{"product_id":"chapbook-shape-up-poetry-writing-workshop-online","title":"The Chapbook Shape-Up: 8-Week Asynchronous Poetry Workshop with Renee Emerson starts on Monday, March 1st, 2027","description":"\u003ch2 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe Chapbook Shape-Up: A Guided Revision Intensive with Renee Emerson\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eBegins Monday, March 1st, 2027\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eLimited to 8 Writers\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eNow Enrolling! Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button to talk with us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInstructor Renee Emerson \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eis the author of the poetry collections \u003cem\u003eKeeping Me Still, Threshing Floor, \u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e Church Ladies\u003c\/em\u003e. She is also the author of the chapbook \u003cem\u003eThe Commonplace Misfortunes of Everyday Plants\u003c\/em\u003e and the middle-grade novel \u003cem\u003eWhy Silas Miller Must Learn to Ride a Bike\u003c\/em\u003e. She holds an MFA in poetry from Boston University, where she was also awarded the Academy of American Poets Prize. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and children.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho is this class for?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLimited to just eight writers\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, this online poetry workshop is designed for intermediate poets who already have a body of work in progress and are ready to shape it into a cohesive chapbook manuscript. If you have a folder of poems and no clear sense of what holds them together, this is the course that will help you find it. Students will leave with a working draft of a chapbook, a revision and polishing plan, and a submission strategy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat to expect:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAssembling a chapbook asks something different of a poet than writing individual poems. The poems have to resonate on their own, but the collection also has to work as a single, longer piece of music. Over eight weeks, this creative writing workshop pairs close reading with focused revision so you can hear that larger music in your own manuscript and shape it deliberately.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eEach week, you'll study how accomplished poets build thematic unity, emotional momentum, and memorable openings and endings, drawing on the work of Louise Glück, Sylvia Plath, Sharon Olds, Natasha Trethewey, and Claudia Emerson. Weekly lessons move through manuscript architecture, sequencing, voice, recurring imagery, cutting poems that aren't earning their place, identifying gaps, and drafting new work to strengthen the collection. Generative and revision exercises apply each technique directly to your own pages, so the manuscript moves forward every single week.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe course is taught asynchronously, so you can work at your own pace inside weekly deadlines while participating in an active discussion community. Enrollment is limited to eight poets, which keeps the workshop conversation close and the writing feedback substantive. You'll share revisions, discuss assigned readings, and offer thoughtful responses guided by workshop principles. By the end, you'll have a substantially revised manuscript, a clear sense of its shape, and a practical plan for submitting to contests, journals, and independent presses — plus a repeatable approach to revision you can carry into future chapbook and full-length projects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTwo Live Zoom Sessions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eTwo live Zoom sessions round out the course: a mid-course manuscript clinic for bigger revision questions, and a closing publication Q\u0026amp;A on submission strategy, contests, and presses. Rather than fixing these in advance, Renee will poll the cohort after the class begins and schedule times that work for everyone enrolled. Both are recorded and posted in the Wet Ink classroom for anyone who can't join live.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are the writing goals?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eIn this course, students will produce a revised chapbook manuscript of 15–25 polished\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003epoems (approximately 20–35 pages), professionally formatted to meet standard submission guidelines and ready to send to chapbook contests and small presses. Students will complete a full sequencing plan with an intentional opening poem, closing poem, and overall organizational structure, plus a working title and finalized table of contents. Each student will draft one new poem (or substantially revise an existing one) to fill an identified gap in the manuscript, and will build a revision roadmap identifying which poems to keep developing, cut, or replace after the course ends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFeedback is ongoing and layered. Renee participates weekly in discussion boards and revision conversations, responds to weekly revision exercises and check-ins, and delivers one in-depth critique of a chapbook packet during the course. Every student also receives a personalized editorial letter on the complete manuscript with revision and publication recommendations, along with written peer feedback on a selected packet of 2–4 poems. Students will finish with a curated list of 10–20 appropriate chapbook contests, presses, and journals matched to their manuscript, plus a submission timeline.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReadings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eReadings may include excerpts from Demystifying the Manuscript by Susan Rich and Kelli Russell Agodon; Poems Talking to Poems (Tupelo Press); and Ordering the Storm: How to Put Together a Book of Poems, edited by Susan Grimm. Weekly poetry selections are drawn from Louise Glück, The Wild Iris; Sylvia Plath, Ariel; Sharon Olds, Stag's Leap; Natasha Trethewey, Native Guard; and Claudia Emerson, The Late Wife, along with selected contemporary chapbooks and sample submission materials.