CW 76 W — Mastering Subplot in Novels and Memoirs
Quarter: Summer
Instructor(s): Jeff Lyons
Date(s): Jun 29—Aug 17
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Mondays
Class Meeting Time: 12:00—1:00 pm (PT)
Tuition: $825
Refund Deadline: Jul 1
Unit(s): 2
Enrollment Limit: 18
Status: Registration opens May 18, 8:30 am (PT)
Quarter: Summer
Day: Mondays
Duration: 8 weeks
Time: 12:00—1:00 pm (PT)
Date(s): Jun 29—Aug 17
Unit(s): 2
Tuition: $825
Refund Deadline: Jul 1
Instructor(s): Jeff Lyons
Enrollment Limit: 18
Recording Available: Yes
Status: Registration opens May 18, 8:30 am (PT)
Subplots are the key to maintaining urgency in the middle of any novel or memoir, and yet many writers have no real understanding of how to handle subplot, just hoping for the best as they stumble forward. This course will show you how subplots can be consciously designed to support the mainline story so that it never lags or drags, keeping the reader (and you!) energized to the end of the book. We will begin by discussing what subplots are (and are not), why you need them, and how to build and masterfully integrate them into your own writing to avoid “the mushy middle” that plagues so many aspiring authors. Through weekly lectures, readings, and writing assignments, students will implement a set of proven tools for subplot development, constructing this essential element to strengthen their novels or memoirs.
Students should have a story in progress.
JEFF LYONS
Author
Jeff Lyons is the author of Anatomy of a Premise Line: How to Master Premise and Story Development for Writing Success and Rapid Story Development: How to Use the Enneagram-Story Connection to Become a Master Storyteller. His forthcoming book is The Story-Subplot Connection: How to Master Subplots for Novelists and Screenwriters. His writing has appeared in Writer’s Digest, Script, The Writer, and Writing Magazine (UK). His feature film, American Thunderbolt, is being produced by Content Kings Films, UK, and he has several TV series in active development.Textbooks for this course:
There are no required textbooks; however, some fee-based online readings may be assigned.