Raising the Stakes: Arcs and Conflicts

Class Description

Have you ever been asked to "Raise the stakes!” in your writing, only to find yourself asking, “What the heck are stakes... how does one raise them?” Or, have you been told, “I love this character, but nothing really happens…” In this workshop, you will learn how to construct story arcs. Whether you are a plot driven, or character driven writer, hands-on exercises will teach you how to define circumstances, amplify tension, escalate internal, and external conflicts. There will also be a group discussion centered around analysis of scenes from work with strong arcs across multiple genres. As well as time for optional sharing of your work with the group. This workshop is ideal for short story writers, novelists, screenwriters, or playwrights looking to up the ante.

Class Format

This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting!

Scholarship Information

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.