The course aims to enhance the student’s awareness of the underlying mechanisms of storytelling. The aim of the laboratory is the development of the ability to analyze and recognize the essential structural elements of the works of fiction of all ages, from Greek-Latin literature to the European novel of the nineteenth century, up to contemporary narratives. It will sharpen the act of reading as a tool to acquire the skills necessary for writing any type of story.

The course is of a laboratory nature. There will be 12 lessons, of 3 hours each, to have the opportunity to read and discuss a series of narrative texts that will be proposed from time to time by the teacher (see below). The texts will be analyzed in a mainly narratological perspective, with insights on the essential elements of the story (point of view, characters, setting, etc.). To reason on the text also as an editable abstract form, we will analyze different versions and remakes of the same story, also examining some examples of film transposition from a text. Always in this perspective we will consider the editing of a narrative text, that is, how it is possible to intervene on an authorial text to develop its potential. During the course we will propose some writing exercises whose only purpose will be to strengthen the awareness of the tools available to those who intend to write.

NB Students will sometimes be required during the course to carry out individual study work, that is, reading, for those cases in which a novel or other substantial text will be discussed in class.

Knowledge and comprehension skills: students will have to get to know the essential structural elements of a fiction story.

Applied knowledge and comprehension skills: students will have to apply the knowledge of the essential structural elements of a fiction story in order to be able to apply them in .

Autonomy of judgment: students will have to acquire the ability to read a fiction text based on its narrative characteristics.

Communicative skills: during the assessment test, students should comment on their acquired skills with adequate clarity. 

Learning ability: students will be required to recognize the essential structural elements of a fiction story even outside its original context.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Seminars with writers, publishers.

Teaching

Lectures and exercises.

Course books

Students will have to read the following texts (recent editions are indicated and more easily available):

Omero, Odissea, (a cura di M. G. Ciani) Milano (Feltrinelli) 2018.

J. London, Preparare un fuoco, Fidenza (Mattioli 1885)  2021.

E. Hemingway, Campo indiano, in I quarantanove racconti, Milano (Mondadori) 2016.

I. Turgenev, Primo amore, Milano (Rizzoli) 2004.

Ch. Simmons, Acqua di mare, SUR 2019.

During the course we will often refer to the following essays:

Aristotele, Poetica, (a cura di D. Lanza) Milano (Rizzoli) 1993.

Vladimir Propp, Morfologia della fiaba, (a cura di G. L. Bravo) Torino (Einaudi) 2000.

Assessment

Oral exam in two parts. In the first part, students will discuss the topics addressed during the course, demonstrating that they have acquired the necessary skills and know how to present them properly. In the second part they will present the results of a research on one or more works of fiction to be agreed with the teacher, demonstrating that they know how to apply independently the method learned during the course. Depending on the level of knowledge, the degree of articulation of the answers, the degree of adequacy and accuracy of the explanations, a grade in thirty-first will be given.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Course books

Students will have to read the following texts (recent editions are indicated and more easily available):

Omero, Odissea, (a cura di M. G. Ciani) Milano (Feltrinelli) 2018.

J. London, Preparare un fuoco, Fidenza (Mattioli 1885)  2021.

E. Hemingway, Campo indiano, in I quarantanove racconti, Milano (Mondadori) 2016.

I. Turgenev, Primo amore, Milano (Rizzoli) 2004.

Ch. Simmons, Acqua di mare, SUR 2019.

During the course we will often refer to the following essays:

Aristotele, Poetica, (a cura di D. Lanza) Milano (Rizzoli) 1993.

Vladimir Propp, Morfologia della fiaba, (a cura di G. L. Bravo) Torino (Einaudi) 2000.

Assessment

Oral exam in two parts. In the first part, students will discuss the topics addressed during the course, demonstrating that they have acquired the necessary skills and know how to present them properly. In the second part they will present the results of a research on one or more works of fiction to be agreed with the teacher, demonstrating that they know how to apply independently the method learned during the course. Depending on the level of knowledge, the degree of articulation of the answers, the degree of adequacy and accuracy of the explanations, a grade in thirty-first will be given.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.