This session examines how story length and form influence tone, pacing, and reader immersion. The lectures explore formats from sprawling novels to compressed micro fiction, illustrating how structure shapes narrative possibilities and emotional impact. Each class highlights the strengths and limitations of various lengths, with examples that show how form supports theme and concept. The series also presents strategies for aligning a story's content, scope, and audience with its most effective form.
Plot and structure determine the momentum and flow of a story, guiding readers through conflict, discovery, and resolution. This session examines both traditional and unconventional forms, showing how structure shapes meaning and emotional impact. Students will study how pacing, tension, and scene construction combine to create a compelling narrative spine, learning to design story blueprints that align with their themes, characters, and intended reader experience.
This session explores how to infuse a story with layers that extend beyond plot - developing a thematic core and enriching it through meaningful imagery and symbolism. Students will learn to create subtle yet powerful connections that deepen emotional impact and give their stories lasting resonance. They will study how theme emerges organically from character and conflict, how symbols reinforce and echo meaning, and how to avoid heavy-handedness - ultimately crafting stories that invite reflection and linger in the reader's mind.
This session explores how sensory detail transforms writing from flat description into an immersive, full-body experience. Students will learn to harness the five senses - plus intuition and emotion - to deepen atmosphere, character, and reader empathy. They will study how to integrate sensory detail organically into scenes so it supports tone, theme, and pacing rather than overwhelming the narrative. Through guided practice and analysis, students will develop the ability to craft vivid, sensory-rich writing that fully engages the reader's imagination.
Point of view determines what readers see, hear, and feel in a story, making it one of the most powerful tools in a writer's arsenal. This session examines how narrative voice shapes tone, intimacy, and reader engagement across traditional and unconventional perspectives. Students will learn to choose and sustain a point of view that serves both story and theme while avoiding common pitfalls like inconsistency or blurred author-narrator boundaries. Through guided practice, they will learn to control, refine, and experiment with POV to enhance emotional impact and expand creative range.
This session examines how openings and endings frame the reader's entire journey, shaping both first impressions and lasting resonance. Students will explore how to set tone, establish stakes, and hook the audience from the very first line, as well as how to craft endings that echo, subvert, or resolve the story's core. We will discuss techniques for mirroring beginnings in endings to create thematic and emotional cohesion, enabling students to write bookends that reflect transformation, reinforce theme, and leave the reader with a satisfying sense of completion.
Writing a long-form narrative brings unique challenges in planning, sustaining momentum, and delivering a satisfying conclusion. This session equips students with tools to design a strong structure, navigate the often difficult middle, and close with impact. Students will explore multiple planning methods, pacing strategies, and techniques for managing creative stamina over months or even years - developing the ability to keep large projects focused, energized, and moving steadily from concept to completion.
NO CLASS: 11/24/26
