Rachel Hall
Office:Welles 225
hall@geneseo.edu
Office hours:
“Writing nonfiction is like carving a rock. It sits there.…And you whittle away at
something concrete. Writing fiction is like pulling things out of the air.”
Marie Arana
“Every time I agree with myself, I write an essay. When I disagree with myself, I know I
am pregnant with a short story.”
Amos Oz
English 2xx: Reading as a Writer: Fiction and Creative Nonfiction
Learning Outcomes:
Students will demonstrate understanding of differences and requirements of genre
Students will show proficiency at critiquing peer and published work
Students will exhibit knowledge of craft and technique in genres under study
Texts: The Truth of the Matter, (TM) by Dinty W. Moore
Building Fiction, (BF) by Jesse Lee Kercheval
Selected readings on Mycourses
This is a creative writing class in which students will write and read short fiction and
creative nonfiction. We will undertake close reading of work by published authors,
discussing how these pieces are constructed. We will learn about the techniques writers
use in their stories and essays, and will discuss similarities and differences between the
two genres. Students will write a number of short assignments in fiction and nonfiction
and a longer, fully developed story or essay. All creative work will be discussed in a
workshop format. In addition to this creative work, there will be a number of short
critical papers due in response to the reading. In addition to the individual written work,
students are required to provide suggestions for peers’ writing by speaking up in class
and by commenting thoroughly on their manuscripts.
Class Procedures:
Because of the class size and the amount of writing necessary for this kind of class, I will
split the class into two workshop groups within the first two weeks of the semester.
These will be the groups in which you work for most of the semester. The group is your
audience and your reviewers, and you are theirs. The T.A. and I will alternate groups,
spending half the time with each.
In the world of creative writing, classes are usually conducted as workshops.
This class will be a combination of workshops and class discussion, and students will
have responsibilities for both. We will have regular readings from the assigned texts,
which will provide inspiration and serve as models for assigned writing. The texts
provide good how-to advice and will clarify and illustrate the assignments. Students are
expected to read all assigned materially carefully and actively.
As a reader of peer work, you will again need to read closely and carefully, writing
comments in the margins or asking questions, marking interesting details, observations,
etc. At the end of the poem or story, write a summary of your ideas, offering suggestions
about which areas need improvement and additional work. You should sign your
comments and hand back the work to the author after the workshop has discussed it.
From time to time, I will collect your comments. It is important to recognize and
celebrate success, but we do a disservice to both writer and reader if we do not also
point to weaknesses.
For the workshop to run smoothly, you will be expected to turn in your work with
sufficient copies, already stapled and collated at the beginning of class the day that it is
due. When your work is being discussed, be sure that you have a copy so you can follow
the comments easily. You will want to take notes as the group discusses your writing.
During the discussion it is best if the author refrains from speaking--from answering
questions, defending or explaining their work--since this will affect some member’s
willingness to offer honest criticism. And really, the writing needs to stand on its own.
Each exercise that is workshopped will have a “guardian,” that is, someone within the
workshop who will lead the discussion, ask important questions, and make sure that the
work is examined thoroughly and wisely. As a guardian, you are expected to facilitate
the discussion; you needn’t summarize the exercise or list its strengths or weaknesses.
Instead, try to get the group to address these issues.
Assignments, Deadlines, and more...
All written work must be typed and double-spaced with a 12 point font. You will be
responsible for providing copies of your work for the members of your group. Please
keep track of the balance in your printing account so you are not caught unable to print
out copies on your due date. If the cost of copying is prohibitive, please see me and we
can make other arrangements. While all work must be turned in to receive a passing
grade, late work will not be workshopped and will significantly lower your grade.
The exercises you turn in are first drafts, while they should be free of spelling errors and
grammatical mistakes (i.e. not rough drafts), they won’t be finished products. Think of
them as works-in-progress. I won’t grade them until you’ve revised and reworked them,
though I will comment on them throughout the semester. We will also spend time in
class discussing revision strategies. In lieu of a final exam, you will turn in a final
project. This will include a revision and extension of one of your previous assignments.
The final piece should be between 10 and 20 pages. A writer’s statement should
accompany your final piece. In this 2-3 page essay, you should discuss how the final
piece would be changed if it were written in the other genre. What would need to be
crafted differently? What obstacles would you face? What would have been easier, but
perhaps less satisfying?
Revision is, as Adrienne Rich writes, “the act of reseeing and rediscovering” the
significance and purpose of your writing. The workshop supplies you with 13 critics
whose feedback will suggest ways to improve your writing. Not all the ideas will be
useful every time, but consider each carefully. A finished story or essay takes many
drafts. You should be revising throughout the semester; if you wait until the very end of
the semester, it will show in the quality of your final piece. I will expect to see that you
have taken risks as you revised and that the writing has matured as a result of the
readings and workshops.
