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Advanced Fiction Writing: The Novella

ENGL 115.302
instructor(s):
W 2-5:00pm

A novel can provide a writer with endless space, and while that may be freeing or daunting, there is a common misconception that because one is writing a ‘novel,’ the story must be ‘epic’ and thus long. In this course, students will explore the medium of the novella. A novella is defined as a long story or a short novel. It an ideal form in which an narrative can expand without compromising elements of craft. How can we efficiently create a sense of world and fullness? How can we capture character in the lightest of brushstrokes? Lean prose is something students will study and learn to adapt in their own writing. Students will be expected to read six novellas and to participate in weekly workshop. Authors will include Joyce, Spark, Hempel, Murata, Torres, and Kaysen. Course requirements are a novella outline, a novella draft of approximate 40-50 pages, and final revisions. The course will mainly focus on literary fiction, and while aspects of speculative fiction are welcomed, fantasy may be difficult to accommodate. Please reach out to the instructor if you have any questions or need further clarification. Permit from the instructor is required. Please send email a 5-10-page writing sample, ideally of fiction, to weikewang01@gmail.com.  

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