Reading Fiction is a 6-week class, which includes a mixture of lectures and exercises. It’s open to writers (and fans) of all levels. Farther down, you can view a syllabus for this course.
To excel at writing fiction, you must write regularly and also read stories from a writer’s perspective. Painters typically learn their craft by studying the work of masters, and most accomplished writers do the same. Who better to show you the ropes of great fiction than the best in the business?
Each week, students focus on an aspect of fiction craft in relation to a specific story. Like works of fine art, these stories are analyzed from various angles as their secrets are revealed. (The reading consists of five short stories, which are provided, and a current novel, which students must obtain on their own.)
If you seek to elevate your fiction writing, let those who have been there show the way.
This course features the reading of short stories (which are supplied to the class), and a novel in the final week (which students must procure). Course components:
- Lectures
- Writing exercises
Gotham has two separate tracks for Reading Fiction. They complement each other, and many students take both programs, but it makes no difference which one is taken first. If you take one program, then enroll again for Reading Fiction, Gotham will make sure you are placed in the other program.
The topics covered in one track (x), Spheres:
- Week 1
- The Confessional Story: The reader as confidant. Public self, private self. Why the lie? Why the truth?
- Story analyzed: ZZ Packer’s “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere”
- Week 2
- The Humorous Story: Making people laugh. A premise that tickles. Exaggeration and other techniques. Taking humor seriously.
- Story analyzed: TC Boyle’s “Rapture of the Deep”
- Week 3
- The Romantic Story: An air of drama. A romantic world. Dramatis Personae. The hand of the storyteller.
- Story analyzed: Lauren Groff’s “L. Debard and Aliette”
- Week 4
- The Realistic Story: A reflection of life. A realistic world. Real people. What's it all about?
- Story analyzed: Raymond Carver’s “So Much Water So Close to Home”
- Week 5
- The Surrealistic Story: Make believe. Rules of the road. Taking us there. Why surreal?
- Story analyzed: Kelly Link’s “Travels With the Snow Queen”
- Week 6
- The Spheres: Which truth to tell? Elasticity of the spheres. Overlapping of the spheres.
- Novel analyzed: Nick Harkaway’s Tigerman
And the topics covered in the other track (y), View and Voice:
- Week 1
- First Person Point of View: First person POV explored. Using voice in first person. Why it works for this story.
- Story analyzed: Tania James’s “Escape Key”
- Week 2
- First Person Peripheral/Unreliable Point of View: First person (peripheral/unreliable) POV explored. Using voice in this type of first person. Why it works for this story.
- Story analyzed: P.G. Wodehouse’s “Comrade Bingo”
- Week 3
- Third Person Limited Point of View: Third person limited POV explored. Using voice in this type of third person. Why it works for this story.
- Story analyzed: Mary Gaitskill’s “Tiny Smiling Daddy”
- Week 4
- Third Person Serial Point of View: Third person serial POV explored. Using voice in this type of third person. Why it works for this story.
- Story analyzed: George Saunders’s “The Tenth of December”
- Week 5
- Omniscient Point of View: Omniscient POV explored. Using voice in this type of third person. Why it works for this story.
- Story analyzed: Tomiko M. Breland’s “Rosalee Carrasco”
- Week 6
- View and Voice: Other points of view. Considerations when choosing POV. Finding the right voice for a story.
- Novel analyzed: Brian Doyle’s The Plover
Note: Content may vary among individual classes.
About
- The Online classes bring students from all over the globe to Gotham—New York City’s most famous writing school.
- The Online classes happen asynchronously—not in “real time.” You can participate in class any time, day or night, but the classes advance week-by-week, and certain things should be accomplished within that week-long session.
- You can take an Online writing class from anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection. The majority of our Online students are located in the U.S. but we also draw students from practically every country in the world.
- Tech support will be available.
- Aside from the convenience of time and location, you have a record of everything that transpires in class, which you can print out and keep for future reference. (The material is text and image, not video.)
