W401 5457 ALYCE MILLER
Advanced Fiction Writing

1:00p-2:15p TR (15 students) 3 CR.

PREREQUISITE: W301 (or equivalent) and a strong interest in writing fiction. Above section requires permission of instructor. Obtain authorization from BH 442.

Interested students should submit no more than 20 pages of their best fiction and a letter of application (no more than one single- spaced page) to the instructor. In the letter of application, please include the following: your name and email address and local phone number, names of previous courses (including names of previous instructors and the grades earned), any pertinent information about your background in fiction writing and workshop experience, reasons for wanting to take the course, and anything else you want to tell me about your interest in the class. Application material should be placed inside a 9x12 manila envelope, with your name and email address, and the words “W401 Application” clearly marked on the front, and submitted to the instructor (mailbox is in BH 442). Applications to the fall class should be submitted as early as possible in the preceding spring semester. They are reviewed as they come in, and students are notified by email on a continuous basis of acceptance. The early bird gets the worm. Application materials are not returned, so keep copies!

Students accepted by the instructor into the class must then obtain authorization from the undergraduate secretary in the English department. Please do this immediately. No student can register without this authorization.

English W401 is an advanced workshop in fiction writing. It is assumed everyone is familiar with the traditional workshop format and giving and receiving constructive criticism. Workshops are self- generating and require the active participation and preparation of every member. Attendance is required. There will be a fair amount of reading and discussion of works by contemporary writers, in addition to the written critiques and your own creative work. Creative work includes writing two “stories of length” for formal workshop discussions, and writing weekly short-shorts which we will read aloud (expect to write around 40 pages of creative work). The short- shorts are fun and instructive, and some of the best writing often comes out of these assignments. Because there is limited space in the class, please determine in advance if you have schedule conflicts or other reasons that would prevent you from making a full commitment to the class.

Reading prerequisite: It is assumed all students in the course have already closely read Janet Burroway's Writing Fiction, and are familiar with basic craft terms and some familiarity with contemporary fiction writers. Please note this course is intensive in both reading and writing.