ENG 204 SPRING 2013

ENG 204 Creative Writing

BH 314 | 9:00-10:20 TR | Dr. Priscilla Riggle | 660.785.7363 | [email protected] Office BH 235 | Office Hours MW 1:00-4:30 TR 3:00-4:15 F by appointment only I am also available online by prior arrangement on evenings and selected weekends.
I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. Albert Einstein I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice. Joyce Carol Oates To have ruined oneself over poetry is an honor. Oscar Wilde

OVERVIEW
Why do we write? To capture our love for the world around us? To express our deepest desires/fears/secrets? To journey into the worlds of characters whose experiences are completely foreign to us? To get attention? To vent? To experience the sheer pleasure of finding exactly the right words to communicate what we think and feel to others? Maybe you dont know if youre a writer yet. But if youve ever wondered how to be a more creative thinker, how to experience the world around you more deeply, how to use writing to express yourself, youre in the right class. That is, youre in the right class if youre ready to work on not just self-expression, but real communication with real, interested readers. I believe that (a) we can all learn to be more creative, and (b) the best way to teach you how to be better writers is to get you to act like writers. These beliefs guide my approach to the class. Much of the writing you do this semester will be self-directed and semi-private, but ultimately, youre going to be developing, revising, and editing your work in order to move your readers. (Youre also going to serve as engaged readers for your workshop-mates, so this wont all be about you .)

REQUIRED MATERIALS
Imaginative Writing: The Elements of Craft, Burroway (3rd edition) A notebook/journal that will be used for this class only (no spiral notebooks, please)you should bring your notebook every time we meet, whether in class or for an individual consultation. COURSE FORMAT Most classes will start with a writing warm-up lasting from 5-15 minutes. You will each take a turn coming up with a warm-up. After we write, Ill ask for several of you to share what youve written. If it turns out that this is a shy class, Ill just ask some of you to read. You get one pass each semester, so I encourage you to just be fearless and remember the stakes are ridiculously low (as in, almost non-existent). You read, we give you finger snaps, we move on. From there, well read and discuss lots of published writing both to give you ideas of moves you can try in your own work and to train you to be the best reader and responder you can be. At times you may feel like youre in a literature course because well spend a significant amount of time analyzing and discussing the assigned readinghowever, were going to be reading as writers, and there is a difference (youll see what I mean). When I think youre ready (which may very well before you think youre ready), Ill start scheduling what I call sharing workshops, times for you to each read something youre working on and receive responses and suggestions. Youll be assigned a team of first responders so there wont be any awkward silences. Once your team has responded, the rest of the workshop (including me) will have an opportunity to chime in.

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Outside of class, youll be doing a good bit of preliminary writing of your own in your notebook (which I call a playbook), often in response to an assigned prompt designed to help you work on one or more specific elements of craft. Many of your playbook prompts will come from Imaginative Writing, but dont be surprised if I ask you to do something a little unusual outside of class with the goals of stretching your perspective , practicing pushing your boundaries (all safely and within reason), and finding new material to write. (You can write anything you want in your playbook beyond the required responsesyou can also tape or glue in snippets of inspiring material (a line you liked from a magazine, for example, or a picture you find intriguing)whatever works best for you. Once you have lots of rough material to choose from, youll select work to develop, discuss with me, workshop in earnest, and eventually revise to include in your portfolio. I will require you to meet with me outside of class at least: during Weeks 3 and 4 well have get-toknow-you meetings (15 minutes-ish) in the first few weeks of class and at another time of your choosing. Youre welcome to see me as often as you like beyond that. I do not recommend, however, waiting to come talk to me until right before your portfolio is due for gradingyoure likely to be overwhelmed by the number of suggestions you receive from me, and odds are good you wont have time or energy at that point to really do everything youd like to do once weve talked.

OBJECTIVES
This semester, you will: o expand your understanding of what it means to be a creative writer; o observe and experiment with various writing techniques; o gain confidence and skill as a creative writer; o deepen your awareness of writers choices and to learn how to control those choices (craft); o develop a good writers ethic, particularly with regard to drafting, revision, and workshop; o hone skills related to writing: observing, reading, and listening.

SPECIAL COURSE EXPECTATIONS

Because of the nature of the work involved with creative writing, your regular attendance , moral support of workshop-mates, willingness to try new things, and generally open attitude will be absolutely critical. There will be times when another writer will share something s/hes written that will make you uncomfortablebut youll find ways to deal with that. Please do your best to honor and respect your fellow writers outside of class. We all have to become a little vulnerable to do this work, so please dont violate the trust we place in you.

