Department of English

The scene—a contained moment or event that takes place within the larger structure of a story, essay, or piece of long-form prose—is a fundamental building block of creative writing. In this workshop-style class, we'll focus on both fiction and nonfiction techniques with an emphasis on how to write well-paced scenes with sharp dialogue and compelling action. Students will participate in weekly scene-writing exercises and also learn how to weave scenes together to form complete short stories and personal essays. Weekly assignments will include critiquing the work of fellow students and reading selected stories and essays.