Writing Workshops

Finding the Story Only You Can Write with Deniz Çam (January 2025)

$445

6 Sessions

Out of stock

Once a week Thursdays, 6:00 pm EDT - 8:00 pm EDT January 2 to February 13, 2025

The Center for Fiction

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When we’re racking our brains for a groundbreaking plot to propel a story, we may forget to tap into the biggest resource we have: ourselves. Some of the best fiction ever written comes from within. Our everyday experiences of this world provide more ideas than we recognize, and the truth is, all the humor, irony, the conflict that will inspire you is very likely all around you.

Over the course of six weeks, we’ll mine our experiences to find stories that only we can tell. We will focus on fundamental concepts such as point of view, character, time, and location to better recognize ourselves as outstanding tools of writing, and push through our limits and doubts with thoughtful writing exercises. The goal is to write as much as we can and use each other as sounding boards; writers of all experience levels are welcome.

Course Outline:

Session 1
- Dissecting narrative: What are the stories we’re attracted to?
- Finding our niche: What are the stories we wish were told more?
- Planting the seeds: Beginning your own story
Session 2: Point of View
- How does perspective inform a story?
- Building a foundation: What POV is best for our story?
Session 3
- Character: What makes a good character?
- Building: Creating characters in your own story
Session 4
- Location as a character: How to tackle world-building
- Raising the Stakes: How does location push a story forward?
Session 5
- What are the different ways in which a story can revolve around time?
Session 6: Synopsis
- Fleshing out an idea

Recommended Reading:

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Heartburn by Nora Ephron
Slow Days, Fast Company by Eve Babitz
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Mouth by Puloma Ghosh

This course is held in person at The Center for Fiction. There is no meeting on January 16th.

Led by

Deniz Çam

Deniz Çam

Born and raised in Istanbul, Deniz Çam is a New York-based creative. She was a producer at the Emmy-nominated show, The Problem with Jon Stewart, and a reporter at Forbes magazine. Her debut novel, Strangers & Revisions, is represented by United Talent Agency and revolves around a Turkish immigrant who reimagines what the American Dream means to her. Her romcom pilot, 60 Days, placed at the 2023 Austin Film Festival and was featured on Time Out New York as one of the best things to do in the city. Her work has appeared on Shondaland, Gay magazine, Bustle, and more. She also teaches comedy writing for screen and stage at the Second City Theater in Brooklyn. She is an alum of Brown University and Columbia Journalism School.

About this series

Writing Workshops

We strive to make our classes the most inviting and rewarding available, offering an intimate environment to study with award-winning, world-class writers. Each class is specially designed by the instructor, so whether you’re a fledgling writer or an MFA graduate polishing your novel, you’ll find a perfect fit here.

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