I once sat down to write what turned out to be a pretty good story, though only the first sentence of the story had offered itself to me when I began it. For several days I’d been going around with this sentence in my head: "He was running the vacuum cleaner when the telephone rang." I knew a story was there and that it wanted telling. I felt it in my bones, that a story belonged with that beginning, if I could just have the time to write it. --Raymond Carver

Sometimes what separates creative writers from those who simply wish they were are initiative and opportunity. By registering for this course, you have already indicated that you possess the initiative to take on the challenge of writing creatively. Fortunately, you have enrolled in a college which values your creativity and offers you a chance to develop it--an opportunity that may be difficult to regain once you have graduated. Some of you may feel a bit like Raymond Carver; you know of a tale or a line that simply must be articulated in a short story, drama, or poem. Others of you have never experienced that feeling "in your bones." This class is for both kinds of students. We will ease into the creative process through reading and responding to familiar writers and their works. We will also engage in daily exercises which are designed to facilitate the creative process so you won’t go home to stare at a blank sheet of paper before attempting your own work. Through this progression of assignments you will create a portfolio to be presented at the end of the term. By discussing and critiquing assigned readings and one another’s work, you will also improve your critical reading abilities and learn to read as writers. This course will be valuable not only to those who are considering writing as a profession, but also to those who wish to improve their writing skills in general and develop a better understanding of the creative process.

Each student will keep a writer’s journal for drafts and daily exercises; be sure to bring this notebook with you to class. On occasion I will collect your notebooks and look over the progress you are making. An overstuffed journal not only will facilitate the writing process, but will also cause the participation grade gods to smile down upon you.

Poetry Portfolio................................................................30%

Fiction Portfolio................................................................30%

Contemporary Poet/Literary Magazine Report..........10%

Literary Activity Report....................................................10%

Journal .............................................................................10%

Class Participation............................................................10%

In evaluating your performance this semester I will consider how energetically and creatively you have responded to assignments, as well as how well you have participated in workshopping sessions and in the class as a whole. Your journal and portfolio will serve as the most important reflections of your effort. The grading scale for this course is detailed in the Union University Undergraduate Catalogue, p. 14 (A 95-100; B 85-94; C 75-84; D 65-74; F 64 and below). All work must be submitted in order to pass the course. Another creative writing instructor supplies the following guidelines to his creative writing students, and I adapt them here since they are helpful:

Writing is really pass/fail; your work gets published or rejected. An editor may scrawl "Nice work, but not for us" or "Try us again" on the rejection note.

In a writing course, we must follow more traditional academic guidelines. Grading will be based on your participation and the work that you submit for class.

You may raise your participation grade by turning work in on time, in neat and orderly form; by contributing accurate, constructive criticism during workshops, speaking the truth in love and fostering a sense of community; by keeping up with all reading assignments.

You may lower your grade by failing to attend class; by disregarding deadlines and reading assignments; by not contributing any comments of merit in workshops, or by directing mean-spirited comments at the work of others; by ignoring criticism on your own work or defending what you meant to do in the face of criticism.

While no absence is helpful to your development as a writer, especially in a small course dependent upon creative dialogue, I’ve found this policy to be fair:

You may not earn an A with more than 2 unexcused absences.

You may not earn a B with more than 4 unexcused absences.

You may not earn a C with more than 6 unexcused absences.

You may not earn a D with more than 8 unexcused absences.

If you are absent while representing Union in an official capacity, you may have this absence excused with a written statement from an appropriate authority. An absence due to illness can be excused with a doctor’s note. If you’re too sick to attend class, you’re sick enough to see a doctor. Even excessive excused absences may prevent you from fulfilling basic requirements of this course, so please stay healthy!

For those of you pursuing your teaching certification, this course will help you:

Write in a variety of modes for different audiences, purposes, and viewpoints and teach these skills.

Teach stages of the writing process as they apply to a variety of writing tasks.

Plan a sequence of writing tasks appropriate to the development of students.

Identify and recommend contemporary literature appropriate to the interests and abilities of young people.

Use effective oral communication techniques to foster inquiry and interaction in the classroom.

