| Time | Days | Location | Instructor | GER | Credit | OPUS Class Number | Syllabus (Tentative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2:30pm-5:30pm | Tu | New Psyc Bldg 36 Eagle Row, Room 250 | Susan White. | HAPW. | 4 | 4245 | TBA. |
CLASS DESCRIPTION:
“The writer should never be ashamed of staring. There is nothing that doesn’t require his attention.”—Flannery O’Connor
A successful story often seems like a mystical thing, like something that simply floated down from the heavens, when in fact it is crafted and constructed, the result of a writer’s laborious efforts arranging and re-arranging words on the page. In this class you will turn your critical eye toward these crafted things, attempting to figure out what an author is “up to,” examining the elements of storytelling that the author employed. You will also read two books discussing craft: Flannery O’Connor’s Mystery and Manners and John Gardner’s The Art of Fiction.
Each week you will read a published work and write a critical response to it. You will also read two stories written by your peers and bring to class your typed responses, which will serve as a springboard for discussion for the day’s workshop. Because this is an intermediate class, and you already have some experience as fiction writers, we will launch right into our workshops, which will begin week two. (Workshop schedule will be determined on the first day of class.)
You are responsible for carefully reading the assigned texts, bringing a typed copy of your critical responses each week to class, reading Gardner and O’Connor’s books on craft, and handing in three creative pieces: a character sketch, a completed short story (between 15 and 20 pages), and a significant revision of the short story, which will serve as your final exam.
Students should budget for photocopying.
This is a permission-only course. For instructions on the application process, please go to http://www.creativewriting.emory.edu/atlas/index.html
Application form: http://www.creativewriting.emory.edu/students/courseapp.html
Required Textbooks, Articles, and Resources
- Mystery and Manners.
- The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers.
- Texts on e-reserve.
- Some sort of notebook for in-class exercises.
- Copies of student stories for workshop (please budget for photocopies).
Grading
| Assignment/Exam | Details | % of Total Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Writing, reading, class participation | You are responsible for carefully reading the assigned texts, bringing a typed copy of your critical responses each week to class, reading Gardner and O¿Connor¿s books on craft, and handing in three creative pieces: a character sketch, a completed short story (between 15 and 20 pages), and a significant revision of the short story, which will serve as your final exam. Participation is key. You must come to every class. You are allowed one excused absence for emergencies or contagious illness. A significant percentage of your grade depends on your coming to class prepared, ready to speak about the stories assigned for that day's discussion. Because we are on a tight workshop schedule, it is paramount that you turn your stories in on time. I will grade your stories on content, originality and craft, but most importantly I will evaluate improvement between the first story you turn in and the significantly revised version that you craft in lieu of a final exam. | |
| Extracurricular activities | In addition, you are required to attend all of the readings of the Emory Creative Writing Series. If a writer is reading one day and speaking the next, it's sufficient to attend only one of these two events. |
The schedule of courses on O.P.U.S. is the official listing of courses, including days and times they meet and the General Education Requirements they satisfy. Students should use course descriptions as general guidelines. Course requirements, grading details, book lists, and syllabi are subject to change.