ENGL 401-01, Advanced Fiction Writing, Fall 2009

Abstract

This classf unctionsa s the final installmento f a three-parts equenceo f fiction-writing workshops. All students in the class should already have taken the Intro workshop, as well as at least one of the Advanced workshops, hereafter to be designated as "Intermediate." As such, students are expected to have achieved a mastery of the basics of fiction writing worthy of "Advanced" status. In this class we will read, discuss, write, and revise literary short fiction, with particular attention paid to the short story cycle, broadly defined. Literary fiction discloses truths about human experience in a moving and artful way. It strives for seamless mimesis while simultaneously making resourceful and aesthetically sound use of all the various aspects story telling, including language, point of view, plot, character, setting, metaphor, symbolism and tone. In short, you will endeavor to wnte literature. For the purposes of the class, you cannot write genre fiction-that is, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, children's fiction, young adult fiction, and so on.