everything.study
21W.757

Fiction Workshop

3-0-9 units. HASS-A · Undergraduate

Intermediate class for students with some experience in writing fiction. Students write short stories and complete other writing exercises. Readings include short story collections by contemporary writers such as Sandra Cisneros, Benjamin Percy, Leila Lalami, Laura Pritchett, Bret Anthony Johnston, and Edward P. Jones. Discussions focus on sources of story material, characterization, setting, architecture, point of view, narrative voice, and concrete detail.

Spring 2012 · Writing and Reading Short Stories

This course is an introduction to the short story. Students will write stories and short descriptive sketches. Students will read great short stories and participate in class discussions of students' writing and the assigned stories in their historical and social contexts.

Readings

  • During the first seven weeks of the class, we will discuss techniques directly related to the assigned stories. All stories are to be read by the first session of that week . Exercises during the week will focus on the particular element of style that we have discussed.
    Listed reading
  • Gioia, Dana, and R. S. Gwynn, eds. The Art of the Short Story . Longman, 2005. ISBN: 9780321363633.
    Listed reading
  • [The Art of the Short Story] = Gioia, Dana, and R. S. Gwynn, eds. The Art of the Short Story . Longman, 2005. ISBN: 9780321363633.
    Required
  • SES #: 1 · TOPICS: Introduction and Discussion of the Process and the Nature of the Story · READINGS: (no readings)
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 4 · TOPICS: Exercise in Developing Story From Incident and Life · READINGS: (no readings)
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 7 · TOPICS: Exercise/Workshop in Character Creation (Bring in a Character Sketch) · READINGS: (no readings)
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 9 · TOPICS: Exercise in Creating Plot · READINGS: (no readings)
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 11 · TOPICS: Exercise on Point of View · READINGS: Note: This exercise is best executed if it is printed out and distributed to students without them knowing what appears on the later pages.
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 14 · TOPICS: Workshop: The Forms and Methods of Revelation · READINGS: (no readings)
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 15 · TOPICS: Workshop (Story 1) · READINGS: (no readings)
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 16 · TOPICS: Making the Decision Where to Begin · READINGS: (no readings)
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 17 · TOPICS: Workshop (Story 1) (cont.) · READINGS: (no readings)
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 18 · TOPICS: Workshop · READINGS: (no readings)
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 19 · TOPICS: Discussion of Place as Part of the Story · READINGS: (no readings)
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 20 · TOPICS: Rewriting and Overcoming Writers’ Block · READINGS: (no readings)
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 21–22 · TOPICS: Workshop (cont.) · READINGS: (no readings)
    Reading assignment
  • SES #: 23–24 · TOPICS: Workshop (cont.) · READINGS: (no readings)
    Reading assignment

Prerequisites & course information

Prereq: 21W.755 U (Fall, Spring) 3-0-9 units. HASS-A Can be repeated for credit.

Sources