Break out of traditional, realist narrative norms and workshop models, and experiment with new fiction tools including language, perspective, voice, and structure.

In each session, one instructor will share a piece of fiction with nontraditional techniques and break down how it works, as well as provide generative prompts for how students may apply similar techniques in their own fiction. In the workshop session that follows, we will workshop individual students’ fiction submissions with this process adapted from the Liz Lerman Critical Response Process. We will ask the writers what their aesthetic intentions are and brainstorm ways to help them achieve that. Students will leave the workshop with new tools to shape their fiction in exciting, unconventional ways.

Live video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it).

In this workshop you’ll learn:

• How to play with structure, voice, and form
• How to give and ask for more productive feedback
• New perspectives on what fiction can look like

Time requirements

• 3-4 hours or so of pre-work before each session. Students should send short pieces to be workshopped at least 1 week prior to the workshop start and read the work of their peers before each session. Instructors will also provide short readings before each session.

Materials

• All reading materials will be provided.

Who should take this workshop?

• This workshop is designed for fiction writers looking to experiment with and expand their grasp of nonconventional tools.

If you need an accommodation for this workshop, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.