Every story moves through time differently. Some moments demand full dramatization—a conversation, a glance, a slammed door—while others are better compressed into a sentence or paragraph. In this generative workshop, we’ll explore the dynamic relationship between scene and summary and how writers use both to control pacing, tension, and emotional resonance. Using examples from contemporary fiction and nonfiction, we’ll discuss what it really means to “show, don’t tell,” and when telling can actually strengthen a piece. Participants will leave with practical revision tools and new strategies for crafting vivid, purposeful prose.
Cara Lynn Albert is a writer from Florida. Her work has been published in TriQuarterly, The Florida Review, New Ohio Review, Bat City Review, and elsewhere. She holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of Colorado Boulder. Cara currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
