When Jo Meador retired from Boeing, she wanted to give herself a little present: a degree in fine arts from the Whidbey Island Writers Association.

“I’ve been working on a novel for several years and I’m hoping this will be the impetus to get it successfully published,” Meador said.

The key word is “published.” Those who recently gathered for a writer’s workshop at a Camp Casey conference center are committed to both their written words and making sure people pay to read them.

The students attending fall into one of two categories: those who want to get an actual degree, and those who want to focus their writing efforts in an environment of concentrated creativity, called the residency program.

The “Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing” is intended for those who have already demonstrated advanced ability in the writing of fiction, poetry or non-fiction written for adults or for children.

The program provides a mix of workshops, courses in craft, and directed reading that culminates in the preparation of a publishable manuscript in one of the primary genres, according to program director Wayne Ude.

To qualify, prospective students submit up to 20 poems, a couple of short stories or chapters of a novel, or a piece of non-fiction.

To get a degree, writers must complete 60 semester hours with a minimum “B” average. An “A” grade is given for work suitable for publication in a respected venue.

Classes include “Craft Across the Genres,” “Directed Readings,” plus graduate workshops and a thesis, often a 30-page portfolio of highly finished work. The entire program can cost up to $13,000, depending on whether a student lives on-site or commutes to Whidbey Island.

Most of the work is done via the Internet — the two-week intensive residency at Camp Casey is designed to allow everyone to meet and know others in the course so they aren’t strangers when they talk on-line.

On the workshop’s first day, Meador described the process.

“We learn by working in a small, intimate environment with a teacher and five to seven students,” she explained. “Each of us submits something we’ve written, then the others offer a critique in depth.”

As it happened, it was Meador’s turn to be evaluated in professor Bruce Rogers’ fiction workshop, English 580.

The objective is to help fellow writers improve both their skills in fiction and ability to articulate what works — and what doesn’t — in the writing of others, Rogers told the class.

Rogers used the word “workshop” as both a noun and a verb. “Today, we’re going to workshop Jo’s short story using a clarion model,” he said, meaning everyone takes their turn speaking, followed by the author.

Rogers advised Meador to remain silent for three reasons. It would give her the chance to take good notes, show she cares about what is being said, and, “it’s good for emotional management.”

One by one, the six women and one man tore Meador’s short story to shreds while she furiously took notes.

Though they didn’t hesitate to give their opinions on Meador’s writing, students did so in a supportive way and Meador accepted their comments as such.

“You totally meet people who are off-the-wall from you with radically different perspectives that channel you in a different universe,” Meador said.

Before entering the Whidbey program, she studied creative writing at the University of Washington but was disappointed in the lack of interaction with other writers.

“This workshop has helped me broaden and enrich what I can do in my novel,” she said.

In a discussion on the value of picking the right story line, Rogers talked about writing an article about a family taking a vacation.

“Pretty boring, but if one of the family members is going blind, that raises the stakes for each family member. Something to think about,” he said.

Not everyone wants or needs a degree; writing is essentially a solitary effort but sometimes even authors must get out into the real world.

Katie Kalb from Clinton joined the nine-day workshop after attending a Whidbey Writer’s Conference.

“This workshop provides me an intensive study in the craft of writing and finally getting serious about it,” she said. “I’ve always written. Now I’m 53 and I want to see where it takes me. It’s time for me to get good.”

For more information, check out the Whidbey Writer Association’s Website at www.writeonwhidbey.org.

Jeff VanDerford can be reached at 221-5300 or jvanderford@southwhidbeyrecord.com.