WRIT32603 - Maximizing Plot Twists

Course Description

Audiences love to see heroes who are thrown into tailspins then manage to snatch surprising victories. Learn how to test your character’s noble cause, their beliefs, and their very identity with story-driving twists that keep audiences riveted.

If you want to keep your audience on the edge of their seats you’ll want to establish for them a deep connection to your protagonist and then convince them that things cannot possibly turn out right for them. The more that you, as the writer, can create moments where audiences are jolted into realizing that their expectations of reality are out of alignment with what’s really going on, the more you can elicit the charged emotional and intellectual responses that will keep them glued to your story. As your narrative progresses you should work to bring your audience to the point of despair over the fate of your hero and then surprise them with unexpected and satisfying wins that they did not see coming.

This class is appropriate for writers of all levels. Writers should be prepared to complete in-class and at-home assignments and to read, critique, and support each other’s work.