Watch Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques

Name: Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques
Released: 2014-11-14
Cast: James Hynes

2014
1 Season

Writing Great Fiction is a course offered by The Great Courses Signature Collection that focuses on providing the viewer with the essential elements of storytelling. The course is presented by James Hynes, an accomplished fiction writer and professor of creative writing. The course comprises 24 lectures, each around 30 minutes long, that provide a comprehensive guide to the art of writing great fiction.

Throughout the course, Hynes uses examples from classic works of literature to highlight storytelling techniques such as character development, point of view, dialogue, and plot. In addition to focusing on these key elements, the course also explores the importance of imagination, voice, and the creative process itself.

The first lecture sets the tone for the course, providing an overview of storytelling and the art of fiction. In subsequent lectures, Hynes delves deeper into the key elements of storytelling, beginning with character development. He explains how to create compelling characters by exploring their motivations, fears, and desires. He also discusses point of view and the importance of choosing the right perspective for a particular story.

In addition to character and point of view, Hynes spends several lectures discussing dialogue, plot, and structure. He explains how to create realistic and engaging dialogue that moves the story forward, and how to plot a story that keeps the reader engaged. He also explores the importance of finding the right structure for a particular story, whether it be linear or non-linear.

Throughout the course, Hynes emphasizes the importance of reading widely and studying the craft of great writers. He uses examples from classic works of literature such as Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and George Orwell's 1984 to illustrate the techniques he is discussing. He also provides writing exercises to help viewers put into practice what they are learning.

As the course progresses, Hynes explores some of the more advanced techniques of fiction writing, such as creating suspense and using symbolism. He also discusses the importance of revision, explaining how to approach the revision process in a way that is both productive and creative.

One of the most valuable aspects of the course is the way in which Hynes integrates his own experiences as a writer into the lectures. He shares personal anecdotes about his own struggles with writing and provides insights into his own creative process. This gives viewers a glimpse into the mind of a successful writer and provides inspiration for those looking to improve their own craft.

Overall, Writing Great Fiction is an engaging and informative course that provides a comprehensive guide to the art of storytelling. James Hynes is an engaging and knowledgeable presenter who provides valuable insights into the craft of writing. Whether you are an experienced writer looking to hone your skills or a beginner looking to learn the basics, this course is an excellent resource.

Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (24 episodes). The series first aired on November 14, 2014.

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Seasons

24. Making a Life as a Fiction Writer

November 14, 2014

You might have a mental image of the writer as a solitary genius toiling away in an ivory tower. But writers today must be adept at both the crafting of words and the business of publishing. To conclude this course, Professor Hynes surveys the publishing landscape today and gives advice for making the leap from hobbyist to professional.

23. Approaches to Researching Fiction

November 14, 2014

Write what you know is a common dictum, but what happens when you run up against the limits of your knowledge? What if you want to write a story about something other than your own life? What real-life details do you have an obligation to get right? Find out how fiction writers approach the unknown.

22. Revision without Tears

November 14, 2014

Revision is a necessary step in most writing projects. Take a case-study approach to see what techniques authors use to revise their stories. To show you the ropes, Professor Hynes walks you through his own process. Although revision can be difficult, you'll come away from this lecture confident in your abilities to get your story where it needs to be.

21. Should I Write in Drafts?

November 14, 2014

So far, this course has focused on the individual elements of good fiction. Now that you have a complete toolkit of writing techniques, how do you put it all together to create a whole story? Professor Hynes discusses the process of writing an entire draft, and offers some words of wisdom to help you maintain momentum.

20. Building Scenes

November 14, 2014

A good scene serves two functions: it advances the larger narrative, and it's interesting in its own right. How do you build compelling scenes? How do you transition from one scene to the next? Learn the fine art of moving from point to point in your narrative so that your story remains smooth and compelling.

19. Pacing in Scenes and Narratives

November 14, 2014

Every narrative has a tempo. Some stories are short, while others are long. Some move at breakneck speed, while others linger over every detail. Discover how to strike the right balance between length and time (the pacing), between length and detail (the density), and between scene and summary.

18. Evoking Setting and Place in Fiction

November 14, 2014

Time and place are critical in most recent fiction, so today's writer must know how to evoke a setting. But, as with so many techniques in this course, setting exists along a continuum, from the richly detailed (as in Bleak House) to just a few sparse details (as in Pride and Prejudice). Find out when - and how much - to describe your story's setting.

17. He, She, It - Third-Person Point of View

November 14, 2014

While first-person narration is an effective way to tell a story, third-person narration offers a wonderful range and flexibility, and allows you to dive just as deeply into your characters' heads - if not more deeply - than the first-person perspective. Survey the spectrum of third-person voices, from the objective and external to the interior stream of consciousness.

16. I, Me, Mine - First-Person Point of View

November 14, 2014

First-person narration can be one of the most natural ways to tell a story - but there are several important guidelines to keep in mind. Professor Hynes helps you navigate the different types of first-person storytellers, including the double consciousness, the unreliable narrator, and the retrospective narrator.

