Manuscript Mania
Posted by Guest Writer in 
When was the last time you cleaned up your manuscript (by which I mean fixed the funky spacing), got it all dressed up (by which I mean printed it out on crinkle-free paper), and got it smelling good (by which I suppose I mean lightly spritzed it with perfume? Just a thought…) for a night on the town?
Preparing to share a manuscript can be just as, if not more, rattling as getting ready for a date. When it comes down to it, your writing can feel like a whole lot of you spilled out onto a page.
As writers, we know feedback can help, if only to get us out of our own heads and allow us to see our own writing a little more clearly. Creative writing workshops are a great way to air our writing out a bit, but enrolling in a workshop can be like beginning a long(ish) term relationship. Workshops are great for continued support and follow-up feedback, but they require time and commitment if you’re going to make the most of them.
So what happens if you aren’t ready for the commitment of consecutive workshop classes, or if you don’t have the time to commit over the summer? A figurative one night stand? Not quite.
Manuscript Mania. That’s what happens.
Manuscript Mania is WriteByNight’s version of literary speed dating for writers. The events will begin this summer at Cabin Fever in Vero Beach. During each 3-hour session, participants will exchange short manuscripts (1-5 pages), provide each other with feedback, and receive additional feedback from a local writing professional. The events are open to writers of all experience levels, working in any genre.
For you Floridian WriteByNighters, Manuscript Mania will give you an opportunity to get feedback on your creative pursuits in between your busy travel schedules. With so many people leaving for the summer, we thought much more than a one-night commitment might be a bit hard to manage.
There are three Manuscript Mania events currently scheduled in Florida. We’d love to see you and your manuscript come out to one, two, or all three!
So what do you think, Austinites? Would you like to see Manuscript Mania events here at WBN HQ? Let us know!
Michelle is currently a student at The University of Texas at Austin, where she is pursuing dual degrees in Business and in Plan II, an interdisciplinary liberal arts program. In addition to interning with WriteByNight, she spends her time writing short stories and editing just about anything she can.