Exploring the Emotional Frontier: Going Where Readers Fear (But Want) to Go

Presenter: Donald Maass 

Register now for post-workshop access to the lessons (available June 1-30, 2020)

Description: In women's fiction the protagonist's journey toward greater fulfillment is central. Ensure that your story has the emotional drive it needs. Join Donald Maass, President of Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York, author of Writing the Breakout Novel, The Emotional Craft of Fiction and other craft books for novelists for a deep dive on emotional story arc and more. 

Please note this is a master class designed for experienced fiction writers. Limited to 40 participants. This session will be repeated in November, though April workshop participants will be ineligible for that session. Cost: $60

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

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 wish to obtain the lessons only will be able to do so 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 more of a work in progress’ more of its potential.

Bio: Donald Maass founded the Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York in 1980. He is the author of The Career Novelist (1996), Writing the Breakout Novel (2001), Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook (2004), The Fire in Fiction (2009), The Breakout Novelist (2011) and Writing 21st Century Fiction (2012). He is a past president of the Association of Authors’ Representatives, Inc.