English 396-001 – Intro to Creative Writing
Instructor: Brittany Kerfoot
Email: bnkerfoot@gmail.com  Blog: masonengh396.wordpress.com
Semester: Spring 2015  Room: KH 209 [MW 9-10:15AM]
Office Hours: Robinson A468 [after class and by appointment]
Course description and goals:
Welcome to Creative Writing, where we will explore our imaginative writing skills and practice the craft of
poetry, prose, and other genres. In this course, you will generate several ideas and sketch scenes for
potential stories. In all of our reading assignments and activities, we will explore what great writing can do.
We will discuss what we read as a class, workshop each other’s pieces, and identify tools and strategies we
might want to try in our own creative work.
Part of being a writer is the ability to give and receive feedback and constructive criticism; the goal of the
workshops is to help make your writing the best it can be. Thus, your active participation in both
discussion and workshop is critical to your success in this class.
As your read published stories and your peers’ work, reflect on the following points:
1. What happens in the story? Can you recap or synopsize the actual action?
2. What is the story “about?” How would you define the story’s deeper meaning?
3. What did the writer do well?
4. What can the writer expand on? What do you want to know more about?
Material requirements:
 Required Text:
o The Making of A Story: A Norton Guide to Creative Writing
o Additional assigned readings will either be handed out in class or posted on the blog
 A laptop computer or other electronic device that allows you to compose, save, retrieve documents as


well as access information from the Internet. (Note: A cell phone is not an acceptable tool, and
should not appear out in class except for emergencies.)
Check your GMU email regularly; I will use this for announcements and sometimes for
distributing class materials.
Check the blog regularly. The syllabus will definitely change in some capacity at least once this
semester, and will be updated on the blog only.
What you will write:
Part of the semester will focus on letting you explore ideas for various pieces via writing prompts.
 Expand on a version of Margaret Atwood’s “Happy Endings.” Reimagine and/or rename her
characters, develop an idea, then sketch and write a 1-2 page scene.
 Flash fiction (also intersects with prose poetry). Write a 1-2 page complete short story.
 Write a sex scene. We will read and discuss models from published works for inspiration.
 Write a scene using only dialogue. This could be part of any genre, including play or screen
writing.
 Expand on the idea of “write what you know.” Write a scene or personal essay based on
something that happened to you.
 Find some inspiration in the real world. Read the four articles posted on the blog and write a
poem or a scene based on them.
By the end of the semester you will have workshopped one poem, one short story, and one nonfiction
piece. For each piece, we will work through each step of the writing process, moving from the original
conception of your idea, to putting together your first draft, onto using feedback to conduct successful
revision.
In addition to your three complete pieces, I want you to leave this course with a handful of ideas for
future writing. There’s no need to fear writer’s block if you always have another idea to explore in your
back pocket.
Workshops:
Workshop is an important component in building a community of strong writers who are equally confident
readers and editors. Being able to hear and respond to other viewpoints is an important skill for creative
writing. Your participation is crucial because each of you has a valuable perspective that could help a fellow
classmate interpret a story or poem in a different way. To reinforce the importance of class participation, you
will peer workshop some of your creative writing drafts within group discussions and in writing. Workshop
will be a safe, constructive, and encouraging place to try out new ideas without feeling the need to be perfect.
Workshop participation is a substantial part of your overall participation grade. Here are a few
guidelines for how workshops will be conducted in this class:
 A schedule for workshop submissions will be available on the blog;
 Workshop submissions will be available to the class ahead of time, giving students time to read and
comment on the piece;
 Students must bring print-outs of workshopped pieces with their written/typed comments and
marginalia, to facilitate in-class discussion and to be given to the writer at the end of class;
All comments should be constructive in nature. Praises should be delivered with attention to what specifically,
in terms of technique, makes an aspect of the piece of writing successful. Suggestions for improvement should
include thoughtful, constructive strategies for revision and be delivered in a respectful manner.
