Participants sent a 1000-1200 word narrative or narrative excerpt of unpublished writing to John Rember. He read each piece carefully, putting himself in the place of a reader/editor, taking notes with an eye toward what was working and what wasn’t. From that material, John Rember sketched out an hour’s craft talk.
John didn’t single out anyone’s work for criticism, but he did give everyone solid, practical advice that helped make readers love the author. John has dealt with tough editors and he tried to imitate one long enough to give authors an idea of what will warm the cockles of their hard, jaded little hearts, at least as far as a story can accomplish such a thing.
In addition, John sent each participant a half-page or so of comments on their work, with an emphasis on useful advice going forward.
After that hour, we opened up the session for discussion/comments/questions/rants for thirty minutes or so.
John Rember, author of three books of short stories (Coyote in the Mountains, Cheerleaders from Gomorrah, Sudden Death, Over Time), a memoir (Traplines), a why-to-write book (MFA in a Box), and an end-of-the-world book (A Hundred Little Pieces on the End of the World). For a complete biography and publication list, see his website at johnrember.com. John also writing a journal of the plague year and posting it on the website. It contains almost all of his 2020 writing.