REvision Workshops

Rewriting Is the Essence of Writing Well

Recommended for: 5+ graders

"Rewriting is the essence of writing well: it's where the game is won or lost."

— William Zinsser, On Writing Well

In-Class Instruction Time

Customized Writing Series: 10 hours
Essay Contest Coaching: 5 or 10 hours (weekly or bi-weekly)

Course Registration

Course Overview

What is revision? Revision means what it looks like: RE-vision, to see again (from the Latin revisere). Our workshops are neither just about fixing commas and punctuations (that’s called proofreading) nor just about improving style and coherence (that’s called editing). Our workshops have a greater ambition: guiding students to reflect on the very thinking behind their work and to effect larger conceptual shifts that involve focus, audience, and organization.

In our workshops, we provide young writers with one-on-one mentorship on how to think and how to write. We value the opportunities to work with writers at all levels of experience and strive to give them the best guidance to deepen their thinking and voyage further in their intellectual journey.

Write to learn, write to engage, and write to change!

Essay Contest Coaching

We guide talented young writers to improve their submissions to essay contests, including Scholastic Art & Writing Awards (eligible grades: 7-12), the nation’s most prestigious program for creative teens. Our guidance covers all categories of Scholastic Writing Awards, including Critical Essay, Flash Fiction, Humor, Personal Essay & Memoir, Poetry, Science Fiction & Fantasy, and Short Story.

Customized Writing Series

Based on the student's current level and needs, the mentor will design a series to systematically help the student improve thinking and writing abilities to stand out in the fields of his or her interest. Each week, the student will complete a writing project for in-depth class discussion. The student will also develop a habit of consistently reflecting upon one's own thinking and striving towards perfection in writing.

Mentor #1: Dr. Kemick

Ph.D. in Creative Writing
Award-winning poet, journalist, and fiction writer

Dr. Kemick is an award-winning poet, journalist, and fiction writer. His new nonfiction book, I Am Herod, takes readers backstage and undercover at one of the world’s largest religious events. He is also the author of Caribou Run, a collection of poetry.

Dr. Kemick has published widely in all three genres, and his work has been included in anthologies in North America and Europe. He is the recipient of multiple awards including two National Magazine Awards.

Courses:

Personal Essay Writing Essentials | Cracking Shakespeare | Great Books Seminar | Short Stories Seminar | REvision Workshop

Mentor #2: Dr. Prusko

Ph.D. in English

Award-winning university educator

Shakespearean/early modern drama/children's literature scholar

Dr. Prusko is a university educator with over two decades’ experience teaching literature, writing, and communications courses. She is currently a lecturer in the Department of English and Film Studies at the University of Alberta. She is the recipient of a Faculty of Arts Teaching Award and the William Hardy Alexander Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. While teaching is her main focus, she also researches and publishes in the areas of Shakespeare, early modern drama, and children’s literature.