“Opening Pages in Fiction” with Antonio Ruiz-Camacho
May 7, 2022 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM CDT
$49.00 – $109.00
- This event has passed.
This Event is for Members only.
Click here to learn more about benefits of membership
$49 for Members
$109 for Non-Members
All registrants will have access to the class recording for one month.
“Today, first sentences and first paragraphs of any writing are increasingly important for arousing the restless reader,” wrote Francine Prose in “Reading Like a Writer.”
In this class, we’ll discuss the importance of openings in fiction, dissecting some of the most indelible first pages of fiction ever published and discussing strategies to write compelling first lines and sections that will capture the reader’s attention. With the use of published examples of memorable first lines and paragraphs, we will understand how the best openings in fiction manage to excite the reader’s curiosity, introduce a setting and lend resonance to the story.
TAKE THIS CLASS IF
- You’re writing a novel or short stories.
- You want to learn what makes a memorable opening.
- You’re struggling with finding your footing in a story or novel.
- You’re not sure if the opening for a story or novel is the right one.
The deadline to register for this class is Friday, May 6 at 5:00 PM CDT.
To learn more about the instructor and what you’ll get out of this class, read Antonio’s interview with us here.
Instructor
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Antonio Ruiz-Camacho was born and raised in Toluca, Mexico. He moved to the U.S. at the age of 31 and began to write in English at 35. A former Knight Journalism fellow at Stanford University and a Dobie Paisano fellow in fiction by the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas Institute of Letters, he earned his MFA from The New Writers Project at UT Austin. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Salon, Texas Monthly and elsewhere. He is the author of the story collection Barefoot Dogs (Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Book of Fiction 2015) and the forthcoming novel The Healing Room.
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Once a purchase has been made, registrations are not refundable and cannot be transferred to a different class or event. No exceptions will be made. If you purchase a registration and then find you cannot attend the class or event, someone else can attend in your stead. Simply contact us at wlt@writersleague.org and let us know the name and contact information for the person who will be using the registration so that we can update the class or event roster.
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HOW WLT CLASSES WORK:
Our classes offer a combination of lecture and practical exercises, determined by the individual instructor, on focused aspects of the craft and business of writing. Your fellow participants will come from a range of writing experience, from beginners to people with MFA degrees and published books. WLT instructors, participants, and administrators all work together to create a welcoming, supportive environment.If you haven’t taken a class with us in recent years, feel free to email WLT Program Director Sam Babiak at sam@writersleague.org if you’d like to discuss whether our programming is the right fit for your needs.
HOW ONLINE CLASSES WORK:
Once you register for the class, you’ll receive an email with detailed instructions no later than 48 hours before the class date. You should expect 2-2.5 hours of direct teaching and 30 minutes of Q&A (for three hours total). If you need to leave the class early or can’t attend the class on that date, all registrants will have access to the recording for one month after the class date. No microphone or camera required, just an Internet connection capable of streaming video. All online classes are hosted on Zoom. To learn more about how Zoom works, click HERE.
Plan to log in to the online platform several hours before the class so that you can update your software or any other settings required to access the platform. (Updates usually only take a few minutes, but you don’t want to wait until the beginning of class.) Questions? Email us at wlt@writersleague.org.
This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department. Visit Austin at NowPlayingAustin.com.
Writers’ League of Texas classes and workshops are also funded in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts – Investing in a Creative Texas. For more information, go to www.arts.texas.gov.
This project is also supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
This project is supported in part by the Mid-America Arts Alliance. For more information, go to www.maaa.org.
