Fall 2006

E 385N • CREATIVE WRITING: WORKSHOP IN FICTION

Course Description

This course will focus on expanding students' fiction writing skills with special emphasis on character development; plotting; narrative point-of-view; descriptive writing; and prose style. Students will receive exercise assignments designed to stimulate and sharpen their skills in these areas. They will also work on their own stories and/or novels. Short stories and novel excerpts by established authors will be analyzed and discussed. Students will be encouraged to read widely. A basis of literary taste will be established. Attention will be paid to creativity itself, with emphasis on recognizing and exploiting the unpredictable activity of the imagination. Students will be encouraged to develop self-editing skills. The working habits of productive writers will be discussed.

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