Seven Tips
Make Your Manuscript Matter.
Your Writer in Residence will read it before the workshop begins and thus, get a global idea of where to take the class. They may use it in class for an in-depth group critique. That's why we require you to bring copies of your manuscript for your fellow participants. (Don't wait for the first day of the conference to make your photocopies. Come with them in hand.) Bring copies: one for yourself and for each member in your group. Only the piece submitted will be the basis of the individual conference with your instructor. For those reasons, we suggest that you submit a work-in-progress, representative of your writing style and literary problems you currently want to resolve. If you are writing poetry, include 3-5 poems. For fiction include a synopsis to place the selection in context or specific questions or comments for your Writer in Residence. He or she may want to know whether you intend to publish or whether you are just a beginning writer.
Learn about your Writer in Residence.
Read their work – at least a chapter or a poem to get a taste of their style. At the very least, do some Web research.
Articulate Your Goals.
Think about what you want out of the workshop. You are here for a week – what do you want to learn from your instructor? Some people come to polish their manuscript for publication. Some are here simply for inspiration. Others want to learn "how-to" write a poem, write a scene, set a novel. Others want to network; meet other writers and professional contacts. Be prepared to tell your Writer in Residence about your goals.
Put Yourself on the Agenda.
The Writers in Residence each have their own teaching style and you have your own best way of learning. The instructors all have extensive teaching experience and try to adjust their teaching to the class as a whole. If your questions or areas of interest don't appear to be on the agenda, do be prepared to raise your hand as soon as possible – the first day of class isn't too early – and ask the instructor if your concerns can be addressed during workshop week.
Fill Out the Evaluation Forms.
We appreciate your imput so that we can improve the Paris Writers Workshop. Comments from you are absolutely invaluable in making the conference even better.
Keep in touch with your Writer in Residence and other students in your workshop.
Our instructors like Paris Writers Workshop because they work closely with writers. They tell us that keeping in touch with students is important to them.
Keep in touch with Paris Writers Workshop.
Many PWW'ers decide to attend MFA programs or have their work published – and we love to hear about that! Who knows, you may come back as a lecturer or as a Writer in Residence.
Mission Statement
The Paris Writers Workshop is committed to providing inspiration and high-level instruction on craft to writers of all skill levels in a supportive environment. The PWW celebrates the diversity of voices within its community of writers.
The Paris Writers' Workshop is organized by WICE, a non-profit, organization founded in 1978 that offers innovative, educational courses and programs for the Anglophone community in Paris.
Click HERE for more information about WICE.
Our Location and the Paris Literary Tradition
The Paris Writers Workshop takes place in the heart of Montparnasse, the city’s traditional artistic and bohemian quarter.
Workshops and Courses are conducted in the relaxing atmosphere of a 19th century building built around a secluded walled garden. We’re in walking distance of the great cafes – La Coupole, Le Dome, Le Rotonde, Le Select – where Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Man Ray, Henry Miller, Kiki of Montparnasse, Lee Miller and Salvador Dali met and socialised during the 1920s and 1930s, and which, closer to our time, were patronised by Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs and the other writers of the Beat Generation.
