Course Syllabus

THE SYLLABUS FOR THE COURSE CAN BE FOUND UNDER "FILES" AS A WORD DOCUMENT

COURSE SCHEDULE

UPDATED WEEKLY; PLEASE REFER TO THE SCHEDULE REGULARLY

WEEK 1

Introductory writing exercise: "You're a Character" (handout)

• Pair up with somebody in the classroom you don't know and interview them, using the handout as a questionnaire; go for specific and interesting details that make you wonder about your partner's character; when finished, write a paragraph or two of narrative introduction that will intrigue the class.
• When finished with your introductions, make sure to swap the handout questionnaires with your partner (so you have your own version of yourself) and staple it into your journal as your first entry.
  

 Thursday, 2/2:

 Read and discuss:

• "I Remember"; write for 20 minutes in the style of Joe Brainard, starting each sentence with the words I remember and letting your imagination prevail, going for imagery and reflection

WEEK 2

Tuesday, 2/7:

Textbooks assigned for the semester:
Janet Burroway, Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft (bring your book to every class throughout the semester)

 Read and discuss:

 Writing exercise:

Thursday, 2/9:

Read and discuss:

WEEK 3

Tuesday, 2/14

Read and discuss:

• "Spin" and "How to Tell a True War Story" from The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

Thursday, 2/16

Read and discuss:

• O'Brien, "Spin" and "How to Tell a True War Story" (con't)
• Write at least one reader response entry (or, focused freewrite) to these stories; connect your response in some was to what you've experienced thus far in the course (i.e., the idea of the "seed" of a story; memory, and as O'Brien puts it in "Spin" on p. 38, describing what he calls "memory traffic [feeding] into a rotary up in your head": "As a writer, all you can do is pick a street and go for a ride, putting down all the things as they come to you."

Writing exercises:

• Burroway, pp. 19-20; do another exercise of your choosing from the end of Chapter 1 (we already did #3, Choosing a place and Observing People).
  

• Alexander Chee "Seeds" (handout); over the break, do a timed exercise exploring what you DON'T remember, starting with the following sentence in which you fill in the blanks and keep going: "I don't remember ________________, but I've been told___________________..."

WEEK 4

Tuesday, 2/28:

Read and discuss:

• Burroway, Chapter 2 "Seeing is Believing"
• "We Didn't" by Stuart Dybek, pp. 42-51

Writing exercise:

• Readings of the Chee "Seeds" exercise in class; reflection and discussion of story possibilities the exercise generates
  

Thursday, 3/1

Read and discuss:

• Burroway, Chapter 2 "Seeing is Believing" (con't)
• "We Didn't" by Stuart Dybek, pp. 42-51 (in your journal, write a reflective response entry about how this story appeals to your senses--refer to specific recurring details)
  

In-class writing exercise:

• Robert Olen Butler, "Through the Senses" (handout); we'll begin this in class and you will take this home to finish over the weekend.

WEEK 5

Tuesday, 3/6:

Read and discuss:

• Burroway, Chapter 2 "Seeing is Believing" (con't)
• "Big Me" by Dan Chaon", pp. 51-67; response entry in your journal
  

 Writing exercise:

• Robert Olen Butler, "Through the Senses" (handout); we began this in class last Thursday (steps 1 & 2)--in your journal, make sure to finish the exercise following the directions closely (don't read ahead!) through Step 7 for today. Volunteers to read aloud.
  

Thursday, 3/8:

Read and discuss:

• Burroway, Chapter 2 "Seeing is Believing" (con't.--finish discussing the chapter)
• "The Red Fox Fur Coat" by Teolinda Gersão; response entry
  

Workshop:

• Keep working on drafting through a story for Workshop, Small-Group Critique, due Tuesday, 3/13 (assignment details TBA)

WEEK 6

Tuesday, 3/13:

Small-Group Critique Workshop: we will break into groups of 5 to workshop a completed draft of your first story. Bring in 5 copies of your story, 4 for the others in your group and 1 for me.

Guidelines for your printed drafts; please follow them closely:

• Your worksheet drafts must be double-spaced with regular one-inch margins and 12-point type, just like a paper you would turn in for another class; if you bring a single-spaced draft, it won't be acceptable; we need space on the worksheets to write comments.
  
