Class Description
According to Aristotle in his Poetics, the best endings are both "surprising, yet inevitable": We shouldn't see the events of the ending coming, but once it unfolds, it's the only way it could have ever happened. In this class, we'll look at some examples of "surprising, yet inevitable" endings and parse out certain techniques and strategies that the authors use. We'll discuss, among other things, how to tie plot threads to together at the end, how we can make our endings meaningful and resonant without being overly sentimental, and how to create subtle yet powerful symbolism that both ties your story's overall themes together and packs a final punch. Participants should bring an in-process short story they are having trouble resolving and be prepared to work briefly on the last few paragraphs. Participants will also be asked to read an essay by George Saunders in advance of the class. Open to writers of all levels.
NOTE: You might also be interested in Hooked From the First Line: The Art of the Opening, taking place earlier this day.
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 detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.
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.