‘The Art of Short Fiction’ introduces you to short fiction by a range of writers
– some very well-known and others less so. Each week we will combine close
readings of one or two stories with consideration of theoretical and critical
perspectives on the genre. We will also allow time for in-seminar writing
exercises and a chance to critically assess (and improve) this work.
Seminars are, of course, compulsory but it especially important that seminar
attendance is consistent as the writing exercises require a strong group ethic
and a supportive ethos.
Writing exercises each week need to be kept together in a portfolio that will
be the focus of discussions in the last week of term and provide inspiration as
well as material for your assessed piece of work.
Assessment: 2,000 words of fiction; 1,500 critical essay.
The short stories for discussion will be drawn form a variety of sources with
online versions wherever possible. In preparation for the course, the best
thing to do is to read widely in the short story form. There are numerous good
anthologies that you could begin with. For example, you may wish to use the
following (this isn’t a text we will use during seminars, but it is highly
recommended for further reading):
The Art of the Short Story: 52 Great Authors, Their Best Short Fiction, and
Their Insights Into Writing, eds, Dana Gioia & R.S.Gwynn.
Critical Essays will be drawn from a range of sources, including the following
collection:
The New Short Story Theories, ed., Charles E. May.
In some weeks, I will also recommend chapters from Amanda Boulter, Writing
Fiction: Creative and Critical Approaches. We will also draw on chapters from
Shlomith Rimmon-Kenan, Narrative Fiction.
Writing on writing – There are many excellent books on creative writing. For
example:
The Creative Writing Coursebook, eds., Julia bell & Paul Magrs.
Writing Fiction, Linda Anderson & Derek Neale.
Vacation reading: Please read the Introduction to The New Short Story
Theories, edited by Charles E. May and Mary Louise Pratt’s essay, ‘The short
story: the long and the short of it’, also in that collection.
Dip into as many anthologies of short stories as you can and select a story
that you particularly like or dislike and come to the first seminar with a short
extract from the story (no more than two or three sentences) and 500 words of
notes in which you reflect on the ways that the story you have chosen works
(or not) as a short story. This will provide the basis of the introductory
seminar. Finally: keep a note of any ideas that your vacation reading sparks in
relation to stories that you might like to write.
A full course outline and reading list will be provided at the start of term and
will be put on SyD.