ENG 307 · Spring 2026

Writing Fiction

"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" — Robert Browning

About the Course

This course deepens your involvement with the practice and craft of writing fiction. We read extensively. We write intensely. You'll be asked to think about how things happen in fiction, to analyze technique, and discuss effects. You will be encouraged—and expected—to work outside your comfort zone.

The Six Un-Yet-Shakable Tendencies

Voice Point of View Character Plot Setting Theme
"Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass."
— Anton Chekhov
"Anybody who has survived childhood has enough material to write for the rest of their life."
— Flannery O'Connor
"All of writing is a huge lake. There are great rivers that feed the lake, like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. And there are trickles, like Jean Rhys. All that matters is feeding the lake."
— Jean Rhys
"Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final."
— Rilke
"There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein."
— Red Smith

"The good piece of writing startles the reader back into Life."

— Joy Williams