This is not a course for beginning fiction writers. Just as one should never attempt a marathon before training at shorter distances, it is not wise to attempt a novella or novel without extensive experience in short fiction. It is presumed, then, that students are familiar with the fundamentals of fiction writing, of dramatizing experience, and creating a 'fictional moment'. For although we will pay attention to all dimensions of fiction, emphasis will be placed on those problems which arise from length -- how one orders a longer sequence of events, how one manipulates a larger cast of characters, how one retains a sense of unity and identity within the diversity which characterizes most novels.

Text: Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, Jeannette Winterson

Prerequisites:

ENGL 383 or 484