assignments ENGL 226 Writing About Writing: Writing as Art
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OVERVIEW
For the last part of our semester, you will engage in a little bit of creative work. No pressure here. You don't have to want to be a creative writer; you don't have to harbor fantasies about becoming Stephen King (though you can). Rather, this last part of the semester is dedicated to thinking about how "writing" has traditionally looked in the academy (the university): the MFA and the writing workshop. For this project you will pick a genre, write a short piece in that genre, participate in a workshop. Your final piece will demonstrate revision and will be accompanied by some reflection on the writing process, the workshop experience, and your revision work.
DETAILS
HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED
This assignment is worth 10% of your final grade.
To earn an “A” grade for 10% of your final grade you must:
For the last part of our semester, you will engage in a little bit of creative work. No pressure here. You don't have to want to be a creative writer; you don't have to harbor fantasies about becoming Stephen King (though you can). Rather, this last part of the semester is dedicated to thinking about how "writing" has traditionally looked in the academy (the university): the MFA and the writing workshop. For this project you will pick a genre, write a short piece in that genre, participate in a workshop. Your final piece will demonstrate revision and will be accompanied by some reflection on the writing process, the workshop experience, and your revision work.
DETAILS
- First, decide what genre you want to write in. Please note that time is short, so for the purposes of the assignment you will be workin with short pieces--flash fiction or nonfiction or one or two poems. If there is a genre you'd like to work in that I don't talk about here, I'm open. However, because of the limits we have on time, it needs to be something short. No more than 1000 words.
- When indicated to do so, make your materials are ready for some or all of the class to read and respond to. The easiest way to do this is via email or a link to a google.doc or word.doc.
- Participate in the workshop as a writer: mostly this means that you sit there and here what your colleagues have to day about your draft. Take notes and be thoughtful about how this will affect your revision process
- Participate in the workshop as a reader: Come to class having read the material for that day. Have written comments to give to the writers being workshopped that day. Make sure you have a copy for the writer and one for me so I can give you credit for participating.
- Revise as you see fit. Consider what your workshop folks have said to you about the draft and make decisions based on your own feelings about it and what your readers had to say to you.
- Write a 300-500 word reflection on the process: 1) what does it feel like to be workshopped? 2) what does it feel like to give someone else feedback on their own writing? 3) In the end, how did the workshop affect your writing? What revisions did you make inspired by the workshop? Which ones did you choose to ignore and why?
- In the final portfolio for the class, you will turn in the draft, the revision, and the 300-500 word reflection.
HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED
This assignment is worth 10% of your final grade.
- In order to earn the "B" grade for 10% of your final grade you must:
- Produce a short creative piece
- Participate in the workshop as writer
- Participate in the workshop as a reader, including producing written comments that you distribute to me and to the writer
- Revise, in some way, your piece
- Write a 300-500 word reflection that answers the three questions listed above.
To earn an “A” grade for 10% of your final grade you must:
- do all the things required for the B grade and
- show real effort and care with revision to your own piece
- take seriously the work of responding to other writers, both in writing and in conversation, during the workshop by being respectful, helpful, and not fake or useless
- write very thoughtfully about the idea of revision and the role of workshops (good and bad) in your reflection letter.
- Write a short piece of creative work that meets the parameters above
- Write your 300 to 500 word reflection.
- NOTE: failure to participate in the workshops eliminates the possibility for the "B" grade.