Zoetrope SS Workshop 1998

Zoetrope Short Story Workshop

Details of the

Zoetrope Short Story Writers' Workshop

Francis Ford Coppola’s short story writing workshop is conducted the first week of July each year at Mr. Coppola’s Blancaneaux Lodge, in Belize, Central America. Teachers include professionally published and award winning fiction writers.

New Century's Founder and Director reviews the Zoetrope Workshop Experience in Belize.

A Coppola cabana viewed from the pure river that's great for a noontime dip or midnight swim.

At the end of June 1998, Jason Marchi attended the Zoetrope Short Story Writers' Workshop at Francis Coppola's Blancaneaux Lodge in Belize, Central America.

Twenty writers in total attended, and two groups of ten writers each were lead by instructors Sara Powers and Pinckney Benedict.

Marchi studied the craft of short fiction writing, work-shopped one of his own short stories, and critiqued the works of the other writers in Sarah Powers' group.

"Each morning we would meet for a 3 or 4 hour discussion of the group members' stories we'd read the night before. Our instructor, Sara Powers, also provided her own outstanding constructive commentary on each story. Sara refreshed us on specific techniques of short story writing, and gave me renewed insights into improving my own writing as well as improving my critiquing abilities," Marchi said.

"I immediately went home and applied Sara's critiquing methods to the works of the writers in my own local group, and it was the most informative writers' meeting we'd ever had."

Each writer then had an hour-long private story meeting with the Zoetrope Writer-in-Residence, Amy Bloom.

The reason for Jason to attend was two-fold; one to improve personal writing, and two to experience the workshop first hand for the possible future development of a New Century Writer workshop at Blancaneaux.

But it wasn't just work for the twenty writers. There was time set aside each day for nearby tours to the Mayan ruins at Caracol, horseback riding, swimming in the river pools right outside the lodges, and more swimming in a natural pool at the base of a forty-foot waterfall. This was truly paradise! There were more things to do than time in which to do them. Some went on the shopping tour to Guatemala, while others (Jason and several other attending writers) canoed a mile into the a limestone cave with flashlights and abandoned all fears of claustrophobia, to see the pottery, bones, and skulls on an ancient Mayan burial site. "Canoeing in the caves was the single most memorable experience outside the workshop," Marchi said.

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The fireplace at the main lodge.

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Snooze in a "Gilligan's Island" hammock.

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The 1000 year old Mayan site at Caracol.

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Sunset view from a Blancaneaux porch.

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