CLASSES
Graduate School in a Box: $450 / 8 consecutive weeks
(GSIB) Also know as Essentials of Fiction Writing, this is a class for writers coming to creative writing after years in the business, legal, or academic world. You know how to write; you’ve done it your whole life, but fiction is a different ballgame. Or maybe you’ve written creatively for years, are halfway through a novel, but never actually learned — or perhaps want to review — the fundamental techniques of fiction writing.
Each week, we’ll explore a key aspect of fiction writing, doing brief exercises that allow participants to better understand how to apply these techniques to their own work. We’ll look at how to create three-dimensional characters who “seem to breathe on the page” (yes, there are specific techniques and rules to guide writers); we’ll discuss what constitutes plot (and no, you don’t have to have it figured out before you begin); we’ll discuss point of view and why it’s essential to all writing, look at how and when to write flashbacks; review the essential ingredients of good dialogue, and more. Each class will cover years of creative writing “lessons” distilled into what is essential for every writer to know.
Participants will be given a short assignment each week, sent as PDF attachments in email, and must complete the assignment by the following week. If the writer is currently working on a project — a novel or story — these assignments can be used to develop the writing of that specific project. Maribeth will offer feedback on each assignment.
Assignments in Fiction I or II: $450 / 8 consecutive weeks
"[Writing is] like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." - E.L. Doctorow
(ASF I or II) A tutorial for writers who have taken Graduate School in a Box (which introduces key concepts in fiction writing) and want to continue learning new techniques to use in fiction. It’s also a tutorial for those who have embarked on a novel or short story and find themselves stuck, not sure where to go next. Each week in this tutorial, writers will be given an assignment (with examples from a work of contemporary fiction) that helps develop character or plot and also helps the writer hone a key skill crucial to fiction writing. One assignment might ask you to develop your character’s backstory, another might ask you to write a scene where your character is angry (how does one write anger?), another might ask you use summarized dialogue rather than actual dialogue (a terrific writing tool!) Each assignment helps the writer discover new aspects of her story. Many published writers have incorporated these assignments into their finished novels and stories — and we’ll look at a few of those examples, too.
Participants receive weekly assignments (sent as PDF attachments in email) and must complete the assignment by the following week.
Novel Mentorship: $450 / 8 consecutive weeks
(NM) A tutorial for those who have completed two of the prerequisite classes (“Graduate School in a Box” and at least one of the “Assignments in Fiction I / II”). You are now ready to step away from the assignments and exercises and just write the novel you’ve been developing. There are no assignments in this class beyond writing up to 2000 words a week, which you’ll send to Maribeth for critique. Each week you’ll decide if you want to move forward to the next scene or chapter or revise the previous week’s work. You’ll work for eight weeks, then decide if you want to continue for another eight.
Questions?