November Meeting

Misha Lazzara

Using Setting to Develop Conflict, Increase Tension, & Create Momentum

In a meeting of my writing group not long ago, one of my colleagues mentioned how I have a knack for using settings to help drive conflict or amp tension. That’s all it took to make me realize how important setting is in my writing, how underused it is in the works of many writers. If you’ll share forty minutes with me, I’ll show you the secrets of how I accomplish that.

Misha Lazzara is the author of Manmade Constellations, a late-stage coming-of-age novel that explores the tensions between honoring our values and beliefs while contending with the pitfalls of judgment and self-righteousness. She received her MA in creative writing from UNC Charlotte and her MFA in prose from NC State University. She lives in Charlotte with her husband and three children.