Submission Policy:
Submissions must be saved in .doc or .docx (Word) format, and emailed to your workshop group by
midnight on the indicated date. Each file must include the student’s name. All drafts should be spellchecked,
proofread, and typed double-space, using standard 12- point basic fonts (I prefer Times New Roman) and
standard (1”) margins. Please do not include a separate cover page, and do not insert blank lines between
paragraphs (unless you are shaping your prose/poetry). You should keep all of your assignments as they are
emailed/handed back to you.
Final Portfolio:
The portfolio is a collection of writing that reflects your best efforts throughout the semester. In essence, your
portfolio is a compilation of your writing life over the course of a semester, or as a friend of mine entitled
his undergraduate creative writing portfolio: “Private Goes Public: A Glimpse Into My Writing Life.” More
specific details about the portfolio’s contents and requirements will be available on the blog. Portfolio
requirements include:
 Two revisions from two different genre submissions of your choice;
 An example, at any stage in the writing process, from all three genres;
 A brief metacognitive narrative/essay reflecting on the course, the genre that drew you in the most, a
description of the “writing habits” you have formed/are forming, and some observations on how
you’ve grown as a writer and what obstacles in the writing process you hope to continue to tackle in
the future.
Late Work:
Late work will not be accepted in this class, and missed in-class work cannot be made up. If you know you
won’t be in class on a day an assignment is due, it’s your responsibility to turn it in ahead of time. If you have a
documentable emergency, please contact me as soon as possible to see what arrangements can be made. If you
are absent on the day of your assigned workshop, you will receive a zero on that assignment in your final
portfolio. However, you must still complete the assignment for your portfolio.
About Participation:
Activities in each class meeting will be recorded valued at 0-2 points per class. (Note: Some “slack” is built into
this calculation, so you can miss up to one week of classes and still be eligible to earn 100% for this grade.)
More interactive classes, such as peer workshop days, may be valued more highly; students who are regular,
energetic, and thoughtful participants may earn additional credit. (0 = not present or distracting in class; 1 =
tardy and/or unprepared; 2 = on time, prepared, and contributing.)
“Three Before Me” Rule:
College is a place where you learn more than just what can be found in books; this includes personal
responsibility. The “Three Before Me” rule applies to emailing me or asking me questions in class. I am a busy
woman, guys; I don’t have time to answer questions that you can easily find yourself. So, if the answer to your
question can be found 1) on the blog, 2) in the syllabus, or 3) by asking a classmate, I will not respond to it.
Classroom Etiquette:
An atmosphere of respect and consideration for our peers is essential in this course. We may read things about
difficult subjects, such as sexuality, drugs, domestic abuse, mental health issues, death, family dysfunction, and
so on, and we may also read pieces that are written from perspectives different from our own. Whether you
agree, disagree, can’t stand to think about, or absolutely adore the conflicts in the writing we read, you are
expected to discuss and think about the issues these pieces raise with tact and maturity. No disrespectful
comments about race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation will be tolerated. We are a community of writers
here, so let’s act like one.
English Department Statement on Plagiarism:
Plagiarism means using the exact words, opinions, or factual information from another source without giving
that source credit. Writers give credit through the use of accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical
citation, footnotes, or endnotes; a simple listing of books, articles, and websites is not sufficient. Plagiarism is
the equivalent of intellectual robbery and cannot be tolerated in an academic setting.
Student writers are often confused as to what should be cited. Some think that only direct quotations need to
be credited. While direct quotations do need citations, so do paraphrases and summaries of opinions or factual
information formerly unknown to the writer or which the writers did not discover themselves. Exceptions to
this include factual information which can be obtained from a variety of sources, the writer’s own insights or
findings from his or her own field research, and what has been termed common knowledge. What constitutes
common knowledge can sometimes be precarious; and what is common knowledge for one audience may not
be so for another. In such situations it is helpful to keep the reader in mind and to think of citations as being
reader-friendly. In other words, writers provide a citation for any piece of information that they think their
readers might want to investigate further. Not only is this attitude considerate of others, it will almost certainly
ensure that writers will never be guilty of plagiarism.
