Description:

What does it take to write a story that jumps off the page and comes alive in a reader's mind? Great authors have mastered the Artistry of Writing. This two-hour workshop will focus on one facet of excellent storytelling:suspenseful and scary scenes.

Some books make you laugh. Others make you cry. Then there are those special stories that force your heart into your throat. You have to know what will happen next, but you aren't sure you can turn the page. This workshop will focus on writing heart-pounding emotions.

Suspense and scares go beyond the building blocks of a story (plot, characters, setting) and dive into mood, tone, and theme. This is where less is more. Where sentences can be a single word, and a change in punctuation transforms everything. Students will analyze passages and ask what emotion the author had hoped for. As a class, we will build a scene fraught with tension before turning to independent writing. There will be an opportunity to share and receive feedback.

This session is part of a series of writers' workshops led by a celebrated author and focused on the Artistry of Writing. Topics in this series include: Compelling Characters (3/5/23); Daring Dialogue (3/19/24); Astounding Action Scenes (4/9/24) and Suspenseful & Scary Scenes (4/23/24).