15. Seeing through Other Eyes - Point of View

November 14, 2014

What happens in a story depends in large part on who tells it. The three-lecture unit on point of view begins with a quick tour of the major points of view, from the third-person omniscient to the subjective first person. You'll also see how point of view is linked to time. As it turns out, when a story is told matters just as much as who tells it.

14. Happily Ever After - How to End a Plot

November 14, 2014

Starting a narrative may be daunting, but ending one can be just as tricky. After discussing some famous examples of bad endings, Professor Hynes gives you tips for creating believable, satisfying endings, whether this means finding an answer to the story's opening gambit, or tracing a narrative to its logical end.

13. In the Beginning - How to Start a Plot

November 14, 2014

Revisit beginnings. How do you get started with a story? In this lecture, Professor Hynes shifts from the techniques of plotting to offer several clear strategies for putting these techniques into action. He also provides invaluable advice about making choices on the page - and understanding the implications of those choices.

12. Structuring a Narrative without a Plot

November 14, 2014

Not all stories have a traditional plot that can be modeled along Freytag's Pyramid. Contemporary short fiction, for instance, is often relatively plotless. See what drives momentum in stories such as Chekhov's "The Kiss" and Joyce's "The Dead," and then turn to "plotless" novels such as Mrs. Dalloway.

11. Adding Complexity to Plots

November 14, 2014

Now that you've learned the basic elements of storytelling, it's time to go beyond the fundamentals and explore several smaller-scale techniques that can make your plot more subtle and satisfying. Your study includes the elements of suspense, flash-forwards, flashbacks, and foreshadowing.

10. Plotting with the Freytag Pyramid

November 14, 2014

Whether you're writing literary fiction or a potboiler, your story needs a structure. Freytag's Pyramid is the classic structure for moving a story from an initial situation through a series of conflicts to a resolution. Examine every stage of the pyramid with examples ranging from The Wizard of Oz to Middlemarch to Game of Thrones.

9. And Then - Turning a Story into a Plot

November 14, 2014

Characters breathe life into your story, but without plot, even the most engaging character can fall flat. This lecture opens a six-lecture unit on plotting, a critical skill for any writer who wants to keep the reader turning pages. Professor Hynes begins the unit by breaking down story and plot into a few fundamental components.

8. Integrating Dialogue into a Narrative

November 14, 2014

Turn from the mechanics of dialogue to discover how it can be used to evoke character or advance the story. After surveying how dialect is a powerful tool, if used carefully, Professor Hynes shows you how writers smoothly weave exposition into dialogue, and he considers the significance of what is not said in an exchange.

7. The Mechanics of Writing Dialogue

November 14, 2014

Shift your attention from building characters to figuring out what they should say. This lecture provides an overview of the nuts and bolts of dialogue, from the rules of punctuation to the way writers use dialogue tags to add clarity to a conversation. See how what a character says can create meaning and evoke mood.

6. Characters - Round and Flat, Major and Minor

November 14, 2014

Books come in all forms and sizes, and so do characters. Learn the hallmarks of different character types, like round vs. flat and major vs. minor. See what purpose each type of character serves, and discover the relationship between a character and his or her desires.

5. Call Me Ishmael - Introducing a Character

November 14, 2014

Now that you now have a wealth of strategies for developing character, how do you get your character into your story? In this lecture, you'll run through five different ways authors introduce characters. You'll also see two methods for building a story: the exploratory method and the "iceberg theory" of character creation.

4. Fictional Characters, Imagined and Observed

November 14, 2014

Continue your study of character with a look at several approaches for building a character. Some writers draw from life, whereas others draw from the imagination. Some build characters "inside out," others from the "outside in." Some develop characters by psychology, others by circumstances. Professor Hynes shows you a range of options.

3. How Characters Are Different from People

November 14, 2014

Characters are illusions, and the illusion often hinges on how much access a writer gives us to a character's thoughts. Begin this unit on character with an examination of how writers choose which moments in a character's life to dramatize, and then consider how knowledge of a character's thoughts affects the story.

2. Building Fictional Worlds through Evocation

November 14, 2014

Show, don't tell is the mantra of many writing workshops. But what does this mean? Find out how to choose just the right detail to evoke a scene, develop a character, and advance your story. After arming yourself with several strategies for "showing," you'll consider when it's OK to "tell."

1. Starting the Writing Process

November 14, 2014

Nothing strikes fear in the heart of a writer like facing the blank page. Start your course in fiction writing with some strategies for beginnings. You'll examine several ways to ease into a story, including the "5W's" of journalism, outlines, and opening in medias res ("in the midst of things"). The good news, as you'll see, is that there are no hard and fast rules. #Literature & Learning

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Where to Watch Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques

Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques is available for streaming on the The Great Courses Signature Collection website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques on demand at Amazon Prime, Amazon and Hoopla.