INTRO TO CREATIVE WRITING
EN221.01
Tu Th 12-1:!5
Location: Lyons 429

Prof. Andrew Sofer
438 Carney
Tel: 2-1653
Mailbox: Carney 447
Office Hours: M W 2:00-3:30 and by appointment

Course description
Why write? To wrest form from life’s chaos. To reinvent the world. To shake up. To seduce. To enrage. To get even. Above all, to be memorable, to give pleasure to readers.

This is a workshop designed to introduce you to both poetry and fiction writing. Half the course will be spent on the elements of memorable poetry: voice, line, metaphor, image, and sound. The other half will be spent on the building blocks of memorable fiction: plot structure, narrative point of view, character development, and dialogue. You will write exercises in both forms and finish with a semester portfolio. Class time will be spent on discussion of models, in-class exercises, and group critiques of student work. I will not grade exercises but will give you my oral and/or written comments. Your final grade will be a composite based on your final portfolio (75%) and your class participation, including attendance (25%).

Please note that regular class attendance is a requirement for passing this course.

Many wonderful writers are visiting B.C. this semester; attendance at two readings or colloquia will be required (along with a short write-up of your impressions). In the meantime, mark your calendars for the following visiting Lowell Humanities Readers (7:30pm, Gasson 100):

Please be alerted that B.C.’s fourth annual arts festival will take place Thursday, Friday, and Saturday April 25-27^th (www.bc.edu/arts). On Thursday April 25 from 12-4 there will be a reading devoted to Stylus contributors, senior Writing Concentrators, and English faculty writers you are asked to attend.

Required Texts (available in the BC Bookstore)

Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux, The Poet’s Companion

Janet Burroway, Writing Fiction, fifth edition

General Course Policies

1. Because this is a collaborative workshop course that aims to create a writing community, scrupulous attendance is required. After two unexcused absences I will dock your final grade by one-third of a grade (for example, A- to B+). This two-absence allowance is for illness and other unavoidable absence; do not waste it. I will excuse absences on grounds of family emergency, and religious holidays. Whenever possible, let me know in advance by e-mail if you have to miss class.

2. In addition to attendance, careful preparation and thought before each class are essential; the more you put into each class, the more you will get out of it. I therefore expect you to participate in discussion and to take advantage of office hours to work through drafts and share with me any questions or concerns you may have about the course. You should schedule a fifteen-minute conference with me at least once in each half of the semester; bring your entire work folder. If you find yourself bored, frustrated, or overwhelmed at any point in the semester, please come and see me.

3. Please type, double-space, and staple all assignments. Needless to say, I expect you to proofread carefully (not just run spell-check). Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day they are due; please note that hardware/software problems are not a valid excuse for late work, so plan accordingly! I reserve the right not to accept written work past its due date.

4. I recommend keeping a private journal as a seed bed for story and poem ideas, but all work submitted as part of the course, including exercises, will be considered shareable with the entire class. Please do not submit any work that you do not wish to share with your classmates. Change all proper names (including first names) if you are basing characters on real people, however loosely, even those outside the B.C. community. Do not share your classmates’ work with anyone outside the class unless you have the writer’s express permission.

5. Your final portfolio will consist of all your exercises (including in-class work) labeled by assignment and date, plus your final project. A final project will be your choice of six revised poems, or a revised short story.

6. A final grade of A will be awarded for excellent work/participation; of B for good or very good work/participation; of C for satisfactory work/participation; and of D for unsatisfactory work/participation. If you would like a sense of your grade-in-progress, please consult me later in the semester. If you "need" or "cannot afford" to get a certain grade in this course, this section is not a good choice for you.

From the Academic Regulations of the University

Students at Boston College are expected to have high standards of integrity Any student who cheats or plagiarizes on examinations or assignments is subject to dismissal from the College. Cases involving academic integrity shall be adjudicated according to the policies and procedures of the Appropriate School of College.

