WRITING HORROR & SUSPENSE

EL 231-01: Topics in Creative Writing Spring 2013 -- Seton Hill University Meets in: Admin 309 Meetings: TU & TH 12:45-2:00pm 3 Credits | Meets Artistic Expression (LAC) Req. Class Web Page: https://moodle.setonhill.edu/
(login with your e-mail password via Griffin's Lair)

Dr. Michael Arnzen Office: 407 St. Joseph Hall Office Hours: MW 12:45-2p; TuTh 2-4pm; & others by appointment only Office Phone: 724-838-2467 (campus ext. 2467) Instructor's E-mail: arnzen@setonhill.edu

Catalog Description:
"Emphasis varies from term to term. Spring and Summer. Repeatable for credit. Satisfies the Artistic Expression requirement of the Liberal Arts Curriculum. 3 credits." -- 2012 SHU Catalog

A Disclaimer:
Taking a course in "horror" involves a modicum of emotional risk. Although I expect us all to act as professional writers, intelligent students, and emotionally mature adults, it would be helpful if you came to class as prepared for effrontery as you would if you had entered an "R-rated" movie. You must expect to encounter topics, language, images and texts (whether assigned by the teacher or written by other students) which you might otherwise find morally offensive, emotionally disturbing, or otherwise grotesque and reprehensible. If you are not willing to be offended, disturbed, or "grossed-out," then you should probably drop this class immediately. Horror is a genre which purposely strives after reactions of fear and loathing -- on a deeper level, it is also inherently disturbing because it probes the taboos of society -- in order to make a point. As the late writer Robert Bloch once put it, "Horror is the removal of masks." Think about what that means and how far you're really willing to peek behind them. If you feel you need help coping with the horror in this class, please visit the professor during office hours. But know that if you stay in this course you have made a choice of your own free will. You have been warned. While we should, from time to time, argue that many of the ugly things we'll read in horror stories should be suggested or evoked rather than graphically depicted, we also should try not to censor anyone's work out of hand. Indeed, one of the major topics in class will be "where to draw the line" -- if at all -- so if you decide to stay in this class you are making a contract with us all to at least keep an open mind and to offer reasons, rather than emotions, to justify your response to any of the materials read/shown in class. Having said all that, there are a few topics that I am calling "off-limits" simply because they raise issues too thorny for the modern college classroom. Though you may allude to them artfully if it serves the story, I ask you to avoid directly dramatizing the following topics or scenarios (if you do so, you risk receiving a zero on the assignment): school shootings, or similar forms of classroom/campus atrocity anything involving your classmates, instructors or family members as characters rape and/or graphic sex racial bigotry or hate crime Please consult with me if you have any questions about how to creatively work within these limits. The best advice I can give you is to think about the readings and try to write fiction in a way that will show off something new that you've studied or learned in class at each deadline.

Course Goals and Design:

Despite the disclaimer above, this class is first and foremost a course in fiction writing. We will regularly practice the craft of storytelling through precise prose, learning the basic elements of the short story and studying a variety of effective approaches to narrative form. We'll also practice various forms of invention (creative thinking) and study the errors of poor writing. No matter how much experience you have with writing or with the horror genre, our primary focus this term will be on the basic elements of short fiction, in search of the many lessons that the horror and suspense genres have to teach us about the craft of writing and the process of reading. And, naturally, we'll try to have a lot of fun scaring each other to death this semester, too.

Arnzen/Horror Writing/EL 231 -- 2 As a fiction writing course -- and a course meeting the Artistic Expression requirement in Seton Hill's Liberal Art's Core -- our primary goals this term will have less to do with horror than they have to do with expressing ourselves effectively through the craft of writing. We will strive, generally, to:

create artistic projects that exhibit the elements of the craft of fiction writing participate in process-oriented, project-centered workshop experiences that reveal the problem-solving, selectivity and discipline of genre fiction writing interpret works of fiction through both analytical writing (journaling) and oral peformance (storytelling) develop creative skills through experiential learning in workshops and presentations develop editing, interpreting, and writing skills by critiquing student stories and published work develop an appreciation of genre fiction through observation of your peers and reading established writers demonstrate artistic development in an formal presentation (fiction reading or multimedia presentation related to one of the author's studied) acquire knowledge about the commercial trade of popular fiction Writers need to read in order to master the craft. Horror is considered a genre of writing -- a category -and if you hope to write it well, you need to learn its history and conventions by reading widely in the genre and putting its conventions to practice in your own fiction writing. We'll read a lot of good stories -and perhaps a lot of bad stories -- but your task should be to learn to appreciate the art of horror from the perspective of someone who is well-read in the genre. Some people feel genres place needless limits on fiction -- others feel it recycles old-fashioned clichs. I hope you'll keep an open mind and come to understand just how complex and experimental the genre really is, just how surprising, artful, and diverse its practitioners can be, and just how much freedom it offers you as a writer to express yourself in new and interesting ways. For not only are the horror and suspense genres marketable categories for the fiction writer who wants to get published (and get paid for it), but they also have numerous lessons to teach us about what readers need and expect when they pick up any story or book. Their preoccupation with "the dark side" of psychology and society, too, can teach us a lot about human nature and social relations. Finally: This course can count toward the requirements for the Certificate in Genre Writing offered through the English program at Seton Hill. If you are interested in earning a credential in writing popular fiction, further information about the certificate is available in the SHU Catalog online and on our class moodle page. Feel free to meet me during Office Hours if you'd like to discuss this learning option, only available at Seton Hill!

