Writing Workshops

I, You, They: Mastering Point of View with Philip Anderson

$445

6 Sessions

In stock

Once a week Thursdays, 7:00 pm EDT - 9:00 pm EDT August 6 to September 10, 2026

Online via Zoom

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This workshop will consider the different strengths and uses of various points of view. Participants will experiment with voice and write stories in first-person, second-person, and various iterations of third-person to establish the right POV for the story they want to tell. Additionally, classes will include 2-3 student workshops.

In the last class, students will present a short talk on a POV (or POVs) of their choice and discuss the writing we read, the writing that influences them, and the reason they chose that (or those) points of view in their own work. The goal of these presentations is to solidify our understanding of POV functionality in fiction, and present an introspective exploration into each writer’s craft.

Course Outline: The first portion of each class will be a discussion of the assigned reading and corresponding point of view; the second portion will be for workshopping.

Session 1: Omniscient third. Sample reading: “Brokeback Mountain” by Annie Proulx
Session 2: Close third and free-indirect. Sample reading: “Tenth of December” by George Saunders
Session 3: Second and epistolary. Sample reading includes “How to be an Other Woman” by Lorrie Moore, “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, and “Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose” by Kelly Link
Session 4: First-person reflective. Sample reading: “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin
Session 5: Unreliable first-person. Sample reading: “Goodbye, My Brother” by John Cheever
Session 6: Review and student presentations

Teaching Style: Conversational, Socratic, and participation-driven. We will workshop students’ writing and discuss published stories by various authors to gain an understanding of how they have effectively used particular points of view.

Level: Introductory

This course is held online via Zoom.

We offer a limited number of need-based scholarships for our Reading Groups and Writing Workshops, covering 50% of tuition. Applicants selected for scholarships will be notified one week prior to the first meeting. To apply for a scholarship, please fill out this form.

Led by

Philip Anderson

Philip Anderson

Philip Anderson is a writer of fiction and criticism in Los Angeles. His writing has appeared in Story, LIT, Archways, Carla, and other places. His novelette, Landing in Andonia, won the Craft Literary Novelette Prize and will be published in December, 2024. He has received fellowships from Lighthouse Works, Millay Arts, Lighthouse Writers Workshop’s LitFest, Catwalk Residency, and Columbia University. He is currently writing a satirical novel about a prestigious art school.

About this series

Writing Workshops

We strive to make our classes the most inviting and rewarding available, offering an intimate environment to study with award-winning, world-class writers. Each class is specially designed by the instructor, so whether you’re a fledgling writer or an MFA graduate polishing your novel, you’ll find a perfect fit here.

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