Please note that this is an online workshop conducted via Zoom. Participants will be provided information on how to join the online sessions.
This workshop is full, please sign up on the waiting list here so you receive priority registration the next time this class is offered.
Taking inspiration from established forms of fiction
What is “free indirect discourse” and when did it begin? What is “omniscient narration” and has it gone out of fashion? Am I writing “genre fiction” or “literary fiction” and what is the difference between the two (if any)? This course will expose participants to specific aspects of form that fiction writers have used or developed since the eighteenth century, including various styles of points of view, language, and plot.
We will not only study these established forms as models but use them as inspiration: in-class writing prompts will give participants the opportunity to experiment with different styles to discover (or build on) their own strengths and interests. Toward the end of the course, participants will have the opportunity to read and offer feedback to each other’s’ work, if desired. No previous experience is necessary – whether you’re taking your first stab at a story or have written a novel, this course will provide space for writers to both develop ideas and situate those ideas within larger conversations being had by published works.