Advanced Creative Writing (307-0-20)
Topic
The Art of the Tale
Instructors
Brian D Bouldrey
Meeting Info
University Hall 418: Mon, Wed 11:00AM - 12:20PM
Overview of class
In 207, you have learned to apply the basic building blocks of fiction—character, plot, point of view, scene and summary—to write your own stories. We learn the great bromide "Show, don't tell!" In this advanced course we will buck the bromide, and learn how to tell. We will brush up some of that previous knowledge, and build on that material and experience while continuing and deepening the apprenticeship to great writers, both contemporary and classic. Students will read some examples of great taless both classic and contemporary, and will write several exercises and two stories during the quarter.
In addition, good writers learn their craft through extensive critical reading. Through close study, critique, and imitation of many different kinds of writers, you can push the boundaries of your own abilities and discover new ways to create fiction. Each week, I will assign two or three stories that focus on some advanced topics in writing, including "What Makes a Tale Satisfying?", "Using Objects in Fiction", "Staying on the Surface", "Villains", "Using Jokes as a Way to Tell a Story", and "Reading for Writers".
Teaching Method
Lecture, discussion, workshop.
Evaluation Method
Creative Work (50%)
Short Papers (30%)
Class participation and attendance, including workshop (20%)
Class Materials (Required)
Readings may include work by Jennifer Egan, Isak Dinesen, Joseph Conrad, Henry James, the Gilgamesh poet, Chaucer, Rebecca Curtis, Charles and Mary Lamb, Julia Elliott, and Toni Morrison, Yiyun Li, Rabindranath Tagore, and all will be made available as pdf files.
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: ENGLISH 206-0, ENGLISH 207-0, ENGLISH 208-0, or Department consent.