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Winter 2009 Workshops at Writers & Books FictionCrash Testing the Novel
In this workshop, you will meet once a month and bring portions of your novel-in-progress to read aloud in class. It does not matter what stage of development your work is in: first draft, final draft, or anything in-between. Each session, you will have an opportunity to crash-test pages of your book in front of an enthusiastic, dedicated, supportive audience of fellow novelists. The instructor will guide group critique sessions focused on various elements of the novel such as character development, dialogue, plot, pacing, style, and the subtleties of what separates published prose from “This work does not meet our needs at this time.” Formerly the Year-Long Novel Critique Workshop, this class will be offered quarterly throughout the year. Class size is limited, but additional sessions may be added to accommodate more students if necessary.
Advanced Fiction A
This workshop is designed to help experienced writing students take their fiction to the next level. Character, plot, narration, dialogue, voice, theme, and everything else that goes into the best fiction will be discussed. Participants will have the opportunity to critique and be critiqued in a supportive atmosphere. Participants are expected to have some workshop experience or some practice at writing fiction.
Course Cancelled “Shut up and drive,” she said: A Dialogue Workshop
Good dialogue makes characters in a story sound like real people talking, yet no one in real life talks like a character, even in the best novels. This seeming contradiction can be explained by examining the attributes of good dialogue. This workshop will offer a combination of lectures, readings, and exercises (mostly exercises) designed to help you write dialogue that both sounds good and moves your story forward.
Writing Sex Scenes
A sex scene isn’t about the sex, but about the emotion the characters are experiencing. It’s an action scene and should have purpose. It should move the story and the characters forward. Many writers wonder about how far they should go in a sex scene. Should it be a closed door scene? What kind of language should you use? What should you show? Do you even need a sex scene? How can you create sexual tension without sex?
Book Done Yet?
The one question that every writer dreads is, “Book done yet?” Hardly any successful writer ever completes a book in one draft. Most go over their manuscripts innumerable times editing and rewriting until it is the best it can be. Sometimes they delete whole scenes and write new ones, spruce dialogue or tweak a character’s arch. This class will take you through a checklist and offer some tried-and-true tools for making the rewriting process less painful.
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing Workshop
Science fiction stories—in print, audio, and on the big screen— are more popular than ever. Whether you are interested in writing short stories or novels, this workshop will guide you through the challenges of writing tales of science fiction (that extrapolate upon existing scientific theory) and fantasy stories (that are true departures from reality). Learn all about the genres and sub- genres that make up this thriving literature, as well as how to market your work to appropriate publishers. Participants are expected to bring to class at least a first draft of a short story or one chapter of a novel to share with the group for constructive in-class critique sessions.
Fiction in a Flash: or How to Write War and Peace in Three Paragraphs
Short-shorts are in style, short-shorts are sexy, short-shorts are sizzling hot—even with the literary mags! We’re flash fiction, micro-fiction, skinny fiction, miniscule fiction, postcard fiction— fast and furious (snap,snap,snap). There’s no mystery to it. If you are to compete in the publishing market, you must think small. Retro-fit those loping shaggy- dog stories, those inter-galactic tales, those monstrous family sagas spilling out of your computer like pancake batter to the needs of the market. The class will focus on your manuscripts, from production to submission.
Storyboarding for Fiction Writers
Storyboarding is an often-overlooked weapon in the fiction writer’s arsenal. It can be invaluable in planning a work or critiquing a completed draft. The instructor will explore various ways to establish a storyboard using paper or software, and examine ways to ensure that a story has a well-plotted arc, thematic coherence, a clear through-line, and adequate character development.
Beginning (and Intermediate) Story Writing
You’ve always wanted to write fiction but have not known where to begin. This class will examine the basic principles and techniques of fiction that everyone new to fiction writing needs to know: Point-of-view, dialogue, plotting, and character development. Learn to dig into your own cache of memories and experiences for story material, train your ear for authentic dialogue, and learn the mechanics of creating a scene.
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