English 205: Writing Fiction
Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30 to 10:45
Oddfellows #203
Professor:
Office:
Office Hours:
Office Phone:
email:
Matthew Ferrence
Oddfellows 225
Mon+Wed 1:30-3:30; Tue+Thur 11:00-12:00
x4339
mferrence@allegheny.edu
Required Texts
Williford and Martone. Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction.
Optional Texts
Baxter, Burning Down the House
Dillard, The Writing Life
Forster, Aspects of the Novel
Gardner, On Becoming a Novelist
Lamott, Bird by Bird
*note: we will be using selections from these texts for in-class and out-of-class reading and
writing; and while I’ll make pdf versions of the necessary excerpts available on Sakai, there are
many exceptional reasons to own these books as part of your own writer’s reference library*
Philosophy
On the one hand, we know what fiction is: made-up stories, sometimes that make a point,
often that include a plot. Certainly, by the time we’ve reached college, we’ve read countless
fictions, just as we come to classes like English 205 because we’re interested in making our own
fictions. Yet, when entering into the practice of crafting fiction, we quickly come to realize that
we know much less than we thought, perhaps even that we know very little at all, and that our
reading backgrounds have been surprisingly slight in the sort of work that counts as contemporary
literary fiction. We don’t want our prose to sound like Dickens, after all, or Austen, or Rowling.
We want to be good. We want to be contemporary. So, as an operating principle of this course,
we must accept that we begin as apprentice writers ready to embrace a difficult truth: we know
less about fiction than we think we do.
Partly, this limitation of knowledge is a function of prior reading and training. Our exposure
is always limited, typically more-so prior to college-level writing work, but even seasoned
professionals spend lifetimes learning, discovering, and shaping their craft. As apprentices, our
work is affected by many voices, often voices that are not yet our own. This course is designed to
help you find your voice and to develop a toolbox of technique that will let you make fiction
work.
It is this latter point, perhaps, that might seem the oddest or most frustrating aspect of the
course. We will not immediately seek to fashion our own unique fictions. Instead, we will
practice our craft in controlled, limited settings, building our chops. I have structured the course
this way to emphasize the necessity of development. Very much because we have so much prior
exposure to fiction (much of it not exactly good), we need to pause, examine, and hone before we
seek to make our own. We must approach technique with intensive concentration, lest we
inadvertently repeat the technical flaws of fiction that dominate our reading pasts and, in truth,
the dominant texts of the classroom and marketplace. By honing our tools, we become better
prepared to shape our own voices and, ultimately, write stories that are ours.
Ferrence Fiction; Spring 2016
Which Means On One Hand
Normally, this is the place where I would offer a kind of literary prohibition: no zombies,
vampires, space aliens, dragons, heroes (super or medieval), hard-boiled private detectives; no sci
fi, romance, mystery, fantasy; no genre, only literature.
But.
1.
Progressively, it seems to me that the swift kicking-to-the-curb of genre often has
less to do with discrete, concrete, permanent limitations between genre fiction and
literary fiction. I mean, how do we account for writers like Kelly Link, or Octavia
Butler, or Ben Percy, or … well … I could go one for awhile. There are plenty of
books and stories that can be categorizes as belonging to genre, even though they
also could count as literature. Of course, it’s likely that few (I’d probably be willing
to wager, none) of you have read work by any of the writers I list above. Probably
haven’t even heard of them. Yet you’ve heard of Stephen King, right? And
Stephanie Meyer. And Nicolas Sparks. Dan Brown. These are famous sorts of
writers, who make lots of money, and who are precisely what I would mean to
reference by prohibiting genre writing, and that’s because they’re hacks (we might
be able to have an argument about King on that front).
2.
So what I really mean when I delineate genre and literature is that some writers are
good and some writers aren’t. This is a language thing. A sophistication thing. A
craft thing. And it doesn’t actually have much to do with the nature of plot (or lack
thereof) in a certain piece of writing.
3.
So what I really really mean here is that I don’t actually care that much what you
write about in this class, just that you do it well.
4.
And that doing it well means we care more about character than anything else
(usually…), and authentic character, and characters who live and breathe and
change,
5.
Plus, it strikes me that beginning at a point of convergence is much more useful than
beginning at a point of elitism. It would be easy for me to pooh-pooh certain kinds of
writing and say to you, shall we all now become literary? It’s better if we think
about how genre writing is structured, then write well, in or out of genre.
