Class Description
Balancing narrative with dialogue can be one of the most exciting parts of writing. A dryer prose guiding use toward a poetic, or maybe even foul-mouthed, argument between colorful characters. Or a stream of consciousness narration that takes us through emotional peaks and valleys, just before the soliloquy of a level-headed character provides crucial context and a moment to catch our breath. But balancing narrative with dialogue can also be tricky, especially when we’re unsure about how we want to use these two tools in service of our story. When should summary replace a scene? When should an action tag break up dialogue instead of a speech tag? How can I use my dialogue to set up my narrative and vice versa?
In seminar, we’ll explore four different narrative styles, the building blocks for dialogue, and how to use each element in service of the other. We’ll use prompts, analyze narrative and dialogue samples, and discuss some of the technical approaches authors have used to take their narrative- and dialogue-writing to new heights.
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.
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This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. After registering, a yellow Resources tab will appear in this section containing a link to join class. Please note that you will need to be logged into view the Resources tab.
Zoom Participation:
In our experience, the intimate nature of a writing workshop benefits from on-camera participation. Students are of course welcome to turn their camera off whenever they need to, but it is a community norm for cameras to be on most of the time. You can learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
You can enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting by clicking the CC button at the bottom of the screen. If you'd like to access the transcript after class, please make sure to let your instructor ahead of time that you'd like a copy.