To avoid plagiarism, meet the expectations of a US Academic Audience, give their readers a chance to
investigate the issue further, and make credible arguments, writers must

put quotation marks around, and give an in-text citation for, any sentences or distinctive phrases (even
very short, 2- or 3-word phrases) that writers copy directly from any outside source: a book, a textbook,
an article, a website, a newspaper, a song, a baseball card, an interview, an encyclopedia, a CD, a movie,
etc.

completely rewrite—not just switch out a few words—any information they find in a separate source and
wish to summarize or paraphrase for their readers, and also give an in-text citation for that paraphrased
information

give an in-text citation for any facts, statistics, or opinions which the writers learned from outside sources
(or which they just happen to know) and which are not considered “common knowledge” in the target
audience (this may require new research to locate a credible outside source to cite)

give a new in-text citation for each element of information—that is, do not rely on a single citation at the end
of a paragraph, because that is not usually sufficient to inform a reader clearly of how much of the
paragraph comes from an outside source.
Discrimination will not be tolerated under any circumstance.
This classroom is a safe space to explore, grow, try new things, and to support and challenge each other.
George Mason University “values human individuality with respect to race, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual
orientation and class. Both in the curriculum and in the classroom, we believe that faculty and students should
value and respect diversity.” We will uphold this commitment and exercise respect and support in this class.
The University Writing Center:
Since you will be writing several pieces in this course, you may want to visit the University Writing Center
(http://writingcenter.gmu.edu), located in Robinson A114, for assistance. The Writing Center is one of the
best resources you will find on campus. They have an outstanding website that offers a wealth of online
resources for student writers. You can schedule a 45-minute appointment with a trained tutor to help with any
phase of the writing process. You can even obtain assistance with papers by visiting the online writing center
at http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/owl/index.html, but please plan ahead and allow yourself at least 2 - 3 days to
receive a response. Make an appointment via their website.
Grading:
15%
CLASS DATE
Nonfiction Essay: Write What You Know
Due February 18
15%
Fictional Short Story
Due April 1
15%
Poem
Due April 22
15%
Final Portfolio
Due May 4
10%
Workshop Comments
Ongoing
15%
Participation (attendance, reading discussions, etc.)
Ongoing
15%
Writing Prompt Responses
Ongoing`
IN-CLASS TOPICS
Daily Schedule
ASSIGNMENTS DUE NEXT CLASS
Week 1: Introductions
Wednesday, Jan.
21
Introductions and six word memoir
exercise; review syllabus; review Word
Press; introduction to genres
Read: “Shitty First Drafts” (or pg. 574 in textbook) by Anne Lamott
Read: “Rethinking the Shitty First Draft” by George Dila
Optional: Prepare any questions you have about the syllabus, Word Press,
life, etc.
Week 2: Intro to Nonfiction
Monday, Jan. 26
Discuss readings; introduction to nonfiction
Wednesday, Jan.