6.
When I was your age (yeah, makes me feel kind of old saying that, and a bit crusty),
I was an avid reader of Louis L’Amour, and it doesn’t get much more genre that that.
But to be honest, I think I learned quite a bit about writing by reading those Western
paperbacks.
7.
Let’s be good writers this semester and care more about language than genre. Let’s
not get stuck either becoming overly dependent on plot (Dan Brown!) or overly
snooty about something as subjective as literariness.
Assignments and Grading
Final Portfolio – 50%
By the end of the semester, you will have collected work including:
1. Polished final drafts of two short stories (7-10 pages each).
a. A Process Story, written in stages over many weeks
b. An Open Story, born only of your imagination and craft
2. Various in-class and take-home writing exercises.
3. A 5-page reflective introduction to your portfolio.
Workshop and Participation — 25%
A significant and important portion of this class will be spent in peer workshop. Your
response to your peers’ writing will earn a quarter of your own course grade, reflecting the
value I place on these sessions.
Ferrence Fiction; Spring 2016
All work to be workshopped must be distributed to the entire class one class period
before the workshop date. Punctual distribution is crucial, as we must all be afforded
ample time to read and respond thoughtfully to your writing. Workshop respondents
should come to class prepared to offer incisive and generous criticism for their peers. To
prepare for response, each student should make margin comments directly on the
distributed texts and must write an attached half-page analysis of the work, which will be
turned in to me, before being forwarded to the writer.
As a part of your participation grade, you are also required to attend the Single Voice
Reading events for this term. For the class meeting following each reading, you must bring
a one page informal response to the reading. In that, address both the delivery and content
of the reading – watch these writers to see how they perform their work in front of an
audience.
Reading Responses — 15%
We will spend considerable time reading professional work this semester, part of our
effort to develop fiction ears. Prior to the class discussion of each assigned reading, you
must post an informal reading response to Sakai. These responses are intended to help you
prepare for the class, to form and shape thoughts that will help deepen our conversation.
Whether we discuss them in class or not (and sometimes, believe me, we will run out of
time), the careful reading of these stories will help you develop a fictional aesthetic. The
reading of high-caliber work is just as important as our own writing, since it is only
through a dedicated regimen of reading that we can develop our ears. As such, you should
write your responses as a writer: focus on how the essay works, on what craft decisions
lead to the successful execution of the piece. Preparing these individual responses will also
prepare you for your end-of-term self reflection, which should include discussion of your
fictional influences and how they helped encourage your individual aesthetic. Well-crafted
reading responses over the course of the term will provide you with useful foundation
material for your final portfolio.
I Want To Steal This Essays – 10%
Twice this semester, you will choose a short story (or novel) up for discussion that blows
you away, and for each you will write a four page essay one how it blows you away. These
essays won’t be mere declarations of love. Instead, you will write about the specific
choices and techniques deployed by the writer to create the effect that knocked your socks
off. To do this, you should practice a version of what Deni Bechard calls “chain smoking”
a piece of writing. Read it once. Be blow away. Read it again and figure out why. Read it
again, more deeply, to figure out how. Read it again, to figure out more. As a rule of
thumb, Bechard says you ought to read the piece (he’s talking about novels) seven times,
and that the willingness to do this separates the writers from the wannabes. Essentially, the
writing prompt for each of these essays will be: how can I make my own writing better this
semester by stealing from this gifted writer’s toolbag?
A Note On Grading
You won’t be receiving any specific scores, letters, or numbers over the course of the
semester. Instead, I will give you plenty of feedback throughout the term, in the form of
draft responses. I will offer suggestions, and ask questions, and point out where things
work and don’t. It will be up to you to weigh such input and revise to the best of your
ability. Only at the end of the term, in assessing the entirety of your portfolio, will I assign
an actual grade. That grade will be holistic. It will seek to establish a subjective measure
of both the effort and execution of your labor.
Ferrence Fiction; Spring 2016
You may very well be uncomfortable at first with this lack of quantifiable data
throughout the semester. But good writing is a process not a product, and so it is
impossible and counterproductive for me to assign grades along the way. My best advice
is to ignore the entire concept of grades in this course and, instead, focus on doing your
best work.
