What Happens Next? (Studies in Plot) with Elizabeth Rollins

Meets Mondays, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
June 6 through August 1
(eight classes, no class on July 4)

The beautiful word, “mythos,” from Aristotle’s Poetics, is usually translated as “plot,” a four-letter word that makes writers buck and shiver. This class will examine the act of creating what Peter Brooks calls “the principle of interconnectedness and intention.” We will study diverse plot structures, such as Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey and metafiction, and the effect on plot of craft elements such as storyline pacing, dialogue, flashback, suspense, and juxtaposition of scenes. All this will be done to divine within our own stories possibilities of plot: a process that can unhinge our rigid belief that certain stories must be told in certain ways, and lead us to new revision and new texts. Work will consist of readings, writing experiments (in-class and at home), and discussion.

Tuition: $200 + $5 course material fee

Click here for more information about this class.