Class Description

In this class, we’ll challenge the idea of what makes a story. We’ll start by reinventing the wheel of inspiration and steal from what we know. During the first two weeks, we’ll pluck characters that already exist—from movies, pop culture, history—to use as springboards for our own inventions. Then, we’ll learn how to use magic. We’ll look at speculative pieces and examine how they plunge us into a different reality. We'll examine the voice and tone that give them their authority. Finally, we’ll experiment with form. From lists to Wikipedia page entries, we’ll learn how to subvert the norms of what a story is supposed to be. This class is designed for beginners or more seasoned writers looking to break through writer’s block. Classes will feature a combination of craft lectures, discussion of assigned reading, and generative writing assignments. There will also be short readings and exercises to complete at home, taking roughly 1 -2 hours. You will be encouraged to share work and receive on-the-spot verbal instructor and peer feedback. Two short reading assignments will be emailed prior to the first class. YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Leonora Desar’s writing has appeared in places such as River Styx, Passages North, The Cincinnati Review, Black Warrior Review, and Columbia Journal, where she was chosen as a finalist by Ottessa Moshfegh. Her work has been selected for The Best Small Fictions 2019 and 2021, Best Microfiction 2019, 2020, 2021, and the Wigleaf Top 50 (2019, 2020, 2021). She was a runner-up/finalist in Quarter After Eight’s Robert J. DeMott Short Prose Contest, judged by Stuart Dybek, and Crazyhorse’s Crazyshorts! contest. She holds an MFA in fiction from NYU and an MS from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.