A Grand Valley State University instructor is looking for writers who want to spend a few summer days in an idyllic northern Michigan setting, where they will produce a magazine or journal article for publication.
Larry Schlack chose Beaver Island for his July 24-27 EDG 600 Writing for Publication workshop because, he says, the island's beauty is a source of inspiration and a great place to take a break.
Writers need breaks and workshop participants are encouraged to bring families for hiking, boating, fishing, swimming, and sunning during off time from writing, Schlack says.
The workshop is geared toward teachers and school administrators because that's my profession and the workshop is offered by the School of Education, he continued.
I've found that many educators have educational ideas but they don't have the time or the expertise to put them into publishable form.
The workshop is also open to anyone who wants to publish an informative article, or essay on any topic.
I've been offering the workshop for about 20 years across many parts of the United States. It differs from other writing workshops because it's not about how to write an article, it's about actually writing the article in a coached setting.
Schlack likes to have about 15 participants in the workshop because it allows him to read each person's material as it is produced and offer suggestions as they go along.
Schlack has been teacher, a professor at Western Michigan University, and a school superintendent at Barry Intermediate School District in Hastings.
I like helping people publish their ideas,' Schlack explained. I have been publishing my own thoughts for over 20 years.
The whole purpose of the workshop is to enable each participant to leave the workshop with a completed article ready to send to a periodical for publication. Schlack also helps students produce the letter to the editor of a periodical.
Virtually no educator is required to write for publication. There is almost no instruction in writing for publication in the college training of educators; therefore those who want to publish need some help doing it.
In the 20 years that Schlack has conducted his workshop, he has seen articles produced on almost any education topic imaginable. Usually participants write about their own fields, such as elementary education, high school education, or counseling, addressing topics related to their professions.
For information on the Beaver Island writing workshop, contact Larry Schlack at 616-385-1502 or the GVSU Eberhard Center at 616-771-6650.
