How to Make the Most of a Moment

INSTRUCTOR: Marian Szczepanski

TIME: Four Wednesdays, January 25, February 1, 8, 15, 6:00–9:00 p.m. CST/CDT

PRICE: Early bird price: $150 for members, $180 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Thursday, January 19. After Thursday, January 19: $180 for members, $210 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here.

LOCATION: Online via Zoom

LEVEL: All Levels

CAP: 15

According to acclaimed writer Joan Silber, “a story is entirely determined by what portion of time it chooses to narrate.” This determination applies to both fiction and memoir writers. How well your narrative flows depends on pacing: when to speed up the action and especially when to slow it down. In this four-part class, we’ll focus on deceleration and how to use it effectively to build tension, propel your narrative and captivate your reader.

Topics we’ll cover:

Session I: Narrative Topography (mapping the peaks and valleys of your story) and Freeze Frame (when time stands still).
Session II: Characterization, Dialogue and Gesture (deepening characters, examining how speech affects pacing),
Session III: Setting and Sensory Detail (palpably placing the reader) and Memory/Rumination (revealing buried emotions)
Session IV: Moment-by-moment (building incremental suspense) and Writing exercise(s)

In each session, we’ll read and discuss examples of effective pacing by such established writers as Tobias Wolff, Emily St. John Mandel, James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Shirley Jackson. Participants will receive a detailed handout with additional reading suggestions, a bibliography and writing exercises for each session’s topics.