Alright. So “syntax” usually means the ordering or words in a sentence, or on a larger scale, the structure of a language. But, I figure, in addition to the lovely alliteration of the title, the 2010 West Virgina Writers’ Workshop, directed by WVU’s Mark Brazaitis, really was about the structure of language—since that’s what writing is. We poets, we fiction writers, we essayists—that’s what we do. We work hard to find the right words, the right combinations, the right rhythm and pace, to tell our stories and convey our feelings and images. We are lonely, driven alphabet-shufflers.

Alright. So we’re not so lonely. In fact, this year’s WVWW gave us all a chance to meet, learn from, and share stories and poems with other writers. Writers from all over—from as far away as New Mexico and Florida, and as close as right here in Morgantown. Every day we had a chance to socialize with one another and participate in workshops and craft classes. We got to hear readings from an array of professional authors and discuss our work. For a few blessed days, we were totally immersed in the written (and read aloud) word.

2010 marked the fifteenth successful year of the West Virginia Writers’ Workshop. It was founded by Jim Harms, a poet and professor of English at WVU. The running of the Workshop has fallen into the capable hands of Mark Brazaitis, who is the current director of WVU’s Creative Writing Program. Renee Nicholson, a WVU MFA in Creative Writing graduate, has been the assistant to the Workshop since 2007.

The line-up of visiting authors this July was impressive. Ann Pancake, whose books include Strange As This Weather Has Been and Given Ground, treated participants to a craft lecture and a reading of one of her new novel’s chapters. She directed one of the WVWW’s fiction workshops, an experience that her students called “valuable” and “memorable.”

Peter Mackuck, another visiting author and workshop leader, is the founder of Tar River Review, which he edited from 1978 to 2006. He is the author of His Long Lens: New & Selected Poems, as well as dozens of poems which have been featured in journals such as Poetry, Ploughshares, and the Southern Review. He is currently emeritus Professor of English at East Carolina Unviversity. Mackuck’s reading at the WVWW was interspersed with personal vignettes and jokes, and everyone who worked with him or heard him read appreciated his warm personality, talent, and generosity. Alright. So I have a little crush on Peter Mackuck.

Nancy Reisman, the author of the novel The First Desire and the short story collection House Fires, which won the 1999 Iowa Short Fiction Award, ran a dynamic, helpful workshop. I should know. I was in it. Sharing the bill with Makuck, Reisman kicked off the first night of the Workshop with a public reading of her story “Vanishing Girls.” My fellow workshoppers had nothing but praise for Reisman.

While Pancake, Makuck, and Reisman brought their talents from outside WVU, the university is fortunate to have an in-house pool of outstanding writers and teachers. WVU’s Mark Brazaitis, Jim Harms, Renee Nicholson, and Amanda Cobb participated in the Workshop in a variety of capacities. Brazaitis is a multi-genre writer who has published several books, including An American Affair and The Other Language. Harms has published prolifically as well, counting After West, The Joy Addict, and Modern Ocean among his credits. Nicholson, a fiction writer, and Cobb, a poet, are both published authors and also teach at WVU.

When asked how writers benefit from the WVWW, Brazaitis said: “I hope West Virginia Writers’ Workshop participants have a great time during the four-day conference. I also hope they gain a deeper sense of their writing: where it succeeds, where it needs improvement, and where to take it from here. I think the Workshop offers a friendly and professional atmosphere in which writers can engage with each other and the craft. I suspect people come back year after year because they find their time in Morgantown fulfilling, energizing, and, yes, fun.”

From the comments made by this year’s participants, Brazaitis seems to have met his goals for the program. Rob Downs, a WVU alum who currently lives in New Mexico, came to the workshop hoping it would help him with his novel, Falling Immortality. Apparently, we got ‘er done. “I enjoyed hearing the experiences of other writers,” he said, “and I have an even greater appreciation for the craft, and all the ways various writers make those pages come to life. The breakout sessions gave me insights into my own writing, a goal for my own piece—better description—and taught me how to better handle criticism.”

Edie Mahoney, an ambitious woman starting a second career in writing, reflected on what she found valuable about her time at the WVWW: “I liked hearing the authors talk about their experiences in writing. What their motivations were, what their habits were when writing, and that it takes quite a few drafts and sometimes years to complete a piece of work. I now understand that when I do write my story, it will not happen over night and I don’t have to be nervous about getting it all done in one month’s time. The workshop made me realize that while creative writing will definitely happen, it cannot be forced to happen.”

But participants didn’t just get the opportunity to receive feedback on their work and listen to other writers’ stories and poems. They got time away from their hectic daily schedules and at-home responsibilities to actually do some writing. Lori D’Angelo, a busy teacher and new mom, wrote furiously in a notebook one evening after a reading. I leaned over to her. “What are you doing?” I asked. “Writing,” she answered. There was a crowd all around us. “It’s quieter here than at home,” she explained. “I understand,” I said. And though I don’t have a baby, I did understand.

Alright. Since I don’t have a baby I didn’t really understand, but I could imagine. And being in a place like Colson Hall, surrounded by people who understand your goals and your obstacles, with professional authors there just to help you_that’s a real opportunity to put aside what usually distracts you from creating and revising your work. It’s an opportunity to focus on your craft, your art, your voice.

I would recommend the WVWW to anyone who’s serious about writing, or to anyone who appreciates beautifully written prose and poetry. The WVWW is for people with stories to tell and the passion to tell them. And lucky for you if you weren’t there this year, we’re doing it all over again next year. So don’t cry if you missed the party. Just email Mark Brazaitiis Mark.Brazaitis@mail.wvu.edu and sign up for the 2011 WVWW.

Alright. Cry a little.