with Robert Liddell
Thursdays May 12-July 14
from 6:00-9:00 pm
What makes a story? Certainly, the technical elements of writing (character, plot, point of view, voice, pace, etc.) are essential tools the writer must master. But what brings a story to life? How do we write a story that makes sense, but does not fall prey to logic and predictability? Humans—writers among them—are necessarily confused and confusing beings, and in this space the magic happens. That magic, though, lies beyond the realm of the rational mind. In this class, you will examine not just the technical, but the instinctive elements of writing, and find the best way to synchronize the two, so that your story may claim its own life with shape, intention and action.
Robert Liddell authored the short story “What Ever Happened to Sebastian Grosjean?” which appeared in The Gettysburg Review and the anthology Best New American Voices. He has taught literature and creative writing at the University of Houston, has taught for Inprint Inc. and was the fiction editor for Low Rent magazine. He currently teaches in the Honors College at the University of Houston and is working on his first novel. He holds a B.A. in philosophy and an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Houston.