Description
This four-week creative writing workshop is designed to guide writers from the foundational spark of character creation to the structural integrity of a fully realized novel. Beginning with deep character development, participants will learn how to construct emotionally complex protagonists whose desires, fears, and internal conflicts organically generate plot. The course then moves into outlining using the three-act structure, equipping writers with a clear, flexible framework for building narrative momentum and escalating stakes. In week three, participants will dissect the anatomy of a powerful scene — learning how to craft purposeful, tension-filled moments that drive story forward. The final week focuses on identifying and correcting three critical mistakes that commonly undermine novels: passive protagonists, lack of escalation, and purposeless scenes.
By the end of the workshop, writers will have developed a compelling main character, drafted a structured three-act outline, written multiple dynamic scenes, and gained a practical revision toolkit to strengthen their work. Participants will leave not only with pages written, but with a deeper understanding of how character, structure, and scene work together to create fiction that is emotionally resonant, narratively cohesive, and built to sustain a full-length novel.
Week One: Character Development — Building the Engine of Story
The workshop begins with the foundation of all strong fiction: character. In this week, writers will develop a fully realized protagonist by exploring external goals, internal needs, core fears, contradictions, and the “lie” the character believes about themselves or the world. Participants will learn how compelling characters generate plot through desire and conflict, and how emotional stakes create narrative momentum. Through guided exercises and short writing assignments, writers will leave with a layered main character whose psychology, motivations, and vulnerabilities are strong enough to sustain a novel.
Week Two: The Three-Act Structure — Shaping Story from Beginning to End
With character in place, writers will learn how to transform desire into story using the three-act structure. This session covers the essential beats of narrative architecture: the inciting incident, first plot point, midpoint shift, escalating conflict, lowest point, climax, and resolution. Participants will explore how structure creates tension and progression, and how each act must raise the stakes. By the end of the week, writers will have drafted a clear, flexible outline that maps their protagonist’s emotional and external journey across a full narrative arc.
Week Three: The Anatomy of a Scene — Crafting Momentum on the Page
This week focuses on scene-level craft, teaching writers how to ensure that every scene advances plot, deepens character, and raises tension. Participants will break down the essential components of a strong scene: goal, conflict, rising tension, turning point, and outcome. The session emphasizes change as the defining feature of effective storytelling — something must shift by the end of each scene. Through revision exercises and new writing prompts, writers will practice transforming flat or static moments into dynamic scenes filled with subtext, stakes, and narrative purpose.
Week Four: Three Mistakes That Will Doom Your Novel — Strengthening and Refining
The final week addresses three common pitfalls that undermine otherwise promising manuscripts: passive protagonists, lack of escalation, and scenes without purpose. Writers will learn how to diagnose structural weaknesses, strengthen character agency, intensify stakes, and cut or revise ineffective material. This session functions as both a craft deep dive and a revision toolkit, giving participants practical strategies to elevate their work beyond early drafts. By the conclusion of the workshop, writers will have not only new pages written, but also a clear understanding of how to evaluate and strengthen their novels moving forward.
Dates: Tuesdays, May 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th
Time: 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. SMA time
Questions?
Contact Laila Gutiérrez at marketing@sanmiguelwritersconference.org