Creative Writing Course Master Plan, Spring 2014

Creative Writing I will serve as an introduction to three of the major genres of writing: Poetry (various forms), Creative
Nonfiction, and the Short Story. The course will be divided into four parts. In the words of Stephen King, If you want to be
a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. This class is designed to give you ample
opportunity to do both. In addition, students will be provided time to workshop various writing piecesa discussion
during which the author may not speak (unless a question is directed toward him/her), but may soak in various opinions,
ideas, and solutions for his/her writing. The culmination of the course is an open genre project, during which each student
has the opportunity to select one of the three previously studied genres to study more in-depth through reading exemplary
work, writing in that genre for a final portfolio, and sharing an excerpt from the final portfolio.
Part One: Poetry
Time Provided:

Reading:

Writing/Skills Developed:

Workshop/Discussion of
Student Writing:

Wk. 1

Leap by Brian Doyle and

various haikus

Sign ups are this week.

Wk. 2

Sestinas from The Making of

a Poem

Favorite words, study of

synonyms and the search
for the perfect word, short
collection of Haikus
Focus on sound/meter,
composing a narrative
sestina

Wk. 3

Villanelles from The Making

of a Poem

Refrain, rhyme,
enjambment, composing a
villanelle

Poetry Workshop #2

Wk. 4

Sonnets from The Making of

a Poem

Slant rhyme, inversion,

composing a sonnet

Poetry Workshop #3

Wk. 5

Open Forms

Power of punctuation,
compose two poems

Poetry Workshop #4

Part Two: Creative Nonfiction

Time Provided:
Reading:
Wk. 6

Wk. 7

If You Knew Then What I

Know Now by Ryan Van
Meter
Physical Evidence by
Kelly Grey Carlisle

Wk. 8

A Small Place by Jamaica

Kinkaid

Wk. 9

This is Not Who We Are

by Naomi Shihab Nye

Wk. 10

Son of Mr. Green Jeans: A

Meditation on Fathers by
Dinty Moore

Wk. 11

Living Like Weasels by

Annie Dillard

Writing/Skills Developed:
Details: what to show vs. what
to downplay/exclude
Descriptive essay on a place
Scene vs. Summary, effective
use of dialogue
A powerful
conversation-writing dialogue
Use of perspective, 1st , 2nd
, 3rd

person
A memory told three ways
Writing with
purpose/consideration of
audience
Playing with form. What is
creative nonfiction? What
could it be?
Open pieceno essays
allowed!
Reflection/Transcendentalism

Poetry Workshop #1

Workshop/Discussion of
Student Writing:
Sign ups are this week

Creative Nonfiction
Workshop #1

Writing weekin process

Creative Nonfiction
Workshop #2

Writing weekin process

Creative Nonfiction
Workshop #3

Part Three: Short Story

Time Provided:

Reading:

Writing/Skills Developed:

Workshop/Discussion of
Student Writing:
Sign ups are this week

Wk. 12

The Fat Girl by Andre

Dubus

Wk. 13

Car Crash While

Hitchhiking by Denis
Johnson

Wk. 14

Happy Endings by
Margaret Atwood

Wk. 15

Cathedral by Raymond
Carver

Characterround vs. flat,

how to create one
Character sketch
The importance of setting:
creating time and place
Description of a characters
good & bad place
Plotproblem, rising
action, climax, falling action,
resolution
Creating a feasible plot line
for a character
Theme/Purposehow to
instill a message without
being
heavy-handed/obvious

Wk. 16

Writing time: short story

Writing time: short story

Short story lines shout out

Part Four: Open Genre

Time Provided:

Reading:

Writing/Skills Developed:

Wk. 17

Student choice: Poetry,

Creative Nonfiction, or
Short Story

Wk. 18

Student choice: Continue

study of your chosen genre

Work toward
composing/reworking
either: 5 Poems, 2 Creative
Nonfiction pieces, or 1
Short Story
Writing time provided

Workshop/Discussion of
Student Writing:
Open Genre workshop #1:
small groups

Wk. 19

Student choice: Continue

study of your chosen genre

Writing time provided

Open Genre workshop#3:

small groups

Wk. 20

Analysis of favorite reading

from semester

Final Reflection on portfolio

Open Mic Reading! Show

off your favorite excerpt
from your genre writing
and take a bow.

Short Story Workshop #1:

Character Description

Writing week

Short Story workshop #1:

Setting Description

Open Genre workshop #2:

small groups