How to Juggle the Big Cast Writing Workshop with Emma Kress

Begins Sunday, July 12, 2026

Class will meet via Zoom on Sunday, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET

🌍 Class Times by Time Zone: Los Angeles (PDT): 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM / Chicago (CDT): 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM / New York (EDT): 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM / London (BST): 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM / Berlin (CEST): 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Now Enrolling! Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button to talk with us.

Instructor Bio

Instructor Emma Kress is the author of the young-adult sports thriller Dangerous Play (Macmillan), which has a very large cast. She earned her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is a long-time teacher and was one of four finalists for New York State Teacher of the Year. She has delivered writing workshops to writers of all ages. She lives in upstate New York with her family.

Who is this class for?

This online writing workshop is for fiction writers of all levels who love a good ensemble cast and can never choose just one of anything. Whether you're juggling a sprawling family saga, a heist crew, a sports team, or a multi-POV novel, you'll discover how to make every character earn their place on the page. All audiences welcome — YA, adult, middle grade, literary, and genre writers will find this class equally useful.

What to expect:

Imagine Schitt's Creek, Bridesmaids, Game of Thrones, or Ocean's Eleven if those writers had decided to focus on just one character. Boring, right? The ensemble cast is what gives these stories their depth and energy — and managing one well is a craft challenge most writing classes never address head-on.

In this two-hour Zoom writing class, we'll study strong examples of ensemble casts from television, film, and literature, and discover what makes them work. We'll explore strategies for deepening characters as well as distinguishing them from one another, and employ practical techniques for keeping track of large casts that you'll be able to use immediately and in future drafts. The seminar combines analysis, hands-on craft instruction, and generative writing time so you leave with new skills and new pages.

Emma's debut novel Dangerous Play features a cast of twenty-four. She learned the hard way how to make their voices distinct, develop each individually, and keep track of their idiosyncrasies — and the eleven strategies she developed along the way form the backbone of this creative writing workshop.

What are the writing goals?

In this course, students will learn techniques for developing well-rounded characters across a large ensemble, understand the structural roles different characters can play within an overall story, and gain practical tools for keeping voices distinct on the page. Through hyper-focused writing sprints and longer generative explorations, students will produce character and scene sketches they can use immediately in current drafts or carry into future projects.

Readings

Readings may include excerpts from texts by Leigh Bardugo and Taylor Jenkins Reid, plus film and television clips from Bridesmaids and Ocean's Eleven.

COURSE OUTLINE

Over the course of the workshop, we will explore eleven writing strategies for juggling the big cast. Each strategy will be grounded in:

• Analysis of examples
• Practical how-tos (techniques and tools)
• Writing sprints

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• Understand the techniques writers use for developing well-rounded characters across a large ensemble
• Understand the roles different characters might play within an overall story
• Gain practical tips for keeping voices distinct on the page
• Produce character and scene sketches you can use in current or future drafts
• Build a craft toolkit for managing multiple POVs and large ensemble casts in fiction

TESTIMONIALS:

"Emma brought warmth and real, personal connection to our virtual session. Students left feeling inspired and ready to dive more deeply into their own art." — Emily Dowd, Librarian

"Emma Kress is one of the most outstanding and talented teachers I have ever had the pleasure of observing." — Jim Froio, Superintendent of Schools

"Dangerous Play celebrates female friendship with wit, heart and plenty of pulse-pounding field hockey action as the championship game draws ever closer. Readers will root for Zoe, her teammates and their families..." — BookPage

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Tuition is $99 USD. You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

• Instructor: Emma Kress
• Begins Sunday, July 12, 2026
• Class will meet once via Zoom on Sunday, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET
• Tuition is $99 USD.