Writing by the Lake offers community members the opportunity to take writing seminars from award-winning authors at Lake Forest College.
Learn essential techniques and experiment with new forms.
You’ll connect with other writers from the community, and our outstanding faculty will provide individual advice and mentorship for your work. Whether you are a novice or a pro, Writing by the Lake will let you get to the next level.
Taught by award-winning authors, each seminar consists of four two-hour sessions and ends with an individual evaluation and “Next Steps” conference. Your “Next Steps” conference will provide one-on-one time with your Writing by the Lake faculty member to discuss where to take your writing next.
Winter 2025 Class
From Lore to Fiction: The Art of Revision
Tuesdays, 9:30-11:30am, February 11, 18, 25, and March 4.
Writing by the Lake takes place at Glen Rowan House on the Lake Forest College campus.
This Writing By The Lake workshop will focus on the events that you have always wanted to shape into a story. We’ll do writing exercises focusing on shaping fiction with the most compelling point of view, structure, and tone. We’ll also study examples of revision in the work of contemporary writers. Students will meet for four two-hour class sessions on the Lake Forest College campus. At the end of the session, students will receive an evaluation of their work in a conference with Professor Barr. Writers at all levels are welcome.
Led by Professor Lois Baer Barr, Associate Professor Emerita of Spanish, Lake Forest College.
A professor emerita of Spanish at the college, Lois Baer Barr returns to teach creative writing. She is a fiction writer, a poet and recently co-curated and performed in evenings of short stories at Oil Lamp Theater.
How to Apply
It’s easy! Submit the Writing by the Lake application. You will be asked to tell us about your writing experience and goals, and to provide a brief writing sample (up to 500 words).
For more information, please contact Don Meyer at meyer@lakeforest.edu or 847-735-5171.
Tuition
Tuition for a Writing by the Lake seminar is $325, which includes four two-hour class sessions, an end-of term writing project evaluation report, and a “Next Steps” conference with your faculty mentor.