{"product_id":"the-family-fight-writing-workshop-online","title":"The Family Fight: Turning Conflict Into Story Zoom Seminar with Aida Zilelian on Saturday, August 8, 2026","description":"\u003ch2 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eBegins Saturday, August 8, 2026\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eLive One-Day Seminar via Zoom from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e🌍 \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClass Times by Time Zone: \u003c\/strong\u003eLos 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\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eNow Enrolling! Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button to talk with us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInstructor Bio\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eInstructor Aida Zilelian is a first-generation American-Armenian writer, educator and public speaker. She is the author of novels THE LEGACY OF LOST THINGS (winner of the Tololyan Prize) and ALL THE WAYS WE LIED. Aida has told stories across the country, including on PBS's televised \u003cem\u003eStories from the Stage\u003c\/em\u003e. She was a storyteller-in-residence at Keepsake House in 2025. Aida is the co-producer and co-host of the first Armenian storytelling show in NYC. In 2025, she was a speaker coach for TEDx Cabarete. Aida's debut poetry chapbook DISSONANCE won the Swan Scythe contest in 2025. Her short story \"Where There Can Be No Breath at All\" was runner-up for \u003cem\u003eThird Coast's\u003c\/em\u003e fiction contest and will be released this spring. She gave her first TEDx talk at TEDx Cabarete in April 2026.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho is this class for?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThis two-hour online writing workshop is for fiction and nonfiction writers of all levels who want to find new ways to write stories rooted in family dynamics. Whether you're drafting thinly veiled fiction, true memoir, or something in between, you'll leave with a story framework brainstormed during our session and fresh writing built around conflict and setting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat to expect:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eBetrayal, tough love, secrets, regrets — families are filled with conflict, and some of our most powerful stories live inside those tensions. But how do we capture them on the page? In this generative online writing class, you'll examine family conflict through close reading of a literary excerpt, then move into focused brainstorming and writing of your own. Whether you're working in fiction or nonfiction, you'll learn to use dialogue as the primary engine of conflict — leaning on subtext, tension, and the small charged moments that make a scene crackle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThe workshop blends craft instruction with hands-on writing time. We'll discuss narrative arc and the various types of conflict (internal, external, interpersonal), dig into character dynamics, and build out specific story situations grounded in the kinds of family relationships you know best. You'll have multiple windows to write, share favorite lines, and shape new directions for the work you generate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eAida brings a culturally inclusive, flexible teaching approach honed over twenty-three years in classrooms — pacing the session to participants' needs and encouraging writers to draw on lived experience as raw material for the page.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are the writing goals?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eIn this course, students will generate 3–5 story concepts rooted in family dynamics and craft two pieces of dialogue exploring conflict and subtext. Feedback is verbal during the session, with input from both the instructor and fellow participants for those who choose to share their work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReadings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eReadings may include excerpts from:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eTobias Wolff, \"Say Yes\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eJhumpa Lahiri, \"Unaccustomed Earth\" (excerpt)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eE.L. Doctorow, \"The Writer in the Family\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eCeleste Ng, \"Little Fires Everywhere\" (excerpt)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eJ.D. Salinger, \u003cem\u003eFranny and Zooey\u003c\/em\u003e (excerpt)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOURSE OUTLINE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePart 1: Welcome \u0026amp; Opening Prompts (10 minutes)\u003c\/strong\u003e Introductions and an opening discussion: Who is your favorite writer? What is your favorite short story? What do you want to learn or achieve by the end of this workshop? Will you be writing fiction or nonfiction today? Warm-up prompts may include: If a book were written about your life, what would the title be? Write the opening sentence of the story of your life. From a third-person perspective, write a seven-word sentence that describes you. If you were a landscape, what would you be? Overview of the workshop and the option of writing fiction, nonfiction, or thinly veiled fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePart 2: Reading \u0026amp; Discussion (15–20 minutes)\u003c\/strong\u003e Reading Excerpt #1: \"The Writer in the Family\" by E.L. Doctorow. Discussion: What is the overarching conflict in the story? What underlying conflicts are at play (internal, external)? What is the most powerful moment of dialogue? We'll examine subtext, point of view, and conflict-driven dialogue.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePart 3: Brainstorming Your Story (15 minutes)\u003c\/strong\u003e Brainstorming our own stories — fiction or nonfiction. Choosing what to write about: list the themes you associate with family dynamics (guilt, love, betrayal, etc.); write down three character dynamics based on family members (no more than three family members in total — e.g., mother–daughter, husband–wife–mother-in-law, sister–sister); choose one and write out three specific conflicts in vivid detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePart 4: Writing (20 minutes)\u003c\/strong\u003e Begin writing. To skip exposition, write a three-sentence premise — the set-up — then launch into your dialogue wherever you choose. Begin just before the conflict rises.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePart 5: Sharing Out (10 minutes)\u003c\/strong\u003e Share your favorite part, lines, or talk about what you wrote.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePart 6 (Round 2): Reading \u0026amp; New Writing\u003c\/strong\u003e Reading Excerpt #2: \"Say Yes\" by Tobias Wolff. Discussion: What is the overarching conflict? What underlying conflicts surface? Then choose your path: continue from your original piece, return to your character dynamics and write a new conflict, or pull a new conflict from your list and start fresh. Sharing out follows.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClosing: Reflection \u0026amp; Forward Movement\u003c\/strong\u003e Reflect on what we accomplished and how to keep moving with the piece you've started. Closing prompt options: What does your treasure look like? You're swimming in your favorite color — what does it feel like? If love were a smell, what would it smell like?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOURSE TAKEAWAYS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eGenerate 3–5 story concepts grounded in family dynamics, ready to develop further after class\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eDraft two pieces of dialogue that use subtext and tension to drive conflict\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eLearn to identify and layer multiple types of conflict (internal, external, interpersonal) within a single scene\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eDiscover techniques for skipping exposition and launching directly into charged narrative moments\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eRead and analyze how master storytellers (Doctorow, Wolff) build family conflict through dialogue\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eLeave with concrete next steps for continuing your story, plus prompts to keep generating new material\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePAYMENT OPTIONS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eTuition 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eInstructor: Aida Zilelian\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eBegins Saturday, August 8, 2026\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eClass will meet for one live session via Zoom on Saturday, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eTuition is $99 USD.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Writing Workshops Org","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48298047963384,"sku":null,"price":640.0,"currency_code":"DKK","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0287\/3917\/4532\/files\/AidaZilelianHeadshot.png?v=1777484786","url":"https:\/\/writingworkshops.com\/en-dk\/products\/the-family-fight-writing-workshop-online","provider":"Writing Workshops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}