Writing a Novel with Recklessness and Rigor, with Moriel Rothman-Zecher

Thursdays, June 4 – July 9 (6 weeks)

In order to create a new universe, i.e., a novel, a writer needs a sense of recklessness and wildness. But in order to make sense out of this universe, to understand its logics and rules, to work toward its essence, a writer needs a practice that includes rigor, care, and discipline. In this workshop, we will explore these two elements of novel-writing. We will read and discuss the works of modern masters of fiction; use generative writing exercises to create new work of our own; build a creative, supportive miniature community in which we workshop one another’s writing; and collectively construct workplans for completing our first (or next) novels. This course will be both rigorous and light-hearted, and will seek to emphasize the moments of wonder, delight and surprise that can come from the sometimes-excruciating work of creative writing. [All experiences levels are welcome: there is no expectation that participants will have previously taken a writing class or workshop].

Moriel Rothman-Zecher is the author of the novel Sadness Is a White Bird, which was a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the National Jewish Book Award, was long-listed for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize, and was the winner of the Ohioana Book Award and the Books by the Banks Author Award. His writing has been published in The Common Magazine, The New York Times, The Paris Review’s Daily, Runner’s World, ZYZZYVA Magazine, and elsewhere. Moriel was the recipient of the National Book Foundation’s “5 Under 35” honor in 2018 and two MacDowell Colony Fellowships for Literature (2017 & 2020), and was guest faculty at the Miami Writers Institute in 2019. His second novel is forthcoming from Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Moriel was born in Jerusalem, and lives in Yellow Springs, Ohio, with his family.

Registration required to join event livestream. 

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Scholarships Available for MDC Students

Miami Book Fair is offering two (2) full-tuition scholarships for MDC students interested in attending the above-listed creative writing workshops. Applicants must be currently-enrolled, (full time or part time) degree-seeking Miami Dade College students with a demonstrated financial need.

To Apply for a Scholarship:

Please send an email to Marci Cancio-Bello, Miami Book Fair programs coordinator at mcanciob@mdc.edu before the start of the workshop you would like to attend. The message must include your contact information, the title of the workshop you’d like to take, a short statement of financial need, your MDC class schedule, and a writing sample. First-time writers who lack a writing sample should submit a statement explaining their interest in the workshop.