participants and their guests may get better acquainted
with the island by taking professionally guided tours or renting
cars or bikes and touring the island on their own. Among the
favorite activities of visitors to the island are swimming, fishing
boating, beachcombing, hiking, bird watching, photography, and
diving around shipwrecks.
Those planning to attend the workshop are responsible for making their own travel and lodging arrangements and are advised to reserve a place to stay as soon as possible.
Motels and other lodging are within walking distance of the Beaver Island Community School, and campgrounds also are available. In addition to daily flights to the island from several Michigan airports, a Beaver Island Boat Co. ferry departs daily from Charlevoix. Participants may bring their own cars to the island on the ferry or park them at the Charlevoix shuttle service.
The workshop costs $275 per person. Participants may elect to earn one hour of undergraduate or graduate academic credit from WMU for an additional fee of $244.49 and $290, respectively.
To register, follow the instructions in the event brochure, which is available online by visiting <www.wmich.edu/conferences/confcal.html>, or call WMU's Conferences and Seminars office at (269) 387-4174. For complete information about lodging and island activities, contact the Beaver Island Chamber of Commerce at <www.beaverisland.net> or by calling (231) 448-2505.
Media contact: Jeanne Baron, 269 387-8400, jeanne.baron@wmich.edu