Welcome. Consider this course an immersion in the world of the short story. It will be, for most of you, your introduction to the craft of fiction writing, and will involve intensive practice, not just in writing, but in reading and talking about stories. Through your work this semester, we will pursue three deceptively simple questions: What is a story? What makes a story "work"? And what can make a story work better? By term’s end, you will have acquired--I hope--both an understanding of the fundamentals of fiction craft, and an appreciation of the short story as the vibrant and varied narrative form that it is.

REQUIRED books: (1) Micro Fiction, Jerome Stern; (2) Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft, Janet Burroway.

GRADING: Your course grade is based on a 400-point total: 350 to 400 = A; 260 to 349 = B; 160 to 259 = C; 60 to 159 = D; 0 to 59 = F. Points are derived as follows: 10 or so writing exercises (200 pts); one 6-10 page story (120 pts); participation in class via discussion and study questions (60 pts); and a one-page written response to a literary reading on campus (20 pts).

writing: There will be a writing exercise just about every week, designed to examine some particular aspect of fiction craft. There will be assigned study questions just about every week, exploratory prompts to engage your thinking about stories under discussion that week.

ASSignment formats and due dates: All writing in this course must be typed and double-spaced with 1" margins all around. Please proofread your work. Include the course number and my name on all work. I do not accept late assignments; see the Course Outline for assignment due dates.

attendance: Attendance is mandatory. Each absence costs you 10 points.

Thu, Jan 12 Introduction.

Tue, Jan 17 Ex 1 due (2-Pg Character Catalog).

Thu, Jan 19 read Micro Fiction.

Tue, Jan 24 Micro Fiction (cont’d). Ex 2 due (100-Word Story).

Thu, Jan 26 Read Burroway 2. Read Williams, Kincaid, Tallent.

Tue, Jan 31 READ Burroway 3. Ex 3 due (Object Description).

Thu, Feb 02 READ O’Brien, Oates.

Tue, Feb 07 READ Burroway 4. Ex 4 due (1-Pg Character Monolog).

Thu, Feb 09 READ Robison, Baxter.

Tue, Feb 14 READ Burroway 5. Ex 5 due (2-Pg Dialog Scene).

Thu, Feb 16 READ Hemingway, Bausch.

Tue, Feb 21 READ Burroway 7.

Thu, Feb 23 READ Burroway 8. Read L’Heureux, Butler, Gen.

Tue, Feb 28 READ Burroway 6 (209-218, on Time). Ex 6 due (2-Pg Scene Take 2).

Thu, Mar 02 READ Burroway 6 (198-209, on Place). Read Wolff.

Tue, Mar 07 READ Burroway 9. Ex 7 due (Landscape, Exterior).

Thu, Mar 09 READ Chang, Johnson.

Mon-Fri, Mar 13-17 Spring Break - no class

Tue, Mar 21 READ Burroway 1. Ex 8 due (2-Pg Scene Take 3).

Thu, Mar 23 READ Lamott. Ex 9 DUE (Landscapes, Interior).

Tue, Mar 28 read Burroway 11. Ex 10 due (2-Pg Scene Take 4).

Thu, Mar 30 read Painter. Read Atwood (in Burroway 2).

Tue, Apr 04 no class.

Thu, Apr 06 Story due.

Tue, Apr 11 Workshop A: discuss Stories 1-2.

Thu, Apr 13 Workshop B: discuss Stories 3-4.

Tue, Apr 18 Workshop A: discuss Stories 5-6.

Thu, Apr 20 Workshop B: discuss Stories 7-8.

Tue, Apr 25 Workshop A: discuss Stories 9-10.

Thu, Apr 27 Workshop B: discuss Stories 11-12.

Tue, May 02 Workshop A: discuss Stories 13-14.

Thu, May 04 Workshop B: discuss Stories 15-16.