Death and Life

We often think about the arc of characters’ lives in our prose, but what about their deaths? How can we purposefully, responsibly, and, of course, creatively write death in a way that enlivens our stories and adds meaning to our characters’ and readers’ lives? Examining examples from fiction and memoir, in this seminar, participants will consider how other characters’ deaths might impact our protagonists/antagonists, as well as how to craft interesting and meaningful deaths without unintentionally slipping into the melodramatic or overly relying upon the retrospective voice. We'll also complete a writing exercise if time allows.