Stolen Stories
What do Neil Gaiman, Ali Smith, Roald Dahl, and Alan Moore have in common? Stolen Stories!
Stolen Stories is a 10-week evening class at Glasgow University on using mythology, fairy tales, history, and classic literature to create original fiction.
The first half of the course breaks down different narrative techniques and shows, by examples and discussion, how to use the techniques. The second half focuses on different ways to approach stories to create original fiction, poetry, song lyrics, or screenplays. As well as informal discussion, the classes include peer-review workshops, 10-minute writing exercises, and optional graded assignments.
If you have any questions, please email me.
Course outline
Week 1: How to Begin – Generating Ideas, First Lines
Week 2: Point-Of-View and Developing Characters
Texts for Analysis:'Little Red and the Big Bad' – Will Shetterley; 'Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf' – Roald Dahl
Stories for Retelling: Red Riding Hood (fairy tale); The Minotaur (Greek myth)
Week 3: Structure
Texts for Analysis: 'Gumbo' – Simon Sylvester; 'Candy Floss Time'– Amy Treadwell.
Stories for Retelling: The Sea Rabbit (fairy tale); Joan of Arc (History, 15th century)
Week 4: Plot and Pacing
Texts for Analysis: 'The Tale of the Shoe' – Emma Donoghue; 'The Incredible Exploding Victor' – Tania Hershman
Stories for Retelling: Icrus (Greek myth); Cinderella (fairy tale)
Week 5: Modernising
Texts for Analysis: The Moth Diaries – Rachel Klein; Girl Meets Boy – Ali Smith
Stories for Retelling: Iphis & Ianthe (Greek myth); Moby Dick (classic literature)
Week 6: Genre
Texts for Analysis: The Well of Lost Plots – Jasper Fforde
Stories for Retelling: Tam Lin (fairy tale); Sawney Bean (Scottish urban myth)
Week 7: Before Or After
Texts for Analysis: 'Beauty and the Beast: An Anniversary'; 'Samson' – Regina Spektor
Stories for Retelling: Leda & the Swan (Greek myth); Samson & Delilah (Bible story)
Week 8: One Small Detail
Texts for Analysis: 'The Snow Child' – Angela Carter
Stories for Retelling: Robin Hood (English legend); The Girl With No Hands (fairy tale)
Week 9: Mixing Stories
Texts for Analysis: 'A Study in Emerald' – Neil Gaiman; The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen – Alan Moore
Stories for Retelling: Any two (or three, or more) of the stories we've stolen
Week 10: Q&A, Discussion, and Preparing Final Story.
Details
Start: 7th October 2010
Classes: 7pm - 9pm on Thursdays for 10 weeks
Cost: £94 (If you earn less than £22,000 per year, ILA will cover this)
Questions?: Email me
How To Enrol
Telephone
To enrol please call the Department of Adult and Continuing Education (DACE) on 0141 330 1860 or 0141 330 1853 between 10.00am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday. You will need a note of the course code for this class which is GC259.
Postal Enrolment
If you wish to enrol by post then you can fill out this form and return to the followng address along with your payment (no cash by post please):
Freepost RRTH-HTRT-YXLK
DACE
St. Andrew's Building
11 Eldon Street
Glasgow G3 6NH
