English 236: Introduction to Creative Writing

American University of Beirut

Spring 2015
______________________________________________

Instructor: Rima Rantisi

Contact: [email protected]
Office/Hours: Fisk 304B / M 2-3 or by appointment

Required Materials
- Minot, Stephen. Three Genres: The Writing of Poetry, Fiction, and Drama. Seventh Edition.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003. (Available at Gali’s copy center in Hamra.)

- 2 NOTEBOOKS – one for note-taking; one for SKETCHBOOK*

- Folder (keep all your hard copies here)
- Jumpdrive to SAVE your writing
- MOODLE username and password

The Course
You are here because you want to be. That is, you have chosen to participate in this elective course for the
fall semester to practice writing creatively, to reveal and express your ideas, thoughts, revelations,
experiences, stories, and feelings freely in words. Though you will be “free,” you will learn the
techniques and conventions and effective “rules” of writing creatively within four genres – poetry, non-
fiction, fiction, and playwriting. That is, by the end of the semester, you will have analyzed, critiqued, and
become an author in each of these genres. But know: It will take hard work.

Rules of Thumb
1. Good writers are good readers. This is one way that language, and the intricacies of writing,
seep in. And this is also the way that we come up with the “rules” of writing. Analyzing what
other writers DO in their writing is an essential part of growing into a writer yourself as well as
building an arsenal of writing practices.
2. Show, don’t tell. This is a common axiom in the world of creative writing. This basically means
that you should let your reader engage in action and detail so that he/she can extrapolate ideas
from the text versus being handed information, which makes the reader more invested in more
memorable text. For example, the following illustrates telling versus showing:

Fawzi is a dedicated student.

vs.
Fawzi took his usual place in the front of the classroom, pulled out his
materials from his backpack one by one, and peered toward his professor over his
glasses with a pen poised in hand.

(Showing forces you to face what you’re really trying to say.)

3. Writing means re-writing. Think about it. When was the last time that you found that your first
time was the best time? Looking at something anew and chipping away at it with fresh eyes is a
necessary step for all writers – and the benefits can only be described through doing.
4. Write what you know. This does not imply regurgitation. This means: use your life as material
for your writing. Do you want to create a character who is on the verge of breakdown? Well,

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 using your rich well of experience can bring this character into a much clearer light on the page
than if you had never experienced, witnessed, or spoken to someone who was on the verge of a
breakdown.
5. Writing is purposeful. When including anything in your writing, always ask: “How does this
serve the whole?”
6. Forget the “rules” (and there are so many). Now, this is specific. When you’re learning a craft,
you must work hard to learn the parts. In the case of writing: read carefully, respond thoughtfully,
critique conscientiously, practice writing techniques religiously to discover how writers build
their masterpieces. But, when you sit down to write your piece, recalling all of this may confuse
you to no end! So, let your writing flow from the fever you feel versus the rules you’ve learned.
The idea here is that while you are working hard to learn the parts, they are sticking to the walls
of your mind... In revision, you will make decisions that recall rules and look with an architect’s
eye. You may even find at this time that breaking the rules works!

Grading (the bane of our collaboration)

Sketchbook* (2X/week) 10%
Participation (attendance / discussion) 10%
Workshop/Peer Review/Analysis 10%
Poems (3) 15% (5 x 3)
Non-fiction essay 15%
Short Story 15%
Play (Co-written or Individual) 15%
Final Portfolio** (including reflections) 10%

*SKETCHBOOK
You will be “sketching” the world around you through thorough and detailed observations, using mainly
sensory details – sight, smell, texture, taste, sound. This sketchbook should be written in twice a week (or
more, if you like!) – at least 200 words per entry (or a full long-hand page). Each entry may be a detailed
description of a thing, person, act, setting, process, work of art, or other observation-worthy subject. Each
entry should be dated and titled. Please number the pages. If you prefer word processing, please print the
typed pages and staple them into your notebook. The entire sketchbook will be collected every 2 nd Friday.

