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Professor: Kendall Dunkelberg
Mississippi University for Women
Required Texts and Supplies:
A Writer’s Craft. Kendall Dunkelberg
One copy of a literary magazine of your choice
A flat, bound (not loose leaf) notebook or composition book for use as Writing Notebook
Course Content:
EN 312 introduces students to the process of writing poetry and fiction. The emphasis will be on the craft of writing: we will discuss the role of both creative vision and the necessary work of revision in the writing process. In the first weeks of the course we will discuss issues related to the creative process. Students will work on a number of exercises designed to stimulate ideas for writing. As the semester progresses, we will discuss the craft of writing in more detail, working our way to a discussion of the genres of creative nonfiction, poetry, fiction, and drams. We will also discuss student writing on days marked Small and Full Group Workshop on the schedule.
Course Goals:
• to gain a better appreciation and use of language and style
• to understand and use literary terms associated with poetry and fiction
• to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of contemporary literature
• to respond to and critique the writing of others in an informed manner
• to develop a critical eye and improve your writing through revision
• to develop and polish a portfolio of your own short stories and poems
• to learn about the process of writing and publishing literature
Course Requirements:
Writing Notebook: You will be asked to keep a writing notebook in which you record ideas for writing. I will assign a number of specific exercises, which must be included. You should also use some of the optional assignments to develop ideas for your notebook. Also feel free to write down ideas or try exercises from other sources (see Canvas for links). You should write at least three times a week, probably more, esp. in the first weeks of the semester.
Participation: Discussion of the assigned readings and of each other’s work in writing workshop sessions is vital to your success in the class. To encourage substantive participation by all, class and group participation will be part of your midterm and final grade. Comments on other students’ drafts may be collected and included in your participation grade.
Magazine Review: As part of learning about the publication process, each student will research a literary magazine of her or his choice, obtain a sample copy, and review it, describing the kind of writing the editors favor, the stature of the authors, and the magazine's market. You might focus your review on whether the magazine is a good outlet for your work or discuss what other purpose you might have for subscribing to it. You should also tell how you found out about the magazine and what drew you to it. The review should be 4-5 typed pages. Magazines should be professional, rather than student publications, though small, regional publications are acceptable.
Midterm Portfolio: To encourage you to move from the experimental stages of your work in your notebook and early drafts to more polished drafts, and to give an accurate assessment of your work for midterms, I require a portfolio of work in progress. This portfolio should be 8-10 typed pages, and should include at least 1 poem and 1 story; drama or nonfiction may also be included. The portfolio should be polished and proofread for errors; however, individual pieces need not be finished. Your work should demonstrate significant progress and represent your best work in the course that has been revised and reshaped after discussion in class or conference.
Final Portfolio: The main assignment for the course will be the completion of a 10-20 page portfolio to include a minimum of 2 poems and 1 story (fiction or nonfiction). Students may also include drama or creative nonfiction essay, though these are not required. Students who concentrate on poetry should include several poems and one story. Students who concentrate on fiction should include at least 2 poems and two stories or ten or more pages of a long story. A chapter of a novel may be substituted for a short story if it is relatively self-contained.
The final portfolio should include your best work for the course. It should contain revised work from the midterm portfolio, though not all work from the midterm portfolio need be included and new work may be added if it has been seen in class or conference. Your grade on the final portfolio will be based on both the inherent quality of the work and the quality of the revisions. A great poem or story that has never been revised could be worth less than a good one that has shown significant growth over successive drafts. Remember, your grade is on the work you have done for this class; it is not meant to define your value as a writer.
Midterm Tests: During the course of the semester there will also be four short tests. These will cover concepts discussed in A Writer’s Craft, and in class. You may be asked to define specific terms we have covered or to explain in your own words concepts we have discussed, relating them to the act of creative writing. These tests will be posted in Canvas and will be completed outside of class, due a week after they become available. Posts to the discussion area of Canvas will earn extra credit toward the midterm tests for a maximum of 100% on the tests. Any unused points will carry over to the final exam.
