Jennifer Hurley, Assistant Professor of English

English 108: Writing Short Fiction - Spring 2009

This is a hybrid class: Five in-person meetings (Tuesday nights at the Ohlone College Newark Center), the rest of the coursework will be done online.

Instructor: Jennifer Hurley (jhurley@ohlone.edu).

Week One: Getting Standard

How do writers find their stories? What specific methods can be used to gather material and jumpstart the creative process?

Week Two: Character

What makes us like, dislike, or care about a character? How do writers make their characters compelling to a reader?

Week Three: Plot

What is plot, anyway? What constitutes a successful plot? Do stories require a plot?

Week Four: First Person Point of View and Dramatic Monologues

What are the advantages and disadvantages of first person POV? What are the different types of first person narrators (uninvolved observer, unreliable narrator, etc.)? How can dramatic monologues be useful in creating an effective first person narrator?

Week Five: Other Types of Point of View (Third, Multiple, and Second)

What is the difference between an “up-close” third person limited POV and a distant one, and what are the effects of each? When can a writer use multiple POV or second person POV? Is third person omniscient appropriate for short fiction?

Week Six: Description

Why is description so important to a story? What makes a piece of description effective?

Week Seven: Voice

What is the “voice” of a story? Why is it important how a story sounds?

Week Eight: Setting and Pacing

Where are you, and how fast are you going? When do you speed up the action in a story? When do you slow down and linger? How do you begin and end a scene? What is the “rule of thirds” and how does it apply to short fiction?

Week Nine: Theme

What is your story actually about? What are some common themes in fiction? What are the “best” stories about?

Week Ten: Style

What are the various elements of style (word choice, length and variety of sentences, use of imagery/dialogue)? What are some innovative ways that fiction writers are using style? How can writers improve their style?

Week Eleven: Revising Your Work

What is the process of revising a piece of fiction? How does a writer know when a piece is “done”?

Week Twelve: Developing a Unique Voice

What topics, themes, and styles have become cliched? How does a writer avoid cliches and develop a fresh, unique voice? How does a writer avoid imitating other writers?

Week Thirteen: Publishing Your Work

Where should fiction writers submit their work for publication? What is the process of preparing and submitting a manuscript?

Weeks Fourteen-Fifteen: Putting It All Together

Now, how do you “forget” everything you’ve learned and just write?