Fiction Writing - 08C:097:SCB (CW:2870:0SCB)
Spring 2012
Time and location:
Monday 7:30p – 9:45p
424 North Hall
Instructor:
Ben Mauk (benjamin-mauk@uiowa.edu)
Mailbox/office: 102 Dey House
Office hours by appointment in Dey House.
Course supervisor:
Lan Samantha Chang. 102 Dey House, 319-335-0416
REQUIRED TEXTS (available at Prairie Lights)
Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird, Anchor Books/Random House Inc., ISBN 978-0-385-48001-7
College dictionary (any)
All other texts will be provided by instructor.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Here are my goals for this class:
(1) That we enter the classroom every day with what Zen Buddhists call shoshin, or beginner’s mind,
meaning that we forego our preconceptions and anxieties about fiction writing and the literary world.
Only as beginners can we get down to the business of reading and writing—activities in which you are
always starting over, again and again.
(2) That we develop good lifelong reading and writing habits. I don’t pretend to teach talent, but when it
comes to artistic pursuits, what’s rarer and more difficult to attain than talent is discipline and habit. We
will focus our efforts on developing a writing life conducive to growth.
(3) That we learn to recognize our own tastes and aesthetic preferences, with the goal of developing a
style of our own. (Ask yourself: why do I like this, and not that? Why am I afraid of those?)
(4) That we write fearlessly and with an eye toward experiment. I’m most interested that students leave
this class with a robust understanding of point-of-view and tone—that the student learns how to recognize
these tricks of the trade and deploy them in their own work. We’ll discuss other stuff, too: description,
setting, plot, style, dialogue. But I consider those to be window dressing next to POV and tone, which are
themselves ancillary skills when compared to the willingness to experiment.
(5) That we create a welcoming environment in the classroom, open to discussion, dialogue, and
disagreement, where the student feels comfortable with expression.
COURSE EXPECTATIONS
For you: Each class I expect you to arrive having completed the reading, workshop letters, and any
assignments due that day. I expect you to engage fully with the material under discussion and to put
thought and effort into your assignments. According to university policy you should expect to work for
two to three hours outside class for every in-class hour, which amounts to five to seven hours of outside
work every week. (That said, creative work wears no wristwatch.)
For me: I will provide you with the information necessary to complete every assignment in this class. You
should never be surprised by my expectations for your work. I will make myself available to you for
individualized help or to address questions, concerns or criticism about the course. Your grade will reflect
the quality of your work and nothing else.
It’s important to remember that everyone in this class has a right to be heard, even if you disagree with
what's being said. Consider how your comments might be heard by someone of a different religion,
political persuasion, class, race, gender or sexual orientation.
GRADING POLICY
I use a letter grade system with “+” and “-“ qualifiers. If your participation shows enthusiasm, and if you
submit creative and critical work with a high level of quality—you will earn an A.
If you are engaged with the material, participate in class and demonstrate dedication to your assignments
(with occasional slip-ups but no pattern of difficulty), you will earn a B.
A C is average. To earn a C you will need to do average college-level work, in-class and on the page.
A D or F represents work below college-level.
Participation (attendance & discussion) 50%
Oral quizzes
20%
Class engagement
20%
Writing exercises
10%
Portfolio
20%
Workshop letters
30%
PARTICIPATION
This is a participation-based seminar and workshop, not a series of lectures. Come to each class prepared
to ask several questions, comment frequently, express your opinion, and engage with other students about
the reading material—regardless of your own feelings of comprehension or assessment of the work.
There are no excused absences in this class. We meet only once a week; you cannot miss one-fifteenth
of this class with no repercussions. If you are absent, you will lose participation points—a half-letter
grade per absence. No exceptions. I’m not interested in being arbiter of what is and isn’t fair or being
forced to weigh my sympathies against your attendance record. If you must be absent, be respectful: in an
emergency, notify me of your absence via e-mail and, if possible, in advance of class. For planned
absences let me know this week or as soon as possible.
While I hope that you’ll grow to feel comfortable enough to share your thoughts with the class often and
enthusiastically, I do not require equal levels of gregariousness from all students. Much of your
participation grade will come from oral reading and comprehension quizzes (i.e. I will call on you to
explicate or summarize a reading assignment) and small-group discussion.
Tardiness counts as a half-absence. If you are more than 20 minutes late, I will mark you absent.
Disrespectful activities (sleeping, checking cell phone in class, assorted rudeness) will result in a zero for
that class. Note that you cannot participate without bringing to class the reading material, paper and pen,
due assignments, etc.
READING
I recommend that you read the assigned material over several days, rather than all at once. Remember that
we’re developing good reading habits in this class, growing accustomed to reading as a part of our daily
lives. Oral quizzes about the content of the reading will constitute a regular feature of class, and make up
almost half of your participation grade.
PORTFOLIO: CREATIVE ASSIGNMENTS
You will submit two new works of fiction this semester, at least one of which will receive a workshop.
(Not revised or revisited versions of stories completed before this semester, which will result in a zero for
the assignment, but pieces written specifically for, and since the commencement of, our class.) I’d
recommend that you stick to short stories rather than novel excerpts, but feel free to come to me if you’d
like to try something else. Workshop submissions should be no fewer than 10 pages and no more than 25.
On our journey toward these longer works, you will be asked to complete several short assignments
designed to push on your creative comfort zones. These will be graded on timely completion, but not on
artistic merit. You should feel free to experiment.
WORKSHOP LETTERS
You will write a critical letter for every work of fiction that comes up for workshop. We will go over the
details of these letters in class, but be forewarned: they are a major part of your grade. As a member of
this creative community, you owe it to your peers and to yourself to dedicate time and energy to the close
reading of others’ work.
