Cause and Effect: How Causality Drives Fiction

This seminar will meet in person at WriterHouse on Saturday, June 6 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM with an hour break for participants to eat lunch and complete activities.

Description:

The difference between a series of events and a plot is causality. “The queen died, and the king died” is a series of events. “The queen died, then the king died of grief” is a plot. Both plot-driven and character-driven fiction grab readers with compelling plots, and causality is the key to achieving one. 

In this seminar, we’ll analyze how causality drives the plot in two published stories. Next, we’ll discuss tips and tricks for conceptualizing and including stronger causality in our own stories. The seminar includes an hour-long break during which participants may eat lunch and complete activities to apply learnings. After the break, we’ll review the activities and address questions. Finally, participants will chart out plans for revision of a story of their own to ensure causality is in the driver’s seat.

About the Instructor:

Kristie Smeltzer's fiction has been published by Scribes*MICRO*Fiction, MonkeyBicycle, Atticus Review, and others. She is currently working on several novels. She earned her MFA in creative writing at the University of Central Florida. Kristie has taught at WriterHouse since 2016, and her students have gone on to publish their work in literary magazines, with small presses, and through large publishing houses. She also helps others tell their stories as a developmental editor and writing coach. Learn more at www.kristiesmeltzer.com.