“Fiction is the truth inside the lie,” one writer has said, and you've surely heard the famous saying, “Truth is stranger than fiction.” There's great writing on both sides of the fiction/nonfiction line, and we're going to read as much of it as we can over the next few weeks. Along the way, we'll explore a range of literary techniques essential to both fiction and creative nonfiction, including setting, structure, and characterization, often by considering a particular theme. We’ll examine a number of essays in the service of defining the boundaries of “creative” nonfiction. We will also examine what makes fiction feel “true” and what techniques we can employ to write it. These two genres can teach us a great deal about each other. Success in this workshop depends on your participation, in- class and take- home writing assignments, critiques of your peers' work, and consistent dedication to the process of revision. With all that, we will create a workshop experience in which you can push your boundaries as a writer and emerge with new work and new ideas.
- Teacher: John McIntyre