Advanced Creative Writing
Advanced Creative Writing Class Syllabus Spring 2009
Creative Non-Fiction:
Lines in the Mud: Exploring Creative Non-Fiction
Excerpt from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Excerpt from Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
Requirements for Creative Nonfiction Story
10-Minute Plays:
Writing Project Intense:
Final:
Writing Project (Intense) 2009
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If you had me for Creative Writing, you already know about the concept of the Writing Project. While some of the components are the same, this project is, obviously, more intense. Your projects will now start to look like my examples…more writing…more details…more time invested…and hopefully, you’ll come up with a grand project in the end. I also want us to look at new techniques for writing and to take some risks with what we’re doing (myself included).
You get to be the creator of your project. You have the power to choose what you want to write about and how you want to write it. The project can be fiction or non-fiction. It can speak volumes about your life, or you can create new lives in fiction or poetry or whatever form and shape your writing takes. It could end up as a collection of several shorter pieces of writing. Regardless, it’s going to be a portfolio or project you’ll be excited about.
I will be creating a project again this semester along with you. Last fall I went to Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic, and New York City. So far, I’ve only finished the rough draft of Switzerland (and I already have 40 pages). I have a long ways to go… I’m using several different styles of writing, but the main piece is the day-by-day travel journal. I was smart enough to keep rough journal entries while I was traveling, so at least I remembered all of the hilarious (and no-so-funny) stories. For my project, I will rewrite my trip experiences, adding in stories that I had forgotten about. I also will use many other styles of writing including an itinerary, a packing list, and a list of stupid things Mr. Uncultured Kabourek did while traveling. I will also be including the emails I sent during the trip. I fully intend to try some new writing styles of writing. I will be adding in historical/cultural information that I have researched, especially about the Munich concentration camp, Dachau. We took well over 3,000 pictures from our trip and I’ve already made a photobook filled with pictures. For my research, I have to learn more about some of the places we traveled to. I like to add in some historical information about the places we visit… Quite frankly, I can’t digest everything I hear on a tour or see… My research will be documented within my writing, as well as in a works cited page (thanks to the fine individuals who created www.noodletools.com).
Requirements:
* 25 pages of writing (double-spaced, Times font equivalent…you can single-space your writing or change the fonts, but you should adjust accordingly so you have enough writing). Feel free to take as many pages as you need. Push yourself! My project will at least be 75-pages SINGLE-SPACED!
* Uses 3 (or more) styles of writing from the 250+ Things to Write page on my website. I have added and changed a few of the styles—you can also use different styles of writing that aren’t on this list as well. Each of the styles must be your own writing to count! If you discover that a style of writing isn’t on my list, please tell me so I can add it on to my website.
* You will need to meet with me twice during the semester for a conference about your process and project. I would also like to do a little peer-editing as well this time around. If you decide that you’re not comfortable sharing your entire writing project with someone in this class (if it’s too personal), you can pick certain parts of it to have someone edit.
* Visuals: You should spend at least 4-5 hours putting together the visuals for your project. This can be separate from your writing if you need it to be. Visuals can take multiple forms…pictures, photographs, collages, DVDs, 3-D concoctions, food…whatever…
* Presentation: This year we, as a school, are focusing on our oral presentation skills. Presentations on Writing Projects in the past have been pretty low-key. This time around we are going to strengthen the actual presentation…it will be around 10-minutes in length and I’ll be looking for different components. More to come…
* Research: Again, you need to have some component of research. This could have many faces depending on what you decide to do for your project. You might need to get some background information for a character you’re developing or you might decide to look on the Internet to find where you could get your project published. You will need to cite your sources within your writing (even if you paraphrase) and in a works cited page (using www.noodletools.com). I will not grade your project until everything is properly cited.
* Checks: To keep us focused, we will have several checks during the semester. In addition to the two conferences with me, I will be doing a 5-page check, a 10-page check, and a 15-page check.
Dates for the checks:
5-Page Check: March 6th
10-Page Check: April 9th
15-Page Check: May 8th
* Projects are due Monday, May 15th. Obviously, your goal is to have more pages of writing completed at each of the checks. That way you’re not trying to do too much the week before the project is due. You will lose 50 points if you don’t turn your project in on that day. If you are absent, get the project to me somehow. No excuse is good enough!