Begins Sunday, January 24, 2027

Live Seminar via Zoom from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET

🌍 Class Times by Time Zone: Los Angeles (PST): 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM / Chicago (CST): 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM / New York (EST): 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM / London (GMT): 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM / Berlin (CET): 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

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

Instructor Rosalie Morales Kearns is the author of the novel Kingdom of Women (Jaded Ibis, 2017), and the story collection Virgins and Tricksters (Aqueous, 2012). Her short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poems have been published widely. Her scholarly article "Voice of Authority," on power dynamics and white privilege in creative writing pedagogy, has been widely cited and is included in the Antiracist Praxis Guide at the American University Library. Kearns has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Illinois and has taught creative writing at the University of Illinois, the University at Albany, and other adult education venues. In 2014, she founded Shade Mountain Press, whose titles were named to NPR's Best Books of the Year and selected as winners and finalists for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, the CLMP Firecracker Award, the Thurber Prize, the International Latino Book Award, and Foreword INDIES awards.

Who is this class for?

This online fiction seminar is for writers at all levels who either have a rough draft of a novel or are starting from an idea, and who are curious about less conventional plot structures they might use. If you've ever felt that the standard plotting advice doesn't quite fit the story you're trying to tell, this seminar is for you. No prior experience with craft theory is required.

What to expect:

Do you have a rough draft of a novel and want to start thinking about plot structure? Or do you have a story idea and want to sketch out a possible design? Writing advice on plotting often advocates a three-act structure (rising action, climax, resolution), the use of cause-and-effect logic to arrange scenes, and a reliance on conflict as the main driver of plot. Some craft books even specify that certain plot elements must occur at certain beats in the novel. But many great novels don't conform to these expectations — and they may not fit the story you're telling, either.

In this one-session online writing class, novelist Rosalie Morales Kearns will help you think through alternative plot designs that feel more organic to your story. We'll talk about Jane Alison's Meander, Spiral, Explode, with her examples of novels that meander like a river, spiral back while moving onward, or blossom in different directions like a flower. We'll look at Matthew Salesses's discussion of African and East Asian literatures and their use of repetition, digression, surprise, and hidden meaning — rather than conflict or suspense — as central organizing principles of plot. We'll also draw on classic books of writing advice from craft writers including Madison Smartt Bell.

Drawing on her years of teaching, of studying plot, and of plotting her own novels, Kearns will explore with you the challenge and pleasure of discovering what form your story wants to take. This is a discussion-friendly seminar: questions and comments are welcome throughout the presentation.

What are the writing goals?

This is a lecture-and-discussion seminar rather than a manuscript workshop, so it does not include individual instructor feedback or graded written assignments. Instead, in this single session you'll come away with a richer framework for thinking about plot: a clearer sense of the assumptions behind conventional structure, exposure to alternative designs you may not normally encounter, and the encouragement to try them in your own work. You'll also receive a take-home handout of recommended books and articles for continued study.

Readings

Readings may include excerpts from and discussion of Meander, Spiral, Explode by Jane Alison; Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses; Narrative Design by Madison Smartt Bell; and Rosalie Morales Kearns's own article "Was It Good for You? A Feminist Reflection on the Pleasures of Plot."

COURSE OUTLINE

Part 1: Conventional Wisdom — conflict, rising action, the three-act structure, and the "beats" model
Part 2: What's Universal? Whose Universe? — interrogating the assumptions behind standard plotting advice
Part 3: Alternative Plot Designs
Part 4: Examples of Works with Alternative Plot Designs
Part 5: Discussion and Q&A

Questions and comments are welcome throughout the presentation.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• A more nuanced perspective on what makes a story "work"
• A deeper appreciation for works of literature that don't adhere to conventional plot expectations
  
• A take-home handout listing useful books and articles on plot design for further reading
  
• Encouragement and practical starting points to consider — or invent — plot designs that feel more organic to your own story

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: Rosalie Morales Kearns
• Begins Sunday, January 24, 2027
  
• Class will meet once via Zoom on Sunday, January 24, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
  
• Tuition is $99 USD.