How Writers Write Fiction 2016: Storied Women

This Massive Open Online Course is now closed. Access the course materials for free here: http://www.distancelearningiwp.org/fiction16

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October 11-November 21, 2016: The International Writing Program at the University of Iowa opened a new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on fiction writing, centered on female authorial voices and female literary characters. This online course was offered completely free to all participants and welcomed writers of all genders.

Instructors

This MOOC was taught by Margot Livesey, Professor at the Iowa Writers' Workshop and author of seven novels and one short-story collection; and Christopher Merrill, Director of the International Writing Program, Professor of English at the University of Iowa, and author of six collections of poetry, five works of nonfiction, and many works of translation.

MOOC Description

How Writers Write Fiction 2016: Storied Women brought together beginning and experienced writers for the study and practice of writing fiction. Class videos, readings, and writing assignments invited new writers to experiment with the creation of fictional characters, scenes, and stories. Advanced writers were challenged to examine their convictions and to refine and expand their craft. Centering on character - the characters created by women writers and the female characters created by all writers - this MOOC led participants through a progressive study of how authors from around the world approach each aspect of writing fiction, from voice and dialogue to plot and narrative structure.

The contributing authors, who shared their craft principles and lent their advice to aspiring writers during the class videos, hail from the countries of Guyana, Indonesia, Israel, Mauritius, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa, and the United States, among others.

The MOOC's teachers, who worked directly with the participants online regarding the class videos, readings, and writing assignments, are alumni of the Iowa Writers' Workshop with substantial publication records and exceptional teaching expertise.

Happening Now

  • A fall harvest of book reviews coming in: of The Others by Sarah BLAU (translated from the Hebrew by Daniella Zamir); of LO Yi-Chin’s Farewell, translated from the Chinese by Jeremy TIANG; of Véronique TADJO’s In the Company of Men…

  • A fascinating interview with IWP’s Senior Advisor, professor Peter Nazareth, retired from UI’s English Department in spring 2021, after nearly five decades of teaching.

  • Word reaches us that poet HU Xudong  胡续冬, who also taught comparative and world literatures at Peking University (Beida), specializing in Latin American literatures, passed away unexpectedly. RIP, Hu Xudong…

  • We note with sadness the passing of Hiroshi SAKAGAMI 坂上 弘, whose long novelistic career garnered him major literary and cultural honors. A former president of the Japan Writers’ Association, he was until his retirement also the director of Keio University Press.

  • The poetic documentary Songs Still Sung: Voices from the Tsunami Shores, written and co-produced by Takako ARAI and creatively subtitled into English by a class of UI students of Japanese, will be screened at the prestigious Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, on-line 10/7-14/2021.

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