Keep a copy of all out-of-class work. This syllabus and first-day handout may be revised as necessary. All assignments are to be typed; both prose and poetry are to be submitted double-spaced. I’m not planning to work with drama this semester; however, if you wish to substitute dramatic works for some fiction assignments and make them part of your fiction portfolio, I’m sure we could work something out. This policy holds true for other creative forms (e.g., song lyrics). I encourage you to call me in my office or at home (422-3609; 8:00 am-10:00 pm, please) if you need anything. If you have any concerns about this course, don’t wait until the last minute to voice them--talk to me while we can take steps to make this course a positive experience for you.

Syllabus

English/Communications 312

Spring 2001

WEEK 1

Friday, February 2 Opening comments;lineation exercise.

WEEK 2

Monday, February 5 Discussion: Becoming a discriminating reader.

How to write a rotten poem with almost no effort.

Wednesday, February 7 Workshopping: PW Chapter 31: Current Events.

LAST DAY TO ADD A CLASS.

Friday, February 9 Workshopping: PW Chapter 6: Truce.

WEEK 3

Monday, February 12 Workshopping: PW Chapter 27: Epistolary Poems.

Wednesday, February 14 Workshopping: PW Chapter 14: Conditional Love.

Friday, February 16 Oral reports, round 1.

WEEK 4

Monday, February 19 Workshopping: PW Chapter 42: Beginnings.

Wednesday, February 21 Workshopping: PW Chapter 37: An Eminent Conversation.

Friday, February 23 Oral reports, round 2.

WEEK 5

Monday, February 26 Workshopping: PW Chapter 12: Shadow of the Blues.

Wednesday, February 28 Workshopping: PW Chapter 43: Revisiting the Classics

Friday, March 2 Oral reports, round 3.

WEEK 6

Monday, March 5 Workshopping: PW Chapter 13: Confronting Prejudice.

Wednesday, March 7 TBA/Catch-up.

LAST DAY TO DROP A CLASS.

Thursday, March 8: Creative Writer’s Workshop. You may be asked to assist with this workshop, and you should plan on submitting something for the competition. The Dept. will likely arrange excused absences for you if you help with the workshop.

Friday, March 9 Workshopping: PW Chapter 4: The Power of Art.

ACADEMIC PROGRESS REPORTS SUBMITTED.

[Note: Your mid-term grade will be your oral report grade, which really is not the best indicator of your performance in English 312. After you receive your poetry portfolios back in a week or two you’ll have a much better sense of how you’re doing in this class.]

Friday, March 23 In-class fiction exercise.

WEEK 9

Monday, March 26 In-class fiction exercise.

Wednesday, March 28 Fiction workshop: Jennifer and Stanford.

Friday, March 30 Fiction workshop: Gabe and Lori H.

WEEK 10

Monday, April 2 Fiction workshop: Robert and Lori N.

Wednesday, April 4 Fiction workshop: Shane and Bekah.

Friday, April 6 Literary activity oral reports (3).

WEEK 11

Monday, April 9 SPRING HOLIDAY (NO CLASS).

Wednesday, April 11 SPRING HOLIDAY (NO CLASS).

Friday, April 13 SPRING HOLIDAY (NO CLASS).

WEEK 12

Monday, April 16 EASTER HOLIDAY (NO CLASS).

Wednesday, April 18 Fiction workshop: Edwin and Taylor.

Friday, April 20 Literary activity oral reports (3).

WEEK 13

Monday, April 23 Fiction workshop: Jennifer and Stanford.

Wednesday, April 25 Fiction workshop: Gabe and Lori H.

Friday, April 27 Class canceled. English Dept. trip to Oxford, MS.

WEEK 14

Monday, April 30 Fiction workshop: Robert and Lori N.

Wednesday, May 2 Fiction workshop: Shane and Bekah.

Friday, May 4 Class canceled. International Medievalist Conference.

WEEK 15

Monday, May 7 Fiction workshop: Edwin and Taylor.

Wednesday, May 9 Literary activity oral reports (3).

Friday, May 11 Catch-up/TBA.

WEEK 16 FINAL EXAM: 8-10 am Thursday, May 17.