Starting Your Novel

(EGL 134)

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” This, of course, is the famous beginning of A Tale of Two Cities, but it also describes the way most writers feel when they begin their first novel. There is the joy and exhilaration of having an idea, and then there is the daunting and sometimes painful task of actually getting it all down on paper. This introductory course is designed to help students get started on a novel. Weekly assignments, group interaction, and instructor feedback will help students explore various methods of writing their first novel while learning the key craft points of plot, structure, point of view, sense of place, and voice. We will read such authors as Flannery O’Connor, Paul Auster, and Michael Chabon, with a particular focus on how they open a novel and demand the reader’s attention. The goal is for students to complete the first chapter of their novel by the end of the course.

Jim Gavin, Former Stegner Fellow

James Gavin’s work has appeared in ZYZZYVA. He also writes the Cultural Obits column for The Faster Times. He has worked as a sportswriter and as a production coordinator for Jeopardy!. Gavin is currently working on a novel and a collection of stories, both set in Southern California.