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOURSE OUTLINE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 1: Finding the Shape\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFocus: Discovering the manuscript's central idea and organizing structure.\u003cbr\u003eActivity: Manuscript inventory, identifying themes, creating possible sequences, the \"elevator pitch.\"\u003cbr\u003eTexts: Louise Glück, The Wild Iris (selected poems)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 2: Sequencing the Manuscript\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFocus: Creating momentum through ordering, openings, and endings.\u003cbr\u003eActivity: Rearrange poems and revise the first and final poems.\u003cbr\u003eTexts: Sylvia Plath, Ariel (selected poems)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 3: Voice, Image, and Cohesion\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFocus: Strengthening voice and recurring images.\u003cbr\u003eActivity: Identify motifs and revise poems for greater connection.\u003cbr\u003eTexts: Sharon Olds, Stag's Leap (selected poems)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 4: Deepening the Poems\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFocus: Emotional complexity, specificity, and meaningful revision.\u003cbr\u003eActivity: Close revision of key poems; optional group manuscript clinic.\u003cbr\u003eTexts: Natasha Trethewey, Native Guard (selected poems)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 5: Themes and the Heart of the Collection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFocus: Clarifying the manuscript's overarching concerns.\u003cbr\u003eActivity: Identify the central questions, images, and ideas driving the chapbook; recurring word activity.\u003cbr\u003eTexts: Claudia Emerson, The Late Wife (selections)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 6: Cutting and Strengthening\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFocus: Deciding what belongs and what doesn't.\u003cbr\u003eActivity: Remove weaker poems, identify gaps, and create a revision plan.\u003cbr\u003eTexts: Selected contemporary chapbooks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 7: What's Missing?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFocus: Completing the manuscript's emotional and artistic arc.\u003cbr\u003eActivity: Draft or revise missing poems; finalize sequence and title.\u003cbr\u003eTexts: Selected published chapbooks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 8: Preparing for Publication\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFocus: Submission strategy and next steps.\u003cbr\u003eActivity: Format manuscript, research presses and contests, create submission plan.\u003cbr\u003eTexts: Sample chapbook submissions and contest guidelines\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOURSE TAKEAWAYS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"ltr\" class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3 print:block print:space-y-1\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eLeave with a substantially revised chapbook manuscript of 15–25 poems, professionally formatted and ready for submission.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eLearn to sequence a collection so that individual poems build on one another and the manuscript reads as a single sustained work.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eStudy how poets including Louise Glück, Sylvia Plath, Sharon Olds, and Natasha Trethewey create thematic unity, emotional momentum, and memorable openings and endings.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eDevelop the editorial judgment to identify which poems to keep, which to cut, and where the gaps in your manuscript are.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eReceive a personalized editorial letter from the instructor plus written peer feedback on a packet of your poems.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eBuild a submission strategy with a curated list of 10–20 chapbook contests, presses, and journals matched to your manuscript.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis class is asynchronous, meaning you complete the weekly assignments on your own schedule. There are no set meeting times to allow for greater participation; your cohort will consist of writers from different time zones, which allows for a wonderful diversity of voices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAlong with your weekly deadlines, there is plenty of interaction with the instructor and your peers within Wet Ink, our dedicated online classroom. Craft materials, lectures, reading assignments, and writing prompts are all available through the online classroom. Students also post work and provide and receive feedback in the online classroom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eYou can finish the work as you see fit, week to week, which is perfect for any schedule. There are discussion questions each week inspired by the assigned readings and topics in the lecture notes. Students are encouraged to take these wherever they find most compelling and\/or useful. The instructor engages with these discussions throughout the week, and you will receive feedback on all assigned writing activities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHOW DOES WET INK WORK?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eWet Ink was built and designed specifically for online writing classes. Wet Ink is private, easy to use, and very interactive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePAYMENT OPTIONS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003eTuition is $595 USD. You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Writing Workshops Org","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50062200340728,"sku":null,"price":531.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0287\/3917\/4532\/files\/ReneeEmersonHeadshot2026_64af19bc-094e-4579-8476-ff539d8bf28d.png?v=1773254911","url":"https:\/\/writingworkshops.com\/en-fr\/products\/chapbook-shape-up-poetry-writing-workshop-online","provider":"Writing Workshops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}