International bestselling novelist Alaa Al Aswany, currently a visiting professor at Dartmouth College, is offering online creative writing classes in Arabic beginning in April. Interested students may register by visiting AlaaAlAswany.com/courses.
The following are the classes (creative writing workshops held in New York are in English):
Fiction Reading
5 weeks • 15 class hours
Mondays, April 1–29, 2019, 11 am–2 pm EST &
Mondays, May 6–June 17, 2019, 11 am–2 pm EST
This online workshop teaches the tools to appreciate Arabic literary works and learn from great writers. Students will understand the techniques of interpreting fiction, recognizing underlying themes, and analyzing the human content of each story.
Fiction and Short Story Writing
10 weeks • 30 class hours
Tuesdays, April 2–June 26, 2019, 11 am–2 pm EST
This online course teaches the essential short story elements: sketching a story, creating a compelling opening, organizing the structure, weaving in tension and plot twists, implementing flashback and viewpoint, and mastering the art of dialogue. Students learn techniques for crafting stories, conceiving colorful characters, and developing ways of bringing imagination and intrigue into a literary work.
Advanced Fiction Writing
10 weeks • 30 class hours
Wednesday, April 3–June 19, 2019, 11 am–2 pm EST
In this online workshop, students gain a higher level of training in the craft of writing by mastering rhythm, tempo, tone, and brevity. They explore the process of originating lively characters, mapping out a plot, describing realistic settings, adding subtext and layers of meaning, and penning captivating fiction.
Intensive Creative Writing Weekend
Thursday (10 am–2 pm EST), Friday (10 am–2 pm EST), Saturday (10 am–3 pm EST)
17 class hours
The online creative writing weekend is designed for writers who want to learn the craft of exceptional storytelling in an intensive setting. In a three-day online workshop, students learn to master the qualities that make for engaging fiction and the techniques used by writers in crafting stories and imagining characters. Lessons are reinforced through in-class writing exercises.