The Basics of Scene with Wally Rudolph

This four-week workshop will focus on the mechanics of scene writing, drawing from a cross-section of genres and mediums—from playwriting to literary fiction to screenwriting.

Your Instructor: Wally Rudolph, author of FOUR CORNERS and MIGHTY, MIGHTY

Where: Online — Available everywhere!

When: This class is not currently enrolling. To be notified when it is offered again, Click Here

Enrollment: 16 students

Price: $325

Class Description

Think of a novel as a puzzle.

The pieces of the puzzle are your scenes. They need to fit together. To do that, they need to stand out from each other—how hard would it be to put together a jigsaw puzzle that's nothing but blue sky, or a Jackson Pollock painting? 

Your scenes are the building blocks of narrative.

And Wally Rudolph, author of the critically-acclaimed books Four Corners and Mighty, Mighty, is here to help you shape those building blocks. 

This four-week workshop will focus on the mechanics of scene writing, drawing from a cross-section of genres and mediums—from playwriting to literary fiction to screenwriting. It'll take a step-by-step approach to understanding the basics of scene structure and character dynamics.

By the end, you'll have an understanding of the basic components that go into creating an effective literary scene, and be on your way to mastering the complex interplay of conflict, character, dialogue, and action that applies to all literary genres and styles.

*Class starts Feb. 16 but there's still time to enroll!

What This Class Covers

Week  1 — “Less is more. Show don’t tell.”

In the first week, the course will focus on screenplays and the power that action and image has on creating insight into a characters’ inner lives and motivation with a focus on the power of behavior in defining characters.

Week 2 — “Today is the day.”

In the second week, the course will focus on scene breakdown and text analysis of stage plays with a focus on understanding the interplay of dialogue and conflict.

Week 3 — “The Sound of Fury” 

Using existing texts across mediums, we will examine what works and doesn’t work in creating action that at once has aural and visceral value to the reader’s experience of action in text.

Week 4 — “The Grand Conjunction”

Putting it all together.

*Each week will include a writing assignment that will challenge you to put your new skills to the test. It'll be critiqued by Wally and your peers. There will also be ample opportunity for Q&A and discussion along the way. 

Goals Of This Class

  • Focus on the mechanics of scene writing
  • Draw from a cross-section of genres and mediums
  • Understand the basics of scene structure and character dynamics
  • Discover the basic components that go into creating an effective literary scene
  • Master the complex interplay of conflict, character, dialogue, and action that applies to all literary genres and styles

Additional Info

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