Writing Your Novella or Short Novel

Instructor: Christopher Candice

Start Date: January 10

Meets: Thursdays 6pm-10pm

Location: LARC 213

Class Type: Craft, Literature, & Workshop

FIRST ASSIGNMENT: 
1. Read in John Gardner's The Art of Fiction pages 3-38.
2. Read in Octavia Butler's Bloodchild and Other Stories the essay "Furor Scribendi" (pages 137-147).
3. Read in Octavia Butler's Bloodchild and Other Stories the short story "Speech Sounds" (pages 87-110).
4. Write a 1-2 page response (typed, 12 point font, double-spaced) to each reading assignment, on the topic of your choosing. These responses are fairly informal - I'm just looking for initial reactions, ideas or associations, or analysis that can help to generate a discussion about the readings.

Course Numbers & Descriptions:

IMF 53900 ADV STUDIES CONTEMPORARY FICTION
This course is an in-depth study of foundational craft elements for writing fiction. Topics include: characterization, point-of-view, plot/structure/narrative, style, and voice. Class components include: theory and application through creative writing exercises, focused discussions of applicable novels and novellas, short writing surveys, and student collaborations. Fulfills foundations class requirement for students declaring a Fiction emphasis for the MFA in Writing degree.

IMF 54100 SPECIAL TOPICS FOCUSED WORKSHOP
This course is an intensive fiction writing workshop in which each student will produce several pieces of original work and submit them to the class for analysis, close reading, line editing, discussion of theme and content, and suggestions for revision. Workshop pieces will be submitted in professional format for any genre of short fiction.

IMF 53705 SELECTED EMPHASES IN FICTION: THE LONG STORY & NOVELLA
This course is an intensive survey and analysis of foundational contemporary literary and genre fiction and its authors, including the study and practice of close-reading techniques. Authors studied will include emerging fiction writers currently publishing important works, as well as contemporary masters in the field of both the literary and genre short novel and novella. This course is highly recommended for students declaring a Fiction emphasis for the MFA in Writing degree.

Textbooks:

Election by Tom Perrotta
Publisher: Berkley (1998)
ISBN: 978-0425167281

You Were Never Really Here by Jonathan Ames
Publisher: Vintage; Media Tie In edition (March 20, 2018)
ISBN: 9780525562894

The Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
Publisher: Vintage; Reprint edition (October 7, 2014)
ISBN: 978-0345806871

You Should Have Left by Daniel Kehlmann
Publisher: Pantheon (June 13, 2017)
ISBN: 978-1101871928

Snow White by Donald Barthelme
Publisher: Touchstone; First Edition edition (May 30, 1996)
ISBN: 978-0684824796

Bloodchild and Other Stories by Octavia Butler
Publisher: Seven Stories Press; 2nd edition (October 4, 2005)
ISBN: 978-1583226988

True Grit by Charles Portis
Paperback: 240 pages
ISBN: 978-1590204597

The Art of Fiction by John Gardner
Publisher: Vintage; Reissue edition (June 4, 1991)
ISBN: 978-067973403