Little Mo Writers Workshop
- Tayo Basquiat
- Aug 15, 2023
- 3 min read
I have returned to the desert after a delightful ten days touring North Dakota with fellow authors Debra Marquart, Erika Bolstad, and David Bjerklie promoting the Little Mo Writers Workshop. We did readings and writing workshops in Mandan, Minot, Williston, Watford City, Dickinson, and New Salem. Thanks to our wonderful host communities and Humanities ND for making the tour possible.
We were privileged to read so many great stories in the writing workshops, affirming again our conviction about the story-rich prairie and our desire to support writers in telling those stories. To that end, three years ago the Little Mo Writers Workshop was born.
I encourage you to apply for the 2023-2024 Little Mo Writers Workshop. Debra Marquart and I are offering two cohorts this year (our fourth year), short form and long form:
Short Form Writing Workshop
This workshop will begin as a “boot camp” on craft principles--such as significant detail, point of view, scene, setting, dialogue, characterization, action, plot--and will utilize various exercises and prompts for generating writing.
The second half of the Short Form Writing Workshop, during Spring 2024, will involve participants putting into practice what’s been learned by honing a solid and completed piece of writing (e.g. essay, short story, book chapter) to submit for workshop critique and feedback. The goal of the Short Form workshop is to help participants complete a polished draft of a shorter piece rather than a book-length project.
Long Form Writing Workshop
Apply to this workshop if you have a start on or an idea for a book-length project. To begin, each participant will submit a book prospectus (a vision statement describing the project) followed by the submission of 50 pages of writing for the Fall 2023 workshop, as well as another 50 pages of the book project for the Spring 2024 round of workshops.
The Long Form workshop is intended for writers who have a larger story to tell who are seeking help with craft questions but are also desirous of structured deadlines and detailed feedback to help them move toward shaping and completing substantial portions of the in-progress book.
Participant cost for 8 workshops (short and long forms) is $895. I know, a big chunk of change in these inflationary times, but if you do some comparison shopping, you'll quickly see Little Mo is $600 to $4000 less than similar programs while offering the convenience of online format (no travel expenses or need to quit your job or wish you lived somewhere other than Crosby, ND). Side note: you might wish you could travel to some exotic island in February for a luxurious writing retreat, but if you can afford to do that, you probably didn't blink when I stated the workshop price.
Think of this as an investment in yourself and in the story/stories you've been yearning to write.
Application details can be found at
Even though the red button says "register," the more appropriate term is APPLY. Clicking the "register" button will eventually get you to the application.
Two cohorts of up to 8 writers will be selected via a formal application process. Interested writers are asked to submit the following:
Indicate whether you are applying for the Short Form or Long Form workshop.
For the long form applicants: A synopsis of the project not to exceed 500 words, including the title and genre of the project; a description of the subject(s) of the project; and details about any research steps completed or required to bring the project to fruition. Please indicate your level of completion of the project (early, middle, end) and steps you need to take to finish the project.
A writing sample, not to exceed 20 pages.
A short biographical narrative, up to 200 words, describing your experience and accomplishments.
Please feel free to contact me with questions using the contact form here on my website. I also can provide contact information for several alums of the workshop should you want participant perspectives before applying.
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