CW10: Creative Writing for Beginners st 1 sem AY 2006-2007 Marby J.

Villaceran

LAYING DOWN THE LAW You are allowed six absences. Hit your 7 and expect a 5.0 if you do not drop the course. Tardiness will be excused only for the first 15 mins. Three tardies = one absence. If the instructor is late, wait for half an hour before leaving. Keep your phones on in case she has any important announcements to make. Revised manuscripts submitted after the deadline will rate either a 3.0 or 5.0 (no special cases or considerations will be accepted). PLAGIARISM is unacceptable and will result in a failing grade for the course. The instructor does not (nor will she ever give) special projects to students seeking higher grades.
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Welcome to the exciting world of imaginative writing. This course is aimed at exploring the potentials of creative writing as expression, as discipline and as a way of thinking about the society in which we live. What does it mean to be creative? How do we assess creativity? What makes some types of writing more literary than others? We will try to answer these questions by reading different literary forms and discussing the writing techniques they exhibit. Your writing skills will be honed using various craft-oriented exercises. Simply put, we will get in touch with our inner writer. By the end of the semester, you will have at least one original literary piece you can be proud of. COURSE OBJECTIVES To provide students with the basic skills needed to produce imaginative writing Tot each students how to use their reading as a way of training themselves to become writers To allow students to apply the skills mentioned above in the production of literary texts To make students realize how critical reading and creative writing skills can lead to the production of knowledge To enhance the aesthetic sense through a comparison of writings of published authors and fellow students

COURSE SCHEDULE 1. Niceties; class cards, discussion of syllabus 2. Intro to Creative writing: Language and Style: Flow (freighting, telescoping, netting) 3. Pause (very short sentences, melted-together words, hieroglyphics, super literalism) 4. Fusion (recyclables, line-ups, break-ups, mixmasters) 5. OPT (personalizing lens, humbling lens, distancing lens) 6. Description: the five senses, defamiliarization Read: excerpts from Natural History of the Senses (D. Ackerman) 7. Character Read: Girl (J. Kincaid) My Name (S. Cisneros) 8. Character: Symbols 9. Workshop of Characterization Exercise 10. Plot Read: How to Become a Writer (L. Moore) She Wasnt Soft (T. C. Boyle) 11. Workshop of Plot Exercise 12. The Secrets of Good Dialogue 13. Introduction to Creative Nonfiction Read: The War Between (M. Ondaatje) Riding Shotgun (G. Cortez) The Things They Carried (T. OBrien) 14. 15. Writing Break 16. 17. The Writing Workshop; Submission of CNF Manuscripts 18-27 Workshop of Manuscripts 28 Submission of Revised Manuscripts; Teary Farewells

COURSE REQUIREMENTS Exercises (35%) Use a standard-size filler notebook. This is where you will be writing down your in-class exercises. ALWAYS BRING YOUR JOURNAL TO CLASS. Some exercises will be given as assignments. If this is the case, they should always be submitted printed out on letter-sized bond paper. Late submissions will be given deductions.

Revised Manuscripts (50%) At the end of the course, you are expected to submit the revised version of your exercises/manuscripts. They should be compiled and ringbound.

Participation and Attendance (15%) Dont just take up space. You must be both physically and mentally present during class meetings. Come to class having read and prepared for the days activities. If you did not read the text or bring your readings/manuscripts, you will be asked to leave the room and will be marked absent.