Student comments | FAQs | Register | Contact | Mailing list

This is a noncredit, online writing class through UW-Madison Continuing Studies.

Deepening Fiction: Advanced Story Technique

Produce publishable stories by deepening your fictional craft. Expand your fictional toolkit in this 7-part course for experienced writers. Learn how the inner lives of your characters bring out the tension in your plot, discover surprising uses of first- and third-person perspectives, and see exactly what it takes to find your true “voice.” You’ll receive detailed lessons full of practical advice, and you’ll have the chance to see the concepts at work in example readings from short-story masters like Hemmingway, Wolff, and Updike.

Each lesson culminates in an exercise, so students put techniques directly to practice and receive individualized feedback—prompt, professional, and supportive responses from your instructor, Lori Devoti. And because Deepening Fiction is an entirely e-mail-based course, you can write at your own pace and submit each lesson whenever you like.

Lessons:

1. Complicating Characters: How Inner Lives Fuel Better Conflicts
   
2. Re-imagining Perspective: Subjectivity and Objectivity in the 3rd Person
   
3. Re-imagining Perspective: Surprise in the First Person
   
4. Voice Lessons: Discover and Develop Your Narrative Style
   
5. The Hills Are Alive: Setting as Character
   
6. Fits Like a… Tightly Crafted Metaphor
   
7. Unstoppable Story Momentum

With standard Level 1 registration, you’ll receive each lesson and specific, one-on-one feedback on your written exercises. With Level 2 registration you’ll receive all of these benefits, and your course will culminate in an additional bonus critique of a complete story (up to 2,500 words).

How it works

You can start our writing workshops anytime, and there are no required hours to log on. It's all done with one-on-one correspondence with the instructor using email. We have writers from around the world participating in our workshops, and we have success stories. A lot of great writing gets accomplished via email. Because of the one-on-one nature of our workshops, you'll find them an excellent "coaching" or mentoring situation that will keep you going. And if you want to just work on your own-hey, that's fine too. Of course you can do the suggested exercises on your own without the feedback if you'd rather do that. We're also here throughout the year if you have questions.

Your instructor

Lori Devoti has joined us as a teacher for “Deepening Fiction.”

Lori Devoti is the multi-published, multi-genre author of urban fantasy, cozy mystery, young adult, paranormal romance and romantic comedy novels. She is a member of Novelist Inc., a group exclusive to professional writers and is owner of the How to Write Shop, an online source of articles on the craft and business of writing. Lori has had over a dozen works published by major publishers, and is also pursuing the new avenues open to authors in today’s digital world.

Lori is the recipient of the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for The Witch Thief, the Best Harlequin Nocturne of 2012.

She has a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri: Columbia and worked in the newspaper industry for many years before becoming a novelist.

For more information on all of Lori’s works and links to her articles at the How to Write Shop, visit her website.

Costs

Level 1 - standard course and exercises - $159
Level 2 - course, exercises, and bonus 2,500 word critique - $195

CEUs:  2.0 earned at level 1; 3.0 earned at level 2.

How to register

Online: Register now online with our secure server.

Mail: Print and mail our registration form.

Telephone: Call 608-262-2451 or toll-free 800-725-9692 to register. Our phone is answered M-F, 7:00 am-4:30 pm Central Time. At other times please leave a message, and we will return your call.

Your contact

Your contact for more information about Deepening Fiction: Advanced Story Techniques is Laura Kahl, 608-262-3982, lkahl@dcs.wisc.edu.

For more information about online learning contact Lori O'Neill at 608-263-6322 or toll-free 877-336-7836 or email LSAonline@dcs.wisc.edu.

Also of interest

Explore other online writing classes.

The same writing staff that bring you these great online classes also provide individualized writing critique services. Learn more by visiting our writing critique services web page.

 

Subscribe to the Writing News, our free e-mail newsletter and 3-4 times a year you will receive a detailed e-mail with information about our upcoming writing programs, and news about student achievements or opportunities for writers. To subscribe send a blank join-writing-news@lists.wisc.edu.