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Fiction Writing Level 1 (Online)

Unlock your imagination and learn the art of crafting captivating fiction stories in this immersive workshop. Discover the secrets of effective storytelling and gain valuable insights into the human experience. Join us and embark on a journey to bring your stories to life.

  • Beginner
  • 18 and older
  • $464
  • Earn 10% Rewards
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  • Online Classroom
  • 30 hours over 10 sessions

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Start Dates (6)

  • $464/person
  • 30 hours over 10 sessions
  • Price includes $25 Registration Fee.
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  • Mon, Jan 06 at 6:30pm - 9:30pm
  • Mon, Jan 13 at 6:30pm - 9:30pm
  • Mon, Jan 20 at 6:30pm - 9:30pm
  • Mon, Jan 27 at 6:30pm - 9:30pm
  • Mon, Feb 03 at 6:30pm - 9:30pm
  • Mon, Feb 10 at 6:30pm - 9:30pm
  • Mon, Feb 17 at 6:30pm - 9:30pm
  • Mon, Feb 24 at 6:30pm - 9:30pm
  • Mon, Mar 03 at 6:30pm - 9:30pm
  • Mon, Mar 10 at 6:30pm - 9:30pm
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  • Sat, Jan 11 at 2:00pm - 5:00pm
  • Sat, Jan 18 at 2:00pm - 5:00pm
  • Sat, Jan 25 at 2:00pm - 5:00pm
  • Sat, Feb 01 at 2:00pm - 5:00pm
  • Sat, Feb 08 at 2:00pm - 5:00pm
  • Sat, Feb 15 at 2:00pm - 5:00pm
  • Sat, Feb 22 at 2:00pm - 5:00pm
  • Sat, Mar 01 at 2:00pm - 5:00pm
  • Sat, Mar 08 at 2:00pm - 5:00pm
  • Sat, Mar 15 at 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Notes No class: Feb 15
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  • Tue, Jan 14 at 10:00am - 1:00pm
  • Tue, Jan 21 at 10:00am - 1:00pm
  • Tue, Jan 28 at 10:00am - 1:00pm
  • Tue, Feb 04 at 10:00am - 1:00pm
  • Tue, Feb 11 at 10:00am - 1:00pm
  • Tue, Feb 18 at 10:00am - 1:00pm
  • Tue, Feb 25 at 10:00am - 1:00pm
  • Tue, Mar 04 at 10:00am - 1:00pm
  • Tue, Mar 11 at 10:00am - 1:00pm
  • Tue, Mar 18 at 10:00am - 1:00pm
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  • Tue, Jan 14 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Tue, Jan 21 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Tue, Jan 28 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Tue, Feb 04 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Tue, Feb 11 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Tue, Feb 18 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Tue, Feb 25 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Tue, Mar 04 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Tue, Mar 11 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Tue, Mar 18 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
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  • Wed, Jan 15 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Wed, Jan 22 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Wed, Jan 29 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Wed, Feb 05 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Wed, Feb 12 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Wed, Feb 19 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Wed, Feb 26 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Wed, Mar 05 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Wed, Mar 12 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Wed, Mar 19 at 7:00pm - 10:00pm
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Class Description

Description

What you'll learn in this fiction class:

Fiction Writing I is a 10-week workshop, which includes lectures, exercises, and the critiquing of student projects. It’s for beginners or anyone who wants to brush up on the fundamentals. Farther down, you can view a syllabus for this course.

Fiction is a wonderful conjuring act. With only words and the reader’s imagination, a work of fiction can sail across the world in pursuit of a whale, or time-travel to another dimension, or zero in on a few minutes in line at the local bank, enveloping the reader in a made-up story that feels real.

To pull off this feat requires a balance of craftsmanship, daring, and insight into human nature. Here you will learn the time-tested elements of fiction craft and how to market your work.

Whether you seek to write short stories or novels, mainstream or literary, comic or tragic, we’ll show you how to spin your thoughts into believable and spellbinding tales.

This course gives you a firm grounding in the basics of fiction craft and gets you writing a short story (or two) or a novel. 

Course components:

  • Lectures
  • Writing exercises
  • Workshopping of student projects (each student presenting work two times)

Fiction I is for beginners or anyone who wants to brush up on the fundamentals. Students must be 18 years or older.

Syllabus:

  • Introduction to Fiction: The different types and forms of fiction. Where to find inspiration and ideas. The importance of craft.
  • Character: Where to find characters. Making characters dimensional through desire and contrasts. Creating character profiles. Showing vs. Telling. Methods for showing characters.
  • Plot: Finding a major dramatic question. Shaping a beginning, middle, and end. The difference between short story and novel plots. Pros and cons of outlining.
  • Point of View: POV defined. Exploration of the many types of POV.
  • Description: Using the senses. Specificity. Techniques for creativity. Finding the right words. Merging description with point of view.
  • Dialogue: The importance of scene. Dialogue's illusion of reality. Quotation marks and tags. Stage directions. Summarized dialogue. Characterization through dialogue. Subtext. Dialect.
  • Setting/Pacing: Time. Place. Weather. Description of setting. Merging character and setting. How to manipulate time through pacing. Flashbacks.
  • Voice: Voice defined. Exploration of the various types of voice. Tips for finding your voice. Understanding style—syntax, diction, and paragraph length.
  • Theme: Theme defined. Types of theme. Weaving theme into a story.
  • Revision: Exploration of the various stages of revision.
  • The Business: Proper format for manuscripts. How to target publishing houses, literary magazines, and agents. Query letters.

Note: Content may vary among individual classes.

