Course Description

Discover 4 unique ways to tell your stories

Whether you're new to creative non-fiction -- or an experienced writer just discovering these four "outlier" forms -- this course will inspire you to tell your stories in innovative new ways.

Join a small cohort of 10 learners led by award-winning writer, Nicole Breit, for a 6-week exploration into the creative possibilities of flash non-fiction, the prose poem, lyric essay, and hermit crab essay. Students will be encouraged to read and discuss essays by diverse writers working in each sub-genre with an emphasis on craft. In addition to weekly readings, discussions in our private forum, and skill-building pre-writing exercises, learners will submit five written assignments for instructor feedback.

By the end of the course, learners will have gained experience and confidence writing in each of the four CNF sub-genres, with a deeper understanding of how form and craft work together to create compelling stories.

In this 6-week course learners will:

  • Examine the characteristics of each form and craft techniques that make our life stories powerful in course readings and assignments
  • Explore flash non-fiction, prose poems, lyric and hermit crab essays by Isaac Yuen, Christine Byl, Kristina Moriconi, Laisha Rosnau, Susan Olding, Brenda Miller, Dinty W. Moore, Randon Billings Noble, and more.
  • Learn from published CNF sub-genre authors as they discuss inspiration, challenges, and process in audio interviews and text-based Q and A's
  • Ask questions, discuss readings, and share learning discoveries in our private discussion forum
  • Complete pre-writing exercises designed to tap intuition, improve skills, and spark a first draft of each written assignment
  • Practice each form with a brief written piece submitted for instructor feedback
  • Incorporate revisions in one final piece submitted in week 6 for a more in-depth response, recommendations, and next steps
  • Find out how to prepare work for publication

CNF Outlier learning goals:

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Identify the characteristics of flash non-fiction, the prose poem, lyric essay, and hermit crab essay -- and what makes each sub-genre unique.
  • Understand the elements of craft -- including point of view, image, symbol, and voice -- that improve our writing so we can tell our stories to best effect. 
  • Continue a writing practice that incorporates new knowledge, skills, and confidence in crafting the compelling stories they want to tell. 

Learner support:

The instructor will be available for "office hours" Tuesdays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm PST and Fridays from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm PST. At these times, students can expect the instructor to be available for "live" discussions in our Disqus group and/or prompt email response.

Outside office hours learners can expect to receive a response to their emails within 24 hours.


Course dates and fee

Next session: September 17 to October 30, 2018

Fee: $349 USD

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Instructor

Nicole Breit

Award-winning CNF writer, Nicole Breit, first began mentoring writers after earning her B.Ed. from the University of British Columbia in 1999. Prior to her teacher certification she graduated with distinction from the University of Victoria with her B.A. in English. In 2016 Nicole won the CNFC/carte blanche creative non-fiction prize for her lyric essay, Spectrum, and Room magazine's CNF award for An Atmospheric Pressure--selected as a notable essay in The Best American Essays 2017. Her work has been published in a number of print and online publications including Room, Hippocampus, Exhale, carte blanche, and Event.

Course curriculum