A thriller is not so much a genre as a quality of storytelling that crosses many genres: mystery, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, literary fiction. The quality is in the name—a thriller “thrills,” of course—but how do we thrill an audience in whichever genre we're working in? The key is the feeling of suspense, and in this workshop, we’ll examine the art of suspending, or hanging something heavy and ominous over the story’s terrain to create the sense that it could fall at any moment. This class will teach participants how to close-read selected texts—from historical thriller classics to contemporary fiction to film clips—to discover their secrets, and to incorporate these lessons into our writing. All participants will have the opportunity to workshop their writing and receive detailed feedback.
Scheduling note: this course will skip March 26 and continue through May 14.