Remote Learning

This course is available for "remote" learning and will be available to anyone with access to an internet device with a microphone (this includes most models of computers, tablets). Classes will take place with a "Live" instructor at the date/times listed below.

Upon registration, the instructor will send along additional information about how to log-on and participate in the class.

Refund Policy

All Classes (except One-day and Zoom Intensives and Write-Ins):

  • For a refund or credit, contact us three business days or more before your class starts. You can either choose to hold a full credit with us good for one year on other Gotham classes OR you can opt for a refund less a $25 administrative fee and your $25 registration fee ($50 total).
  • If you need to withdraw after your class has started (or two business days before it starts), you won’t receive a refund, but you’re welcome to a Gotham credit less the price of Week 1 and your $25 registration fee, but we need to hear from you three business days or more before Week 2 meets for that to happen. After that point, no credits are available.

One-day and Zoom Intensives:

  • You may reschedule a One-day or Zoom Intensive one time, if you notify us two business days before the class begins. After that first reschedule, there is a $25 rescheduling fee.
  • If you notify us three business days or more before your class begins, rescheduling is free. If you notify us less than three business days before your class begins, there is a $25 rescheduling fee. If you don’t notify us until after your class begins, we cannot reschedule you.
  • You may get a refund (minus a $50 fee) if you notify us three business days or more before your class begins.

Write-Ins:

  • If you withdraw 1 business day or more before it begins, you’re welcome to a full credit good for one year toward another Write-In. No refunds are available.
  • If you simply don’t show up and don’t notify us in advance, you forfeit your money.

A few more things:

  • Credits are valid for one year and cannot be changed into refunds down the road.
  • Simply not attending class or notifying the instructor does not mean you've officially withdrawn.
  • Some exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis for medical emergencies with a doctor's note.
  • Refunds take up to six weeks to process.

Please understand, we can't issue a refund after classes have started, even if you miss your first class. Similarly, we can't offer you a credit one day before your second class or after that. We understand that other obligations get in the way of attending class, but these policies allow us to get other interested writers into class early enough to have a good experience, and this allows us to offer our classes at a reasonable price.

Important Notes:

  • Students are allowed to join a class in the second week.
  • Only those who pay the tuition in full can be guaranteed a place in class.
  • Class dates and times may be subject to change. A substitute may be assigned or make-up classes added to the end of the term.
  • Auditing and the recording of classes are not allowed.
  • For all classes, students receive a record of payment and registration.
  • Gotham reserves the right to remove any student at our discretion.
  • Gotham does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age, or marital status.
  • Our courses are not intended to provide instruction that will result in the student's acquisition of occupational skills.

In any event where a customer wants to cancel their enrollment and is eligible for a full refund, a 5% processing fee will be deducted from the refund amount.

Reviews of Classes at Gotham Writers Workshop (746)

(4.4-star rating across 746 reviews)
  • Fiction Writing Level 1 (Online)

    Reviewed by Katie on 9/21/2022
    I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in writing a short story or novel. In my class there were about 15-20 students with varying interest areas and writing experience. The major highlights were the teacher and the critiques. Our teacher, Varud, had a thoughtful perspective and response to nearly every question someone from the class threw at him. Beyond his knowledge and experience, he was incredibly attentive, kind, patient and encouraging. The second big benefit of the class was the critique process, called the "Booth" submissions. Twice throughout the class, you'll submit your work to be critiqued by the rest of the class. Each week, you'll read your classmates works and provide a critique. Both parts of that process are incredibly valuable. If I had to nitpick about things that could've been better - cut the exercises you do with classmates throughout the class and shave about 30-60 minutes off class time. While I got a lot from my classmates when reading their work or listening to their opinions on my writing, the mini exercises peppered throughout class didn't add much for me. Overall, I highly recommend this class to anyone interested in writing fiction!
  • Fiction Writing Level 1 (Online)

    Reviewed by Jessica F. on 5/16/2019
    I loved the lecture material and enjoyed reading the work and comments of my peers. The other students seemed enthusiastic and were very involved which really helped the overall experience. Unfortunately, we were unlucky this semester when the first teacher got sick and the other teacher had to play catch up, then had family issues that further set her back. One of my assignments was never reviewed, even though I followed up weeks later. It is disappointing to put a lot of hard work into an assignment and never receive any comments back from the teacher (this is largely the reason I joined this course). In general, it would be helpful to receive teacher comments in the week the assignment was submitted, before the next assignment is due, so that we can use the feedback to improve the subsequent assignment. I will be taking another course, however! I look forward to it.
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Review Summary by CourseHorse

The Fiction Writing Level 1: 10-Week Workshop is highly recommended by students who are interested in writing short stories or novels. The teacher, Varud, is praised for his thoughtful perspective, knowledge, attentiveness, kindness, patience, and encouragement. The critique process, called "Booth" submissions, where students submit their work to be critiqued by the rest of the class, is seen as incredibly valuable. Overall, students feel that the class helps them improve their fiction writing skills and they look forward to taking more courses. Quotes: 1. "The major highlights were the teacher and the critiques. Our teacher, Varud, had a thoughtful perspective and response to nearly every question someone from the class threw at him. Beyond his knowledge and experience, he was incredibly attentive, kind, patient and encouraging." 2. "The critique process, called the 'Booth' submissions... Both parts of that process are incredibly valuable."

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Gotham Writers Workshop

Gotham Writers Workshop is a creative home in New
York City and Online where writers develop their craft and come together in the
spirit of discovery and fellowship. We’ve been teaching creative writing to
students since 1993.




We believe that everyone has a story to tell.
Indeed, many stories. Keep your...

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