Halton Literary Fiction Workshop
Halton
Literary
Fiction
Workshop
Craft. Critique. Accountability.
What We Do
We conduct peer-led critique for serious writers of literary fiction.
How It Works
What to submit, how sessions run, and how feedback is delivered.
Our Charter
A summary of commitments to our work and the group.
Call For Members
I'm Marcus Reid, a literary fiction writer in Halton Region. I'm organizing the Halton Literary Fiction Workshop to help writers get published through peer-led feedback and accountability.I'm not experienced with in-person critique or running a workshop, but I'm motivated to improve my craft. My goal is publication.If you're similarly motivated, help me by becoming a founding member of this group. I'm looking for writers committed to their practice, who need ongoing critique of their work, and who want to improve by critiquing the work of others.Contact me for more information, or apply for membership.
What We Do
We're a group of literary fiction writers who want to improve our craft through peer-led discussion of our work in a collegial, in-person setting. Our members are working on long-term projects like novels and story collections with a goal of traditional publication or representation by a literary agent.We meet every two weeks in a city in Halton Region at a public venue, like a rented room in a library or community centre. At our meetings, we discuss our work in depth through an established procedure of critique and feedback. We don't charge member fees.Our main goal is improvement and publication. We think the best way to improve is by rendering our writing through a forum like ours, where like-minded peers consider the work objectively and professionally. The surest way to publication is continually exposing our drafts to colleagues at various stages in their careers, from serious-minded beginners to established authors.
How It Works
We meet every two weeks in Halton for two hours. Each meeting, two writers' work is discussed. You'll submit your work to the group on a rotating basis to a cloud-based shared drive. Submissions are in standard manuscript format.You'll hear feedback on what works in your piece, and what craft-focused areas should be addressed, such as structure, pacing, and language. You'll take notes during the discussion, but you won't speak; you'll just listen silently.Afterward, we'll hold a short Q&A where you can ask clarifying questions about what you've just heard. Some members might submit line edits of your work, or a critique memo, for your later review.When you're not submitting, you're reading other members' work and taking notes. You'll then participate in discussion of the work at the next meeting.
Our Charter
Our Charter is a statement of our principles and commitments. It outlines the structure of the workshop and what we expect from our members. Here's a summary of its main points:Purpose
We commit to supporting serious writers of literary fiction through thoughtful critique and shared accountability. We want to improve one another's work with a goal to publication or landing a literary agent.Eligibility
Anyone at any stage is eligible for membership, but writers with a sustained writing practice and a long-term project (novel or short story collection) are prioritized. All ages are welcome. We may prefer writers with more life experience due to the group's dynamics. Membership is limited to five writers. We maintain a waiting list.Participation
We meet for two hours every two weeks. Participation and on-time submission are mandatory.Flow
Discussion takes place among the group while the writer listens without comment. Readers may upload critique memos or more detailed line edits to a cloud-based shared drive afterward. All work is kept strictly confidential.Standards
We conduct our workshop in a format suitable for the kind of critique we value, and we formalize the structure and timing of the meeting to meet those needs.Roles
We rotate member roles every once in a while to share the responsibilities of coordinating meetings and venues, keeping time, and moderating discussion.Affirmation
By joining, we affirm the principles outlined in the Charter: that we will maintain a sustained writing practice; that we will read all submissions and prepare critiques; and that we respect the confidentiality of the meetings and the intellectual property of the members.Read the full Charter here.
Contact
Let us know if you have questions about membership, meetings, our workshop format, or anything else. Or, you can apply for membership.
Thank you!
Thanks for contacting us. If we can answer your question, you'll hear from us soon. In the meantime, you can read about what we do, how it works, and our charter. You can also apply for membership if you think you're a good fit for our group.