Assignments and Class Schedule
Beginning Creative Writing—Fiction
English 221

Session	What’s Going On That Day
1.	Introduction / Syllabus / Class Requirements / Keeping a Journal / The 3 Rs ACTIVITY: Writing Exercise
2.	DUE: Writing Exercise from Session 1. DISCUSSION: What is “Story”? / Elements of Short Fiction / How the Way We Read Informs the Way We Write
3.	DISCUSSION: Writing Exercise / Writers’ Choices / Be-Do-Have READING FOR NEXT WEEK: · Marshall, Paule. “The Making of a Writer: From the Poets in the Kitchen.” Gates, Henry Louis, Jr. & McKay, Nellie Y. (Eds.), The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. New York: W. W. Norton, 1997. · Alexie, Sherman. “I want the artists whose work I admire to be admirable people....” · Bishop: Introduction (pp. 1-3); Chapter 1 (pp. 4-24); Appendix B, “Short Fiction” (pp. 283-284) · Morrison, Toni. Lecture given on acceptance of 1993 Nobel Prize. · hooks, bell. “Postmodern Blackness.(”Postmodernist discourses are often exclusionary even when, having been accused of lacking concrete relevance, they call attention to and appropriate the experience of "difference" and "otherness" in order to provide themselves with oppositional political meaning, legitimacy, and immediacy....”) [Recommended, but not required; available on 221.004 Web page] · Gitlin, Todd. “The Dumb-Down.” The Nation Digital Edition, 1997. (As publishers have become farm teams where "product" is worked up for the "synergistic" use of the parent entertainment conglomerates, one frequently hears the charge that books have been dumbed down....”) [Recommended, but not required; available on 221.004 Web page] HOMEWORK: From Nos. 1-6 of Bishop’s seven “Self-Audit Questions” (pp. 12-13), choose three and answer them in your journal. Everyone must also answer No. 7.
4.	DISCUSSION: Looking at Drafts / Appraising Student Work / What Makes a Useful Critique? / Marshall, Alexie, Bishop & Morrison ACTIVITY: Read and comment on student first draft (“The Melon”)
5.	DUE: Responses to “Self-Audit Questions” ACTIVITY: Create Small Groups DISCUSSION: In groups, discuss questions from Bishop, p. 19 plus Session 3 homework assignment. READING FOR NEXT WEEK: Looking at Style · Wharton, Edith. “Roman Fever.” The Selected Short Stories of Edith Wharton. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1991. · James, Henry. “Four Meetings.” Pickering, James H. Fiction 100: An Anthology of Short Stories. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1982 (1974). · Bishop, Chapter 2 “Discovering a Writer’s Moves” (pp. 25-42). · HOMEWORK: From Bishop, in your journal, answer p. 26, #1 & #3; p. 38, #1, #2, & #6. Be prepared to discuss the issues Bishop raises in class on ____________.
6.	ACTIVITY: Writing Exercise¾“Borrowed Beginnings/First Lines” DISCUSSION: James & Wharton: What Makes a Style?
7.	DISCUSSION: “Rules” of Writing / Why Write? / The “Muse”
8.	DUE: “Borrowed Beginnings” writing exercise DISCUSSION: Writing Exercise READING FOR NEXT WEEK: Looking at Character · Mordden, Ethan. “Interview with a Drag Queen.” · Wharton, Edith. “Xingu.” The Selected Short Stories of Edith Wharton. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1991. · O’Connor, Flannery. “Good Country People.” (Granta)
9.	DISCUSSION: Mordden / Wharton / O’Connor / Writers’ Strategies for Making Characters Come Alive READING: · Hoffman, Michael J. & Murphy, Patrick D. “Introduction.” From Essentials of the Theory of Fiction. Duke University Press, 1996, 2nd ed.
10.	DISCUSSION: A Closer Look at the Elements of a Short Story / Plot Outlines & Character Sketches / Hoffman & Murphy READING: · Chopin, Kate. “Desiree’s Baby.” HOMEWORK: Using the models provided, create either a plot outline for “Desiree’s Baby” or a character sketch of Mdme. Valmonde, Desiree, and Armand.
11.	DUE: “Desiree’s Baby” plot outline or character sketch DISCUSSION: “Desiree’s Baby” / Plot Outlines & Character Sketches READING FOR NEXT WEEK: Looking Some More at Style · Joyce, James. “The Dead.” Pickering, James H. Fiction 100: An Anthology of Short Stories. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1982 (1974). · Hemingway, Ernest. “Hills Like White Elephants.” Pickering, James H. Fiction 100: An Anthology of Short Stories. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1982 (1974). · Bishop: Chapter 3 “Uncovering a Draft” (pp. 43-81) HOMEWORK: · Chapter 3 of Bishop includes a number of techniques for “getting started” as well as exercises. In your journal do either the following part of the Cliché Exercise [make a collection of clichés, then rewrite “Trite” by Ken Waldman as a formal piece of writing without clichés]; the Metaphorical Character Exercise; the Autobiography Exercise; or the Letter-Writing Exercise · Prepare to talk about, on _______, your preliminary plan and ideas for the short story you will write this semester (this does not have to be based on what you did in the exercises).
12.	DISCUSSION: · Bishop on “uncovering” the draft · In small groups, meet to share and talk about your short-story ideas. HOMEWORK: Begin work on the first draft of your short story (ongoing) First draft due __________.
