How to Write Action and Sports Scenes That Keep Readers on the Edge: A One-Day Online Writing Workshop with Emma Kress

Begins Sunday, August 9, 2026

Live Seminar via Zoom from 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

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Instructor Bio

Instructor Emma Kress is the author of the young-adult sports and action thriller Dangerous Play (Macmillan) about a team of field hockey players who become vigilantes. 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 all agree that Die Hard is absolutely a holiday movie.

Meet the Teaching Artist: 

Emma Kress on Side Writing, Big Casts, and Action Scenes That Hit

Who is this class for?

This online writing workshop is for fiction writers who want to break away from hollow, play-by-play descriptions and write convincing, high-stakes sport and action scenes that keep readers turning pages. These techniques apply to writers across audiences (young adult, middle grade, adult fiction), genres (realistic, thriller, fantasy) and experience levels.

What to expect:

Some of the most popular stories today feature sports and action — whether it's in the background (Heated Rivalry) or the foreground (Avengers). We love to root for our main character in moments of physical struggle. To keep readers engaged, the scene must have purpose, stakes, emotional layers, and physical credibility. But what if you've never been in a knife fight or won that trophy?

In this online writing class, you'll explore the psychology and brain science behind why sports and action grip audiences so powerfully—from triggering the brain’s reward systems to building emotional resilience. Using film clips, live sports moments, and mentor texts, we’ll dissect how master storytellers build tension, choreograph power shifts, and use physical action as a vehicle for profound character development. 

Through structured brainstorming tools and techniques, as well as writing sprints, you’ll build an action scene from the inside out, and walk away with a sturdy foundation for your manuscript.

What are the writing goals?

In this course, students will:

• Uncover Purpose: Identify the internal and external stakes driving your action so that it functions as a narrative turning point, rather than explosive decoration.
• Layer Conflict & Tension: Map out story- and scene-level friction to give the fight and/or game intensity and depth.
• Bypass the Inner Perfectionist: Utilize low-stakes side-writing strategies to unlock original plot surprises.
• Choreograph the Scene: Determine the best blocking to maximize suspense and authentically fold in research-backed details.
• Control Pacing & Cadence: Experiment with language to accurately capture the action on the page.

Readings

Mentor texts may include excerpts from Spectacular Things, by Beck Dorey-Stein, Furia, by Yamile Saied Mendez, and Booked, by Kwame Alexander, alongside cinematic breakdowns of clips from Marvel’s Black Panther and The Princess Bride.

COURSE OUTLINE

Part 1: Purpose, Power, and the Psychology of Action. We’ll use live sports and movie clips to examine why a great action scene must have a definitive purpose rather than being a mere collection of play-by-play terms. We’ll uncover the internal and external forces driving your scene. 

Part 2: Stakes, Clocks, and Maps. We’ll explore how to use power shifts and ticking clocks to increase tension and stakes—and we’ll map it all out using brainstorming techniques designed to get to the heart of a scene. 

Part 3: Immediacy and Execution. We’ll ground ourselves in the environment to isolate vital details, build a custom language, and explore how syntax, pacing, and rhythm control reader adrenaline. You’ll engage in hyper-focused writing sprints alongside longer, more leisurely explorations — both designed to help you build an action or sports scene from the inside out.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• Character and conflict work designed to anchor the emotional and narrative purpose of your scene
• A blueprint of your setting to track physical obstacles as well as power shifts
• A reliable, high-yield brainstorming framework to help you push past predictable plot choices and uncover genuine surprises and twists
• A customized language approach for your sport or action of choice
• Practical techniques you can apply to action and sports scenes now and in future drafts
• A newly drafted or revised action sequence.

PRAISE FOR EMMA:

"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

"Emma leads a focused and to-the-point workshop that hits the exact challenge I was facing with my story in a practical and clear way."

"In this Emma's Writing a Big Cast seminar, I learned to take control of my characters and put them to work in roles that advance the story." -former student

"I loved the seminar on writing big casts with Emma Kress. The writing exercises offered were ones I can see myself using again and again for character development. The class was helpful, and I really enjoyed the experience!" -former student

"How to Juggle the Big Cast with Emma Kress was the best online workshop I have ever taken -- frankly, a total surprise to me. The list of strategies and examples she provided is so valuable." -former student

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, August 9, 2026
• Class will meet for one live session via Zoom on Sunday, August 9, from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET
• Tuition is $99 USD.