Things happen to us all the time. Some of them we recognize as story-worthy: we want to wrap up the event in some way and share it with others. What are effective ways to share a story, whether fictional or autobiographical? How can we give a story framing – a beginning and an end – that allows it to carry significance and be memorable? How can we make small things -- a short conversation, a chance encounter -- into a story? By contrast, how can we take huge things – a lifetime relationship, a major historical event – and offer them to others in the condensed shape of a story? How can we create a sense of drama as we tell a story on the page?

We will look at examples (most likely by Jhumpa Lahiri, Charlotte Delbo, or Ruth Ozeki) in order to identify and practice specific strategies you…