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Creative Writing Sector > Module > Iteration
January 2025  Spotlight  Unsuccessful  Hybrid
Module 1 in Powerful Short Stories • Cluster
Mixed Lecture/Discussion Medium intensity

Days and Times

Pre-recorded lectures will be supplemented by live meetings Mondays at 11:00 PM Eastern for four 1-hour sessions on January 6, 13, 20, 27

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What makes a good story? How can we make our characters feel like real people?

Using a combination of recorded lectures, in-class discussion and exercises, you will find out how to employ Aristotle’s precepts on character, theme and emotional catharsis to enrich your creative practice. You will also discover how Aristotle’s teleological understanding of causality can help you discover the final design of your creative work. This module will be a must for fiction authors, screenwriters and directors, RPG game masters, or anyone who wants to weave a dynamic tale!

The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
Outline 8-Session Structure
Week 1 Lecture 1: Introduction to the Poetics
Workshop 1: Your Narrative's Purpose
Week 2 Lecture 2: Character and Theme
Workshop 2: Discovering Your Character and Theme
Week 3 Lecture 3: Structure
Workshop 3: Unfolding Your Story's Structure
Week 4 Lecture 4: Catharsis
Workshop 4: Sticking the Landing

Required Texts

Students will need to access a translation of Aristotle's Poetics. Many reliable public domain translations are available online for free.
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This will be a Hybrid class (4 lectures & 4 discussion sessions). Each week will consist of 1 hour of recorded lecture and 1 hour of live discussion (not recorded) for a total of 8 class hours over the course of the month.

DELIVERY PLAN
1. On Thursdays we'll provide students with the lecture recording which can watch in preparation for the live discussion session on the Mondays following.
2. The Monday sessions each week will be a live discussion session (not recorded).
Sessions Overview
# Signum Time
US/Eastern		 Note
1 Thu, Jan 2
11:00 PM 		This is not a live session. Instead, we'll provide students with the lecture 1 recording this day.
2 Mon, Jan 6
11:00 PM 		LIVE DISCUSSION SESSION
3 Thu, Jan 9
11:00 PM 		This is not a live session. Instead, we'll provide students with the lecture 2 recording this day.
4 Mon, Jan 13
11:00 PM 		LIVE DISCUSSION SESSION
5 Thu, Jan 16
11:00 PM 		This is not a live session. Instead, we'll provide students with the lecture 3 recording this day.
6 Mon, Jan 20
11:00 PM 		LIVE DISCUSSION SESSION
7 Thu, Jan 23
11:00 PM 		This is not a live session. Instead, we'll provide students with the lecture 4 recording this day.
8 Mon, Jan 27
11:00 PM 		LIVE DISCUSSION SESSION