English 271: Short Story Writing

Spring 2004

 

Cynthia Garrett

Associate Professor of English

Office: Macmillan 303; office hours Mon. 1:30-3:00, Tues. and Thurs. 11-12:30

Office phone: 3250; home phone: 364-5361(not too late, please); email: cgarrett@wells.edu

 

Texts:

            Janet Burroway, Writing Fiction, 6th ed.

            Nancy Willard, Telling Time: Angels, Ancestors and Stories

            photocopies

 

Course description:

Practice in fiction writing, including exercises in point of view, dialogue, setting a scene, and introducing characters.  Emphasis will be on student writing in a workshop format, but outside authors, including visiting writers, will also be studied.

            The course is structured in two parts.  In the first part, we will focus on particular elements of fiction writing and you will write short (2-3 page) pieces emphasizing these elements.  In the last part of the course, you will write two longer (about 6-8 page) stories.  At the end of the semester, you will submit revisions of one longer story and two of the earlier exercises.

 

Grading:

The short exercises will be worth 40% of your grade, the longer stories 30%, and the revisions 15%.  The remaining 15% will be based on your contributions to the workshop process through attendance, discussion of outside texts, and critique of other students’ work.  Attendance at readings by Leslie Norris and Nancy Willard is required.

            In the first part of the course, I will comment on each exercise individually and grade the exercises collectively the week of 3/18.  The two longer stories and the revision portfolio will receive individual grades.

 

Schedule:

Readings are due for discussion on the date listed.  Writing for discussion on Thurs. is due to my office, Mac 303, by 11:30 the Tuesday before for photocopying.  The full text of class writing will be available by 1:30 on Tuesday outside my office.  You must pick up this manuscript to read before the Thurs. workshop.

 

Part 1:  The Elements of Fiction

Date    Focus                          Writing                                    Reading

2/5       introduction                  in-class exercise

 

2/12     sources of fiction 1        fictionalization of childhood       WF 1-28, “The Writing

                                                experience                                Process” and 411-4, “Kinds

                                                                                                Fiction”

                                                                                                TT 21-39, “High Talk in the

                                                                                                Starlit Wood”

                                                                                               

2/19     sources of fiction 2        description/narration                 WF 74-116, “Seeing is                                                 based on observation                “Believing”

                                                                                                TT 190-218, “Telling Time”

 

2/26     characterization character sketch                       WF 118-132, “Building

                                                                                                Character,” and 157-196,

                                                                                                “Flesh Made Word”    

 

3/4       place and time              setting a scene                          WF 198-218, “Long Ago and

                                                                                                Far Away” and 236-251

 

3/11     point of view 1  third person narration                WF254-82,“Call Me Ishmael”

                                                                                                Norris, “Snowdrops”

                                                                                                Willard, “Theo’s Girl”

 

VISITING WRITER LESLIE NORRIS 3/15 or 3/16, 7:30 AER

 

3/18     point of view 2  first person narration                 WF 287-323, “Assorted

                                                                                                Liars”

                                                3-4 story ideas                        

 

INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCES ON WRITING EXERCISES

 

3/25                                                     SPRING BREAK

 

VISITING WRITER NANCY WILLARD 3/31, 7:30 AER

 

4/1       plot/structure                story synopsis                           WF 30-73, “The Tower and    

                                                3-4 story ideas                         the Net”

 

Part 2: Putting the Elements Together

Dates for presentation of the two longer stories will be arranged on 3/18.

 

4/8                                           longer story 1                                      

4/15                                         longer story 1

4/22                                         longer story 1

4/29                                         longer story 2

5/6                                           longer story 2                           WF 395-410, “Play It Again”

                                                                                                TT 219-44,“Close Encounters

                                                                                                of the Story Kind”

 

5/13                                         longer story 2

 

Last week of classes:  Public reading, TBA

 

5/19     Revision portfolio due

 

Policy on late work:

Work for class discussion on Thursday is due the Tuesday before by 11:30.  In a workshop, writing submitted late inconveniences the whole group.  If an emergency occurs that prevents you from getting work in by deadline, call or email me.  Work submitted too late for photocopying may not be discussed in class and, in the case of repeated late submissions, I may not accept the work for comments or credit.