In this class we will spend time on the basics of good storytelling, how the key elements of character, plot and setting create a memorable narrative – but also, importantly, how stories shape and are shaped by the medium of the message. This is a discussion-based course designed to teach you how to read like a writer, to develop your own literary tastes and preferences, and to find your narrative voice. We will study a range of modern and contemporary short stories (and the occasional novel excerpt, a film, and some pop music) to understand the technical elements that stitch stories together, such as point of view, plot, character, and dialogue. Our thinking will be guided by short essays on the craft of writing. We will also consider more abstract elements such as voice, mood, and impact, and we will reflect on how fiction is able to invoke wonder, humor, alarm, fascination, and more. Once we’ve understood the technical elements of storytelling, we will turn our attention to authors who bend these elements in unexpected ways and tell stories in unconventional forms.
