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The Elements of Timeless Storytelling with Donald Maass Master Class May
Sunday, May 06, 2018, 12:00 AM to Friday, May 18, 2018, 11:45 PM EDT
Category: Workshops/Webinars

Learn how to adapt and apply elements from the classics to your contemporary fiction

The Workshop

Do you imagine that what makes our favorite literature great is relegated to the past? Not so. Timeless storytelling is for our times, too.

Do you find yourself wanting to write “pretty?” In doing so, you may be staying on the surface of your story, writing “about” your characters and “around” their story?

Donald Maass will teach lessons derived from time-tested literature that will guide writers to utilize the force of these story elements:

  • knowing narrators
  • driving desires
  • riddles and plights
  • impossible tasks
  • “enchanted” lands
  • magical and surprising secondary characters. 

Presented by New York literary agent and teacher Donald Maass, author of Writing the Breakout NovelWriting the Breakout Novel WorkbookThe Emotional Craft of FictionThe Fire in Fiction and Writing 21st Century Fiction.

This is a master level, hands-on workshop for writers who consider themselves advanced in their craft, with several writing assignments spread over two weeks. Please see below for a description of Master Class to determine whether you qualify.

$60 Class fee. For WFWA Members only

Only those willing to share their work with others and provide critical feedback to help ensure their peers’ successes should register for this class. You will be expected to set aside time to participate most days during the class (expect at least an hour a day, at times more). Those who do not register but wish to access the forum after the workshop ends (to see the lessons) will be able to purchase post-workshop access for a nominal fee after the class ends.

By participating in this workshop, you agree to allow your assignments to be viewed by other WFWA members, including but not limited to registrants in this workshop.

What does a Master Class Mean?

This class is designed for experienced fiction writers. You do not need to be published but should have several complete manuscripts. The workshop goes beyond the basics of plot construction, scene structure, character building, and dialogue.

The workshop writing assignments and Donald's comments aim at deepening and enhancing manuscripts that have story intent/style/genre, plot structure, principle characters and their arcs solidly in place.

As a writer you can ask yourself: 

  1. Do I feel that I’m still mastering novel-writing basics?
  2. Am I still getting to know my main character and searching for a plot?
  3. Am I unsure of my genre, wondering about choices of style, or just not sure what I want to say through the story?

Writers who answer “yes” to these questions may feel that the workshop lessons and assignments complicate things and make their story choices more confusing.

Writers who can answer “no” to the above questions should find that the workshop honors their novels’ basic intents, but pushes them deeper into characters, plot possibilities, and in other ways enhances and draws out of a work in progress more of its potential.