Description
The Creative Writing course combines a proposed portfolio (prose fiction, poetry, playscript or childrens literature) with an element of supporting or contextualizing research and response. The supporting research/response will be between 3,000 and 4,000 words. The first part of the course explores “dangerous” and “safe” writing processes or techniques, dialogue, characterization, plot, poetry, favorite books and scriptwriting by means of short seminars and workshops. In the second part of the course, students work on their portfolio and on their research/response essay. Work will be discussed in two-hour workshops. Proposals for portfolios may not include texts students were working on already. Throughout the course students will have their progress on research and creative writing evaluated and commented on by fellow students and by the instructor. During the same time, students and the instructor negotiate a series of assignments that help to advance the students- work while at the same time equipping them with the knowledge, techniques and confidence that they need. This is not a how-to-become-a-famous-writer course. Instead, it confronts its participants with their strengths and weaknesses in writing.
Teaching method
Two-hour seminar per week.
Course objectives
The objective of the course is to attain sufficient understanding of creative writing and creative writing research to be able to successfully plan, research and write up an M.A. thesis on creative writing research or teaching creative writing.
Required reading
Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter, What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers, Harpercollins 1991.
Orson Scott Card, Characters & Viewpoint, Cincinnati, Writer’s Digest Books, 1998.
Peter Elbow, Writing with Power. Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process, 2nd Edition, Oxford University Press, 1998.
Test method
A 4.000-5.000 word research/response paper (50%), portfolio (50%).
Time table
The timetable will be available from June 1st on the Internet.
Information
English Department, P.N. van Eyckhof 4, room 102c. Phone: 071 527 2144, or by mail: English@hum.leidenuniv.nl
Registration
Students can register through U-twist before 15 July. After 15 July students can only register through the Departmental Office.
Blackboard
This course is supported by Blackboard.