13.	DISCUSSION: Joyce / Hemingway / Looking at Elements of Style: Spareness vs. Lushness ACTIVITY: Writing Exercise¾Point of View
14.	DISCUSSION: Dialogue READING FOR NEXT WEEK: Reality vs. Fiction · Moore, Lorrie. “People Like That Are the Only People Here.” New Yorker, January 27, 1997. · Allison, Dorothy. “A Bastard Out of Carolina.” Mark, M. (Ed.) Disorderly Conduct: The VLS Fiction Reader. New York: Serpent’s Tail, 1991. · Marshall, Paule. “Reena.” Gates, Henry Louis, Jr. & McKay, Nellie Y. (Eds.), The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. New York: W. W. Norton, 1997. · Bishop: Chapter 7 (pp. 158-199): “Revision and Your Writing” HOMEWORK: Revise the first four paragraphs of “The Melon.”
15.	DISCUSSION: The Process of Revision / “The Melon”
16.	DUE: Journals¾First Reading DISCUSSION: Reality, Autobiography & Fiction
17.	DISCUSSION/ACTIVITY: Making Fiction Out of Reality / Writing About Yourself / Improving on the Truth READING FOR NEXT WEEK: Contemporary Issues, Politics, and Art [Read Gilman, O’Brien, and one other] · Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. “The Yellow Wall-Paper” and “Why I Wrote ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’” · Alexie, Sherman. “The Trial of Thomas Builds-the Fire.” In The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven. New York: HarperCollins/Perennial, 1994 (fp. 1993). · Mars-Jones, Adam. “Slim.” In Warner, Sharon Oard (Ed.), The Way We Write Now: Short Stories from the AIDS Crisis. New York: Citadel Press, 1995. · O’Brien, Tim. “The Things They Carried.” (Granta) HOMEWORK: Find an example¾either from media, your own experiences, conversations with others, or another source¾of a political, social, stylistic, or moral issue that contemporary writers face. Come prepared to say something of substance about it.
18.	ACTIVITY: Journals returned DISCUSSION: Gilman / Alexie / Mars-Jones / O’Brien / Politics & Art
19.	DUE: Example of political, social, stylistic, or moral issue facing contemporary writers. DISCUSSION: Small groups meet to talk about issues facing writers; group representatives report back to full class.
20.	ACTIVITY: Writing Exercise¾Voice READING FOR NEXT WEEK: Looking at Theme¾Family [Read Stafford, Gaitskill, and two others] · Stafford, Jean. “In the Zoo.” (Granta) · Dark, Alice Elliott. “In the Gloaming.” In Warner, Sharon Oard (Ed.), The Way We Write Now: Short Stories from the AIDS Crisis. New York: Citadel Press, 1995. · Leavitt, David. “Territory.” (Granta) · Gaitskill, Mary. “Heaven.” Bad Behavior. Vintage Contemporaries/Random House, 1989 (fp 1988). · Canin, Ethan. “Pitch Memory.” In The Emperor of the Air. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1988. · Alexie, Sherman. “Every Little Hurricane.” In The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven. New York: HarperCollins/Perennial, 1994 (fp. 1993). HOMEWORK: Choose a journal / lit mag to review for your required project. Come to class on ________, prepared to talk about your choice and to share with your group mates any ideas/resources you’ve discovered.
21.	Commemorate Genocide Day/Columbus Day Classes Will Meet DISCUSSION: The Theme of Family / Stafford, Dark, Leavitt, Gaitskill, Canin, Alexie
22.	ACTIVITY: Small groups meet to discuss lit mag review project, share ideas/resources. READING FOR NEXT WEEK: Irony and Humor · Parker, Dorothy. “Diary of a New York Lady.” The Collected Short Stories of Dorothy Parker. New York: The Modern Library, 1942. · Saki. “Mrs. Packletide’s Tiger” and “The Reticence of Lady Anne.” The Short Stories of Saki (H. H. Munro). New York: Viking Press/Books, Inc. Edition, 1943 (fp. 1930). · Forster, E. M. “The Obelisk.” · Dahl, Roald. “Lamb to the Slaughter.” In The Best of Roald Dahl. New York: Random House/Vintage, 1978 (fp 1973)
23.	DUE: First Draft of Story DISCUSSION: Parker, Saki, Forster, Dahl
24.	ACTIVITY: Pass out drafts within small groups DISCUSSION: Character Types: Flat, Round, Stereotypes, Archetypes, and Others HOMEWORK: Read two of your group-mates’ stories; prepare a written commentary that you will give to them on _____.
25.	DUE: Written Comments on Group Mates’ Stories ACTIVITY: · Small groups discuss and comment on drafts · Schedule student conferences re: first drafts READING FOR NEXT WEEK: Dialect, Language & Community [Read Welty, Bambara, Hurston, and one other] · Welty, Eudora. “Why I Live at the P.O.” Pickering, James H. Fiction 100: An Anthology of Short Stories. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1982 (1974). · Bambara, Toni Cade. “My Man Bovane.” · Roy, Arundhati. “Things Can Change in a Day.” · Hurston, Zora Neale. “Sweat.” Walker, Alice (Ed.), I Love Myself When I am Laughing ... and then Again When I am Looking Mean and Impressive: A Zora Neale Hurston Reader. New York: The Feminist Press/CUNY, 1979. · Vailakis, Ivon Gordon. “Getting Dressed.” Blue Mesa Review No. 9, Fall 1997. · McMillan, Terry. “Ma‘Dear.” · Chopin, Kate. “Regret.” · Viramontes, Helena. “Caraboo Cafe” in The Moths and Other Stories.
26.	DISCUSSION: Dialect, Language, and Community / For Whom Do You Write? / What is Your Community? READING FOR NEXT WEEK: Looking at Theme¾Life Sucks [Read any two] · Yates, Richard. “Liars in Love.” (Granta) · Moore, Lorrie. “You’re Ugly, Too.” (Granta) · Phillips, Jayne Anne. “Lechery.” (Granta) · Carver, Raymond. Are These Actual Miles? (Granta)
27.	DISCUSSION: Yates, Moore, Phillips, Carver / “Depressive Realism”
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