When writers are told to show, not tell, it often means turning a statement into a dramatic scene: a set of characters doing something in a particular place at a particular time. Vivid scenes allow the reader to live in the world of your story and become so enthralled with the action they can’t wait to turn the page. In short, well-crafted scenes make a work memorable.

In this half-day class for writers of both fiction and memoir, students will analyze a few complete scenes from literature and use the same elements to craft their own scenes from beginning to end. Discussion will focus on

–how to enter and stage a scene

–how to introduce conflict and create tension

–how to lengthen a scene in order to do more with less

–how to make the scene come alive on the page

–and how to exit a scene on the right note.

Students will also have a chance to discuss their struggles with writing good scenes and brainstorm ideas to get past their blocks. The goal is to go home with a draft of a scene that can become an anchor for crafting more scenes.

About the instructor:

Chaitali Sen is the author of The Pathless Sky, published by Europa Editions in 2015. Born in India and raised in New York and Pennsylvania, she currently lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and stepson. Her short stories, reviews, and essays have appeared in New England Review, New Ohio Review, Colorado Review, The Aerogram, Los Angeles Review of Books, and other journals. She is a graduate of the Hunter College MFA program in Fiction.