The Columbia Fiction Foundry’s writing workshops are held twice a month throughout the year, and are open and free to all Columbia alumni, students, and faculty. These will be run either fully online over Zoom or hybrid with in-person and online access. Any in-person component will be at the Alumni Center, 622 West 113th Street, New York, NY. Each workshop is two to three hours long.

Two weeks in advance of the workshop date, a volunteer moderator emails an invitation for the workshop with details and a call for manuscripts. After the manuscripts are accepted, they are then distributed at least one week before the workshop so that participants can review and prepare critiques for each work. Typically, six manuscripts are covered, each one ranging between 2,500 and 5,000 words.

Prospective members are encouraged to attend one workshop before submitting their own material so they can learn how the process works and judge whether it’s potentially useful for them. If you wish to be added to our distribution list for upcoming sessions, please email us at [email protected].

Guidelines for Manuscript Submissions: 

• Submit a carefully proofread .doc or .docx (Word) manuscript up to 5,000 words.
• Format text to 12-point Times Roman, double-spaced
• Add a header with your name, email, title of work, word count, and page number
• Add a short preface noting the type of manuscript (short story, novel) and with any necessary context for readers, and questions they should address. (Preface counts toward the 5,000-word limit.)

Guidelines for Manuscript Readers:

• Before the workshop: for each manuscript you read, prepare comprehensive comments focusing on high-level topics, such as character development or dialogue.
• During the workshop: present your comments constructively and keep within the allotted time, usually around two minutes. Attempt to read and thoughtfully critique all submitted manuscripts, although it's acceptable to pass instead of commenting when necessary.
• After the workshop: email the authors copies of the manuscripts you read, marked up with your summary, line edits and other notes.

Even if you are not submitting a manuscript, CFF members are invited to receive and comment on the workshop’s submissions. Please let the moderator know. 

For more details about the CFF workshops and workshop schedules, please visit the Columbia Fiction Foundry website.