AUT - Masterclasses with Stephanie Johnson
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Masterclasses with Stephanie Johnson
Perspective, Tense and Dialogue
These are aspects of writing novels and short stories that many writers wrestle with. We’ll discuss the strengths and weaknesses of various perspectives and tenses available, including the shifting perspective. We’ll look at the placing of dialogue in prose and do some exercises in writing descriptive passages. Students will talk about the perspective and tense they are intending to use in their novels/short stories.
Hooking the Reader In
We’ll look at some opening paragraphs of famous novels from the nineteenth century through to contemporary ones. During the seminar we’ll do some exercises in what could be opening paragraphs using the classic opening of setting the scene; beginning with dialogue or a letter. We’ll share the opening paragraphs of the novels/short stories the students are working on and discuss them.
The Moral Landscape
This class will take the shape of a philosophical discussion about the function of literature, the role of the writer in shaping culture and whether or not it is still important – as it was in the Western tradition for centuries - to elevate and illuminate human nature. We’ll look at the notion of heroes and anti-heroes and perhaps venture into the minefield of ‘cultural appropriation’.
Structure and Plot
Is it wise to plan before you write? Or should you just, as Pinter once famously said: ‘Follow the clues’? Students will look at characters in their works-in-progress and develop possible plot lines suggested by the character and the period. We’ll identify working structures to carry the plot forward and write some possible chapter bases.
Drawing to a Conclusion
Endings are famously difficult. How do you know when the story is finished? Are you just fiddling while Rome burns? Is it necessary to tie everything up with a neat bow? How much do you leave to the readers’ imaginations? We’ll look at some well-known novels and see how the writers finished them; as well as discussing the endings students are wrestling with.
Research
How to do it and how to use it. Do we have to stick to the facts when writing historical fiction, for example? Students will discuss how they could go about finding out facts relevant to the works-in-progress, why it’s important to them to know, how the information will support the narrative.