SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS University of Virginia, Academic Sponsor

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1 Voyage: Spring 2015 Discipline: English Writing ENWR 2600: Fiction Writing Lower Division Faculty Name: Silva Credit Hours: 3; Contact Hours: 38 Pre-requisites: None SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS University of Virginia, Academic Sponsor COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course offers a deeper understanding of fiction writing through written exercises, selected readings, and workshops. During the first half of the course we will focus on studying the elements of fiction by reading published stories and essays on craft. As we study these elements you will complete exercises designed to improve your skills in the various aspects of fiction writing. We will read stories that take place in a multitude of locations, including stories that originate or are set in many of the countries we will visit during our voyage. The second half of the course will consist of student workshops. You will turn in two stories for workshop. You will also be required to revise one of these stories as revision is a vital part of the writing process. Regardless of your own writing experience, our class will be a safe and respectful forum in which we will take all fiction, including yours, seriously. COURSE OBJECTIVES: To read well crafted fiction and study the techniques used to build stories To study the elements of fiction and employ them in your own writing To learn how to become a better writer by becoming a better reader To learn the techniques of reading like a writer To produce two pieces of quality fiction To learn the process of revision to strengthen your fiction To receive reader feedback to help the revision process To gain confidence in your own writing REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS There are no required textbooks for this course. All reading will be stored in the electronic course folder. TOPICAL OUTLINE OF COURSE 1

2 Depart Ensenada- January 7: A1-January 9: Introductions & Overview of Course Discuss reading guidelines and expectations How to read like a writer Write What You Know, Show Don t Tell and other writing clichés In-class writing exercise A2-January 11: Becoming a Writer and the Elements of Fiction Discuss the Elements of Fiction selections Discuss Hemingway interview in the Paris Review Discuss Don t Write What You Know by Brett Anthony Johnston Discuss Regarding Happiness by Charles Baxter A3-January 13: Plot and Story & Structure Discuss The Situation and the Story by Vivian Gornick Discuss Happy Endings by Margret Atwood Discuss Heartache by Anton Chekhov Discuss What You Pawn I Will Redeem by Sherman Alexie Discuss plots of different fairy tales Discuss plot writing assignment Hilo: January 14 A4-January 16: The Heart of the Story: Conflict and Tension Discuss Squirrels by Jim Tomlinson Discuss Bartleby by Herman Melville Discuss Tall Tales from the Mekong Delta by Kate Braverman Discuss conflict writing assignment Plot Writing Assignment Due A5-January 18: Character Discuss A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O Connor Discuss Cathedral by Raymond Carver Discuss Girl by Jamaica Kincaid Discuss character writing assignment Conflict Writing Assignment Due January 20: Study Day 2

3 A6-January 22: Point of View and Narration Discuss How by Lorrie Moore Discuss The Store by Edward P Jones Discuss The Swimmer by John Cheever Discuss POV and narration assignement Character Writing Assignment Due A7-January 24: What Did You Say: Dialogue Discuss Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway Discuss Your Lover Called by John Updike Discuss Fiesta, 1980 by Junot Diaz Discuss The Second Bakery Attack by Haruki Murakami Discuss dialogue writing assignment POV and Narration Assignment Due Yokohama: January In-Transit: January 28 Kobe: January A8-February 1: Where Are We? Setting and Fiction Discuss Why Don t You Dance by Raymond Carver Discuss Love and Hydrogen by Jim Shepard Discuss In the American Society by Gish Jen Discuss A Thousand Years of Good Prayers by Yiyun Li Discuss setting writing assignment Dialogue Writing Assignment Due Shanghai: February 3-4 In-Transit: February 5-6 Hong Kong:7-8 February 8 : Field Lab in Hong Kong A9-February 9: Details, Details Discuss The Things They Carried by Tim O Brien Discuss Good Country People by Flannery O Connor Discuss Love and Honor and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice by Nam Le Discuss Field Lab Discuss details writing assignment Setting Writing Assignment Due Ho Chi Minh: February

4 A10-February 17: Voice and Style Discuss Melvin in the Sixth Grade by Dana Johnson Discuss Water Liars by Barry Hannah Discuss Disappearing by Monica Wood Discuss Out on Bail" by Denis Johnson Discuss voice writing assignment Field Lab Assignment Due Details Writing Assignment Due Singapore: Febrary Study Day: February 21 A11-February 22: Getting Moody: Tone, Mood, Imagery, and Foreshadowing Discuss Crossing the Zbrucz Isaac Babel Discuss Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates Discuss Yours by Mary Robinson Discuss Asian Tiger by Ben Fountain Discuss tone/mood writing assignment Voice Writing Assignment Due Rangoon: February 24-March 1 A12-March 2: The Voyage: Stories of Travel Discuss The Mexican Girl by Jack Kerouac Discuss Lessons in Traveling Light by Deborah Eisenberg Discuss Her Real Name by Charles D Ambrosio Tone/Mood Writing Assignment Due A13-March 4: How to Work the Discuss workshop procedure, regulations, and expectations Discuss A Temporary Matter by Jhumpa Lahiri Discuss House Opposite by R.K. Narayan First Piece Due Cochin: March 6-11 A14-March 12: March 14: Study Day 4

5 A15-March 15: A16-March 17: Port Louis: March 18 A17-March 20: March 21: Study Day A18-March 23: Revision Discuss selection on revision from Writing Fiction by Janet Burroway Discuss selections of revision from Naming the World by Brett Anthony Johnston Cape Town: March A19-March 31: Fantastic Fiction Discuss The Hortlak by Kelly Link Discuss The Remember by Aimee Bender 2 nd Piece Due Walvis Bay: April 2-6 A20-April 7: Work Shop A21-April 9: April 10 : Study Day A22-April 12: Study Day: April 14 A23-April 15: Discuss expectation for Final Portfolio 5

