FICT 82 — Plotting Outside the Box: Alternative Story Structures
Quarter: Fall
Day(s): Thursdays
Course Format: Live Online (About Formats)
Duration: 10 weeks
Date(s): Sep 28—Dec 14
Time: 6:30—8:30 pm (PT)
Refund Deadline: Sep 30
Units: 2
Tuition: $600
Instructor(s): Nina Schuyler
Limit: 21
Class Recording Available: Yes
Status: Closed
Please Note: This course has a different schedule than what was previously published. The course will meet on 10 Thursdays, from September 28 to December 14, 6:30 - 8:30 pm (PT). There will be no class on November 23 and November 30.
ACCESS THE SYLLABUS »
(subject to change)
Fall
Date(s)
Sep 28—Dec 14
10 weeks
Refund Date
Sep 30
2 Units
Fees
$600
Instructor(s):
Nina Schuyler
Limit
21
Recording
Yes
Closed
Please Note: This course has a different schedule than what was previously published. The course will meet on 10 Thursdays, from September 28 to December 14, 6:30 - 8:30 pm (PT). There will be no class on November 23 and November 30.
ACCESS THE SYLLABUS »
(subject to change)
Most of us have been taught that the causal plot—with one thing causing another, ultimately leading to the protagonist’s transformation—is the only way to plot a story. But a myriad of alternative plot structures exist to explore. What about plotting through argument, associatively or lyrically? Deviating from the traditional plot structure provides another lens for organizing the world, which can feel not only fresh and original but also truer to experience. As Nicole Krauss writes in her novel Forest Dark about the traditional causal plot, sometimes the degree of artifice is greater than the degree of truth. We will look closely at nine alternative forms of plot structures: associative, episodic, expository, argumentative, discursive, thematic juxtaposition, symbolic juxtaposition, epistolary, and lyrical. Some of these structures don’t lead to character transformation. While the traditional plot precludes disorder, several of these alternative forms invite it in and revel in this energy. We’ll study stories that use these different structures by Stuart Dybek, Jenny Offill, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and others. To put our learning into practice, students will try each of these structures. The course will alternate between discussion of different plot structures and workshops of three to four students’ stories. Upon completion, you’ll better understand the vast panorama of possibilities available to you as a fiction writer.
NINA SCHUYLER
Adjunct Professor, University of San Francisco
Nina Schuyler has taught creative writing for nearly two decades. Her novel Afterword was published in May 2023. Her short story collection, In This Ravishing World, received the W.S. Porter Prize and The Prism Prize for Climate Literature and will be published in 2024. Her novel, The Translator, won the Next Generation Indie Book Award for General Fiction and was a William Saroyan International Prize for Writing finalist. Her novel The Painting was a finalist for the Northern California Book Award. Her nonfiction book How to Write Stunning Sentences and her most recent craft book, Stunning Sentences: A Creative Writing Journal, are Small Press Distribution bestsellers. Schuyler received an MFA in creative writing from SF State, a JD from Hastings, and a BA in economics from Stanford. Textbooks for this course:
There are no required textbooks; however, some fee-based online readings may be assigned.