Strong Openings: Right from the Start

Instructor: Noley Reid
$60 Members | $65 Nonmembers
Sunday, 7/22/18  | 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM

After the title, a short story’s opening can make or break its connection with a reader. After all, the first words, first sentence, first paragraph are the most visible and the spot where most readers, editors, and agents decide to stop reading altogether. In this workshop, we will examine the openings to dozens of well-published authors’ short stories, noting the many techniques used and how they strengthen these openings. Then we will turn to our own work, revising our current openings according to what we’ve learned. We all want our stories to grab our readers and hold on tight; bring one short story draft to this workshop and a healthy sense of adventure, and you’ll never write another dull opening again.

About the Instructor: Noley Reid is author of the new novel Pretend We Are Lovely, which The O, Oprah Magazine calls “scrumptious.”  Her fiction and nonfiction appear in The Rumpus, The Lily, Bustle, Tin House, Los Angeles Review of Books, Literary Hub, Publishers Weekly, The Southern Review, and Other Voices.  She lives in southwest Indiana with her two best boys.

Mail-In Registration Form

Online Registration