4 Sessions: Thursdays, August 6, 13, 20, 27
6:00-8:00pm ET
Maria Dahvana Headley

Maria Dahvana Headley is the New York Times-bestselling, Hugo, and World Fantasy Award-winning author of eight books in a variety of genres, most recently Beowulf: A New Translation (FSG), The Mere Wife (FSG), and Magonia (HarperCollins). She's recently served as the Lund Gill Chair at Dominican University, and the Rachel Rivers-Coffey Distinguished Professor at Appalachian State University.

One of the things she's best known for is opening her new translation of Beowulf with the word "Bro" - so, yeah, she knows some things about crafting the kind of beginning that sells the book.

The beginning isn't luck - it's stone cold craft. This is a class about hooking readers, whether they are prospective agents and editors, or members of the reading public. The first five pages are, in either case, the sink or swim pages. I'll be sharing techniques for clarifying voice, style, character and action, and working with you on your first five, whether they already exist, or not. We'll begin with creating and sharing a one-line pitch, and we'll continue through our four sessions to get you to five active, revised, and indelible pages.

Frequently, writers begin their stories in the wrong place, and find themselves flailing trying to get readers to stick. We'll go through your pages and pitches to diagnose the proper starting point, and I'll give feedback along the way. We'll be writing in class, as well as reading great beginnings from across a variety of genres.

Workshop Highlights:

• Writers will learn how to craft their first five pages - voice, plot, characters - to get readers hooked and fascinated.

• We'll write new versions in class, and work on them with feedback.

• Writers will leave this class with several versions of the first five, and a lot of new knowledge on how to find the most viable beginning for their story.

This class has 2 scholarships available. To apply, please fill out this form by Friday, July 31.