Seeing the World as a Novelist: Writing Fiction Through the Lens of Character, Setting and Scene

“Our bodies are full of stories,” says instructor Nayomi Munaweera. “We are receptacles of history, biology, memory and dream. Some of us have the important and ancient job of transmuting this internal knowledge into works of fiction. And yet how does the novelist do this strange and unseen work?” Becoming proficient in certain specific craft elements, particularly character, setting and scene, is a necessary part of the writer’s journey.

“My goal is to have students consider different approaches in forming fully-fleshed, living, breathing characters who are then placed in vivid and memorable settings,” says Nayomi. “This process leads to the writing of scene. I believe that scene is the foundation of every novel. A compilation of scenes eventually adds up to a book.”

In this 5-week class we will closely read several short pieces of fiction and complete fun and accessible in-class exercises on character, setting and scene. We will use what we learn in class to write at home during the week, and then we will workshop our pieces in the last two weeks of class.

Students will be expected to share some of their work and build community within the classroom (and hopefully beyond it!). Nayomi says, “My hope is that this class will help students further develop the insightful eye of the novelist.”