DEADLINES AND LATE WORK
Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date listed next to the assignment in the syllabus. If
your story is being workshopped, you must bring it to class one full week before—which is to say, the
Monday before—your scheduled workshop.
You must pick up your copies of the workshop stories by Friday afternoon, in order to read them and
write your workshop letters in advance of Monday evening’s class. We’ll go over this process in class.
You will never receive full credit for late work, even if your excuse is a good one. The penalty is one
letter grade for every day after the due date. Late work should be submitted to my mailbox in the Dey
House. If you anticipate difficulty with any deadline you must contact me well in advance. “My
computer/hard drive crashed” is not an excuse. Make backup copies. E-mail assignments to yourself.
Save often. Print drafts regularly. The fickle hand of fate is made manifest in accidents of technology.
PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism means borrowing another person's specific words or ideas, wholly or in part, without giving
proper credit. This includes but is not limited to: turning in an assignment written by someone else;
paraphrasing a passage from another work without crediting; using information from any reference source
(including on the Web and especially including Wikipedia) without crediting; and generally failing to use
proper citations and a works cited page. When in doubt, cite. Penalties for plagiarism include academic
probation, suspension, and expulsion. I will penalize guilty assignments with a grade of 0, and will report
any plagiarism case to the head of the creative writing department and the academic dean.
Administrative Home
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the administrative home of this course and governs matters such as
the add/drop deadlines, the second-grade-only option, and other related issues. Different colleges may have
different policies. Questions may be addressed to 120 Schaeffer Hall, or see the CLAS Academic Policies
Handbook.
Electronic Communication
University policy specifies that students are responsible for all official correspondences sent to their University
of Iowa e-mail address (@uiowa.edu). Faculty and students should use this account for correspondence
(Operations Manual, III.15.2. Scroll down to k.11).
Accommodations for Disabilities
A student seeking academic accommodations should first register with Student Disability Services and then
meet privately with the course instructor to make particular arrangements. See www.uiowa.edu/~sds/ for more
information.
Academic Honesty
All CLAS students have, in essence, agreed to the College's Code of Academic Honesty: "I pledge to do my
own academic work and to excel to the best of my abilities, upholding the IOWA Challenge. I promise not to
lie about my academic work, to cheat, or to steal the words or ideas of others; nor will I help fellow students to
violate the Code of Academic Honesty." Any student committing academic misconduct is reported to the
College and placed on disciplinary probation or may be suspended or expelled (CLAS Academic Policies
Handbook).
CLAS Final Examination Policies
The date and time of every final examination is announced during the fifth week of the semester; each CLAS
student will receive an email from the Registrar stating the dates and times of the student's final exams. Final
exams are offered only during the official final examination period. No exams of any kind are allowed
during the last week of classes. All students should plan on being at the UI through the final examination
period.
Making a Suggestion or a Complaint
Students with a suggestion or complaint should first visit with the instructor (and the course supervisor), and
then with the departmental DEO. Complaints must be made within six months of the incident (CLAS
Academic Policies Handbook).
Understanding Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment subverts the mission of the University and threatens the well-being of students, faculty, and
staff. All members of the UI community have a responsibility to uphold this mission and to contribute to a safe
environment that enhances learning. Incidents of sexual harassment should be reported immediately. See the
UI Comprehensive Guide on Sexual Harassment for assistance, definitions, and the full University policy.
Reacting Safely to Severe Weather
In severe weather, class members should seek appropriate shelter immediately, leaving the classroom if
necessary. The class will continue if possible when the event is over. For more information on Hawk Alert and
the siren warning system, visit the Public Safety web site.
Cell Phones and Computers
Keep your cell phones off. Not on vibrate, not on silent. Off. Leave your laptops at home. Neither of these
technologies is required or welcome in my class.
And Last But Not Least
Assignments/readings are due on the day they are listed on the syllabus, which is subject to change at my discretion.
1/23 Week 1: Introduction and discussion of syllabus
1/30 Week 2: The writing life
Read: Bird by Bird: pg. xi-27
Read: Etgar Keret, various stories
Due: “Writing every day” assignment.
(NOTE: last day for undergraduates to add/drop without a “W”)
2/6 Week 3: Point-of-view, week 1
Read: “Point-of-view” handouts, James Wood’s How Fiction Works POV excerpt
Read: Wells Tower, “The Brown Coast”; Junot Diaz, “Fiesta 1980”
Due: Point of view assignment.
2/13 Week 4: Point-of-view, week 2
Read: Bird by Bird: pg. 28-73
Read: Lorrie Moore, “How to Become a Writer,” “How to Be an Other Woman” (not in packet);
Lydia Davis, various stories
Due: Workshop letter assignment.
2/20 Week 5: Tone, week 1 (+ workshop)
Read: Handout on tone (James Wood) (not in packet)
Read: Julie Hecht, “Perfect Vision”
Due: Diction and tone exercise. Workshop letters.
2/27 Week 6: Tone, week 2 (+ workshop)
Read: Bird by Bird: pg. 74-115
Read: John Barth, “Lost in the Funhouse”; David Foster Wallace, “The Depressed Person”
Due: Workshop letters.
3/5 Week 7: Character (+ workshop)
Read:
Read: George Saunders, “The Barber’s Unhappiness”; Denis Johnson, “Emergency”
Due: Workshop letters.
3/12 Week 8: SPRNG BREAK
Read: Bird by Bird: pg. 115-150
Read: TBA
Readings and assignments for weeks 9-15: TBA.