As writers, our ultimate goal is to induce what John Gardner called “the fictive dream,” a trance-like state in which the reader begins to experience the story as if it’s actually happening before their eyes. A complex and revelatory scene is our most effective tool in this endeavor, yet we are often at a loss for how to write one. In this class, we will explore two important scene-making techniques: unfolding (rendering an event in the same amount of time it would take the event to occur) and infolding (rendering an event in more time than it would take for the event to occur). We will examine the work of Jo Ann Beard, Alice Munro, Denis Johnson, and Morgan Talty—authors who’ve mastered the art of scene—and then practice what we’ve learned by writing scenes of our own. Come with a burning desire to improve your work, and leave with the skills to drop your readers down into the fictive dream.
Use code EARLYBIRD at checkout for 20% off through August 18!
Trey Adams is a fiction writer from the foothills of eastern Tennessee. He received his BA in English from University of Tennessee and his MFA in Creative Writing from the Stonecoast low-residency program. His work has most recently appeared in Gone Lawn, The Shore, and Whitefish Review.
"Trey provided great practical exercises, good feedback, and excellent context!"
"Trey is so very articulate, kind, and well-informed."
