Tools for Writing Fiction

with Francesca Lia Block in Culver City
 
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Six Mondays
7:30-9:30 pm
October 21 to November 25, 2021

SOLD OUT

Dreaming up interesting characters and situations can be one of the easier steps to writing a story or novel, but putting all the elements of fiction together to craft compelling plots poses the greatest challenge to all writers. This six-week workshop will help you deepen your understanding of the elements of fiction—character development, plot structure, point-of-view, dialogue, voice, pacing, theme, and more—so you can apply them to your work, whether a novel-in-progress or the spark of an idea. Students will receive mini-lectures and exercises on craft and read and discuss published fiction from a craft perspective. They will also have the chance to share their work in a serious yet friendly environment meant to challenge and inspire each member of the class. The course is open to beginning and experienced writers.

This class will take place in Culver City, where wine, sparkling water, and the occasional gourmet snack will be served.

Enrollment limit: 8 students
$350 for new students; $320 for returning students
(Payment plans available to returning students.)

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Francesca Lia Block is the Lifetime Achievement Award-winning author of over thirty acclaimed and widely translated books of fiction, nonfiction, short stories and poetry. She has also written a screenplay for Fox Searchlight and contributed essays, interviews, and reviews to many publications including The Los Angeles Times, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Nylon and Spin. Francesca teaches at Antioch University, Los Angeles and UCLA Extension and recently published a memoir/writing guide The Thorn Necklace: Healing Through Writing and the Creative Process. www.francescaliablock.com.

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Reviews

"In the midst of untangling her own deep-seated vulnerabilities and dreams, the incandescent Francesca Lia Block shares the twelve questions that help shape her words; they will become essential for every writer in search of a light in the literary wilderness." —Jade Chang, author of the New York Times bestseller The Wangs vs. the World

"Francesca Lia Block turns her unique punk-fairie style in a new direction in this fast-paced memoir of hope, disaster, magic, and sheer raw talent, mated with a down-to-earth approach to writing. This double dose of Block, as teacher and writer, is a combination sure to enchant and inform." —Janet Fitch, bestselling author of White Oleander and The Revolution of Marina M.

"The best art begins with the worst pain. In The Thorn Necklace, Francesca Lia Block shepherds us through the process that transforms wounds into words. The transformation's an alchemical one. The prima materia of daily living becomes the base metal of the soul's gold. By turns personal, masterfully intimate, and practical, this book is a must for any writer who aims to get at the heart of all matters: the heart. —Jill Alexander Essbaum, author of the New York Times bestseller Hausfrau

"In this lyrical and haunting meditation on the craft of writing, Block . . .cracks open her psyche and lays it bare in the hopes of inspiring other storytellers-to-be. Wise and inspiring, this is a must-read for artists of all stripes." ―Booklist **starred review**

"The Thorn Necklace is a 'grimoire,' a meditation on turning agony into art, at the same time that it functions as a guide to being creative. Block viscerally shows how she has taken the setbacks of her own life . . . and transformed them into literature that has ultimately inspired and sustained her readers. . . Mesmerizing." ―Los Angeles Review of Books