Marg McAlister interviews Jason Sitzes

Jason Sitzes is the the director for the highly-regarded WRW workshop and editor-in-residence for Don Maass's Writing the Breakout Novel workshops (as well as being a freelance editor).

In this interview, Jason tells us what it's like for him being involved in these programs, and how they help writers move forward with their writing. He also shares some insights into the best way to prepare.

What is the most rewarding thing for you about being involved in these programs?

I'm also writing, which is what I've spent most of my time doing late this year.  But the instructor and editor role of my life is incredibly rewarding.  I love brainstorming with writers one-on-one and seeing lights flash in their eyes when they've stumbled upon a new avenue for a character or story, and then they are off making it even better than what we developed.  Or when the revelation that elements of craft like description are far more than simply describing.

I love showing new (and established) writers that this is hard work. The mix of art and craft is a delicate balance, and both must be honored.  No novel or short story should be easy work, equal to a great piece of visual or musical art that does not come easy.

When I've read an entire manuscript, written an almost ten thousand word response plus page-by-page markup, sent the report to the author and after they examine it three to five times, I consistently get responses like, "Wow.  I thought I was done, and now I have so many avenues to follow I can't believe I missed what I missed."  Then I see the rewrite or the book hits the shelves, and the magic is complete.  It's rewarding on many levels.
 
That, and I love working one-on-one with creative people and traveling.  Nothing like sitting with a bottle of wine or a good round of beer talking story day after day. And the people I meet.  Man, I have met folks in every field with every personality one can imagine.
 
How do these workshops help participants to move forward in their writing careers?

The first thing is that they make a statement to themselves and their families that they are serious about their writing.  Both WRW and the Maass Breakout Novel intensives are more than a week long and the cost of having your meals and rooms covered isn't cheap.  So, making that commitment takes your seriousness to a whole new level.

Agatha-award winning novelist Nancy Pickard has a book for writers titled Seven Steps on the Writers Path, and one of those steps is 'commitment.'  In that chapter she writes about WRW and other workshops where writers make a personal commitment.  After that, it really depends on where the writer is in their path.  For some writers they walk away with an understanding for the first time of scene structure, character development, and the reality of the business.  For more experienced writers, the workshops help them take finished manuscripts (and future manuscripts) to a deeper level.Sometimes, especially in the case of WRW, it's a time to just get away from 'life' for ten days and immerse yourself in the world of writing and character and novels. 

Writing can be a lonely existence when you spend most of your day in front of a computer and your mind is consumed by characters and story development. These workshops are a place where everybody knows what the other is experiencing, and it can be quite rewarding.  It's the world's best support system, which is what everyone on staff has as a natural gift.  We live to support the work of other writers and of one another.
 
What is the best way to prepare for an intensive workshop or retreat?

The most essential preparation is arriving with an open mind.  If you're willing to soak up ideas even if you return home and find that some of the ideas don't work for your project, you'll still find a treasure of great ideas.  I can tell the closed-minded writer from a mile away, and I usually try to be rather harsh with them early to get them over themselves.  Because if their minds are closed to new ideas and challenges for the week, they've wasted their time, money, and our time as well.
 
After that, as most people are ready to soak up every challenge, come with goals both personal and for the project.  Know at least three things you want to accomplish or learn during the week.  I promise those three goals will be met plus some, but knowing what you personally want out of the week gives us guidance as to how to help, and gives the writer a path for starting the week.
 
Let life-at-home go.  Don't check email every day, don't plan business call meetings, don't worry about the family.  All that crap will be there when you return.  Let yourself go for the time you're away. It's not indulgence or selfishness, it's necessary.

© Writing4Success and Jason Sitzes 2009