Where does good fiction come from? And how do writers work with their material in ways that make it powerful and transcendent for a reader? Inspiration—from memory, experience or the expanses of the imagination—is only the starting point to your most interesting, unique storytelling. What follows is an intentional engagement with elements of fiction like point of view, place, plot, structure, and more. This class will take a look at these elements by studying the approaches of classic and contemporary fiction writers. We’ll also explore them through in-class writing prompts and short take-home assignments, and each student will have the chance to workshop a complete short story or novel excerpt with the whole group.