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 General Schedule
This
12-week class will feature a variety of activities
and learning opportunities. I will do some presentation
of materials and we'll talk each week (starting
Week 3) about the work of master writers, a couple
of whom will come to visit us in class. About
half of our class time will consist of sharing
and workshopping student writing.
The First Night
Introductions - Discussion of who we are, why
we write, and what audience we want to reach.
Provide general outline of class with detailed
syllabus to follow next week. Housekeeping issues
Brief comments about the goals of the course:
to read, write, and analyze in order to help us
learn effective technique; introverts v. extroverts;
diversity; seeing and understanding the path successful
authors have taken before us; critiquing and cooperating
(not competing) with fellow students; and above
all, writing and completing major projects
In-Class Exercise: Index Card Hopes & Fears
In-Class Reading: "Journeys" by Barbara
Kingsolver
First night Inventory completed
Brainstorming on Lecture subjects the students
want to discuss
Determine volunteers for the first round of critiques
which begin in Week 2 or 3 and set up a schedule
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The
Rest of the Class
I
like to tailor the course reading selections,
discussions, and lectures to the needs of the
students in the class. After our first meeting,
I'll have a very good idea what the students want
to focus on, and for the second meeting, I'll
provide a full Syllabus.
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"Well, the secret to writing is writing. It's only a secret to people who don't want to hear it. Writing is how you be a writer."
~Ursula K. Le Guin in The Wave in the Mind: Talks and Essays on the Writer, the Reader, and the Imagination |