• Your story must have a beginning, middle, and end, and must be drafted through--no half stories. Length will be determined by the story itself; for now, no drafts over 10 pages for small-group workshop, please.
  
• Your story must have a title--if it is currently untitled, put down the first thing that comes to mind--or take words from a phrase or line in your piece (usually a good idea) and your workshop mates will give you feedback.
• Proofread your drafts carefully--no typos or careless errors.
  
• Feedback questionnaires will be distributed to help you critique each other's stories; You will write critiques for the 4 stories you have in your group. Be sure to make extensive comments on the questionnaires and return them to each writer on Thursday.
  

Thursday, 3/15:

Small-Group Critique Workshop (continued).

• Finish your worksheets and questionnaires and return marked-up drafts to each writer in your group.
  

WEEKWEEK 7

Tuesday, 3/20:

JOURNALS DUE

Read and discuss (carried over from last week):

• Burroway, Chapter 2 "Seeing is Believing" (con't.--finish discussing the chapter)
• "The Red Fox Fur Coat" by Teolinda Gersão; response entry

Writing exercise:

• Burroway, p. 71, Exercise 2, "Wait Until Dark": write a scene in which your character is deprived of one of the five senses; be prepared to read aloud.
  

Thursday, 3/22:

Writing exercises:

• "Wait Until Dark" (cont.)
  
• In-class writing exercise: 
  Create metaphors as quickly as you can. Write down that one thing is another. Don't censor yourself--have fun. Start with a noun. (For instance, a house is a cake. A house is a flower.  A house is the wind. A house is a clock. A clock is a tyrant. A clock is a father. A father is a nose). You can stick with one noun the whole time and see how many things one thing can become, or vary as your imagination dictates. Feel free to repeat the exercise both ways. Some of your metaphors are bound to me striking and useful.
  

Read and discuss:

• Burroway, Chapter 3: Building Character--"Characterization, Part I": read pp. 73-89

WEEK 8

Tuesday, 3/27:

Read and discuss:

• Burroway, Chapter 3: Building Character--"Characterization, Part I": read pp. 73-89 (cont.)
  

Thursday, 3/29:

Read and discuss:

• Burroway, Chapter 3: Building Character--"Characterization, Part I": read pp. 73-89 (cont.)
• Junot Diaz, "Fiesta, 1980," pp. 90-100; response entry
  

 WEEK 9

Tuesday 4/3

Read and discuss:

• Burroway, Chapter 3: Building Character--"Characterization, Part I": read pp. 73-89 (cont.)
• Things to avoid in dialogue (handout)

Writing exercises, page 114:

• #3 (homework): Write a scene (with dialogus) between two characters almost having a fight, but not quite (see exercise)
• #2 (in-class today): "Non-apology"--Write an exchange that begins, "I'm sorry, but . . ." (see exercise)
  

 Thursday 4/5

 Read and discuss:

• Burroway, Chapter 3: Building Character (cont.)
• ZZ Packer, "Every Tongue Shall Confess," pp. 100-112

Exercises:

• Readings of recent exercises in class with dialogue revealing character

 WEEK 10

Tuesday, 4/17:

Over spring break, keep working on your new fiction pieces arising from your journal.

Read and discuss:

• Burroway, Chapter 3: Building Character (finish)
• ZZ Packer, "Every Tongue Shall Confess," pp. 100-112; response entry: How does the way the narrator talk create character in this story?
  (carried over from last class)

Thursday, 4/19:

Large-Group Workshop begins next Thursday, 4/26

• Sign-up sheet will be distributed in class today: 3 students will have stories up for workshop every Thursday, so pick a slot that works for you and sign up
• Keep working on your new story (2nd story); this is the one you will bring to the Workshop
• We'll go over workshop rules and etiquette

 WEEK 11

Monday, 4/23:

Read and discuss:

• Pia Z. Ehrhardt, "Following the notes," pp. 112-114 (carried over from last week); response entry
• Burroway Chapter 4, "The Flesh Made Word": Direct Methods of Character Presentation (Appearance, Action, Thought), Indirect Methods of Character Presentation (Authorial Interpretation, Interpretation by Another Character), and Conflict Between Methods of Presentation, pp. 116-127.

