Modern Love Submission Workshop
April 5-6
12-3 p.m. EST
Led by LAVINIA SPALDING
$510
The love story is hardly a modern genre. It’s captivated people for millennia, from Greek mythology to Hallmark movies. It’s no surprise, then, that The New York Times’ Modern Love column, which has been running for twenty years, is one of the paper’s most read columns, enjoyed by millions around the world.
The submission process for Modern Love essays is straightforward, but publishing one isn’t quite as simple: The editors report an acceptance rate of approximately 1 in 150. Perhaps due to the 80-100 book deals that originated with the column (not to mention the spin-off podcast and television shows), many essayists consider Modern Love the mountaintop. The good news is that anyone—aspiring writers included—can publish a Modern Love essay, since acceptance hinges not on previous bylines but on the story itself.
In this intensive weekend workshop (capped at 12 students), we’ll tunnel to the heart of what makes a successful Modern Love story and discuss student work, paying attention to craft, voice, nuance, and universal resonance. Prior to the class, students should prepare a full 1700-word draft of a Modern Love piece they’d like workshopped. Students will submit essays to the instructor and their classmates ahead of the course (by March 27th), and each piece will receive personalized written feedback from the instructor and other participants.
After an analysis of the craft elements and themes of each piece, with a revision roadmap in hand, we’ll review the ethics of writing about real people and practical aspects of submitting to the column–the submission window closes June 1st, just in time to send in the essay you revise in this workshop.
About the Instructor
LAVINIA SPALDING has published two Modern Love essays in The New York Times. Her writing also appears in Tin House, River Teeth, Longreads, Post Road, AFAR, Ms., The Guardian, Off Assignment, & more. She’s the author of Writing Away, named one of the best travel books of 2009 by the LA Times, and the co-author of This Immeasurable Place, named one of the best books of 2017 by NPR’s “On Point.” Lavinia is also the six-time series editor of The Best Women’s Travel Writing, and co-host of the podcast There She Goes.
Details
This course will take place on Zoom April 5 & 6 from 12-3 p.m. EST. Each student will submit a draft of their Modern Love essay by March 27. Participants will receive instructions via email, as well as a Zoom link prior to the course and a recording of the course afterward.
There is a 10% cancellation fee if you cancel your enrollment more than 1 week before the start of the course. No refund will be given if cancelling within less than a week of the course start date (or after the course has begun).
Please email courses@offassignment.com with any questions.
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Financial Aid
A limited number of scholarships for this course are available. Please fill out this form by March 10, and we’ll get back to you within a week.