Creative Writing I - NDSU



Creative Writing I (3 Credits)

English 322, Fall 2005

David Martinson@ndsu.edu Writing as Art

South Engineering 318 D Art as Writing

(701) 239-7050

Office hours: 1:00-2:00TTR

Course description:

Imaginative writing with an emphasis on exploring multiple genres, developing critical awareness and becoming acquainted with the literary fine arts. Prerequisite: English 120.

Course description explanation:

Creative Writing I introduces students to a variety of genres of contemporary writing including (but not limited to) poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Students will read, discuss and analyze assigned texts, write their own work in a variety of genres, apply critical perspectives to their own work and the work of other students, and publish a collection of work completed during the course.

Course objectives:

• Students will understand and practice the creative writing process from pre-writing through multiple experiments with language to the refining and celebration of a completed writing product.

• Students will understand the descriptive and critical terms used in creative writing and apply that understanding to individual and group writing activities.

Evaluation procedures and criteria:

• Students must complete three major process oriented writing assignments in different writing genres accounting for 60% of the student’s grade.

o Creative non-fiction manuscript: A minimum 20 page personal essay (or several shorter essays amounting to at least 30 pages) that addresses a compelling issue in the writer’s experience. 20% of final grade.

o Poetry manuscript: A collection of at least 10 poems (totaling a minimum of 200 lines) responding to class assignments. The collection must demonstrate proficiency in writing formal poetry, free verse, experimental poetry, and narrative poetry, and demonstrate use of persona, attention to structure, attention to sound, and use of metaphor. The collection must be prefaced by a critical introduction that addresses these criteria. 20% of final grade.

o Fiction manuscript. A short story of at least 10 pages that focuses upon character development, conflict, setting, point of view, theme, structure, suspense, dialogue, description, imagery, and climax and resolution. 20%

of final grade.

o Students must create a publication, a final writing project that showcases their best work. The final project may be in the form of a chapbook, a magazine, a compact disc recording, a video recording, or another format approved by the instructor. 15 % of final grade.

o Students must present two oral reports to the class: one report will analyze a piece of creative nonfiction by a living writer; the other report will analyze a short story by a living writer. Each report: 5% of final grade.

o Students must memorize at least 20 lines of published poetry by a living writer approved by the instructor. The poetry should come from a book published within the past five years. Additionally, the student must make a classroom presentation that focuses upon answering the following questions about the work: What do we learn about subject matter? What do we learn about language? What do we learn about form? 5% of the final grade.

o Attendance, homework, and class participation: Because this is a workshop course you will be graded on attendance, preparation, and participation. Fargo-Moorhead has a vigorous writing community offering reading series, poetry slams, bookshops, art galleries and museums. Some class activities will take place off-campus to enable the class to participate in these venues. 10% of final grade.

• All writing drafts must be word processed and printed on 8 ½” X 11” paper. Double space your work and use 1” margins for all prose assignments. Give all projects a title. Bring sufficient copies for every member of the class as well as for the instructor.

o Each writing assignment must fulfill the requirements when it is assigned, those that do not will receive an “F.”

o Writing assignments that barely fulfill the minimum requirements will receive a “D.”

o A “C” writing assignment fulfills the minimum requirements.

o A “B” writing assignment fulfills the requirements and has evidence of creative intelligence and critical perspective. It shows evidence of a “rebirth of language.”

o An “A” writing assignment is surprising, compelling and creative. It illustrates superior language usage, understanding, and vision.

Late writing assignments will be lowered a partial grade for each day they are late, unless prior permission is received for an extended due date. You will not pass this course unless all writing assignments are handed in.

• Grade distribution: A (90-100%), B (80-89%), C (70-79%), D (60-69%), F (0-59%).

Americans with disabilities statement:

Any students with disabilities or other special needs, who need special accommodations in this course are invited to share these concerns with the instructor as soon as possible.

Academic honesty:

Plagiarism—the use of someone else’s words, work, and/or ideas without proper academic credit—will not be tolerated and can result in failing this course. All work in this course must be completed in a manner consistent with NDSU University Senate Policy, Section 335: Code of Academic Responsibility and Conduct, .

Ink runs from the corners of my mouth.

There is no happiness like mine.

I have been eating poetry.

--Mark Strand

Student Resources;

The majority of assigned text in this course will be accessible on the World Wide Web. In addition to sites required by the instructor, students are expected to explore the Web to discover other resources available to students in creative writing.

Students are required to purchase one volume of poetry by a living writer. The book must receive prior approval from the instructor.

Students are required to purchase a writer’s notebook in which to record their responses to classroom writing assignments.

You out there so secret,

What makes you think you’re alone?

--Tom McGrath

Calendar

Dates are subject to change.

Aug. 23: Introduction. Assign “Self as Fiction” and “Self as Poem.”

25: Introduce genres: creative non-fiction, poetry, and fiction.

30: Student presentations: “Self as Fiction.”

Sept. 1: Visit Plains Art Museum: Pictorial and Literary Imagery.

6: Criteria for creative nonfiction.

8: Finding a topic. Five page journal entry due.

13: Workshop.

15: Workshop.

20: Workshop.

22: 10 page creative nonfiction draft due.

27: Conferences.

29: Conferences.

Oct. 4: Creative nonfiction report due. Introduce poetry assignment.

6: Bring selections from Poetry Magazine website.

10: Student presentations.

13: Student presentations.

18: Visit Zandbroz Books.

20: Workshop.

25: Workshop.

27: Poetry draft due.

Nov. 1: Conferences.

3: Conferences.

8: Student presentations: memorization.

10: Student presentations: memorization.

15: Introduce fiction assignment.

17: Workshop.

22: Workshop.

24: Holiday.

28: Ten page fiction draft due. Introduce final assignment.

30: Publication technology.

Dec. 1: Final drafts due: creative non-fiction, poetry, and fiction assignments.

6: Publication presentations.

8: Publication presentations.

Course calendar:

Daily attendance is required. After assignments are introduced you may be writing on your own drafts, reading drafts by other students, writing critiques of other student work, or participating in classroom critiques and in-class writing assignments. The dates on the calendar are intended as benchmarks for presenting assignments, completing drafts, and editing final assignments.

Week 1: June 14-17: Introduction to course. Introduction to genres. Introduction to creative non-fiction.

Week 2: June 20-24: Introduction to poetry.

Week 3: June 28-July 1: Introduction to poetry. Draft due July 1.

Week 4: July 5-8: Memorization and presentations. Conferences.

Week 5: July 11-15: Introduction to fiction.

Week 6: July 18-22: Introduction to fiction. Draft due July 22.

Week 7: July 25-29: Individual conferences. Final project criteria.

Week 8: August 1-5: Final drafts of all assignments. Course evaluation.

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