I’ve been starting novels for the past twenty-five years. In that time, I’ve learned that the way I approach the task has a profound influence on whether or not I’ll finish the book. This class will share concrete strategies for getting a novel started, from setting to character development to structure and theme. If you’re working on a first novel (or second or third), or if you’ve simply got an idea for one, this class will help you get it off the ground.
What makes a great sentence? The answer depends on what it’s trying to do. I’ll talk about the five basic tools available to fiction writers –Action, Description, Exposition, Dialogue and State of Mind — and how they work together to bring stories to life on the page.
is the author of seven books of fiction — most recently, Mercy Street. Her books have won the PEN Hemingway Award, the Massachusetts Book Award and the PEN New England Award in Fiction, and have been published in eighteen languages. A Guggenheim fellow and a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, she teaches in the MFA program in creative writing at Boston University. Find her online at www.jennifer-haigh.com