C R E AT I V E W R I T I N G The Past Is Never Past: Writing History-Based Fiction T o paraphrase L.P. Hartley, the past may be a foreign country, but it is a country we all love to visit. Recent bestselling novels have found their stories in World War II, pre–civil rights Mississippi, and the court of Henry VIII. The historical novel is reaching new heights—and audiences. In this hands-on course, you will plot and begin writing a historical novel of your own. Our approach will be systematic. For the first few weeks, we will look at what constitutes great work, examining books as varied as Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient and Walter Mosley’s Devil in a Blue Dress to see how these authors successfully handle plot, theme, place, and characterization and to discuss what makes these novels work and why they remain so press- ingly relevant to our time. During this same period, we will employ research and plotting techniques to begin writing the first chapter of our novel. Finally, we will share our chapters in workshop to get feedback on what works and what doesn’t. By the end of the course, you will have completed a chapter of 10 to 25 pages and have a foundation for the longer work. de bor a h joh nSon Author Deborah Johnson’s novel The Secret of Magic received the 2015 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction. Her previous novel, The Air Between Us, received the Mississippi Library Association Award for fiction. She worked in Rome for many years as an editor and translator and as a broadcaster at Vatican Radio. She is completing a new novel, a ghost story about the beginnings of rock and roll set in 1950s Mississippi. FICT 38 W 10 weeks, June 26 – September 1 3 units, $955 Limit: 17 Refund Deadline: June 29 Course Format: Flex Online Novel Writing for Absolute Beginners M any have been struck by a great idea for a novel; fewer have sat down to actually write it. This class invites the aspiring novelist to take their first plunge into long-form storytelling, breaking novel writing down into approachable and nonintimidating narrative elements. It’s for writers who’ve started and abandoned one too many stories and for those with a dozen great ideas they’ve never quite committed to paper. We’ll work on how to move from inspiration to a fleshed-out, usable concept to a gripping first chapter and beyond. We’ll troubleshoot issues that often make writers want to abandon a first draft—from characters who don’t behave the way we want to unwieldy plots, low stakes, and lackluster scenes. We’ll study our individual writing habits (plotting versus pantsing, discovery drafts, when and how to process critiques) with an eye toward making the most of how each writer writes best. We’ll read one craft book and one short novel. In the first five weeks of the course, students will work on developmental exercises, planning their novels; in the last five weeks, students will submit portions of their beginning novel (up to 1,000 words per week) to small groups for light and constructive peer and instructor feedback. This course is open to all aspiring novelists; no prior fiction writing experience is required. l au r e n k at e Author Lauren Kate is the author of nine novels, including The Orphan’s Song, the Fallen series, the Teardrop series, and The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove. Her books have sold over 10 million copies worldwide and have been translated into more than 30 languages. The feature film Fallen was released in the US in 2017. Kate received an MA in creative writing from UC Davis and is a former acquiring editor at HarperCollins. NVL 42 W 10 weeks, June 26 – September 1 3 units, $955 Limit: 17 Refund Deadline: June 29 Course Format: Flex Online 57 R EGIS T R AT IO N F O R AL L C O UR S ES B EGINS ON MONDAY, MAY 22, AT 8:30 A M (P T ) R EGIS T ER O NL INE AT C O NT INUINGSTU DIES.STA NFORD.EDU