For the next installment of the “Writing with…” series, we are headed back to the countryside of Regency-era England. In Writing with Jane Austen, we will read Pride and Prejudice together in order to understand how Jane Austen created a story that remains compelling more than two centuries later. Then we will apply her principles and techniques to our own writing.
Writing with Jane Austen includes six 90-minute live lectures* via Zoom, as well as a dedicated online forum for discussion and writing exercises.
Topics to be covered include (but are not limited to):
Narration and Point of View
Withholding Information, Revealing Information
Dialogue
Creating Memorable Characters
Tone
Voice
Narrative Pacing
Showing and Telling
Setting
Handling “Big Ideas”
*Recordings of the lectures will also be available for learners who can’t attend the live lectures.
Note: The intro video above is from the first time I taught this class, in 2021. So the dates and times mentioned in the video are incorrect, and the student cohort meets in the afternoons, not the mornings. But otherwise it’s a good representation of what to expect from Writing with Jane Austen.
Dates: Tuesdays, September 22 to October 27
Times:
Adult Cohort: 1:00 to 2:30 pm Central
Student Cohort: 3:00 to 4:30p.m. Central
Cost: $125
There are two simultaneous cohorts of Writing with Jane Austen–one for adults (19+), and one for students (ages 13-19).
The course content is the same for either cohort, but the two cohorts will attend separate lecture/discussions and participate in separate forums.
Please register for the appropriate cohort.
REQUIRED TEXT:
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
WEEKLY WORKLOAD:
Reading:
Ten Chapters from Pride and Prejudice (35-40 pages)
Writing:
One 500-word writing exercise (posted for feedback from your fellow writers)
Watching:
One live 90-minute lecture/discussion via Zoom
Online Discussion:
Class participants post their own discussion topics and questions in the forum. These questions lead to fruitful discussion in which you can participate as time allows.
