I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be teaching this Fall in the Great Smokies Writing Program through the University of North Carolina-Asheville.

My class, “Telling the Truth Slanted: Writing History in Fiction,” will meet on Tuesday evenings for 10 weeks, starting September 13th, at Novels & Novelties Bookstore in downtown Hendersonville, N.C.

Here’s a more detailed description of the course:

Emily Dickinson once wrote, “Tell all the truth but tell it slant.” So how do historical novelists merge fact and imagination to create historical fiction? This course will explore the ways in which we can make history come alive in our fiction, all while staying “true” to both history and the story. It will consider the origins of historical fiction, the work of masterful historical novelists, and the genre’s place in the literary canon. In workshop, we’ll emphasize place, character development and research, as we work to create vivid historical fiction.  Classes will include discussions of the readings and in-class exercises designed to spark novel ideas and lead to a working draft. The instructor will email links to the readings (mostly novel excerpts). Going forth, we’ll consider the words of historian David McCullough, who said, “No harm’s done to history by making it something someone would want to read.” Course designed for writers of all levels.

It’s a course open to writers of all levels, and geared toward history lovers and those interested in writing historical fiction. To register, or for more details, click here.