Weekend Intensive will Meet on Saturday, November 15th, & Sunday, November 16th, 2025

Class will meet both days via Zoom for 3 Hours at 2PM - 5PM ET

Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button (lower left) to talk with us. 

Instructor Debra Jo Immergut is the author of the novels You Again, named a New York Times Best of the Year and shortlisted for the 2021 Gotham Book Prize, and The Captives, a 2019 Edgar Award finalist and published in over a dozen countries. She has also published a collection of short fiction, Private Property. Her essays and stories have appeared in American Short Fiction, Narrative, The New York Times, PANK, Hobart, and elsewhere. A recipient of Michener and MacDowell fellowships, she has an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Debra has extensive experience teaching creative writing courses in undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs. She lives in western Massachusetts.

Read an Interview with Debra Jo Immergut on The Art of the Propulsive Page-Turner.

This course will benefit writers working on writing more compelling literary or commercial fiction or nonfiction, at any stage of development, from a vague notion to a full draft. It is open to all levels.

Every story should be, in some sense, a thriller–and there’s no doubt that publishers endlessly crave writing that compels readers to turn pages. In this course, we’ll identify the essential components of narrative tension and suspense in novels and short stories. We will also discuss how character informs plot and how to reimagine genre forms in fresh ways that steer clear of cliche. We will talk about premises, plot twists, outlining, and how to write with greater power and style.

Our sessions together will benefit writers working on literary or commercial fiction or nonfiction, at any stage of development, from a vague notion to a full draft. Writers will take away a set of practical tools and strategies for planning and refining plots and for boosting the propulsive power of their narratives.

Zoom meetings will consist of illustrated craft lectures and generative writing sessions centered on specific techniques for constructing a strong story.

Participants will have a chance to share bits of in-class work. Sharing is always optional.

COURSE TEXTS:

We’ll analyze excerpts from authors as varied as Kazuo Ishiguro, John LeCarre, Jesmyn Ward, Shirley Jackson, Justin Torres, and Ian McEwan.

COURSE OUTLINE:

Part 1: The Power of Premise (finding the soul of your story, using your premise as the engine of propulsion)

Part 2: The Drivers and The Map (how characters inform plot, outlining strategies, twists, withheld Information). Finding the Finish Line (essentials for writing with poetry and precision, ideas about endings, how to revise for a stronger plot, how to keep going)

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

In this course, students will generate a strong premise statement, two new scenes, and an in-depth character study.

Overall, group members will leave with:

• A stronger premise statement for their work-in-progress.
• A deeper understanding of how to use character development as a source of narrative tension.
• Ideas for using setting to increase a story's possibilities
• 2-3 flexible tools for building and assessing story structure
• 4 strategies for boosting forward momentum

TESTIMONIALS:

Debra is not only a gifted writer, but she is a gifted teacher of writing. She meets writers where they are and gently takes them to the next level, with insightful feedback, warmth, and good humor. — former student

Debra has a magical way of fostering rigor, curiosity, and generosity, and my work has grown immensely since the start of the course. — former student

Debra’s laserlike comments and brilliant suggestions have kept me going this fall and winter. I really can’t recommend this experience enough. — former student

I had a wonderful time in Debra’s workshop. A few things stand out: Debra’s warm, welcoming manner and her care in assembling a group of bright, engaged writers. She helped me develop a non-punitive plan — “a roadmap, not a train schedule” — toward completing the first draft of my novel, which has resulted in fruitful writing months. — former student

I made so many notes throughout the course about how I might use these strategies in my work. I want to map out the existing structure of the stories I'm revising to help me see what patterns and rhythms emerge and how I can work to complete them in a satisfying and resonant way. I'm feeling excited about completing an unfinished story and revising the two that I'm trying to get ready to send out into the world. Thank you for pointing out a few mechanisms to try! — former student

Great balance of instruction and writing time. Loved it, wouldn’t change a thing! Appreciated the instructor’s thoughtfulness and engagement. I’m very new to writing and found the content very helpful and accessible. — former student

The content was fabulous; the examples were so eye-opening. It really is the best workshop I've taken in the last year. — former student

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

This class meets weekly via Zoom on Saturday, November 15th, and Sunday, November 16th, 2025. 

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

• Instructor: Debra Jo Immergut
• Weekend Intensive will Meet on Saturday, November 15th, & Sunday, November 16th, 2025
  
• Class will meet both days via Zoom for 3 Hours at 2PM - 5PM ET Eastern
• Tuition is $150 USD.