Thesis Workshop

This advanced fiction workshop is for Creative Writing majors, minors, and MAPH students and other advanced students working on a substantial fiction project. It will be primarily a workshop class and all students are expected to enter this course with a story collection, a novel, or a novella already in progress, ready to be submitted and critiqued. The class will stress narrative arc and different kinds of conflict, though we will also discuss such fundamentals as POV and narrative distance, voice, character development, structure, setting, and dialogue as needed, in order to best shape a given work toward the writer’s own vision of that work. Keep in mind that writers don’t work in a vacuum—we should have a strong sense of how our own work fits in with the work of other writers. Each student will also be expected to make several short presentations.

Day/Time: Monday, 10:30-1:20 PM

This course is for Creative Writing majors, minors, and MAPH students and other advanced students working on a substantial fiction project. In workshop discussions, we'll read and critique student work with an eye toward solidifying what you've learned and produced in previous writing courses. The fundamentals of storytelling and prose writing are evergreen, but that doesn't mean we can't question, refine, and even throw them out if needed. There will be a handful assigned readings for this course, but most of the outside reading will be chosen by you. Everyone picks and distributes stories, novel excerpts, etc. that have in some way inspire or inform their current creative projects. You'll then present, lead disccusion, and write short critical essays on your choices. A chance to build on the work you've done, and to explore what comes next.

Day/Time: Wednesday, 1:30-4:20 PM (Please note time change)

In this thesis workshop in fiction, students will write and revise thesis projects, completing either short stories or chapters of a novel. We will explore how to write, structure, and revise work that is propulsive, character-driven, and lyrical. The creation of compelling characters, unique narrative voices, and frank, polished prose will be our goal. Readings include work by James Baldwin, Edith Wharton, Ha Jin, and Akhil Sharma as well as individualized reading lists.

Day/Time: Thursday, 11 AM-1:50 PM

This thesis workshop is for Creative Writing majors, minors, and MAPH students and other advanced students working on a substantial fiction project. All students will begin with a manuscript they are developing, whether a story collection, a novel, or an unknown entity. The focus of this thesis workshop will be on deepening the narrative. We’ll ask ourselves this question: How does the story transcend itself? In other words, is this narrative about more than the specific situation depicted? We’ll discuss and develop methods of surfacing the ideas and conceits that may already be embedded within the piece, but not yet within grasp. To that end, we will consider re-sequencing certain scenes, proportioning out the narrative differently, and developing certain characters more fully. Readings will consist primarily of contemporary fiction. We will also consider the writing processes of other authors. Students will be expected to present on their own personal, non-literary influences.

Day/Time: Wednesday, 12:30-3:20 PM
 

This advanced fiction course is for BA and MA students writing a creative thesis or any advanced student working on a major fiction project. It is primarily a workshop, so please come to our first class with your project in progress (a story collection, a novel, or a novella), ready for you to discuss and to submit some part of for critique. As in any writing workshop, we will stress the fundamentals of craft like language, voice, and plot and character development, with an eye also on how to shape your work for the longer form you have chosen. And as a supplement to our workshops, we will have brief student presentations on the writing life: our literary influences, potential avenues towards publication, etc.

Day/Times: Tuesday 2-4:50 PM