Phase 1
Craft
Week 1 — Introductions
Tue Jan 20
Class Introduction: Let's Make Art!
Thu Jan 22
The Harmony of Craft: The Six Un-Yet-Shakable Tendencies
Exercise: Introduce yourself via a story.
Week 2 — Parts of Story: POV
Tue Jan 27
1st Person Point of View
Read: Bird by Bird pp. xi–79; "Car Crash While Hitchhiking" by Denis Johnson (GC)
Exercise: Write a first-person passage where the narrator knows something now that the character didn't know then.
Thu Jan 29
3rd Person Point of View
Read: "Victory Lap" by George Saunders (GC); "Hills Like White Elephants" by Hemingway (GC)
Exercise: Using third person limited, show a character's struggle. Then, using third person objective, do the same.
Week 3 — POV Continued + Narrative
Tue Feb 3
2nd Person + Voice
Read: "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang (GC); "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid (GC)
Exercise: Write a 2nd or 3rd person story exploring voice as a vessel for meaning.
Thu Feb 5
Narrative Structure / Movement
Read: Bird by Bird "Plot Treatment"; "Plotting" by John Gardner (GC); "Emergency" by Denis Johnson (GC); "The Great Silence" by Ted Chiang (GC)
Exercise: Experiment with structure — try flash fiction or non-linear narrative.
Week 4 — Character + Narrative
Tue Feb 10
Characters and Characterization
Read: "Simple Past Present Perfect" by Aaron Hamburger (GC)
Exercise: Create a character through their actions and contradictions.
Thu Feb 12
Character + Voice continued
Discussion: Psychic distance, multiple perspectives, voice as vessel.
Week 5 — Art of Criticism Current Week
Tue Feb 17
Constructive Criticism
Read: Bird by Bird "False Starts" / "Someone to Read Your Drafts"; "Stripping Trees" + critique (GC)
Exercise: Prepare your workshop manuscript for next week.
Thu Feb 19
Constructive Criticism (continued)
Read: "Ten Thousand Islands" + critique (GC)
Exercise: Prepare your workshop manuscript.
Phase 2
Workshop
Week 6
Tue Feb 24 WORKSHOP
Thu Feb 26 WORKSHOP
Week 7
Tue Mar 3 WORKSHOP
Thu Mar 5 WORKSHOP
Week 8
Tue Mar 10 WORKSHOP
Thu Mar 12 Individual Conferences — sign up for a slot
Spring Break — March 16–20 — No Class
Week 10
Tue Mar 24 WORKSHOP
Thu Mar 26 WORKSHOP
Week 11
Tue Mar 31 WORKSHOP
Thu Apr 2 WORKSHOP
Week 12
Tue Apr 7 WORKSHOP
Thu Apr 9 WORKSHOP
Phase 3
Revision
Week 13 — What Is Revision?
Tue Apr 14
Revision as Transformation
Read: "Calling for His Name" and "The Name Means Thunder" (GC)
Exercise: Detail changes between drafts and explain why the writer made them.
Thu Apr 16
Revision continued
Week 14 — Peer Work
Tue Apr 21 Workshop with Peer
Thu Apr 23 Portfolio Workday
Week 15 — Final Week
Tue Apr 28 Final Portfolio Workday
Thu Apr 30 Last Day — Portfolio Due