Craft openings that pull readers in—and endings that stay with them with Jordan Rosenfeld

For writers who want to strengthen the opening or ending of a story, memoir, essay, or other narrative work.

The first pages of a story make a promise to the reader. The final pages determine whether that promise feels fulfilled.

Beginnings and endings carry enormous weight—and they can be some of the hardest parts of a piece to get right. A compelling opening has to establish voice, create curiosity, and earn a reader’s trust without trying to do too much at once. A satisfying ending must bring the emotional and thematic journey together without feeling predictable, forced, or over-explained.

In this workshop, Jordan Rosenfeld will help you approach both ends of your story with greater intention. You’ll examine what makes readers lean in from the first line, explore different kinds of effective endings, and consider the powerful relationship between where a story begins and where it ultimately lands.

You’ll also explore how our own experiences of beginnings, endings, transition, and change can deepen the emotional resonance of the stories we tell.