Big Moments: Revelations, Decisions, & Turning Points

Class Description

The frustrated employee finally sends that letter of resignation. The angry spouse decides enough is enough—it's time for a divorce. The restless heroine decides she needs to leave home and set out on her own. Lots of narrative writing aims to show us characters at serious, important inflection points: "make or break" moments that define the story. How do we make these big moments clear to audiences without relying on cliché? How can we convey the emotional power of such narrative turning points while honoring that fact that in real life rarely has such clear-cut moments of change? In this course, we will explore examples of decision-making and revelation across genres. We will practice different strategies for marking important moments, and revising them to add subtlety and nuance. This workshop is appropriate for anyone writing narrative, regardless of genre.

This class will focus on memory as a form of characterization. Flashbacks, imagined scenes, mis-remembered conversations–all of these things can help add depth and realism to your characters, no matter what genre you are working in. We will discuss the work of Tobias Wolff, Mary Karr, Yoon Ha Lee, Arkady Martine, Tasmyn Muir, and more. Writers should leave with at least one scene a current project. Poets, memoirists, essayists, novelists, and short story writers can all gain new ways of thinking about "memory work" from this short, intensive workshop.

Class Format

This class will take place in-person at our Center for Creative Writing in Boston's Seaport neighborhood.

Covid-19 Update:

GrubStreet's space will be mask optional when Boston's Covid-19 Community Level is low or medium. When the Covid-19 Community Level is high, our space will require masks. Please check GrubStreet's Covid-19 page for the latest info on masking and Community Levels before visiting in-person.

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.