Featured Online Fiction Writing Class

IN TUNE: Writing About Music in Fiction with Melanie Faith

START DATE: Friday, February 2, 2024

DURATION: 4 weeks

LOCATION: Private group and email student provides when registering for the class

FEEDBACK: Weekly instructor feedback of exercises

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Fiction is filled with references to music: from high-school dances and music-school students, singers, music teachers and lessons, garage bands and musical instruments to records, rock concerts and folk/indie festivals and coffee-house performances, opera and musical-theatre performances, and so much more. Many of us spend our happiest hours with music in the forefront or background of our lives as soundtrack. There’s a type of music-inspired prose for as many musical genres as you enjoy.

Whether you’re writing a scene or story about a music practice, a novel with a musician or music fan as a protagonist, or just want to know more about how musical fiction works and/or add musical references, vivid characterizations of vocal performance, or music-centered scenes or references to your writing, this course will explore how music culture, sound, setting, POV, and more are portrayed within fiction to enhance and inspire your own rhythmic, compelling prose. Knowing how to read musical notes isn’t required for this class—just the desire and sincere appreciation for both music and literature and to add another tool to your literary toolkit.

Students will choose one novel with a musical plot to read independently, and the instructor will provide excerpts from music novels as well as handouts and a weekly writing assignment to get the muse melodically flowing! Join us for this new course that’s sure to strike a chord.

To choose your novel, if you’d like some inspiration/options, consider perusing one of these lists:

Melanie demonstrates particular qualities in a writing teacher/coach that I would recommend for anyone looking for focused attention to help move their writing forward. I had not taken an on-line course previously, and didn't know what to expect, but Melanie melted the distance, was always accessible, and never missed a beat with out on-line communication. I always felt like I had Melanie right here around my writing table, or knocking on my door saying—“I had a few thoughts..." She provided a wealth of resources and provided us with course materials that were tuned to our course level. Her insight into my work, in terms of critique, were extremely thoughtful, thorough, and eye-opening. I feel that working with Melanie has allowed me to be braver with my writing and editing—as she was supportive of experimentation and taking chances with style, vocabulary, and theme. She provides serious critique in an atmosphere that, well, just makes me want to keep on writing!” ~ Mary Ellen Sanger

Melanie has been a total joy as a teacher and guide. I found her feedback, critiques, and comments to be extraordinarily helpful and insightful. And the daily prompts and positive reinforcement made this writing class a wonderful experience! ~ Mary Purdy

Melanie’s class taught me economy of words by using strong verbs and nouns, implying and showing rather than telling, and exploring topics outside of my comfort zone. Her feedback is prompt, detailed and constructive. ~ Rajni Gupta

Melanie knows how to offer on-the-mark suggestions for writing improvement while also being extremely encouraging (and a joy to work with). I've taken many classes with her, including the flash class, and I plan on taking many more. ~ Marilyn Fahey

The course was great. I did not want it to end. I have taken several college level creative writing courses, as well as, attended many writer’s workshops, but I have enjoyed this course the most. I really appreciated that Melanie would also critique our re-writes which was very, very helpful. This course has really helped to motivate me creatively. ~ Barb Cramer

WEEKS AT A GLANCE:

Duration: (4 weeks) Friday, February 2, 2024 course begins, through Friday, March 1, 2024

Week One: How can we represent the musical experience in words? Music for reading, a collective and a solitary art, change or epiphany in musical scenes, listening, feeling, transforming, recreating rehearsal or performance in prose

Reading Assignment:

Begin your chosen music novel.
Handouts from a music-novel excerpt from the instructor.
“Music for Reading” handouts and notes from the instructor.

Writing Assignment:

Part one: Gather your favorite LPs, CDS, tapes, or favorite digital playlist. After listening for twenty minutes to a half-hour (Enjoy!), jot a list of sensory impressions of the music and any images that the lyrics inspire.

Part two: While reading your chosen music novel this week or when reading the provided excerpt, make a list or write a paragraph describing what you notice about any references to music/musical practice or performance/musicians. What stands out most to you? Is the writer very descriptive or succinct? Is the musical experience a nervous one, a joyous one, an escapist one, a bad one, or something else/a combination? Mention specific words or phrases in the writing that suggest the musical experience and evoke feeling, tone, or mood within the character or scene.

Week Two: Telling a story in a unique format, using section headings/dividers, italics in narration, multiple POV scenes, historical music scenes/settings, fictionalize characters and real-world allusions

Reading Assignment:

Continue reading your chosen music novel.
Handouts and music-novel excerpt from the instructor.
Bonus: author interview with insights into the writing process.

