MALS 248 Finding the Story: Research, Facts, Narrative

This course is aimed at those who want to develop their skills in the genre of literary journalism and creative nonfiction writing. The art of gathering facts is not a straightforward process; it involves research, interviews, and close observation. The writer continues to learn, ask questions, and refine the inquiry as he or she composes an engaging narrative.

Classroom instruction will include narrative uses of material including library work, original documents, on-scene impressions and person-to-person interviews. A third of the class time will be devoted to the examination of acclaimed published works. The majority of the time will be spent in an instructor-led workshop in which each student’s work is critiqued by the group in a constructive fashion, with the goal of rewriting and improvement.

Each student will write three pieces in the course of the term and submit them – along with one comprehensive rewrite -- as a final portfolio. The final paper must demonstrate a substantial amount of original reportage and document-based research.

Instructor

Tom Zoellner