Beginning Your Novel
Fall 2007

Current week

Good Luck in Your Writing!


 

Updated December 11, 2007

Last class is December 10, 2007

 


Edith Konecky

 


Doris Lessing Won the Nobel Prize for Literature!

 

 

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Writers we lost in 2007: Grace Paley, Kurt Vonnegut, Tillie Olsen

 
This page has the latest version of the syllabus, other information, materials, and links for students in
Beginning Your Novel, Fall 2007, at NYU with Meredith Sue Willis . It also has links to articles by the instructor, Meredith Sue Willis: "Dialogue: The Spine of Fiction" (article by MSW about editing and revising) "The Business of Books, by André Schiffrin"  reviewed by Meredith Sue Willis (about the status of publishing). To read some online fiction by Meredith Sue Willis, go to: "The Two Lindas" or "How She Chose the Day," Cick here for more fiction online by Meredith Sue Willis.
Presenters: check here for when you will be presenting. Bring copies one week before.
Resources for writers: Resources.
Books about writing: Bibliography.  
Some quotations about writing.
Click  here for changes.
Typical novel lengths: click here.
Article about fiction writing by Walter Mosley.
Marketing
Articles about publishing:
 

Schedule of Topics and Assignments


Beginning Your Novel    NYU X32.9355   Fall 2007
School of Continuing and Professional Studies-- New York University
Instructor: Meredith Sue Willis -- Email: MeredithSueWillis@gmail.com
Sept. 24—Dec. 10 Mondays 6:20-8:40 PM
No Class October 8 No class November 12
Norman Thomas Center – Room 640


The text for this course will be the assignments and presentation pieces of the other students plus occasional online readings and hand-outs. You are expected to attend all classes, as the course is planned around your critiques and discussion. Students who attend and complete all of the assignments should finish the course with an outline and up to fifty pages of a novel. Most sessions will include in-class writing.

 

1. 9-24. Introduction. True Stories of Real Writers; process and product; story, plot, and architectonics. What fiction does that movies can't. Fiction as the art of doing many things at once. The importance of the concrete. Image below left is James Agee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. 10-1. Assignments due-- Write: The first time a character visits a place in your novel– describe the place using all five senses. In class topic: Description using concrete language based in the senses. Read "The Dead" by James Joyce (image to the right). The story can be found online here.


No Class October 8–Columbus Day

 

 

 

3. 10-15. Assignments due:  If you haven't done it yet, Read: Mr. Slope, Alice, Dave Rivers, and characteristics list .    Read: the article on scene and the sample demonstrating how to punctuate thoughts in third person writing.  Write: The first appearance in your novel of a character who is not the main character. Emphasize physical description using concrete details based in the senses, but don't just describe for the sake of description. Feel free to include dialogue, action–whatever you'd like.

 

4. 10-22. Assignment due-- Write: Another appearance of the character in the previous assignment but from the middle of your novel. Have this scene reveal more about the character through action and dialogue. Read: these examples of scene versus summary (showing versus telling.)  Be sure you've read the material on dialogue tags, logistics, the article on scene , and the sample demonstrating how to punctuate thoughts in third person writing. There is material on Point of view at Matching quiz and Point-of-View samples.  You may want to take a look at an article on using  present tense in fiction.
In class topic: Point of view.

 

 

 

5. 10-29. Assignments due: Read: the instructor's article on dialogue "Dialogue: The Spine of Fiction"   and the classic short story, "The Necklace," to which I refer in the article on dialogue. Write: a passage with dialogue and conflict. Conflict can, of course, be overt, subtle, interior, etc.

In class topic: Using time: flashback, jump-cut, etc.   Take a look at flashback.   The Presenters for November 5 should bring copies of their work for everyone to read.

 

During the second half of the course, members will present passages from their novels for critique. Please bring enough copies for each member of the class and the teacher one week before your presentation. Please sign notes you write to the other students. If you do any editing, you might want a list of proofreader's marks. See Proofreaders' Marks.

 

 


6. 11-5. Assignments due--  Write a passage inside a character's head.  This can be internal monologue, stream of consciousness, internal third person (also called "the reflector"), or other. The character may be simply thinking, or the thoughts may be happening while the character is doing an action. If you haven't already, read http://www.meredithsuewillis.com/materials.html#dwight for an example of a character thinking. Also look at  free indirect speech, and see long-short & close-up, logistics and an interesting example of flashback. In class topic: Marketing/Publishing: For further information, go to the resources page, and in particular to the links in the left hand column for: Agents, Articles of interest to writers, online places to submit fiction, Book Doctors & Private Editors, Book Publishers (small), Copyright , Literary Agents, Markets for Literary Fiction, Printers: Recommended book producers (not publishers), Publicizing Your Book , and ; more online resources for writers.

Presentations by class members.

 

 

 

No Class November 12–Veterans' Day

 

7. 11-19. Assignments due-- Write: A complete scene from your novel. Read: "Cocktail Hour" by Edith Konecky.In class topic: Outlining pro and con. Presentations by class members.
 
8. 11-26. Assignment due-- Write: An outline of your novel. The outline might be chapter titles, scene treatment, flow chart, webbing, etc. Read: Review of  "The Business of Books, by André Schiffrin"   by the instructor.   In class topic: Structuring Your Novel
Presentations by class members.
9. 12-3. Assignment due--Write: A revision of any scene or passage in response to suggestions. Please turn in the original version with notes for comparison. Homework won't be accepted after this date. If you didn't read it yet, read a review of  "The Business of Books, by André Schiffrin"  by the instructor.   Just for fun: Here's an interesting article about  fiction writing by Walter Mosley and some quotations by famous writers about writing. Also, here is a short discussion of the lengths of prose works.
In Class Topic: Revision exercises and discussion.
Presentations by class members
10. 12-10.   Presentations by class members.   Bring a paragraph of your novel to read aloud. Farewells!.
 

 

 

All assignments should be PART OF YOUR NOVEL. If you already have a substantial number of pages drafted, you may substitute any short section for regular assignments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10- 29       

11-5         Linda DeLaurentis

11-12       No Class   

11-19       Linda DeLaurentis

11-26       Kyle Frisina

12-3         Idelis Sotomayor , Gun Garel

12-10       Kavita

                  Kyle,

                  Linda

 

 

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