English 233-371
Introduction to Creative Writing
Instr: Roberts, Sheila
Office: CRT 597; 229-4534
e-mail: svrob@uwm.edu
Office hours: TBA
Course Information: MTWR; 11:00am-12:40pm; CRT 321
Course Description
The most important aspect of this course will be our discovery of how we are encouraged and inspired to write creatively, whatever the form: short stories, poems, short plays, personal narratives. Also, this course will provide solid writing experience for those students who wish to establish a Creative Writing emphasis for their BA Degrees.
Students will, I believe, find it useful to begin writing during the first class session and daily thereafter - useful for them and for me. In-class writing will only involve short pieces from a list of suggestions that will be circulated. Thus, throughout the course, we shall combine reading, discussion, and writing. Some of the in-class impromptu short-short stories (sometimes only paragraphs); rough drafts of poems; personal essays; and exercises in dialogue will create a foundation for the work that will be handed in for grading. Each student should bring two notebooks to class: one for the in-class writing assignments, and the other for note-taking and for jotting down interesting images, phrases, and sentences that most surely will come in handy for all forms of writing - whether for a grade or not. From the Time Table to be handed out on the first day of class, students will be clearly informed of how the flow of work has been apportioned to each day and to all homework assignments.
Required Reading:
SUDDEN: American Short Short Stories, ed. Shapiro & Thomas.
The 100 Best Poems, ed. Leslie Pockell.
Useful Texts:
The Stories of Eva Luna by Isabel Alende.
The Art of Fiction by David Lodge. Look Back in Anger by John Osborne.
Grades will be apportioned in this way: Four short-short stories 20%. Four poems 20%. One play 20%. One end-of-semester story (6-8 pp.) 30%. Attendance, punctuality, class participation 10%.
Religious Holidays will be respected.
