W381 emphasizes the study of the techniques used in the writing of
fiction, including narrative point of view, narrative distance, plot,
characterization, setting, and tone, as well as the structural
elements of forms such as realism, magic realism, and metafiction.
Students will write both critical responses to the course readings as
well as a series of creative exercises illustrating their ability to
use the specific narrative techniques studied.  The course is
designed for, but certainly not limited to, students interested in
creative writing.

Probable texts will include a mix of critical works (Aspects of the
Novel, by E. M. Forster; The Art of Fiction, by David Lodge; and
others), novels (White Teeth, by Zadie Smith; The Sound and the Fury,
by William Faulkner; Time’s Arrow, by Martin Amis; others), and short
story collections (Lost in the Funhouse, by John Barth; At the Bottom
of the River, by Jamaica Kincaid; The Murphy Stories, by Mark
Costello; others).