Crafting Spellbinding Beginnings in Fiction and Nonfiction

The Chattery cultivates and fosters a community of learners and teachers through fun, affordable and accessible learning experiences throughout Chattanooga.As a nonprofit, The Chattery brings an unlimited variety of classes to our community ranging from the arts to financial planning.  We not only serve as ambassadors who bring awesome classes and workshops to Chattanooga but we’re also helping cultivate and encourage your passions.In other words, our classes are dreamt up and taught by you, a member of our community.All classes are for adults aged 18 and up unless otherwise noted.

The Chattery

The first page of a story is your opportunity to enrapture readers, establish tone, and introduce your storyworld.

In this class, you’ll learn how to hook readers with an alluring first line, sustain suspense, and balance mystery with vivid imagery. This class explores the essential elements of powerful beginnings, including character introductions, setting the scene, establishing stakes, and creating intrigue. In this class, you’ll read iconic openings and identify the key elements that make them work. You’ll engage in generative writing exercises that guide you in composing your own spellbinding openings.About the teacher:Jessica Alexander has taught creative writing workshops at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Franklin and Marshall College, Porchlight Literary Arts Center, The Fairweather Project, and The Iowa Summer Writing Festival, among other places. Her novella, None of This Is an Invitation (co-written with Katie Jean Shinkle) was published by Astrophil Press in summer 2023. Her story collection, Dear Enemy, was the winning manuscript in the 2016 Subito Prose Contest. Her collaborative memoir (co-written with Vi Khi Nao) That Woman Could Be You came out with BlazeVox in April 2022. Her novel, Agnes, We’re Not Murderers is forthcoming from Clash Books in 2026.For details about our refund and class cancellation policy, visit <a href="https://thechattery.org/about#faqs" title="https://thechattery.org/about#faqs" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">our FAQs</a>.

Our {communityGuidelinesLink} describe the sort of content we prohibit on Eventbrite. If you suspect an event may be in violation, you can report it to us so we can investigate.

To report other categories of prohibited or illegal content, submit {link}

Crafting Spellbinding Beginnings in Fiction and Nonfiction

More events from The Chattery

Discover more events from The Chattery, from Arts to other experiences you might love.

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all events in Chattanooga and filter by date, category, and more to find the perfect fit.

Crafting Spellbinding Beginnings in Fiction and Nonfiction

More events from The Chattery

Discover more events from The Chattery, from Arts to other experiences you might love.

You might also like...

Browse more events with different dates, prices, and formats to find your next great experience.

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all events in Chattanooga and filter by date, category, and more to find the perfect fit.