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Advanced Fiction Writing Spring 2005 Tom Kealey |
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News: May 11th, 2005 New, Updated Advanced Workshop Schedule Wed., May 11 – Andre, Jacob… Writing Topic, Group 3
Monday, May 16 –
Kara, Karl, Josh
Monday, May 23 –
Anna, Camille… Magazine talk with Josh, Karl, Jacob, and Camille
Monday, May 30 –
Memorial Day.
April 11th, 2005 Advanced Workshop Schedule Monday, April 18 –
Andre, Jacob Monday, April 25 –
Kara, Karl, Josh Monday, May 2 –
Anna, Camille… Writing Topic, Group 2 Monday, May 9 –
Conferences and Group Work Monday, May 16 –
Kara, Karl, Josh Monday, May 23 –
Anna, Camille… Group 2 Magazines Monday, May 30 –
Memorial Day.
April 4th, 2005 Latest Schedule Wednesday, March 30th – First Day, Introductions, in-class writing Monday, April 4th – “Christmas 1910” by Robert Olen Butler, “The Wolf at the Door” by Rebecca Curtis… Description writing exercise... Stern: Character, Description, Dialogue, Exposition, Plot, Scene, Short Story, Showing and Telling Wednesday, April 6th – “The Eye of Horus” by Emily Raboteau, “The Prince of Natick” by Timothy Melley… Select groups… Narration Exercise… Story Collection talk... Stern: Advice, Ambiguity, Atmosphere, Beginnings Monday, April 11th – Stories Due… talk about Magazine presentations… talk about Fiction topic presentations… in-class exercise… figure workshop schedule Wednesday, April 13th – Group work… Dialogue Exercise… “Presently in Ruins” by Gregory Blake Smith
April 3rd, 2005 Rosters and contact information
April 2nd, 2005 Reading Schedule, Spring 2005
March 30, 2005 Class Syllabus
Advanced Fiction Writing Stanford University, Winter Quarter 2005 Mondays and Wednesdays, 3:15-5:05pm, Room 20-22K Tom Kealey, kealey@stanford.edu Office 211, Margaret Jacks Hall
English 290 is an advanced course in the craft and art of fiction writing. As such, students will present and facilitate a good portion of the class. There will be considerably more work for this class than the average Intermediate or Beginning Fiction class. Reports and presentations on fiction magazines, story collections, and topics relevant to fiction writers will be due throughout the quarter. We will also spend time re-examining the basic elements of fiction: narration, description, and dialogue. We’ll read advanced works of short fiction, keep a writing notebook, attend readings, and of course we’ll read and comment upon each others’ creative work. The workshop aspect of our class will begin in the third week. We’ll also do plenty of in-class writing. Texts (2): A craft book, Making Shapely Fiction, by Jerome Stern. And a story collection that I hope will be available, Story Quarterly 40. (If Story Quarterly is unavailable, we’ll use another excellent work, More Stories We Tell, edited by Wendy Martin). You’ll of course make copies of your story for the class, and you’ll purchase a story collection and a fiction magazine. Requirements: Class participation, 20%. This grade will be determined by your coming to class, by being on time, and by your contributions to our discussions. I will determine this grade. How can you help? Come to class, be on time. Help out in our discussions. I would appreciate it, and your grade will be very much helped. Presentations, 20%. Much of your work will be in small groups of three or four students. Together, you’ll make three presentations during the course of the quarter. One about a story collection of your choice (including a biography of the writer), one about an aspect of fiction writing (say, writer’s block, or traveling, or agents, or keeping a notebook), and one about a fiction magazine (Zoetrope, Tin House, BOMB, etc.). Each presentation will last between 5-10 minutes, and you’ll accompany it with a one to two page report which you’ll eventually post on our class website. Notebook 15%. Your notebook will be your writing notebook. It will include all of the in-class writing assignments, the out-of-class writing assignments, and the “notes” section, where you’ll write down your random observations, ideas, and bolts of lightning. You’ll turn this notebook in to me on the second-to-last day of class. Though, it is your private notebook, and I’ll only be checking to see if you’ve completed the assignments. Feedback Letters, 15%. Three students will be assigned to each workshop story. Those students will write one page letters (single-spaced) and will be prepared to answer specific questions about the story. The rest of the class will write comments, but only on the manuscript itself, and we’ll still have a full workshop. The point of this: To cut down on the time that it takes to type letters, and yet still create an atmosphere where students receive full workshops. So, by the end of the quarter, each student will have typed around 6-9 letters, instead of say 24 or more. These are to be turned in to me an hour before class, via email. A paper copy is also to given to the writer. Your Story and its revision, 15% – eight to eighteen pages. This will be due on Monday, April 11th. The revision is due in the last week of quarter. Reading Attendance, 15% – You’ll attend three campus readings during the quarter. A list of readings is attached to this syllabus. I’ll announce them as they come up in class. You don’t need to write a reaction to the readings, but you do need to let me know you attended. Late Assignments: Anything turned in late will receive a grade of C. Finally: I’ll be working hard to make this class an enjoyable and valuable learning experience for you. If it’s in my power, I’ll make this your favorite class.
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