The use of time in prose is essential. From a narrative’s pacing to elements of surprise to knowing when to use scene and when to use narrative summary. In short, why do some events crash down on us, while others feel strangely slow?
Playing with time can help the reader feel our words, or our histories, more profoundly. Together, we’ll read a few short examples, analyze how they compress or expand time in unexpected ways, and use them to try new writing of our own. We’ll also look at how zooming in on a detail—say, a hairbrush, or a slug—conveys meaning too, whether in nonfiction or fiction.
By the end of class, participants will have new tools to think about both the big picture and the small, plus examples and drafts to keep experimenting with.
Michele Lent Hirsch is a genderqueer writer, editor, and educator. Her poetry and prose have appeared in Third Coast, Bellevue Literary Review, and The Guardian, and her first book—a blend of memoir and journalism on disability and gender—has been featured in Literary Hub, The New York Times, and Electric Literature, among other outlets. A longtime editor at a range of publications, she’s now contributing editor at Epiphany magazine, where she works with fiction and nonfiction writers to deepen their craft. She has led workshops at the 92nd Street Y and elsewhere.
