GENGL 602: Creative Writing
Spring 2006
Thursdays / 6 – 8:50
PC 3225
Instructor: Berwyn Moore, Associate Professor of English
Office: Palumbo Academic Center, Room 3240
Phone: 871-7504
E-mail: moore001@gannon.edu
Office Hours: Th: 5:30 - 6
MWF: 11:15 - 12:15 and 1:30 - 2:15 (and by appointment)
Texts
Required:
Knorr, Jeff and Tim Schell, eds. A Writer’s Country: A Collection of Fiction and Poetry. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2001.
Optional:
Knorr, Jeff and Tim Schell, eds. Mooring Against the Tide: Writing Fiction and Poetry. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2001.
Burroway, Janet. Imaginative Writing: The Elements of Craft. New York: Longman, 2003.
Description
This graduate course in creative writing is designed for students interested in developing their creative writing skills, improving their analytic, critical, and evaluative skills, and increasing their knowledge of contemporary literature. Classes are conducted as workshops for critique and discussion of students’ in-progress poems, stories, and creative essays. Opportunity is also provided for in-depth analysis of stories, poems, and essays by established writers and for study of contemporary literary forms and genres.
This course is based on the premise that creative writing is art as well as discourse. As such, its successful composition requires an understanding of how its elements, including subject, language, and structure, work together to create a unified whole – a poem, story, or essay. In addition, the "artists" benefit from a supportive environment that encourages astute critical dialogue while fostering growth and confidence. This course will facilitate both aspects.
The course will also benefit those who are interested in teaching creative writing at the secondary level.
Outcomes
Students will:
· analyze and appraise the styles and techniques of contemporary fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction writers with understanding
· analyze a variety of literary genres and forms
· write in a selected genre, effectively blending elements of form with content
· assess the effectiveness of their writing
· revise effectively and efficiently
· analyze, interpret, and appraise the writing of their peers from a sound critical perspective
Approach
Students may compose in the creative genre(s) of their choice, but are expected to review and critique the submitted works of their peers in all genres. The pedagogical assumption of this approach is twofold: that it will foster the development of each student's composing and revising skills in the genre for which he or she feels best-suited, and that it will necessitate all students to acquire and hone analytic and critical skills for all genres studied.
At the beginning of the term, each student will submit a non-binding contract outlining a creative writing project to be completed by the end of the semester. Throughout the term, students will submit drafts of their work for class discussion and critique. A revolving schedule will allow each student to submit work to as many workshop sessions as possible. At the end of the term, students will submit a manuscript of revised work.
Additional course activities will include analyses of works from A Writer's Country, critiques of books read outside of class, and oral reports.
Requirements
1. Contract. You are to submit a contract outlining the creative work you intend to complete by the end of the semester. Projects may consist of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or a combination of genres. Contracts should identify the genre in which you plan to work and the anticipated amount of work you expect to complete. Contracts do not need to state thematic, narrative, or stylistic ideas unless they involve non-traditional or experimental techniques (e.g. meta-fiction, surrealism, or "language" poetry). The length requirement for projects is approximately ten pages of poetry and twenty pages of fiction or creative nonfiction (probably two stories or two essays).
These contracts are intended to provide you with a goal and a focus; they are not intended to bind you inflexibly to a project that, once begun, may not be satisfactory. If, after you have begun to work on your project, you wish to change it, please see me.
Due: January 19
2. Workshop. You should follow the schedule determined at the beginning of the semester for submitting work for class discussion. Copied work should be distributed to class members the Thursday before the scheduled workshop session. (You may have copies made through the English department secretary, but you must give her 24-hour notice.) Class members will then have a week to prepare for class discussion by reading each piece carefully and annotating the drafts with specific critical commentary and suggestions. All participants will return their annotated copies to the writers following class discussion.
3. Book Critiques. You are to write three critiques (1 – 2 pages) of your choice of three collections of poems, stories, or essays by contemporary authors. The books you choose to review may be entirely in the genre in which you are writing or they may be in different genres (fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction) and should be by one author (not anthologies of work by many authors). Your critique should highlight the stylistic and thematic features of the stories, poems, or essays as a whole. Use A Writer’s Country to find writers whose work you would like to critique. You will find many collections at the Nash and Blasco libraries.
Oral Report Option: In lieu of one written critique, you may present a 20-minute report to the class on a topic relevant to writing or contemporary literature. Suggested topics include:
a) the work of a contemporary author,
b) a contemporary genre or form (e.g. new formalism, minimalism, magical realism, meta-fiction, prose poetry, creative nonfiction, sudden fiction), or
c) an issue relevant to creative writers (e.g. free speech / censorship, marginal writers,
literary journals)
You must inform me by January 26 if you plan to do this, so we can schedule it.
Due dates: February 9, March 16, April 20
4. Final Manuscript and Self-Assessment. At the end of the semester you will turn in your revised creative work in the form of a professional manuscript. You should also turn in a 2 to 3 page assessment of your writing strengths, weaknesses, goals, etc.
Due date: May 4
Grading
Assignment: % of Final Grade:
Participation and Workshop Preparation 30%
Book Critiques (averaged) 20%
Final Manuscript (and self evaluation) 50%