Keeping readers engaged is as much about psychology as craft. Susan Finch, associate professor and dean at Belmont University, explores how the brain responds to story and why certain openings pull us forward. This session focuses on first chapter fundamentals and the techniques that sustain narrative momentum long after the first page.
Murder in the Windy City: Why Chicago Makes Crime Fiction Hit Harder
Barbara Fister, Julia Keller, Michael A. Black, Michael Wiley, and Sara Paretsky explore why Chicago is such a compelling setting for crime fiction. They discuss how the city’s history, neighborhoods, and moral complexity shape stories where place is inseparable from...
