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.
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