28
Reading discussion; “I Don’t Know
Why I Remember” free write (pg. 38)
Read: “Now We Are Five” by David Sedaris
Read: Textbook pgs. 26-36
Read: “Consider the Lobster” by David Foster Wallace
Write: “I Want To Know Why” exercise (pg. 71)
Week 3: Nonfiction—Point of View and Setting
Monday, Feb. 2
Point of view (pgs. 258-278 in
textbook); reading discussion
Wednesday,
Feb. 4
Exercise review; reading discussion
Read: “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien (pg. 131)
Write: “Using POV as a Way ‘In’ to Difficult Material” exercise (pg. 283)
Read: Textbook pgs. 57-top of 68
Read: “Lottery Tickets” by Elizabeth Alexander
Write: “Things I Was Taught/Things I Was Not Taught” exercise (pg. 69)
Week 4: Nonfiction
Monday, Feb. 9
Wednesday,
Feb. 11
Reading discussion
Reading discussion
Read: “The Brain Dead Megaphone” by George Saunders
Read: “The Fourth State of Matter” by Jo Ann Beard
Week 5: Nonfiction
Monday, Feb. 16
Wednesday,
Feb. 18
Reading discussion; watch Sedaris
read “6 to 8 Black Men”
*Nonfiction Workshop Day
Read: “On Keeping a Notebook” by Joan Didion
Read: “Letter to a Young Writer” by Richard Bausch
Read: Textbook pgs. 152-162
Week 6: Fiction—Plot
Monday,
February 23
Wednesday,
February 25
Reading discussion; introduction to
fiction; plot (elements)
Reading discussion
Read: Textbook pgs. 375-386
Read: “People Like That Are The Only People Here: Canonical Babbling in
Peed Onk” by Lorrie Moore (pg. 479)
Read: Textbook pgs. 167-178 (“What Makes a Short Story?” by Francine
Prose)
Read: “Happy Endings” by Margaret Atwood
Write: Develop part of “Happy Endings” (i.e. write a new scene, a new
ending, etc.) and bring a hard copy to class.
Week 6: Fiction—Character
Monday, March
2
Homework read-around; reading
discussion
Wednesday,
March 4
Reading discussion
Read: Textbook pgs. 107-118
Read: “Snow” by Ann Beattie
Read: Textbook pgs. 418-434
Read: “Especially Heinous: 272 Views of Law & Order: SVU” by Carmen
Maria Machado
Write: A scene/part of a story based on one of the articles posted on the blog
March 9-15
No Class: Spring Break
Week 8: Fiction—Dialogue
Monday, March
16
Reading discussion; dialogue lesson
Read: Textbook pgs. 341-354
Wednesday,
March 18
Reading discussion; setting
Read: “The Voices From the Other Room” by Richard Bausch
Read: “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” by Raymond
Carver
Read: “Sexy” by Jhumpa Lahiri
Write: A scene in only or mostly dialogue
Week 9: Fiction—Conflict
Monday, March
23
Conflict/tension; reading discussion
Wednesday,
March 25
Conflictresolution; reading
discussion; listen to: “How To Date A
Brown Girl (Black Girl, White Girl, or
Halfie)” by Junot Diaz
Read: “Lust” by Susan Minot
Write: A sex scene
Read: “Last Night” by James Salter
Read: Textbook pgs. 418-433
Write: “Emptying Pockets” exercise on pg. 435
Week 10: Fiction—Endings
Monday, March
Exercise read-around, reading
Read: “The Dinner Party” by Joshua Ferris
30
Wednesday,
April 1
discussion
*Fiction Workshop Day
Read: Textbook pgs. 542-551
Week 11: Intro to Poetry
Monday, April 6
Introduction to poetry (types of)
Read: “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou
Wednesday,
April 8
Reading discussion; poetry exercise
Write: A poem that makes you feel empowered/about empowerment
Read: “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath
Read: “Wanting to Die” by Anne Sexton
Write: A poem about something painful and personal to you/a dark poem
Week 12: Prose Poetry
Monday, April
13
Read: “Funeral Blues” by W.H. Auden
Write: A poem about death (metaphorical or physical)
Read: “I Carry Your Heart” and “I Like My Body When It Is With Your
Body” by e.e.cummings
Wednesday,
April 15
Watch: “I Carry Your Heart” video
Week 13: Poetry
Monday, April
20
Reading discussion
Wednesday,
April 22
*Poetry Workshop Day
Read: “A Cat’s Dream” and “Love Sonnet XI” by Pablo Neruda
Write: A love poem/a sex poem
Week 14: Students’ Choice
Monday, April
27
Wednesday,
April 29
Week 15: Wrap Up
Monday, May 4
Final portfolios due; teacher
evaluations
Have a great summer! 