5 Thursdays, April 22-May 20, 7-9:30 p.m.
$185 members/$215 non-members Berkeley
NOTE: See “Special Package Deal” at bottom
You’ve already taken at least one “intro to fiction” class (either here or elsewhere), so you’re familiar with the basics of craft — strong plot, good characters, attention to details and specifics. You know your story needs a beginning, middle, and end. But how do you put this knowledge into practice? And what more does your story need? What special something must be drawn out in order to make it meaningful to people other than you? “Each story is unique and has its own special needs,” says Jamey Genna. “Writing a story outline or first draft can be a fulfilling experience, but once you’ve gotten that far, you’ve got to start digging deeper and ask yourself, Have I truly tapped into the heart of my story?”
In this class you’ll dig deeper and get closer to finding the heart of your stories. “Writing isn’t about feeling intimidated by . . . or superior to . . . your classmates,” says Jamey. “It’s about jumping in, getting ideas and words onto the page, and then discussing those words with other like-minded souls. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll read short handouts on craft, then dive right in and do our own writing. Everyone will bring in at least one story or story excerpt for group feedback and discussion.”
Jamey Genna received her masters in writing from the USF, where she is also a major projects advisor. Her short fiction has been in many literary magazines including Storyglossia, Cutthroat, Dislocate, Shade, Pinyon, and Georgetown Review. Her short story “Stories I heard when I went home for my grandmother’s funeral” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her collection of fiction Nobody Has to Die for It to Tell You Something was both a finalist for the Ontario Prize and a semifinalist for the Iowa Prize. Her collection of short-short fiction I’ll Tell You That Story in a Minute was a finalist for the 2007 Elixir Press Chapbook Awards.
Special Package Deal: Take this class along with Elaine Beale’s Novel Writing workshop, and get both classes (two 5-week classes back-to-back) for the price of a 9-week class. This discount applies only if you choose the “Fiction Writing/Novel Writing ‘Combo’ option” when you register.
Read testimonials for Jamey’s classes HERE