Level II

Level II builds on the foundational skills acquired in Level I and introduces techniques specific to fiction or poetry. Fiction writers will be studying tension, characterisation, dialogue, and structure. Poets will be looking at effective use of rhythm, repetition, line breaks, white space and figurative language.

In Level II you’ll continue to grow your writerly toolkit through weekly exercises and in-depth analysis of poems or stories. In Level II Fiction, the last quarter of the class guides you in carrying forward an exercise—building towards a complete story, with a compelling opening and a satisfying ending. In Level II Poetry, in addition to the craft exercises, there are two revision opportunities. Writers who’ve completed at least one term of Level II may bring in a poem or a story (up to 2000 words) outside of the weekly exercises for critique. 

Level II courses run for 8 weeks. In-person courses meet once a week for 2.5 hours and online courses meet for 1 hour with a written critique (see the specific course description for details). 

Level II courses are open to writers who have completed Level I (or equivalent training) and by permission of the instructor. If you’re new to our group, please drop us a line before registering.

Because Level II is where we focus on the nitty-gritty of fiction and poetry, most students take 3 terms before moving to Level III. 

 Level III