The Weekly Writing Assignments
Format: Poetry can be single- or double-spaced. Fiction should be double-spaced.
Documents must be in .doc or .rtf. Do not use .docx.
Grade: 20 points.
Length: It depends on the assignment. For poetry, the readings can offer possible models for
length. For fiction, generally 3-4 pages (word-processed, double-spaced) is appropriate for
most assignments, though some might be longer.
Due: Every Monday, by 9am.
Where to submit: You will submit your work in two places: 1) to the drop box for that
assignment, and 2) to your assigned workshop group, where you will discuss each other’s
work.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many drafts of the assignment should I write before I turn it in? It is expected that
you will work, struggle, practice, and experiment, turning in a piece that has been through
several versions, that is as fine and full as you can get it on your own. Turning in your first
spill of response to the assignment is unacceptable and is unlikely to result in a strong
revision.
How do I work on my assignment to make it good enough to turn in? Mainly, this
involves putting in time: You must go over your piece many times, with rest periods in
between each look. Each time you come back to it, more will stand out to you to add, adjust,
or cut. Also, spending time thinking about and commenting on others' work, in your
workshop groups, can help you think about your own. The poetry and fiction that we read
can also help give you ideas.
Does grammar count? Yes. All unconventionalities and errors should be explained by the
requirements of tone and form and character. (You can discuss this in your Reflection if you
are purposely using odd grammar or punctuation.) You are expected to proofread your work.
You may find (or be told by me) that you need to review the basics of English, such as
sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation. Take it upon yourself to do this work on your
own. Several websites can help you: The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University,
Grammar Girl, and The Loft Writing Center here at North.
Are you saying to yourself, “But wait, this is creative writing. I don’t have to worry about
being correct”? For the duration of this class, abandon that idea. You have to master
language so that you can use it for amazing flights and deep plunges. Every nonstandard
usage must serve the work, and will be examined for the degree to which it serves or
distracts.
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How should I go about drafting my piece? How do I get started writing? Here are
several techniques:
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First of all, do your best to follow the assignment exactly.
Use the assigned readings and the prompts to give you ideas. You can get started by
imitating one of the samples in the texts.
Freewriting: I often suggest beginning with freewriting, simply spilling out sentences
onto the page. You can mine this material for images or phrases to use in your final
work.
Listing: Sometimes lists can help you begin. Make lists of images, of words, of
sounds, of things your character might say, of memories your character might
have…
Sentence revision: As you draft, you might experiment with different ways of writing
and revising sentences, for example. You might seek more active verbs. You might
develop specific sense-images and substitute them for generalities.
Hard-nosed editing: Let your finished assignment remove every word that doesn’t
contribute to the effect, let it eliminate redundancy, let it replace cliché with
originality!
Experiment: Your drafts might be places to experiment with imitating the material
we read. If you notice certain effects in a story or poem, a certain mood, point of
view, or a certain kind of musicality, you might try to imitate that in your own work
to see what happens.
Research and other notes: Try making lists of words, notes on something you looked
up on the internet that you might want to use in your piece, diagrams you drew of
your characters’ interactions, etc.
The Reflection:
In this reflection, discuss your process of writing this piece. I want to know about what went
into your writing, and about your engagement with all aspects of the writing process—
generating, drafting, re-drafting, revising, editing, etc. Include this reflection as the first
page or section of the weekly writing you turn in to me (you don't have to include it in
the one you discuss with your group). In other words, what you turn in to me should be
one document, not two, with the Reflection included at the beginning. Although you do
not have to answer specifically any of the following questions, you can use them as prompts,
using whichever ones feel appropriate to your writing.
What do you like best about this piece?
What are you still dissatisfied with?
What did you learn from the texts that helped you with this assignment?
What confused you about the assignment?
How did you get started on the assignment?
What changes did you make as you worked on it? Why?
Discuss your drafting and revision process.
How did you feel while writing it?
Were there any places where you got stuck? What did you do?
How did the readings in the textbooks affect your writing?
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What was most engaging/least engaging about the assignment?
What feedback did you get and what did you think about that feedback?
How did you use the feedback, if you used it?
Did you have a particular intention for the piece?
Did the intention change?
What specific feedback would you like from the instructor?
Getting Feedback: Three Ways
Each week, you’ll get feedback from your workshop group.
Each week, I will provide detailed feedback to one piece in each workshop group,
and the groups should together use this feedback to get ideas both about revising and
about how to contribute effectively to the workshop groups. I will get to everyone by
the end of the quarter.
3. I will provide to you general overall feedback on each assignment, calling attention
to the main things that are working well.
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Grading
The Weekly Writing represents writing that is still in progress, so it is not appropriate to
grade it for literary quality. Instead, it is graded as follows, for a total of 20 points:
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The Reflection is included and is detailed about your writing process.
You are doing your best to learn by fully engaging in the constraints and
opportunities of the assignment.
You are striving for originality and newness.
You have carefully spellchecked and proofread, and the assignment itself is free of
distracting errors. Any unconventionality is explained by the needs of voice and
character, and serves the piece as a whole.
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