COURSEWORK
INDIVIDUALLY GRADED WORK Craft analysis essays Two 3-5 double-spaced pages of analysis along with your marked up, annotated copy of the piece under discussion. Your craft analysis essays will be graded using an evaluation rubric that you will receive in advance. WORK COVERED BY GRADE CONTRACT (explained below) Workshop participation You are expected to be ready each class period to discuss the reading, respond to your wmates work, and be receptive to feedback to your own work. In general, workshop participation covers both observable behaviors and some of the intangibles noted above in course expectations. Playbooks

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Youll need to write at least 100 words a day, 6 days a week in your playbook, checked off every other week. You will submit to me 2-3 typed, double-spaced pages of your playbook (typed) every other week along with a brief explanatory note. Date your entries and note time of day, location, your mood, energy level, sleepiness, hungeranything that may be helpful to you later when youre trying to find the most productive times to write. Bring your playbook with you to class and individual consultations. Original creative work (drafts) From your playbook and other sources of inspiration, you will write at minimum 5 complete poem drafts (single-spaced, aim for 4 - 6 pages total) AND one complete prose (fiction or creative nonfiction) draft, at least 6 double-spaced pages. You should workshop as many of these drafts as possible, and of course Ill look forward to providing you feedback, as well. Ill check that youve produced the required volume of work, but if you want me to read and share my impressions and suggestions, please make an appointment and get the work to me at least one working day in advance. Portfolio (detailed guidelines provided when the time comes) Your portfolio will include: a 1 - 2 page double-spaced artists statement; approximately 5 single-spaced pages (or equivalent) of revised poetry; approximately 6 8 doublespaced pages of revised prose (fiction and/or creative nonfiction). Youll also include: 2 annotated earlier versions of each piece of revised work in your portfolio and each revised work will be prefaced by your notes regarding the drafting, feedback, and revision process (so keep all your drafts and written feedback/notes about your meetings with me and your workshop teams suggestions). You will also include copies of the poems with workshop suggestions (yes, all 20-some of them) and the notes you took the day your prose was workshopped.

COURSE GRADING
Craft analysis (poetry) Craft analysis (prose) Contracted work (see below): Workshop participation Playbook (4 submission dates) Portfolio of original work TOTAL A = 90-100 B = 80-89 C = 70-79 D = 60-69 F = 0-59 10 points 15 points 75 points

100 points possible

GRADE CONTRACT
Using a contract for part of the course grade reflects my interest in working with you as a coach/mentor rather than a disciplinarian as you explore the world of creative writing, many of you for the first time. Especially since this is a 200-level class open to non-majors, I think its appropriate to use a situation-specific grading scheme. You will have successes this semester, but you will also have failures (yes, I said itfailures). I want you to feel safe enough with the creative work to take risks and not be unduly worried or constrained by fear of a low grade. If youre uncomfortable with this approach to grading, I encourage you to speak with me and Ill be glad to explain further how this will work.

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Heres how points break down for the 75% of the course grade covered under contract: 68-75 points Writer submits all contracted work according to guidelines; is late with assigned work/tasks no more than once; misses class no more than twice; earns no more than one mark at developing level on feedback grid. 60-67 points Writer submits all contracted work according to guidelines, but may have a minor performance/formatting/presentation/technical issue; is late with assigned work/tasks no more than twice; misses class no more than three times; earns no more than two marks at developing level on feedback grid. 53-59 points Writer submits all contracted work, but has one or more significant performance/formatting/ presentation/ technical issues; is late with assigned work/tasks no more than twice; misses class no more than four times; earns no more than three marks at developing level on feedback grid. 45-52 points Writer does not meet described expectations for one piece of contracted work, and/or consistently has significant performance/formatting/ presentation/technical issues; is late with assigned work/tasks no more than three times; misses class no more than five times; earns no more than four marks at developing level on feedback grid. 0-44 points Writer does not meet described expectations for two or more pieces of contracted work, and/or consistently has significant performance/formatting/ presentation/technical issues; is late with assigned work/tasks more than three times; misses class more than five times; earns more than four marks at developing level on feedback grid. (note: official University-sponsored events that cause you to miss class are not counted as absences so long as you provide documentation of your participation and make arrangements with me in advance.)

OTHER POLICIES
As Im sure you know, it is University policy that any work you submit for evaluation is your own. Ill try to make it clear when its okay to borrow from sources, for example, when were working on found poetry. If you have any questions, please ask! If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both me and the Disability Services office (x4478) as soon as possible. (http://disabilityservices.truman.edu/teachers.asp)

A FINAL NOTE
Please remember that Im always interested to look at your writing with you or just talk with you about how things are going, so dont hesitate to stop by my office during hours (or any time my door is open), email, or see me to schedule an appointment. Im looking forward to working with you!