CPW612
The Finish Line: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers
You've typed the last words and printed your manuscript. After years of hard work, your novel or story collection is ready—almost. Today’s publishing world is highly competitive. How can you make your work stand out? This course will give you the adrenaline burst you need to take one last fresh look at your manuscript and improve its chances.
We'll analyze your personal writing process so that you can work with your strengths. Using practical in-class techniques, we'll deconstruct your story, add what’s needed, cut what isn’t, strengthen the plot, and polish the prose.
We'll compare a sample of your original version with the revised version in a final in-class reading. At the end of the four-week course, you'll have the tools you need to revise any piece of fiction, as well as some helpful hints on how to deal effectively with feedback from editors.
To the first class, please bring the first eight to 10 pages—typed and double-spaced—of either a short story or a novel you have written.
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This course is available at the following time(s) and location(s):
| Section | Session(s) | Date/time* | Campus | Instructor(s) | Cost | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPW612-VA1131 | 4 | Wednesdays April 3–24, 2013 6:30–9:30 pm |
Van | Caroline Adderson | $360 | Closed |
* This course involves 12 instructional hours.
What will I learn?
By the end of the course, you will be able to do the following:
- Recognize your personal writing process and fine-tune your prose
- Accept constructive feedback on your writing
- Identify problems with the ordering and pacing of a plot
- Identufy a weak fictional ending and define and write a successful one
- Analyze the plot of your story or novel and reorder it for chronological, psychological, or dramatic effect
- Cut material from your story or novel that slows the pace, repeats, or tells instead of shows
- Use the suggested techniques to rewrite the opening to your story or novel
- Add the details and action that bring fiction to life
- Write a successful scene using effective dialogue
- Give a formal reading of your revised piece of fiction
How will I learn?
- Lectures
- Class discussions
- In-class exercises
- Extra reading
- Independent take-home assignments
How will I be evaluated?
You will receive feedback on your writing.