Writing Assignment:

Part one: After reading the author’s book excerpt the instructor provided, write a paragraph or two in reaction to any of the following elements from the excerpt: how you feel about stories told in multiple POV (yay, nay, confused) and if you are likely to adopt a multiple POV story and why or why not, if you enjoy a story told in a unique format or not and if you’d be likely to try one, how you feel about section headings/dividers and if you find them useful or distracting.

Part two: A very particular setting and time period is explored in this novel. Check out the second page of the interview where the author comments on choosing this time period. What do you think are the challenges and/or advantages to writing a music novel set in the past, rather than a contemporary story? Make a list or write a one-paragraph reflection.

Week Three: Anticipation, the unexpected, structure, order, framework, DJing, nostalgia, music is a tool for self-discovery, tone, love and love lost

Reading Assignment:

Continue reading your chosen music novel.
Handouts and excerpt from the instructor.

Writing Assignment:

Part one: As you read the handout about how music affects the body, pay particular attention to the pages on anticipation (beginning on page 4 of the handout). Then, either jot a list of songs/performers who offer you this sense of anticipation when listening OR choose a short passage from the article that most resonates with you and write a paragraph about your reaction. If you choose to jot the list of songs/performers, you may want to keep it handy for future allusions to music in your writing.

Part two: The protagonist in this week’s music-novel handout is cynical, lovelorn (which creates moments of both sorrow and humor), nostalgic, and regretful. He is also hurting and confused about his place in the world. His past behaviors and decisions impact who he is as a character and also the tone of the novel. Begin to think about the tone you’d like to present in your music fiction. Is a cynical protagonist more effective than a glass-half-full protagonist? Free-write a list or a paragraph containing your personal reflections about effective tone and characterizations in music fiction. This doesn’t have to be a whole philosophy or a developed manifesto; instead, let your initial ideas and thoughts bubble to the surface based on your gut instinct for what you like to write and to read.

Week Four: Prologues, images/imagery, music stores as setting, song titles as chapter/section titles, ode to vinyl, theme song

Reading Assignment:

Continue reading your chosen music novel.
Handouts and excerpt from the instructor.

Writing Assignment:

Part one: The chapters in this week’s music-novel handout either use the title of a song, theme song, or reference a musician. Do you find this technique effective, exciting, or overdone? What are the advantages or disadvantages to opening a chapter with a very specific title? Will you be more or less likely to reference songs or musicians directly in your titles?

Part two: Including your music-themed novel that you’ve chosen to read and the provided handouts, you’ve now read five different approaches to exploring music in fiction. Out of all of your reading in the course, which written approach to musical fiction (in plot, pacing, conflicts, or any other literary elements you’d like to talk about) do you like the most, and why? OR Out of all of the musical protagonists we’ve read in the course, which is your favorite and what did you like about the way the author explored the character?

Materials needed: A music themed novel of your own choosing. (Additional motivating handouts and music-novel excerpts will also be provided by the instructor each week.)

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Melanie Faith holds an MFA in Poetry from Queens University of Charlotte, NC. Her writing has been nominated three times for the Pushcart Prize. She’s worked as a freelance editor for over a decade. Her full-length, historical poetry collection set in the 1918 flu epidemic, This Passing Fever, was published by Future Cycle Press. She’s also published a Regency novella (Uncial Press). Vine Leaves Press has published six of her writing craft books about such diverse topics as publishing, flash fiction, poetry, photography, teaching online, and writing a research book. In addition to numerous photography publications, her instructional articles about creative writing techniques have appeared in The Writer and Writers’ Journal, among others. To learn more about Melanie’s writing, teaching, and photography, please visit: www.melaniedfaith.com, Twitter: @writer_faith, and Instagram: @frompromisingtopublished99.

COST: $185, which includes access to a private group for student interactions.

BUY NOW: In Tune: Writing About Music in Fiction by Melanie Faith (4 weeks, starting 2/2/2024) Limit: 10 students. Early registration is recommended.

This class is closed. Please check here for our current schedule.

Notes: Upon successful completion of payment, your name, email address, and contact info will be submitted to your instructor. She will contact you via email so you can get started.

