“Good artists borrow, great artists steal.” This immersive course, meeting over two Saturdays, will explore the implications of this statement for anyone interested in fiction writing. (And no, we’re not talking about plagiarism.) We’ll examine how models such as newspaper headlines, fairy tales and myth, short-story classics, and non-narrative forms such as recipes and to-do lists can supply practical solutions and inspiration to our fiction writing. We’ll look at such stories as “The Bloody Chamber,” “Good People,” and “What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank” in which Angela Carter, David Foster Wallace and Nathan Englander “steal” from fairy tale, Hemingway, and Raymond Carver respectively. We’ll analyze elements of craft and voice as ways to navigate the risks of parody and imitation, and identify the ways in which writers make “stolen material” fresh. Using prompts, students will do legitimate “stealing” of their own. This workshop gives a fresh and intriguing way of uncovering new material for fiction writers.
Scheduled class sessions will take place at 1663 Mission St., Ste. 602, San Francisco, CA, 94103 (classes to take place either in the Mezzanine level or in Suite 602; building access and parking details will be sent to registered students prior to class start date). Proof of vaccination and masking will be required, and all San Francisco health mandates will be followed. Please note that this class may be moved to a virtual format closer to the start date depending on the public health situation.