Reading Fiction operates as a 6-week instructional program incorporating both formal lectures and practice activities. The course welcomes writers at all skill levels, as well as fiction enthusiasts. A comprehensive course syllabus is available further below for your reference.
To achieve excellence in fiction writing, you must commit to consistent writing practice and simultaneously study published stories from the perspective of a practicing writer. Just as visual artists traditionally apprentice by studying masterworks, most successful writers follow a comparable path of learning from the finest works in their field. Who better to guide you through the essential elements of exceptional fiction than those recognized as leaders in the industry?
Each week, participants concentrate on a particular fiction writing element through the detailed analysis of a specific published story. In the manner of celebrated artworks, these narratives are examined from multiple interpretive angles as their literary techniques are illuminated. The reading material consists of five provided short stories plus one contemporary novel, which students should obtain independently.
Should you aspire to enhance your fiction writing abilities, allow accomplished writers to illuminate your path forward.
This program includes the study of short stories (supplied as course materials), and one novel examined during the final session (students are responsible for acquiring this text independently). Program components comprise:
- Lectures and textual analysis
- Practical writing exercises and craft activities
Gotham offers two distinct curricula for Reading Fiction. Though designed to complement one another, and many students undertake both, the sequence of enrollment is flexible. Should you complete one program and register again for Reading Fiction, Gotham will ensure your placement in the alternative program.
The subjects covered in the first track (x), entitled Spheres, include:
- Week 1
- The Confessional Narrative: Examining reader intimacy. Presentation of public and private identity. The function of deception and revelation
- Featured story analysis: ZZ Packer's "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere"
- Week 2
- The Comic Story: Crafting humor and audience engagement. Creating premises that surprise and amuse. Methods, including exaggeration and related techniques. Understanding the craft of comedy
- Featured story analysis: TC Boyle's "Rapture of the Deep"
- Week 3
- The Romantic Story: Building narrative intensity. Constructing a romantic fictional universe. Character development and dramatic framework. The writer's deliberate artistic choices
- Featured story analysis: Lauren Groff's "L. Debard and Aliette"
- Week 4
- The Realistic Story: Representation of human experience. Creating an authentic fictional world. Portrayal of genuine characters. Narrative meaning and thematic significance
- Featured story analysis: Raymond Carver's "So Much Water So Close to Home"
- Week 5
- The Surrealistic Story: Imagination and invention. Establishing fictional conventions. Creating fantastical worlds. The purposes of surrealism
- Featured story analysis: Kelly Link's "Travels With the Snow Queen"
- Week 6
- The Spheres framework: Selecting appropriate truths for storytelling. Flexibility and interconnectedness between narrative spheres. Overlapping and integration of multiple spheres
- Novel analysis: Nick Harkaway's Tigerman
The second track (y), titled View and Voice, addresses these topics:
- Week 1
- First Person Point of View: Examination of first person perspective. Utilization of voice in first-person narration. Why first person succeeds in this particular narrative
- Featured story analysis: Tania James's "Escape Key"
- Week 2
- First Person Peripheral or Unreliable Perspective: Investigation of first-person (peripheral or unreliable) narration. Voice technique in this variant of first person. Effectiveness of this approach in the selected work
- Featured story analysis: P.G. Wodehouse's "Comrade Bingo"
- Week 3
- Third Person Limited Point of View: Analysis of third-person limited narration. Voice development in this narrative mode. Why this perspective functions effectively in the analyzed story
- Featured story analysis: Mary Gaitskill's "Tiny Smiling Daddy"
- Week 4
- Third Person Serial Point of View: Examination of third-person multiple viewpoint narration. Voice methodology in serial third person. How this approach serves the narrative
- Featured story analysis: George Saunders's "The Tenth of December"
- Week 5
- Omniscient Point of View: Study of omniscient narration. Voice implementation in omniscient perspective. Application and effectiveness in this particular story
- Featured story analysis: Tomiko M. Breland's "Rosalee Carrasco"
- Week 6
- Narrative Perspective and Voice: Alternative perspectives and narrative modes. Strategic considerations in perspective selection. Development of distinctive voice for your narrative
- Novel analysis: Brian Doyle's The Plover
Please note that course content may vary by individual class section.
Program Overview
- Online instruction connects participants from diverse global locations to Gotham, an internationally recognized writing instruction center in New York City.
- The Online format operates asynchronously rather than synchronously, meaning it does not occur in real-time. You may engage with course material at any point during the day or night; however, the curriculum progresses on a weekly schedule with specific milestones to accomplish within each seven-day period.
- Online writing instruction is accessible from any location with internet connectivity. The majority of our Online student population resides within the U.S., but our enrollment extends to students across virtually every nation worldwide.
- Technical support services are available as needed.
- In addition to schedule flexibility and location independence, you maintain comprehensive documentation of all class materials, which you may preserve in printed format for ongoing reference. All course materials are presented in text and image formats rather than video content.
