The first love of most readers of fiction is, of course, “story.” But what makes for a powerful story? A great story isn’t defined by subject matter. What is dross in the hands of one writer can be gold in another’s. In The Art of Fiction, John Gardner asserts that, first and foremost, a successful story must have profluence, “our sense, as we read, that we’re getting somewhere.”  John Updike called this profluence “narrative lean”; George Saunders calls it “effective beat structure.” How does this work exactly? How do we create a sense of momentum and excitement in our own stories?

In this fun weekend, we’ll complete exercises, which we’ll share in class, that explore the possibilities using dialogue, drama and exposition, and defining narrative structures. We’ll also read examples from contemporary literature. As any comedian knows, timing is everything, and that will be the tail of the tiger we’ll catch. 

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