6 A24-April 17: Discuss A Distant Episode by Paul Bowles Discuss A Day in the Open by Jane Bowles PORTFOLIO DUE Casablanca: April A25-April 25: A Day Finals Wrapping Up Final discussions and reflections I will assign readings for this class based on what I see as final needs for the course Final writing assignments Return Portfolios April 29: Arrive in Southampton 6

7 FIELD WORK Field lab attendance is mandatory for all students enrolled in this course. Please do not book individual travel plans or a Semester at Sea sponsored trip on the day of your field lab. FIELD LAB: A DAY IN HONG KONG For our Field Lab, we will begin our day with a ferry ride to Central, Hong Kong and then take a walking tour through Central and the Graham Street Market where will explore the various food stalls and vendors. We will then take a tram to the top of Victoria Peak where we will have a view overlooking Hong Kong. From this spot, we will spend time writing and gathering notes for our Field Assignment. We will pay close attention to details of setting and place. From Victoria Peak, we will have lunch and then continue to the University of Hong Kong where will meet with a writer and group of students to discuss various elements and functions of fiction writing. During our time here, we will engage in writing exercises with the professor and students. FIELD ASSIGNMENTS: The Field Assignment will consist of two parts. First, you will write a 2-3 page reflection on the Field Lab. For this assignment, I am not looking for a summary of the day, but more a personal essay on how the Field Lab contributed to your development and understanding as a writer. For the second part, you will write a 4-6 page story driven by setting, specifically the settings we visit during our Field Lab. I recommend writing a story in the form of a letter written to an imagined person, but you can approach the story from a different angle if you prefer. The story should have a narrative drive complete with tension and should be deeply rooted in setting and journey. For our class prior to the Field Lab, we will look at stories that use a strong setting to help drive the narrative. The stories you turn in for the Field Assignment will not be submitted to a class workshop. I will ask that you also turn in to me your notes taken during the Field Lab Grading: 20% of your grade will come from attendance and participation with the remaining 80% based on the essay and story. Objective: To interact with landscape and surroundings to form the basis for a story strongly rooted in setting To practice note taking and observation in the field and to use the resulting details in our fiction To interact and engage with a writing community and interact with writers and students of another culture To gather real-life experiences and integrate them in fiction To produce a piece of fiction METHODS OF EVALUATION / GRADING RUBRIC Field Lab and Field Assignments: 20% 1 st Piece: 15% 2 nd Piece: 20% Writing assignments: 10% Attendance and Participation: 25% 7

8 Final Portfolio: 10% The Readings: This course requires a lot of reading. You learn best how to write well by reading well written pieces. For each class meeting, you should expect to read pages. I will alter the reading schedule as needed as we might not have time to get to all of the readings. The reading load will decrease once we begin the workshop phase of the course. The Stories: During the course, you are required to write two short stories. While the actual plots of the stories will be of your choosing, I encourage you to use the subject/content/setting from your in-port experiences for one of your stories. I ask that you use first-person POV for one story and third-person POV for the other. The first story must be between 6-8 pages and the second 8-10 pages. If you have trouble coming up with ideas of what to write about, I will schedule a conference with you to help generate ideas. The : This course utilizes peer-based workshop. We will discuss the workshop process in greater detail in class. Conferences: After each of your workshops, I require you meet with me. These meetings usually last fifteen minutes and provide you an opportunity to bring up any issues or concerns in regards to your workshop or to ask me any further questions you have based on the experience. During the conference we will also further discuss your piece and I will provide you with a typed-page of written comments and suggestions. I will also identify particular areas I would like to see you address in your next piece or in your final revision. Attendance and Participation: Students must attend each class session having completed the assigned reading and any other assignments for the day s session. Students must also participate actively in class discussions. While there will be some lectures throughout the term, much of the class is based on discussion and those who participate daily will have more success in the course. Active participation in the workshop is also required. Each student will give written comments on each peer-story they read for workshop. These responses will be a component of your attendance and participation grade. You are allowed one unexcused absence. After that, your grade will be deducted by a third of a letter grade per absence (e.g. an A will become an A-). If you have more than three unexcused absences, you will not pass this course. We will strive for a respectful, non-competitive, supportive environment. While many writers draw on their own life as material for their writing, we will treat all stories submitted as works of fiction. Never share your classmates work with anyone outside of this workshop. RESERVE BOOKS AND FILMS FOR THE LIBRARY AUTHOR: Hemingway, Ernest TITLE: A Moveable Feast PUBLISHER: Scribner DATE/EDITION: 1996 AUTHOR: Johnston, Bret Anthony 8

9 TITLE: Naming the World PUBLISHER: Random House ISBN #: DATE/EDITION: 2007 AUTHOR: Reading Like a Writer TITLE: Reading Like a Writer PUBLISHER: Prose, Francine ISBN : DATE/EDITION: 2007 ELECTRONIC COURSE MATERIALS All readings for the course will be available in the electronic course folder. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES The Writing Center HONOR CODE Semester at Sea students enroll in an academic program administered by the University of Virginia, and thus bind themselves to the University s honor code. The code prohibits all acts of lying, cheating, and stealing. Please consult the Voyager s Handbook for further explanation of what constitutes an honor offense. Each written assignment for this course must be pledged by the student as follows: On my honor as a student, I pledge that I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment. The pledge must be signed, or, in the case of an electronic file, signed [signed]. 9