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Berkeley Global
Continue to explore the craft of writing fiction, focusing on the short story. Examine the form’s intricacies of plotting, narrative voice and personal style. Class sessions include instructor-led critiques of your work and focus on improving your ability to edit and revise your stories. Enrollment is limited to 18.
Course Outline
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Course Objectives
- Identify the elements necessary to make a wide range of short stories successful.
- Convey through diagrams and explanations what makes a particular story successful.
- Use what you have learned—including the complex and unconventional choices authors make about plot, setting, point of view, etc.—in your own rough drafts.
- Learn to give and receive good feedback based on the craft elements you have learned, a skill essential to taking your writing to the next level.
What You Learn
- The shape of fiction
- Dialogue
- Pacing
- Shapes and patterns
- The pitch
- Storytelling
- Character, climax and the moral center
- Point of view
- Story diagram
- Revision
- Manuscripts and feedback
How You Learn
- Lectures/modules
- Reading assignments
- Videos
- Writing assignments
- Discussion participation
- Writers’ workshop
- Final manuscript
Is This Course for Me?
This course is a natural next step in honing your writing skills, if you have already completed Introduction to Writing Fiction ENGLISH X464 or the equivalent. Lectures and in-class exercises focus on the short story; however, if you are primarily interested in working on a novel, you can still benefit greatly.
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Fall enrollment opens on June 20!
Thank you for your interest in this course!
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Once a section for this class is available, we will email you with enrollment information.
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This course applies to the following programs:
Interdisciplinary Writing Program
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Individualized Study Plan
- Effective Writing in the Workplace
- Writing for Social Media
- Grammar, Mechanics and Usage for Editors
- Journalism Workshop
- Science Writing
- Writing the Feature Story
- Introduction to Public Relations Writing
- Writing and Editing Internship Program
- Editorial Workshop I: Introduction to Copyediting
- Writing Skills Workshop
- Writing Creative Nonfiction
- Creative Nonfiction Workshop
- Developing the Memoir
- Developing the Memoir II
- The Craft of Reading
- The Craft of Writing
- Exploring Creative Writing
- Introduction to Writing Fiction
- Intermediate Fiction Writing
- Advanced Fiction Writing
- Developing the Novel
- Screenwriting: The Art of Visual Storytelling
- Poetry Workshop
- Poets Studied and in Conversation
- American Fiction
- Great Novels You Always Meant to Read
- Mystery Fiction
- Shakespeare
- Editorial Workshop II: Intermediate Copyediting
- Advanced Editorial Workshop
- Indexing: Theory and Application
- Technical Communication I
- Technical Communication II
- Technical Communication III: Information Design
Certificate Program in Writing
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Required Courses
Electives (Literature)
- American Fiction
- Contemporary Voices: Speaking From the Margins
- Fact or Fiction: Reading and Writing the Personal Essay
- Great Novels You Always Meant to Read
- Great Writers Steal: How the Work of Other Writers Can Inform and Inspire You
- The Handmaid’s Tale: Writing Dystopia, the Female Gothic and Social Commentary
- Mystery Fiction
- Re-envisioning the Past Through Historical Fiction
- Shakespeare
- Short-Story Masterpieces
- Meet the Writer: Guided Study and Discussion With Fiction Writers
- Ursa Minor Production Class
Electives (Writing Workshop)
- Exploring Creative Writing
- Introduction to Writing Fiction
- Intermediate Fiction Writing
- Advanced Fiction Writing
- Writing Genre Fiction: Science Fiction, Mystery, Romance and More
- Mystery Writing
- Developing the Novel
- Screenwriting: The Art of Visual Storytelling
- Screenwriting Workshop
- Writing and Appreciating Poetry
- Poetry Workshop
- Poets Studied and in Conversation
- Writing Creative Nonfiction
- Creative Nonfiction Workshop
- Developing the Memoir
- Developing the Memoir II
- Journalism Workshop
- Science Writing
- Writing the Feature Story
- Writing and Editing Internship Program
Courses of Related Interest
Notes
Departmental contact: extension-letters@berkeley.edu | (510) 643-8916Instructional Types
- Live Online
- Live Online courses provide an interactive learning experience with scheduled synchronous online sessions held via Zoom video conferencing (Pacific Time). Learn more about the Live Online format.
- Online, Start Anytime
- Continuous enrollment course begins when you enroll. You have a minimum of 90 days and a maximum of 180 days to complete the course.
- Online, Fixed Date
- Enroll in this course by its start date and complete it by its specified end date. There are no live sessions, but plenty of opportunities to collaborate with your classmates and instructor.
- Classroom
- Take classes in-person at one of our buildings or partner locations.
English Language Proficiency Requirements
All of our courses are taught in English. If English is not your first language, please use the following test scores as guides in order to be successful:
- TOEFL: 90
- IELTS Academic Format: 7
- DAAD: C1
- TEM-4 or TEM-8: Level 70
- Duolingo: 115
Note: You do not need to submit test scores.