Great Opportunity: Spring Creative Writing Course, Fiction Writing Workshop

Hi Guys -

I'm very excited to let you know about a new course, Fiction Writing Workshop (ENG276.5672) that I'll be teaching in the Spring. If you're interested in Creative Writing or are looking for a fun elective, give it a look, and feel free to pass along to others who might be interested.

PLEASE NOTE: The catalogue lists Creative Writing (ENN 198) as a prerequisite for this class. HOWEVER, if you are receiving this message, I will waive this prerequisiste and you will be able to enroll. If you wish to enroll and haven't taken ENN 198, send me an email (laura.tanenbaum@gmail.com) so we can set this up.

Thanks, and hope to see you in the Spring.

The description:

*NEW COURSE*

Fiction Writing Workshop

ENG 276.5672

Mondays and Wednesdays, 6-7:30 PM

Distilled moments, chance encounters, the internal thought and the external action, the spoken and the unspoken, the familiar made strange and the strange made familiar: in this class we will explore the boundless possibilities of short fiction. Students will be encouraged to experiment with a variety of forms and techniques, share their work with one another, give and receive constructive feedback, and to take risks throughout the writing and revision process.

We will use a reader containing short fiction (and some creative non-fiction) by a range of writers with diverse backgrounds and styles, including Jorge Luis Borges, Dorothy Allison, Sherman Alexie, Jamaica Kincaid, John Dos Passos, Raymond Carver and Miranda July. We will use these writers as inspiration, as idea-generators and as the jumping off point for a variety of writing projects.

We will undertake writing exercises and games that explore such elements of fiction as character, dialogue, description, plot, time, and place, using techniques and elements including collage, found texts, observation, chance, and collaboration. Throughout we will focus on multiple and overlapping elements of the writing process, with a special emphasis on the various possible approaches to revision.

All students will have the opportunity to have selected work published in a chapbook that will be created by the group. We will also discuss other opportunities for publication.

Please feel free to contact me at Laura.tanenbaum@gmail.com with questions.