Announcing our next Online Lab
The Devil is in the Details
Bob Balmer
About Bob Balmer
Bob Balmer is a freelance writer and workshop leader. His writing, often humorous, has appeared in the Smithsonian, Golf Illustrated, ZYZZYVA, the Oregonian, the Seattle Times and other print media. It has aired on MarketPlace, the Savvy Traveler and Oregon Public Radio and television. He has an MFA in creative writing from Portland State and taken classes at Second City in Chicago, the Iowa summer writing program and Tin House among others. He leads workshops on the West Coast.
Description:
The Devil is in the Details highlights the power of specifics to differentiate place and characters. Whether it’s Gatsby calling Tom Buchanan “Old Sport” or acute anxiety in George Saunders character Morse in “The Falls” or Sally Rooney’s squabbling characters in “Conversations With Friends,” details differentiate characters, which in turn drives plot. We will look at how brands, quirks, geography, mannerisms, dialogue… work to define people and places. We will also discuss the benefits of showing vs telling as we practice using details to enhance our writing.
Takeaways:
- Show vs Tell—what it means and how to use it.
- Brands and what they say about a person—Birkenstocks and their connotation for one
- Mannerisms in speech
- How a town creates an identity, which affects a story—“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, Leavenworth, Washington and its German theme
- How a character’s appearance affects them and others
Location:
Zoom Online Meeting
To receive a full refund minus a $25 cancellation processing fee, attendees must cancel their registration 5 days before the event. No refunds will be given after that time. To cancel your registration, go to palmspringswritersguild.org and click on the blue icon at the top right of any page. Enter user name and password and click "LOG IN". On the next screen click "My event registrations". Select event and cancel registration.
REGISTER
Unable to attend, no problem, all paid registrants will receive a video replay.
You will receive an invitation to the Zoom online meeting after you have registered and payment is complete.
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Ready to become a member of the Palm Springs Writers Guild? Please click here.
Event Contact: Ariella Moon
authorariellamoon@gmail.com
