Thoughts of penning an historical narrative can overwhelm. Where to begin? How to research? How to keep our pages from droning on like an interminable lecture?

Join New Orleans Writers Workshop co-founder and developmental editor Allison Alsup (author of Foreign Seed), and book publicity consultant Elisa M. Speranza (author of Triage and The Italian Prisoner) in conversation as they tackle these frequently asked questions in discussing their own journeys in writing historical novels. They’ll also address the most common challenges and pitfalls historical fiction writers face—as well as strategies for overcoming them.  

This session is designed for new and experienced writers alike; participants need not have a manuscript in progress but will most benefit from having a considered idea for a story in mind. Non-writers who are curious fans of historical fiction are
also welcome.

Copies of Allison’s and Elisa’s novels will be available for purchase and signing.

Learn more about Elisa here and Allison here. 

Stories hinge on credible, compelling characters. It doesn’t matter the genre—most contemporary narratives demand character-driven storylines. And for those writing personal essays, there’s no escaping the “I” on the page. Whether based in the writer’s real life experience or completely invented, intimacy and psychological depth are what modern readers crave. The rub is not all details are created equal. Knowing every tidbit of your character’s life doesn’t necessarily advance the story and may end up obscuring it.

This workshop’s goal is to hone in those character essentials that make the people on our pages feel real and true. We’ll explore the kinds of targeted questions writers can—and should–ask long before reaching the end of a draft. Through discussion, short excerpts and hands on exercises, we’ll explore key aspects of character development, including: the core relationship between character and conflict, what makes for a “telling” detail,” and the fundamental role of backstory and secondary characters. 

Writers can expect to leave with character-building strategies applicable to any future narrative as well as a deeply rendered character profile for their current project. (They can also expect to learn a heck of a lot by hearing the ideas of other participants.) 

All levels, from absolute newbie to experienced writers, and all prose genres welcome. Participants with either works in progress or well-considered ideas for narratives will most benefit from our session.

The word “conflict” gets thrown around quite a bit when it comes to writing fiction. We’re told that stories must have conflict, that little engine propelling the characters down the narrative path. But for many of us, the idea of simply inserting conflict can feel blunt or unnatural, especially in the early stages of writing when we’ve yet to discover the exact contours of the conflict driving our stories.

So we write blindly. We find voice or a bit of language that feels energized and we follow it. There’s no conflict, but we trust this voice is trying to tell us something, so we listen. We listen for something expressed but unsaid. In other words, we listen for tension.

The goal of this workshop is to sharpen our senses for detecting productive tension in the early stages of the creative process. To do this, we’ll conduct a few writing experiments, including exercises that draw on the lost art of postcard writing. We’ll also read work from contemporary writers who provide examples of how subtle tension blossoms into full conflict in a completed story. Finally, we will each produce a work of short fiction or nonfiction (less than 750 words) to be workshopped during our second session. Note: This story will be written outside of workshop on Saturday afternoon and evening and workshopped on Sunday. Students should be prepared for a weekend of writing.

This is a generative workshop and open to writers of all levels. There’s no need to bring story ideas or works in progress. Come with an open mind and a willingness to be surprised by what you create.  

Written critique: Included in the cost of tuition is a written critique by the instructor of a story (up to 750 words) to be submitted by the student within one week after class.