Balancing dialogue and action is one of the trickiest aspects of fiction writing. What should go into dialogue and what should be narrated? How do you weave compelling action and description into dialogue? And perhaps most importantly, how do you get these characters to sound like real people?
This class will take a deep dive into a single chapter from Patricia Highsmith’s classic 1952 novel The Price of Salt to find out how a master practitioner handles these elements. We’ll look at two versions of the scene: One with the action and narration stripped out, and one with those elements restored. The goal: Analyze the mechanics of a scene and figure out what each element is contributing to the whole. The course will mix close-reading, lecture, discussion, and guided writing exercises.
• In-Class Writing Lift: Medium
• Homework: None
• Workshopping Drafts: None
Andrew Steiner was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 2022 he received an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. In his mid-20s he left a nonprofit career to work on a small vegetable farm, providing the setting for his first novel, Let This Remain, represented by The Wylie Agency. His short fiction has been published in Narrative, Epoch, and Grain and is forthcoming in The Common. He currently lives in Germany.
"Andrew was incredible! I learned a ton and I am very motivated to start my novel! He is clear and knowledgeable and such a great teacher. He takes enough time for explanation on a point but asks our feedback and really listens. We learned a lot. Thank you for a perfect first class!"
"Andrew's class was inspiring and informative. When I left, I felt like writing!"
"Andrew was great! Personable and engaging, he kept a solid tempo for the time we had and allowed for a lot of captivating discussion."
