How to register | FAQs | Contact | Join mailing list

This is a noncredit, online writing classes through UW-Madison Continuing Studies.

Deepening Fiction: Advanced Story Technique

Produce publishable stories by deepening your fictional craft. Expand your fictional toolkit in this 7-part course for experienced writers. Learn how the inner lives of your characters bring out the tension in your plot, discover surprising uses of first- and third-person perspectives, and see exactly what it takes to find your true “voice.” You’ll receive detailed lessons full of practical advice, and you’ll have the chance to see the concepts at work in example readings from short-story masters like Hemmingway, Wolff, and Updike.

Each lesson culminates in an exercise, so students put techniques directly to practice and receive individualized feedback—prompt, professional, and supportive responses from your instructor, Lori Devoti. And because Deepening Fiction is an entirely e-mail-based course, you can write at your own pace and submit each lesson whenever you like.

Lessons:

1. Complicating Characters: How Inner Lives Fuel Better Conflicts
   
2. Re-imagining Perspective: Subjectivity and Objectivity in the 3rd Person
   
3. Re-imagining Perspective: Surprise in the First Person
   
4. Voice Lessons: Discover and Develop Your Narrative Style
   
5. The Hills Are Alive: Setting as Character
   
6. Fits Like a… Tightly Crafted Metaphor
   
7. Unstoppable Story Momentum

With standard Level 1 registration, you’ll receive each lesson and specific, one-on-one feedback on your written exercises. With Level 2 registration you’ll receive all of these benefits, and your course will culminate in an additional bonus critique of a complete story (up to 2,500 words).

How it works

You can start our writing workshops anytime, and there are no required hours to log on. It's all done with one-on-one correspondence with the instructor using email. We have writers from around the world participating in our workshops, and we have success stories. A lot of great writing gets accomplished via email. Because of the one-on-one nature of our workshops, you'll find them an excellent "coaching" or mentoring situation that will keep you going. And if you want to just work on your own-hey, that's fine too. Of course you can do the suggested exercises on your own without the feedback if you'd rather do that. We're also here throughout the year if you have questions.

Costs

Level 1 - standard course and exercises - $159
Level 2 - course, exercises, and bonus 2,500 word critique - $195

Register anytime.

Your contact

Your contact for more information about Deepening Fiction: Advanced Story Techniques is Laura Kahl, 608-262-3982, lkahl@dcs.wisc.edu.

For more information about online learning contact Lori O'Neill at 608-263-6322 or toll-free 877-336-7836 or email LSAonline@dcs.wisc.edu.

Also of interest

Explore other online writing classes.

The same writing staff that bring you these great online classes also provide individualized writing critique services. Learn more by visiting our writing critique services web page.

Subscribe to the Writing News, our free e-mail newsletter and 3-4 times a year you will receive a detailed e-mail with information about our upcoming writing programs, and news about student achievements or opportunities for writers. To subscribe send a blank join-writing-news@lists.wisc.edu.