Anatomy of the Novel with Fabienne Josaphat

Wednesdays, June 6 – July 18 (6 weeks – skipping July 4)
7 – 9 p.m. | MDC Wolfson Campus, Downtown Miami

You’ve been wanting to write a novel forever, but the task seems daunting. Mostly because writing a novel is a scary thought. But also, you’re not sure how to write a novel. After all, it isn’t an easy task, otherwise we’d all do it. If those symptoms are familiar, ANATOMY OF THE NOVEL is for you. In this 6-week course, you will focus intensively on understanding the components of a novel: what the industry identifies as a novel, the shape of a story, its parts, and how to put them together onto a skeleton that will stand on its own. We will read texts and theory, and discuss concepts that you will then apply into creating an outline for your novel. We will then hold that blueprint to the light and see if it follows a shape. From there, we will sharpen our writing tools and write. The end goal for this course will be to have the first few pages of a novel that you will be able to continue on your own, and finish it in your own time.

Anyone interested in writing a novel, or struggling with writing a novel, can register for this course. You will be expected to complete readings and writing assignments, and you will be expected to participate in workshops. Bring your laptop or pen and paper. Bring your open mind. Bring your ideas for the next great American novel.

Fabienne Josaphat was born in Haiti and graduated with an MFA in Creative Writing from Florida International University. She writes fiction, non-fiction and poetry, as well as screenplays. Her first novel, Dancing in the Baron’s Shadow, was released with Unnamed Press in February 2016. She lives in Miami.