Surprise in Fiction with Christopher Murphy

A Virtual Fiction Craft Talk

Surprise is one of the most compelling, and consistently enjoyable, aspects of fiction. From plot twists to character revelations, tonal shifts to leaps in language, the element of surprise makes for memorable stories. We’ll look at the mechanics of the plot twist (of course), but also how writers create surprising characters, how compression and concision can lead to swift atmospheric shifts and how language can be deployed acrobatically to keep stories fresh.

Christopher Murphy received his M.F.A. from the University of Arkansas and teaches creative writing at Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. His work has been published at Gulf Coast (online), This Land, Jellyfish Review, Necessary Fiction and decomP among others. He has a collection of flash fiction, Burning All the Time, from Mongrel Empire Press. He is a member of the Nimrod Editorial Board.

Free sessions for TU students and other students enrolled in Tulsa County schools

We have a limited number of free participation slots available for students currently enrolled in Tulsa County high schools, community colleges/colleges and vocational schools. To inquire about these free student slots, email us at nimrod@utulsa.edu. Please include your name and the name of your school in your email, along with the name of the session you are interested in attending.

Register online.