Learn to craft stories that pull readers in and don’t let go in this 8-week online class with Emma Stockman
You know that feeling when a story grabs you? Time disappears. You’re in it. The only thing that exists is you and the story.
That magic? That’s narrative tension.
Narrative tension comes in all shapes and sizes. The most familiar comes from plot, but tension can be found in moments of surprising dialogue, and can even be driven by language itself.
Because narrative tension lives in so many different places in a story, when it doesn’t work–when your story falls flat–it can be hard to figure out. Especially on your own. It’s a frustrating, discouraging experience, making you feel like you’re not a good enough writer and that you’ll never figure it out.
Tension is tricky to diagnose on your own.
You know how the story goes–so it’s hard to surprise yourself.
Without outside input, you can get stuck in a feedback loop of your own. Too much feedback, though? That can create its own kind of mess, making you lose the thread of what you were going for in the first place.
You want just enough perspective to help your story find its shape again.
This class is for you if
- You love writing stories, but can’t quite get them to a finished state
- You’ve got a story draft (or drafts) you’re ready to revise
- You know something’s not quite working, but you’re not sure how to fix it
- You want to go deeper with your craft
- You love being pulled into a story and want to learn how to do that for your readers
What is narrative tension?
Narrative tension is like the string connecting a puppet to its puppeteer, allowing it to become animated as if by magic. This class will teach you how to be a better puppeteer in your writing–how to better play with the strings of your craft to make your stories dance seemingly on their own.
When you get clear about the tension of your piece—what you’re writing towards and how you want to get there—you can hold onto the heart of your work and chart the best way forward through revisions.
In this eight-week online workshop with Seattle-based writer Emma Stockman, you’ll learn how narrative tension works, through close readings of writing that does it well, so you can tighten your stories into deliciously gripping tales that make time stand still. You’ll learn how to let narrative tension guide the feedback you ask for and what to do with it. When you become clear about the impact you want your story to have, you won’t get lost in the deluge of feedback. When you know how to let tension guide you, your revisions will be more successful.
Each week you’ll
- Read an assigned story to discuss in class
- Explore how it uses narrative tension–and how you can use similar techniques in your writing
- Take a body break so you don’t get stiff, sore muscles
- Workshop one participant’s story with the class, with a focus on tension, revision, and reader experience
What you’ll learn
- The key types of narrative tension–and how to use them effectively
- How to identify what’s missing when a story feels flat
- Tools to revise with more ease and clarity
- Ways to get the right kind of feedback (and filter the rest)
Emma’s teaching philosophy
I believe the best teachers are the ones who create spacious, curious, and playful containers in their classrooms, no matter the subject. I strive to bring this philosophy to every class I teach. I do this by setting clear community guidelines at the beginning, and by structuring our time together to foster connections between students, so there’s a shared sense of exploration and acceptance.
When it comes to teaching writing, I believe there’s no one or best way to tell a story. The most successful art comes out of spiritual and emotional alignment between the writer and the piece. This idea structures my approach not just to generative writing classes, but to studies of craft as well.
Get to know Emma through her Q&A
Wednesday, June 4 to July 30 (June 4, 11, 18, 25; July 9, 16, 23, 30, no class July 2)
10 am to noon
Online in the Wordcrafters Zoom room
Cost
Access: $329 – if you have limited access to funds
Sustainer: $439 – the actual cost of this program
Patron: $549 – if you have more access to wealth/resources and can support others who need to pay less
Choose the ticket price that best reflects your financial capacity. We trust you to discern your financial situation and your level of need or ability to give to others with less access to wealth.
Learn more about our Pay From Your Heart Pricing.
We want everyone to have access to our writing programs. If you need additional support, please complete our scholarship request form.
Wordcrafters members save 10% on this and other events and classes.
Click here to learn about becoming a Wordcrafter.
Ready to write stories readers can’t put down?
HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS
Masks are optional. Please stay home if you’re unwell with any upper respiratory illness.
Your instructor
Emma Stockman (she/her) is a Seattle-based writer and educator with an MFA in Fiction from the University of Oregon.
In 2023, she moved to Seattle to pursue greater literary opportunities. She writes short fiction and is currently working on a novel.
Other Classes You May Enjoy:
A community nap for tired people.
Saturday, Oct 10 | Wordcrafters studio and online
Get your writing time in at the Wordcrafters studio at our regular write-ins. FREE for Wordcrafters members and open to the public.
Tuesdays 9:30 am-noon
Sundays 6:30-9 pm
Nap-a-thon: a fundraiser for people who are tired. Which, statistically, is everyone.
Nap Ambassador sign ups close Sept 30.
Napping and fundraising happens Oct 1-31.
Come share a meal with other writers and talk shop—craft, process, money, motivation, publishing, rejection, weird writing habits, and whatever’s currently living rent-free in your brain.
Friday, Sept 18 | Noon–1:30 pm
Ages 18+
Get your novel out of your head and onto the page in this 6-month novel-writing cohort with Daryll Lynne Evans.
Begins October 5 | Ages 18+
A 12-week, 6-session critique class for writers ready to move their work forward—with kind, constructive feedback and a welcoming crew of fellow creatives.
Every other Tuesday. Fall Memoir/Creative Nonfiction cohort starts Oct 6, 2026 | Age 16+