Advanced Fiction Writing (307-0-20)

Topic

Plotting and Scheming

Instructors

Juan Martinez

Meeting Info

University Hall 018 English: Mon, Wed 12:30PM - 1:50PM

Overview of class

We all read for plot to one degree or another, and we all turn to this particular aspect of narrative in quite a bit of our entertainment: we want to know what happens next. But some of us--maybe quite a few of us--struggle with plot when it comes to our own writing. This course is designed to help you think through the structure of plot in narrative form. We'll cover the history of plot, try to figure out why we like it and need, and we'll also trouble and contest this necessity. You'll learn a series of tricks, but you'll also discover which ones may work best for the type of fiction you like to write. And we'll do it all through a mix of cool theories and writers, weird diagrams and acronyms, plus a lot of our own work: we'll generate a bunch of pieces, including at least one full story, with those two essential narrative questions in mind: What happens next? And what happens after that?

Teaching Method

Lecture, discussion, seminar.

Evaluation Method

Attendance, participation, workshops, short stories.

Class Materials (Required)

Benjamin Percy, Thrill Me: Essays on Fiction (1555977596)

Jane Alison, Meander, Spiral, Explode: Design and Pattern in Narrative (1948226138)

Class Attributes

SoC Humanities and Fine Arts Distro

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: ENGLISH 206-0, ENGLISH 207-0, ENGLISH 208-0, or Department consent.