English 426 - Writing the Novella

An advanced writing workshop devoted to the reading and writing of novellas.  We will study such novellas as Samantha Lan Chang’s Hunger, Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Ted Chiang’s The Story of Your Life, and Danielle Evans’ The Office of Historical Corrections, in order to get a sense of the parameters and scope of this in-between form.  Students will write up to ten pages per week with the aim of composing and revising a work of 70-80 pages by the end of the semester.

Requisite: A previous fiction-writing workshop.  Limited to 12 students.  Fall semester. Professor Frank.

How to handle overenrollment: Students will be asked to submit a letter detailing their writing experience so far.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: emphasis on readings, written work, artistic work, and workshopping.