Writers, if the indispensable narrative arc eludes you, consider the seemingly insignificant structures that support the arc. The narrative arc is like a bridge span that cannot stand or hold its weight without strong “transitions.” You will focus on these and write many of them before the day is over. Transitions are not just those sentences/phrases that are connected by conjunctions or other punctuation signposts. Transitions are also those numinous highly energetic points in a piece that pack a punch and can make a reader blink or lose her breath. We’ll talk about them, study them, write them. Don’t be dismayed if at first you don’t see them. They are often subtle or invisible, keeping out of sight, like pilings for a pier. Then again, they may be as magnificent as towers that support a bridge. Without strong transitions there can be no tension or drive in a story or essay.
SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mechanics Institute 57 Post St. @ Montgomery. San Francisco, CA
$150