Final Exam: The final will cover terms and concepts discussed in your textbook, handouts, and lecture. Some material from the midterm tests may reappear. The final will also cover the workshop experience and may include a creative section on which you complete an in-class exercise, similar to ones we have done at the beginning of the semester. The number and importance of essay questions will be determined by how well the class has done on the midterm tests. More information will be provided on a review sheet at the end of the semester.
Attendance:
Since discussion of each other's writing is essential to the success of the course, attendance is mandatory and will be recorded at the beginning of each class. If you arrive late, please inform me after class that you were present, or you will be counted absent. I record late arrival or early departure as such, and it is considered in your final grade for the course. Students are required to attend a minimum of 75% of scheduled classes to receive a passing grade. Excessive absences (more than 6) will be considered due cause for lowering your final grade.
Conferences:
In addition to regularly scheduled classes, each student will meet with me for a 20-minute conference every third week. Students will be divided into three groups, which will meet during the weeks marked A, B, and C on the Course Schedule. In conference, we will discuss your work in progress. Turn in the work you wish to discuss at least two days prior to our conference. If you cannot make it to a scheduled conference, please inform me in advance. If you miss conferences or don’t turn in adequate work, it will affect your Notebook grade. If you have no new work to discuss, come anyway and we will discuss things you can do to avoid writer’s block. However, you should remember that it will affect your grade if you often do not turn in work for conference, so do your best to keep writing regularly.
[Policy section, including my grading policy, has been omitted since it will likely be different at every school and for every instructor]
Course Schedule
Week 1 (We often start with a short week)
Wed Introduction
Fri Ch. 2, The Writing Process
Week 2 All Conference Groups
Mon Ch. 3: Language, Rhythm, and Sound
Wed Ch. 4: The Writer in the World
Fri Readings from online literary magazines
Week 3 Group A Conferences
Mon Ch. 5: Past Worlds Test 1 Available
Wed Ch. 6: Imagined Worlds Notebook Due
Fri Readings from online literary magazines
Week 4 Group B Conferences
Mon Ch. 7: Character and Voice
Wed Readings from online literary magazines
Fri Small Group Workshop on Character
Week 5 Group C Conferences
Mon Ch. 8: Perspective and Point of View
Wed Readings from online literary magazines
Fri Small Group Workshop on POV Notebook Due
Week 6 Group A Conferences
Mon Ch. 9: Finding Patterns Test 2 Available
Wed Small Group Workshop on Patterns
Fri Ch. 10: Creative Nonfiction
Week 7 Group B Conferences
Mon Creative Nonfiction from online literary magazines
Wed Small Group Workshop on Creative Nonfiction
Fri Appendix: Literary Citizenship and Publishing Midterm Portfolio
Week 8 Group C Conferences
Mon Ch. 11: Poetry
Wed Poetry from online literary magazines
Fri Small Group Workshop on Poetry Test 3 Available
Week 9 Group A Conferences
Mon Ch. 12: Fiction
Wed Fiction from online literary magazines
Fri Small Group Workshop on Fiction
Week 10 Group B Conferences
Mon Ch. 13: Drama
Wed Play scripts from online literary magazines Test 4 Available
Fri Small Group Workshop on Drama
Week 11 Group C Conferences
Mon Chapter 14: Other Genres Notebook Due
Appendix: Guidelines for Workshops
Wed Full Group Workshop
Fri Full Group Workshop
Weeks 12 — 15: Full Group Workshops every day and one more round of individual conferences
Week 16: Final Exam
For instance, in the one I will post, I deleted all my required university policy statements, along with my contact information other than my name and university. I also entered generic descriptions of readings from online literary magazines: the last time I taught the course, I used the Pushcart Prize Anthology. Next semester, I'm planning to use a few online and print literary magazines.
I will post my sample syllabus. I'm interested in seeing what others do!