Fiction

“What makes a story compelling?” asks instructor Andy Touhy. “More importantly, what are the ways to make it compelling? In this workshop, we’ll begin to really think about how to tell a good tale (short story or novel)... more

“Anne Lamott may have coined the phrase ‘Bird by Bird,’ but I like to think of writing stories as similar to building a house,” says instructor Rob Williams. “You don’t build it in a day, you build it Brick by Brick ... more

When we read good stories they tend to endure in our hearts as touchstones that enrich our understanding of the world. We’ve all had the experience of reading something we like and wondering how the author developed such a breathtaking idea, with such compelling characters, and brought it to fruition... more

“Everyone, at every level,” says instructor Andy Touhy, “needs a second pair of eyes, a guiding hand, and an array of re-visioning techniques when it comes to next steps with raw or overcooked material." So in this five-week course, we’re going to have a re-vision party... more

How short can a story be? Consider Ernest Hemingway’s six-word classic: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." A tale told quickly can offer untold riches, which swell inside a reader long after the telling... more

You’ve spent hours alone wrestling with your fiction and now you’re craving some constructive, insightful feedback from a supportive group of fellow writers. It’s time to dip your toe into the workshop... more

One of the first decisions we must make as we begin a new story is about what point of view (POV) we will narrate from. Do we want the intimacy (and restrictions) of 1st person? The perceived credibility (and distance) of 3rd person? Or the flexibility (and navigation issues) of 3rd person-close ... more

In order to write, one must read constantly, observe the world well, and take seriously the craft of writing. During this five-week course, we will focus on the last of these, the craft of writing... more

Big things can come in small packages—their own perfect beauty tied to their size. The short short story is literary proof that great fiction can come in a small package ... more

“Good writing is about empathy—how writers understand their characters and how the reader comes to share that understanding,” says instructor Cary Groner. “This course is designed to develop that empathy through exercises and assignments, then strengthen the writer’s craft through drafting and revision of a story... more