Response papers
Response papers are due in class on the day the work is being discussed and will not be
accepted late or by email under any circumstance. Responses should be typed, doublespaced and no longer than two pages. Put your name in the upper right hand corner and
staple multiple pages as necessary.
You should write about both essays or stories assigned. You might compare the use of
setting (or characterization or language, etc.) You might determine which essay or story
you like better and explain why it is successful, using the critical language introduced in
TM or BF. Comparison is not necessary. You may look at entirely different aspects in
the two readings. I’m looking for specific comments about the writing techniques
employed. How did the author do what he/she did? Why is it effective? What allows it
to work here?
Here are some additional questions to get you thinking as a writer:
What creates the tension in this piece of writing?
Why is the piece interesting? What makes me read on?
If I lose interest, why?
When am I fully transported, and how does this happen?
How does the writer hook me?
What are the patterns or repetitions within the piece of writing?
What am I paying attention to?
What am I seeing differently?
Where does the writer start the piece, end the piece? Why there?
Class Attendance:
In order for this class to run smoothly each of us must make a commitment to come to
every class, to be here on time, and to participate in discussion each and every class
period. Your group will depend on you to turn your work in on time and to read their
work thoughtfully. If one person fails in their civic duty, the entire workshop suffers.
You are also expected to attend the readings and literary events noted on this syllabus.
Please make the necessary arrangements now, so you can participate.
Grading:
I am happy to discuss your progress with you throughout the semester, but you will not
receive grades on individual assignments. In fact, you will not receive a grade until your
fully developed story or essay is turned in at the end of the semester. We are working on
process here rather than product. If I were to give your first draft a C+, more than likely
you would be discouraged, upset, maybe even angry at me for overlooking your genius.
None of these responses will help you write a better second draft or a brilliant third or
fourth or fifth draft, and that is what we are after. If this uncertainty is going to make you
uncomfortable and grouchy, you may want to reconsider taking this class. Please note
that I will not discuss grades via email at any point during the semester.
You will be graded on class participation/civic duty, including written and oral comments
during workshops =40%
Your final essay or story will be graded on its ambition, complexity, intelligence,
sophistication and improvement=60%
Week One:
Class introduction
Discuss genre differences and requirements
Read Chapt 1 and “Memoir? Fiction? Where’s the Line?” in TM, Cheryl Strayed’s “The
Love of My Life” “Where He’s Calling From” and “Lenny Dying, Pacific Standard
Time” (Mycourses), /Response paper due
Week Two: Same material, different genre
Discuss “Where He’s Calling From” and “Lenny Dying, Pacific Standard Time,” “The
Burial” and “The Procedure”(Mycourses)/response paper due
Week Three: Exploring Creative Nonfiction: Writing Scene
Discuss Chapters 2 and 3 and “Biography of a Dress” and “Out There” in TM
Assignment # 1 due with copies for workshop
Discuss workshop procedures/ Practice workshop
Week Four: Workshop Assignment #1
Discuss Chapter 4 and “Mirrorings” and “The Drama Bug” in TM
Week Five: Writing Exposition
Discuss Chapter 5 and 6 and “What They Don’t Tell You about Hurricanes” and
“Somehow Form a Family” in TM
Response paper due
Week Six: Workshop Assignment #2
Week Seven: Exploring Fiction: Story Openings
Discuss Chapters 1 and 2 in BF, “The Harvest” and “Notes to Q” (Mycourses)
In class writing exercise
Response paper due
Week Eight: Point of View
Discuss Chapter 3 and 4 in BF, “Madagascar” and “Separating” (Mycourses)
Response paper due
Visiting Writer to Class
Reading at 7pm in Sturges Auditorium (required)
Week Nine: Workshop Assignment #3
Week Ten: Character and Plot
Discuss Chapters 5 and 6 in BF, and “Dimension” and “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
(Mycourses)
Response paper due
Week Eleven: Workshop Assignment #4
Discuss Chaper 6 and 8 in BF
Week Twelve: Rewriting and Revision
Discuss Chapter 8 and 9 in BF and Chapter 7-10 in TM, “Brownies” (first draft) and
“Brownies” (final draft)
Revision workshop (Bring your drafts)
Week Thirteen:
Final project proposal due
Thanksgiving Break
Week Fourteen: Small group workshops
Rough draft of final project due with copies
Week Fifteen: Small group workshops
Final period/Project due
Public reading and celebration (Be prepared to read for approx. 10 minutes from your
final project)