The first week of class focused on the fundamentals of storytelling: character, plot and conflict.

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A blend of individual and group activities encouraged students to get to know each other, share ideas, and set project goals for the course. Activities included personal writing prompts, pair work, small group plot-development exercises, whole-class discussions, and literary analysis.

[PAUSE 10 SECONDS]

In weeks two and three, a rotating workshop system enabled students to create personalised curricula of craft sessions on topics including figurative language, rhetoric, and persuasive writing; analysis sessions featuring classic fiction, nonfiction, and poetry texts; independent writing time; and conferences where students received one-to-one feedback and advice.