Intensive: Go Big! Creating Fiction That's Both Timely and Timeless

Writers can be overly directed toward just getting to the next stage in our writing journeys, whether that’s finishing a work, finding an agent, or getting published. We sometimes focus too much on incremental steps and not enough on big leaps forward.

But we can improve our odds of success by crafting bigger, more ambitious stories; creating iconic characters with memorable voices; deepening and adding breadth to story stakes; exploring themes that are both personal and universal; and understanding the difference between chasing market trends and understanding moments of cultural transition.

There will be two 90-minute classes for a total of 3 hours of teaching material, plus comprehensive handouts to accompany each session. Classes will include short in-class exercises, plus take-home exercises for participants to complete on their own. Each class includes 15 minutes for questions. 

Class 1: We’ll focus on techniques for pushing ourselves out of our creative comfort zones and developing the skills that make for timeless fiction.

Class 2: We’ll deal with cultivating themes with both personal and universal resonance, as well as looking at ways to anticipate changes in the cultural landscape for readers, rather than worrying about chasing market trends.

Geared toward writers in all stages of novel development.