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Overview

The 2008-2009 program is underway and is no longer accepting registrations Single courses may be available » Currently accepting registrations for Winter 2009 intensive format » Programs begin in: Winter 2009  See Winter offering » Autumn 2009 Details will be posted in Spring Program location: Downtown Seattle Sign up to receive e-mail updates >> Contact a program representative >>

Also offered in a three-month intensive format on the UW Seattle campus.

Popular fiction of all types (mystery, romance, science fiction, fantasy, and thriller) is the backbone of the commercial fiction industry. If you want to write a novel in any of these genres, this program—with its emphasis on creating a strong plot and powerful scenes that motivate readers to find out what happens next—is for you. The three courses in the program focus on crafting each section of your novel: the beginning, the middle, and the end. Lectures, exercises, readings, and assignments give you the tools to find appropriate stories, develop three-dimensional main and secondary characters, construct a suspenseful and complicated storyline, write believable dialogue, and revise your work. Notable guest authors share their insights.

Which First-Year Fiction Program is Right for Me?

First-year writers' certificate programs in Literary Fiction and Popular Fiction are designed to equip beginning writers with the fundamental tools for creating compelling stories and developing a network of supportive fellow writers.

• If you are unsure about the type of fiction that you are writing or want to write, either first-year program is a good choice.
• If you want to write stories that feature complex characters and convey subtle ideas in textured prose, literary fiction may be your best choice.
• If you are interested in writing a mystery, romance, science fiction story, or thriller that is driven forward by a strong plot, popular fiction may be your best choice.

These are general guidelines; if you have more specific questions about which program is right for you, please call 206-897-8939 or 1-800-506-1325.

Contact a Program Representative

To learn more about the Writers' Programs, please call 206-685-8936 in the greater Seattle area, or 888-469-6499, or e-mail us.

Related Certificate Programs

• Editing
• Literary Fiction I
• Memoir
• Memoir (Six-month format)  
• Nonfiction
• Nonfiction (Six-month format
• Popular Fiction I (Winter Intensive)  
• Screenwriting
• Writing for Children