I’ll offer this, too: A-quality work is uncommon and the result of both intense effort and
uncommon gifts. Such a final grade will be reserved for only those students who work
hard and produce fine work. Alas, there is no such thing as an A-for-effort, nor, in my
book, an A for effortless genius. In truth, effortless genius is more likely to earn a C in my
class. Hard work (a steady diet of checks, enthusiastic participation, and other goodstudent actions), will lead to a B. Combinations of less-than-full labor and less-than-stellar
work will result in other grades, through infinite permutations of factors.
Administrative Details
Attendance: Be here. Your presence is important and valuable, and your absence will
hinder your learning and the learning of your classmates. You may miss two courses in the
term for any reason without penalty; I recommend saving these days for legitimate illness so
you don’t get in a bind when winter colds strike. Subsequent absences will result in reduction
of your course grade by a full letter. Any student missing more than four classes will fail the
course.
Confidentiality: Under no circumstances should you share work submitted for workshop
with anyone outside of class. This is a serious but obvious detail. You will fail the course,
period, if you violate this standard.
Late Work: We’re creative, but we’re not lazy. On-time work will be defined as turned in
during class. Work turned in, for example, later in the day will be considered late.
Class Conduct: We will treat each other with respect in our written and verbal
communication, regardless of ethnicity, gender, orientation, or religious belief. Even when
offering critique of writing, we will be civil, gentle, courteous, and fair.
Academic Honesty: Plagiarism is a serious offense and will not be tolerated in this class.
All work handed in should be your own, and any source materials should be properly cited.
Plagiarized work may result in a zero score for the assignment with no chance of revision
and, if serious, could result in immediate failure of the course. If you are unsure of what
constitutes plagiarism, please refer to Allegheny College’s Honor Code.
Disability Support: Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations
in this class are encouraged to contact Disability Services at 814.332.2898. Disability
Services is part of the Learning Commons and is located in the Pelletier Library. Please do
this as soon as possible to ensure that approved accommodations are implemented in a timely
fashion.
Ferrence Fiction; Spring 2016
Daily Schedule
1.19
1.21
Course Introduction; Writing Exercise on Detail and “The Fish”
MacCleod “The Boat” (handout); Charles Baxter 1-20 (Sakai); in-class begin 500 word kernel
Experiential Kernels
1.26
Workshop; “Brownies” (503);
1.28
Workshop; “The Disappeared” (52)
2.2
Character Rolling; Forgotten Country
2.4
Workshop; Forgotten Country
Single Voice Reading: Catherine Chung (7pm, Tippie)
Finding the Point of View
2.9
Workshop; “Sarah Cole” (1)
2.11
Workshop; “Caveman in the Hedges” (533)
Establishing a Clock
2.16
Workshop; “Relief” (120)
2.18
Workshop; “We Didn’t” (181)
Props and Objects/Protagonist Age
2.23
Workshop; “Communist” (214)
2.25
Workshop; “Silver Water” (72)
3.1
Workshop; Treasure Island!!
3.3
Workshop; Treasure Island!!
Single Voice Reading: Sara Levine (7pm, Tippie)
Introducing World Events
3.8
Workshop; “The Management of Grief” (417)
3.10
Workshop; “A Temporary Matter” (321)
Creating the Story Arc
3.15
Workshop; “Stone Animals” (351)
3.17
Workshop; “The Half-Skinned Steer” (520)
SPRING BREAK
Getting a Little Crazy
3.29
Workshop; “When Mystical Creatures Attack!” (Sakai)
3.31
Workshop; “Car Crash While Hitchhiking” (288)
4.5
4.7
NO CLASS – GATOR DAY
Process Story Draft Due; Workshop; “The Things They Carried” (469)
4.12
4.14
Workshop; “Sea Oak” (547)
Workshop; “The Lone Ranger and Tonto…” (Sakai)
4.19
4.21
Workshop; “Never Marry a Mexican” (109)
Workshop; “Cowboys Are My Weakness” (Sakai)
4.26
4.28
Workshop; from Wonder Boys (Sakai)
Love and Theft Presentations
5.3
Love and Theft Presentations
FINAL EXAM: Thursday, May 5 – Portfolio Due by 10 p.m.
Ferrence Fiction; Spring 2016