Handing out for Workshop on Thursday (22 copies of first drafts):

• Christihanna Morrison
• Okeoma Chilaka
• Duaa Randhawa

Thursday, 4/26:

 

Workshop of second stories begins. Stories up for discussion by:

• Christihanna Morrison
• Okeoma Chilaka
• Duaa Randhawa

Be sure to mark up the drafts of each story and return the worksheet with thorough comments to each writer up for discussion.

WEEK 12

Tuesday, May 1:

Read and discuss:

• Burroway Chapter 4, "The Flesh Made Word" (cont.) read to end, including example stories at end of chapter.
  

Handing out for Workshop on Thursday (22 copies of first drafts):

• Christina Colon
• Jackie Martin
• Clea Woodbury
  

Thursday, 5/3:

Student stories up for workshop discussion:

• Christina Colon
• Jackie Martin
• Clea Woodbury

Reading Event After School:

Peter Cameron author visit and reading from his novel Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You at 3:45 p.m. in the BHSECQ Library. Attendance is required and a part of your class participation grade--the event will be over by approx. 4:45.

• For extra credit, try to come up with a question to ask the author at the Q&A session after for reading

WEEK 13

Tuesday, 5/8:

Workshop from last week:

• Finish discussion of Clea Woodbury's story
  

Read and discuss:

• Tobias Wolff, "Bullet in the Brain" (from Burroway Chapter 4, p. 147-151)
• Burroway Chapter 5, "Far, Far Away: Fictional Place"; read pp. 164-180

Writing exercise (TBA)

Handing out for Workshop on Thursday (22 copies of first drafts):

• Noor Meer
  
• Crystal Velez
  
• Arti Tripathi
  

Thursday, 5/10:

Student stories up for workshop discussion:

• Noor Meer
  
• Crystal Velez
  
• Arti Tripathi

WEEK 14

Tuesday, 5/15:

Workshop from last week:

• Discuss Noor Meer's story
  

Read and discuss:

• Burroway Chapter 5, "Far, Far Away: Fictional Place," (cont.)
• "The Sea Fairies" by Maura Stanton, pp. 180-190
  

Handing out for Workshop on Thursday (22 copies of first drafts):

• Ben Uberia
• Danny Corridan
• Monica Delikat

Thursday, 5/17:

• Finish discussion of "The Sea Fairies"; response entry

Workshop:

STORIES UP FOR DISCUSSION:

• Ben Uberia
• Danny Corridan
• Monica Delikat

 WEEK 15

Tuesday, 5/22:

 Workshop from last week:

•  Discuss Danny Corridan's and Monica Delikat's stories

In-class writing exercise (if time allows):

• Voluntary reading from Exercises 1 and/or 3 from Ch. 5, pp. 206-207
  

Read and discuss:

• Chapter 6: "Long Ago: Fictional Time," pp. 208-221
  

Handing out for Workshop on Thursday (22 copies of first drafts):

• Emily Tang
• Victor Lane
• Liana Peralta

Thursday, 5/24:
Writing exercise (started in class):

• Chapter 6: "Long Ago: Fictional Time," p. 246, #1and/or#3: Think of a time or an accident you remember well and write about it with authority (follow instructions for each closely).

Workshop:

STORIES UP FOR WORKSHOP

• Emily Tang
• Victor Lane
• Liana Peralta

WEEK 16

Tuesday, 5/29:

Read and discuss:

• "Hominids" by Jill McCorkle; response entry

 Workshop from last week:

•  Discuss Victor Lane's and Liana Peralta's stories

HANDING OUT FOR THURSDAY, 5/31:

• Lorena Magno
• Emily Conley
• Sabrina Barrett
  

Thursday, 5/31:

FINAL JOURNALS DUE

Workshop:

STORIES UP FOR DISCUSSION:

• Lorena Magno
• Emily Conley
• Sabrina Barrett

HANDING OUT FOR TUESDAY, 6/5:

• Sarah Elghazoly
• Gina Licul
• Peter Ines
  

WEEK 17:

Tuesday, 6/5:
LAST CLASS

Workshop:

STORIES UP FOR DISCUSSION:

• Sabrina Barrett
• Sarah Elghazoly
• Gina Licul
• Peter Ines