From Fact to Fiction: How to Use Current Events as Narrative Springboards [Jennine Capo Crucet]

Many writers take their ideas for short stories and novels from real-life events, but how do we avoid that ripped-from-the-headlines whiff, the sensationalism that cheapens and dates what we create from that event? How do we even recognize a headline or historical fact as having the true potential to really propel a deep, emotionally complex narrative? In this class, we’ll discuss the promises and pitfalls of writing from current events, and we’ll examine successful (and not-so-successful) examples of this strategy. We’ll also try our hand at recognizing and developing potential plots and (more importantly) characters from current headlines.

Co-presented by LitCrawl Seattle.