**PORTFOLIO
The student-writing portfolio is a selection of student work authored by students whose purpose is to
demonstrate their writing process and reflection on that over the course of the semester. The portfolio will
comprise what students think is their best/most meaningful and weakest writing as well as required
reflective writing that explains their selections and guides the reader’s understanding of the student’s
growth.

The primary goal of this portfolio over the course of the semester is to first “see” yourself as a writer and
thinker through regular reflections on your writing. This process should culminate into a portfolio that
reflects your development and growth as well as the quality of the portfolio in terms of choices and
presentation.

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Bureaucracy

1. Attendance is key. Because class time thrives on text analysis, discussion, in-class writing,
and workshopping your peers’ work, you need to be in class! And arrive on time! Your
attendance and participation are part of your grade. Missing a workshop will severely affect
your grade. Finally, missing 1/5 of the class over the semester will result in failure of the
course.
2. Absentees are responsible for all assigned readings and all class notes. Ie: Contact your
instructor or a classmate; access MOODLE. “But I wasn’t in class” is not an excuse.
3. Respect your classmates and teacher. Our classroom space is a safe zone where all topics
and opinions are to be respected and dealt with maturely and openly.
4. Do not use your cell phone. Do not use your cell phone. Do not use your cell phone. Do not
use your cell phone. Do not use your cell phone. Do not use….
5. Submit your own work. Plagiarism will not be tolerated and will be monitored with Turnitin
and close analysis of your writing. Basically, if you are caught using another’s writing as
your own, you will be reported to the dean’s office. It’s a major offense – especially to
yourself in that you will not be gaining the rewards of writing on your own.
6. Submit work on time. ASSIGNMENTS DUE… in class at the beginning of class!
One calendar day late: Grade drops 5%
Two calendar days late: Grade drops 10%
More than two days late: 50% credit

7. E-mailed assignments are not accepted in lieu of bringing hard copies to class. If you are
absent and must turn in your work by E-mail, it must arrive in my E-mail box by the start of
class, otherwise it is considered one day late. Then, you will need to bring in a hard copy the
next class period.
8. Expect to pass the course with a minimum weighted average of 60. Do not expect to be
able to negotiate your grades: your grades in previously taken courses, your will to transfer,
or dependence on scholarship are not part of English 236 grading rubric. However, this does
not mean we cannot discuss your grade.
9. In case of an illness or another medical condition which prevents you from meeting
deadlines or participating in other critical components of the course, make sure to provide
your instructor with a medical excuse certified by University Health Services; only then will
your instructor be able to consider giving you a make-up activity. If you are sick (or skip) or
must be tardy, please contact me BEFORE class. Otherwise, it will be counted as an
unexcused absence or tardy.
10. Keep a folder/file with all your work: both hard and electronic copies of all assignments
until you are given the final grade. Back up your computer files regularly, so your work does
not disappear altogether if, heavens forbid, your computer crashes.

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PLAGIARISM
Using another person’s writing and claiming it as your own, or not properly citing it: Don’t do it.
You will lose from all angles. Failure of work and report to the dean will be enforced. DO YOUR
OWN WORK! You will also submit your work to Moodle/TURNITIN for monitoring of
.plagiarism

Organizing and Presenting

ALL assignments, except for some in-class work, will be typed and must include the following:
 Heading (Name, Course, Inst. name, Date, Assignment);
 Your last name, page # in upper right hand corner (header);
 12-point font, Times New Roman;
 Double-spaced;
 2-cm margins

Example:

Last Name 1

Your Name
Eng II/Section 20
Instructor’s Name
Date
Assignment (ie: Poem #1)

The Inn (Title)

The Castle Inn is like mama’s home cooking served on bone china. It stands modestly

in San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighborhood where boutiques sell small vintage pins and baby

shoes for as much as it costs to stay at the Inn for one night.