During MIT's Fall semester, Joe teaches 21W.759 - Science Fiction Writing and 21W.773 - Reading and Writing Longer Fiction.
21W.759 - Science Fiction Writing
Students write and read science fiction and analyze and discuss stories written for the class. For the first eight weeks, readings in contemporary science fiction accompany lectures and formal writing assignments intended to illuminate various aspects of writing craft as well as the particular problems of writing science fiction. The rest of the term is given to roundtable workshops on students' stories.
Syllabus from Fall 2009
21W.773 - Reading and Writing Longer Fiction
Prereq: A fiction workshop or permission of instructor
Designed for students who have some experience in writing fiction and want to try longer forms like the novella and novel. Students interested in writing a novel are expected to produce at least two chapters and an outline of the complete work. Readings include several novels from Fitzgerald to the present, and novellas from Gogol's The Overcoat to current examples. Students discuss one another's writing in a roundtable workshop, with a strong emphasis on revision.
Syllabus from Fall 2009