
Hook ’em: Strong Story Beginnings- A Master Class in Writing Craft
February 26 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
$39
Writing a solid, engaging beginning is, as most writers know, harder than it looks. It has to hook the reader and draw them into the story. In addition, it sets the tone, voice, potential dramatic tension, theme, character, and world of the narrative. That’s a lot to accomplish. No wonder the burden of beginnings gives writers angst.
However, there are many tricks and techniques that can make crafting a viable and exciting beginning easier and fun. Join author Marcia Walker for this master class in learning how to start your story strong. We’ll examine first lines, first paragraphs and first pages to see what works (and what doesn’t) in each of them, unpacking craft techniques writers have used to create sparks and hook their readers. You will also have the opportunity to try different exercises to find the ideal beginning to your fiction or nonfiction.
Marcia Walker’s writing has appeared, or is forthcoming, in The New York Times, Fiddlehead, Prism international, Room, Event, Antigonish Review, University of Toronto Magazine, This Magazine, The Globe and Mail, CBC radio and The Broken Social Scene Story Project. She has been shortlisted for Prism’s fiction and non-fiction prize, the Writers’ Union of Canada short prose competition and the Lascaux fiction award. Her plays have been part of Nightwood Theatre’s Groundswell festival and the F.O.O.T. festival. She is a graduate of the Guelph MFA program and runs the Emerging Writers Reading Series in Toronto.