Ground Rules for Successful Workshops

At some sessions, one or two students will have a current piece workshopped. When it is your turn, please bring fifteen photocopies to class on the date before you are scheduled. If you do not do this, you will lose your turn and will not receive workshop credit.

Each time we workshop, prepare your comments with care in advance, bearing in mind that writers (even very good ones) are sensitive creatures. Remember, the goal is to help the writer improve the next draft. Begin with what is working well. When offering constructive criticism, make the criticism about the work, never the writer. Use the language of response rather than the language of judgment ("The rawness of the language distracted me from the content" beats "This piece is really offensive"; "I had problems investing in the characters–what’s at stake for them?" beats "Your characters suck!"). Be precise: "I felt the imagery lose steam in the third stanza" beats "The language is kind of vague." Always address the writer, not the instructor. Do not compare the writer unfavorably with other writers, etc. You get the idea J .

In the interests of time, the writer will most likely not be able to respond to individual comments, but may have a brief chance to ask follow-up questions at the end.

Note to the anxious: I’m not wild about criticism either, but over the years workshops have greatly improved my own writing. If you feel uncomfortable while being workshopped, bear in mind that it’s hard to critique other’s work well and that ultimately you are in the driver’s seat–it’s your piece, after all. Feel free when revising to focus on the few suggestions that make most sense to you. Just like writing, some are more skilled at critique than others–so bear no grudges.

Tentative Syllabus with Workshop Dates

This syllabus is subject to change at short notice. If you have to miss a class, please consult a classmate about changes in assignments for the next class.

Jan 15 Tu Course introduction; class catalogue/freewrite

Poetry Unit Begins (all assignments are from Addonizio and Laux)

Jan 17 Th Writing and Knowing; Images

Exercise 1 due: Catalogue Poem

Jan 22 Tu The Family; Simile and metaphor

Exercise 2 due: Poem of Sense Memory

Jan 24 Th Death and Grief; The Music of the Line

Exercise 3 due: Poem on a Family Object or Gift

Jan 29 Tu Writing the Erotic; Voice and Style

Exercise 4 due: Poem of Instruction

Jan 31 Th The Shadow; Stop Making Sense

Revision of Exercise 1, 2, or 3 due

Feb 5 Tu Witnessing; A Grammatical Excursion

Exercise 5 due: Adaptation of a Myth or Fairy Tale

Feb 7 Th Poetry of Place; Repetition, Rhythm, and Blues

Exercise 6 due: Long Sentence Poem

Feb 12 Tu Meter, Rhyme, and Form: The Energy of Revision

Exercise 7 due: Narrative of Childhood

Feb 14 Th Workshop: Michael, Rachel, Adam

Revision of exercise 4, 5, or 6 due

Feb 19 Tu Workshop: Dave T, Julia, Andy

Exercise 8 due: sonnet

Feb 21 Th Workshop: Mike V, Kristin, Conor

Exercise 9 due: persona poem

Feb 26 Tu Workshop: Maura, David O, Krista

Exercise 10 due: description of an animal

Feb 28 Th Workshop: Charlie, Ann, Matt

Mar 5 Tu SPRING BREAK

Mar 7 Th SPRING BREAK

Fiction Unit Begins (all assignments are from Burroway)

Mar12 Tu Whatever Works (1-26)

Mar 14 Th The Tower and the Net (27-52)

Mar 19 Tu Seeing Is Believing (53-93)

Mar 21 Th Book People (94-126)

Mar 26 Tu The Flesh Made Word (127-126)

Mar 28 Th HOLY THURSDAY–NO CLASS

Apr 2 Tu Call Me Ishmael (196-234)

Apr 4 Th Assorted Liars (235-67)

Apr 9 Tu Play It Again, Sam: Revision (332-366)

Apr 11 Th Workshop

Apr 16 Tu Workshop

Apr 18 Th Workshop

Apr 23 Tu Workshop

Apr 25 Th Workshop

Apr 30 Tu Portfolios due; Class Reading