INTEGRATING ARCS AND ACTS IN FICTION AND FILM

any writing students learn about character and story arcs independently of three-act structure, and therefore never learn how properly to integrate them. And yet without this understanding of how the two fit inextricably together it's all but impossible to ensure that a story achieves its narrative purpose and delivers a convincing and powerful dramatic effect. In a two-day workshop at Book Passage in Corte Madera, and a much briefer evening seminar at Well Red Coyote in Sedona (details for both below), David will demonstrate through numerous examples from both fiction and film how these two structural concepts support each other, with scene-by-scene breakdowns of how the drama is built and the arc fulfilled act by act. He will also discuss when character arcs are unnecessary, and explore examples of works that arguably lack an identifiable story arc and yet still cohere dramatically—some of which are among the greatest works in western literature.

David has taught at UCLA Extension, Book Passage, Wordstock, and both the East of Eden and Truckee Meadows Community College writers conferences.