Instructor: Claire Messud
Wednesday, 3:00-5:45pm | Location: TBD
Enrollment: Limited to 12 students
Course Site
In this course, we will explore the evolution of a story from a factual anecdote or incident to a fictional creation. The aims of the semester are to learn to listen to someone else’s story in interviews, and to endeavor to find, from there, the necessary bones for a fictional narrative. What is most urgent? What is most emotionally affecting? What are the details from an interview that stay with you? And from there: what, from a broader account, is the story you are moved to relate? Once you make that choice, how do you do further research, if necessary? How do you select the point of view, the frame, the characters for your fiction? What are the ethics and responsibilities of these choices? We will read work by writers who have transformed fact into fiction, some of whom will visit the class. Past visitors include Geraldine Brooks, Akhil Sharma, Amity Gaige, Meng Jin and Paul Yoon. No previous fiction-writing experience is required for this class.
Supplemental Application Information: Admission by application only. Please submit a brief letter explaining why you're interested to take this class, and, if you've a subject in mind, why it's interesting to you. There is no prerequisite for this course: all who are interested are welcome to apply. For your writing sample, submit 2-5 pages of creative work of any genre. If you haven't written creatively before, you might consider writing a brief character sketch or memoir piece.
Apply via Submittable (deadline: 11:59pm ET on Saturday, November 4)