Whether we’re memoirists or playwrights or writers of fiction, whether we’re at work on fantasy or romance, whether it’s a personal essay or an epic novel, whether it’s all taking place in contemporary times, in times historical, or in times utterly invented, we’re all up to the same thing—we’re telling a story. And all stories unfold scene by scene: This happened, then this happened, as a result of which this happened… Whether we’re narrating our stories, or dramatizing them, or both, we must understand not only what a scene is, but how to build one. 

And that’s the first thing we’ll examine: On Saturday, after introductions, we’ll discuss essential elements of scene before reading through published examples, which allow us to see how various kinds of writers put these ideas to work. This leads to your first assignment, in which you’ll get to put theory into practice in your own writing. After lunch, we’ll talk about those, and then expand on that knowledge with other prompts; we’ll continue with this format on Sunday. 

While all this will expand your understanding of scene, you’ll also find that knowledge of your character will deepen—which is vital to building plot. We’ll examine how scene builds on scene to create longer arcs of narrative. In the process, we’ll no doubt talk a bit about sense of place and point of view, and even cover a few pointers about dialogue.  

Whatever the form or genre in which you’re writing, come prepared to work hard; you’ll leave with an exciting understanding of how to effectively unfold that story. 

In this workshop, we will generate new writing through guided exercises and prompts; offer feedback/first impressions on writing you produce in our weekend.