English CLAR. Getting the Words Right: The Art of Revision

Instructor: Laura van den Berg
Spring 2027
TBD | Location: TBD
Spring 2026
Tuesday, 12:00-2:45pm | Location: TBD
Enrollment: Limited to 12 students

Have you ever written a promising draft of a story or novel, only to realize you have no idea what to do next? This course aims to illuminate how revision can be every bit as creative and exhilarating as getting the first draft down—and how time spent re-imagining our early drafts is the ultimate show of faith in our work. We will explore the art of revision—of realizing the promise of that first draft—through reading, craft discussion, exercises, and workshop. Students can expect to leave the semester with two polished short stories or 40-50 polished novel pages; a deeper understanding of their own writing process; and a plan for where to take their work next. Prerequisite: one creative writing course at Harvard (or at another institution). 

 Supplemental Application Information: Please submit a letter—1-2 pages—that discusses your interest in revision. What are you interested in working on and learning more about? Please also submit a short—2-3 page—writing sample (the first 2 pages of a short story or novel, for example). This workshop will be most useful for writers who have material that they want to bring to fruition (a short story, for example, or several chapters of a novel). As such, students should have taken one creative writing course at Harvard (or at another institution) before applying to this workshop.