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Additional Testimonials for Melanie Faith:

I took the nature writing class a few weeks ago and it was one of the best courses I've even taken. Melanie Faith is an excellent instructor. ~ Jean Forsythe

Your course has jump-started me back into writing. I have missed it. Thank you. ~ Melissa Healy

Melanie Faith’s “Spark and Sizzle Flash Fiction Class” lives up to its title. The sample stories provided were examples of good writing and served as models. Melanie’s prompts came at a rapid pace and kept my pen on the page every day. Her critique comments were sharp and encouraging and challenged me to be the best writer I could be. She is easily available for questions or discussions during and after her classes via her personal email. This is the third class I’ve taken with Melanie and I am looking forward to taking many more in the future. ~ Renee Cassese

Melanie has always shown great insight into my work. Often times, she is able to pull out deeper meanings, that even I wasn't consciously aware of while writing. Her constructive criticism has moved my writing into new directions. I find that I feel more confident and prepared as a writer by having her constant editing eye. I respect that she critiques my poetry honestly, letting me know areas that are weak as well as strong points. I wouldn't be able to grow as a writer if she always told me my poems were great. It's from her perspective of my work that I grow. I enjoy learning through her and appreciate her sharing tricks of the trade that she learned in her masters program.

I'm thankful to know Melanie and hope we remain friends and a poetry support system for the rest of our lives. She's the type of person and writer that anyone would feel lucky to know. She is a great mentor and holds a wealth of knowledge in the written language. Her achievements and constant pursuit as a writer inspire so many. Her determination and skill will go very far and I suspect she'll leave a lasting imprint in the written world. She already has. ~ Courtney Burger

Melanie demonstrates particular qualities in a writing teacher/coach that I would recommend for anyone looking for focused attention to help move their writing forward.

I had not taken an on-line course previously, and didn't know what to expect, but Melanie melted the distance, was always accessible, and never missed a beat with out on-line communication. I always felt like I had Melanie right here around my writing table, or knocking on my door saying—“I had a few thoughts..." She provided a wealth of resources and provided us with course materials that were tuned to our course level.

Her insight into my work, in terms of critique, were extremely thoughtful, thorough, and eye-opening. I feel that working with Melanie has allowed me to be braver with my writing and editing—as she was supportive of experimentation and taking chances with style, vocabulary, and theme. She provides serious critique in an atmosphere that, well, just makes me want to keep on writing!” ~ Mary Ellen Sanger

I have taken three courses from Melanie and in each course I grow tremendously as a writer. The texts she uses as well as the handouts and daily writing prompts all contribute to what she refers to as “the writing life” and in her courses that’s exactly what it becomes. Her comments on the pieces go way beyond grammar and punctuation. She delves into the content and clarifies what is good and what can be adjusted to make the piece stronger. I can tell she spends time reading what I write and is prompt in returning the assignments so I always have plenty of time for revision. She treats me, and everyone in the class, like a writer. Her classes are a joy. If there is a course offered by Melanie and I can fit it in, I always take it. ~ Holly Helscher

I have the normal anxiousness of sharing my work while so excited to have Melanie Faith’s critical eye read my writing. It is always reviewed with an eye to improvement and an eye to the thoughts the words contain. This is the first computer class I have ever taken and want to take many more. I also look forward to many more classes with Melanie Faith. ~ Benita Cervantes

Because I love memoir writing, I have taken two memoir/personal essay classes from Melanie. I can’t believe this, but because I enjoy the teacher herself and her method of teaching so much, I’ve even taken a poetry-writing class. I’ve always steered away from writing poetry of any kind ever since I wrote a poem in college (an assignment, not a by-choice piece) and the class laughed because I wrote about a controversial topic and was so naïve that I didn’t even know it was controversial. Every time I’d mention to Melanie that I’d never write a poem, she’d encourage me to take her class, assuring me that I’d be successful. I took the class, and sure enough, I was successful, thanks to Melanie’s velvet critiquing, encouraging comments, and thoughtful suggestions, many times seeing in my writing what I couldn’t see for myself.

I have to rein myself in every time I see in the WOW classes list that Melanie is teaching another essay class. And why is this? In all of my education (B.A. in English and M.A. in English), I never took a writing class. When I was in college, writing was taught only in Freshman English; after that class, we were just expected to know how to write. I learned to teach writing myself by reading books about writing. How refreshing and educational to find a teacher/mentor who exhibits the characteristics that I know an excellent writing teacher has: the creativity to come up with topics that students want to write about, the ability to critique without finding fault, the desire to encourage students to keep on writing even when the juices aren’t flowing. Believe me . . . she’s an excellent teacher. In addition, she became my friend through being my teacher. To be a friend AND a teacher takes real talent. ~ Sandy Young

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Questions? Email Marcia & Angela at:
classroom[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com