Classes/Writing Group Presentations

Get Out of My Head! Using Epistolary Elements in Fiction to Make Readers Care

Authors often show character development through interiority and action. Let’s explore ways to make readers care about our characters through epistolary elements in narrative fiction. Ransom notes, graffiti, social media posts, texts, launch countdowns—the possibilities for engaging readers through epistolary elements are endless. We’ll look at examples of epistolary elements in several novels and discuss why this technique works—when it does—and why it sometimes fails.

Epistolary Tension

3, 2, 1, go! From deadline countdowns to self-deleting emails, epistolary elements provide a creative and visually interesting format for building tension and engaging readers in narrative fiction. Modern readers are used to assimilating information gathered from varied sources—reflect the world as it is in your writing.

How to Write an Effective Query Letter (with John Frain)

Do you need a query letter or a pitch letter? How long should it be? When do you follow up? What makes an agent instantly say, “Pass!”? We’ll show you how the query process works and how to make it manageable rather than overwhelming.

A Crash Course in Creative Writing

Have you always wanted to be a writer but don’t know where to start? This intro class will talk about different types of creative writing (stories, novels, memoirs, essays, poetry), how publishing works, and building a healthy writing practice.

Introduction to Flash Fiction

Flash fiction—what is it and where can you publish it? In this one-time class, we’ll explore different styles of very short stories, learn to write them, and discuss how to submit stories for publication. But first, we’ll listen to some Taylor Swift.

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