Class Narrative Techniques

Narrative Techniques explores the techniques of constructing fictional texts and the nature of creative writing. It develops the theory and practice of a specific literary genre – the contemporary realist short story – on an ongoing basis. The focus on this particular genre aims to work on clarity and brevity, i.e., conciseness in writing, which are essential for Communication and Journalism students, acting as a creative reinforcement of the specific discipline of journalistic writing. Throughout the semester, the technical and ethical implications of using AI tools applied to literary and journalistic production are discussed.

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1. The short story as a literary genre: the boundaries between short-story, novel and romance 1.1. The Portuguese contemporary short story: framing and historical evolution 1.2. The Realistic Contemporary short story: The Obligation to Be Credible 1.3. The importance of the initial situation/conflict 2. The macrostructures of the fiction text 2.1. The concept of dramatic square 2.2. Argument 2.2.1. Structure 2.2.2. Plot 2.3. Characters 2.4. Narrative Views 2.4.1. Focus 2.4.2. Narration 2.5. Temporality 2.6. The message 3. Specific Writing Techniques 3.1. Static Description 3.2. Description by Action 3.3. Action Description 3.4. Portrait of a Character   4. Artificial Intelligence and Literature 4.1. The place of authorship 4.2. Ethical issues 4.3. Impact on creativity 4.4. Cognitive effects  

Construction of a fiction text in teams throughout the semester.

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