Much of the best sports fiction uses the drama of competition to explore themes that define contemporary life. In this workshop, we’ll dissect excerpts from stories and novels set in the worlds of baseball and boxing, tennis and horse-racing.
Our focus will be on the practical: What are the advantages (and pitfalls) of using sports as a canvas to tell stories that may be about more than what is happening on the field or in the ring? What writerly tools can we employ to capture the thrill of a match or the suspense of a fight? How do we convey the intricacies of a sport to readers who may lack familiarity with the basics? We’ll also engage in a series of generative writing exercises. Students will leave with a variety of tools for conveying sports on the page and the start to a story draft (or two!), as well as a wide-ranging reading list to explore on their own.
Use code EARLYBIRD at checkout for 10% off through May 6! (Porch members, check your email for your special earlybird discount code.)
Lucas Schaefer's debut novel The Slip is forthcoming from Simon & Schuster. The novel is set in and around an Austin boxing gym. His work has appeared in One Story, Southwest Review, Slate and elsewhere. Lucas lives in Austin with his husband, Greg, and their dog, Zeus.
"Lucas is a wonderful instructor -- generous, generative, and inspirational -- and I'm so grateful for his hard won insights."
"Lucas is a wonderful instructor. I am as novice as they come and left the course with the confidence to continue writing and some tangible, helpful tips that I will put into action."
"Lucas' exercises are insane! And I mean that in the best way. They truly shake you out of your comfort zone and get you to start doing the damn thing. It's amazing."