Course Requirements: Required Texts & Software:

BOOKS: Castle, Mort, ed. On Writing Horror: A Handbook by the Horror Writer's Association. 2nd/Revised Edition. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books, 2007. ISBN: 1-58297-420-9 Hartwell, David, ed. The Dark Descent. New York: TOR Books, 1997. ISBN: 0-312-86217-2 King, Stephen. Night Shift. New York: Signet, 1994. ISBN: 0-451-17011-3 Knost, Michael, ed. Writers Workshop of Horror. Chapmanville, WV: Woodland Press, 2009. ISBN: 0982493916 Please immediately purchase the textbooks above, since readings begin right away (see attached schedule for all readings and due dates). Many required readings may also be posted on Moodle -https://moodle.setonhill.edu/ In most cases, an electronic version of a reading on your ipad or laptop will be fine, unless directed otherwise, but be sure you are able to read documents to prepare for class discussions and to take notes on it. You may be required to print hard copies, when electronic means do not function properly. Technical difficulties are no excuse for not doing homework or preparing for class. It is always expected that you will complete all assigned readings before coming to class and you should always bring those readings with you to class for reference during our discussions.

Arnzen/Horror Writing/EL 231 -- 3 APPS/WEB RESOURCES: Our class will be experimenting with electronic media as it relates to the fiction writing process this term, and we will also perform and critique one another's work through audio recordings. You will need to establish accounts on the following free online resources and download related apps for your ipad/MacBook in order to complete class activities. It is recommended that you use your SHU email identity (but not your shu password) for your profile on all non-Apple/non-SHU sites, if you wish to keep your personal social networks separate from your campus work. You also must be willing to share your writing, voice, and other related activities online with a public audience, even if it means you will forfeit "electronic publishing rights" -- I do not wish to infringe on your literary property, but this is a necessary sacrifice for learning: MOODLE: Our class home page at https://moodle.setonhill.edu/ will be a place you'll want to visit often. It will often feature downloadable readings, copies of handouts from class, web links, and information about apps and software for the course. We may collaborate on sharing information there through board forums and other means as homework activities. I will update this page frequently with a record of homework and in-class writing exercises that I expect to find in your workbook before I collect it; if you miss class, check moodle to see what you can make up. GOOGLE DOCS: This comes free with your SHU gmail account. Select "Documents" from the top of the screen after logging into gmail. You will be required to "share" documents you upload to the service and also "comment" on them for peer editing. My feedback on your writing will appear here. SOUNDCLOUD: This free ipad/iphone audio app is available in the iTunes Store, and shares recorded audio to http://soundcloud.com. We will be using this resource quite a bit this term, for activities, recitation and critique. iTUNES UNIVERSITY & iBOOKS: I am developing study materials through iTunes U -- including a possible fiction workbook/study guide as an iBooks text. If I make enough progress on this project, I will share it with you (free) as part of the course, so long as you are willing to experiment along with me and provide feedback. The iBook works best on the iPad, so please always bring your ipad to class, even if you are also bringing your MacBook for typing purposes. You will receive login information via e-mail to your Seton Hill email account when ready. (By the way: get in the habit of checking your email daily and often, to ensure you are in communication with your peers and the teacher). TWITTER: If you have a twitter account, you might want to follow me. I will post class-related tweets from my @arnzen account which you can search for using hashtag #EL231. I also tweet horror @MikeArnzen.

Graded Work:
2 Short Horror/Suspense Stories: 6-12 pages each, drafted and revised based on feedback received in class from student workgroups (40%; 200 pts.) 1 Multmedia Short: (a video/audio presentation (5 minutes or less). This electronic presentation must use sound and image in some creative way (e.g., a short horror film or scene; an audio play or story recitation set to a digital slideshow; a webpage incorporating text, sound and art; etc.). There is great flexibility with this project, but it must be outlined/scripted in advance. Guidelines will be distributed (15%; 75 pts) 15 Reader's Journal Entries: 1-2 page, single-spaced entries, discussing the techniques in the assigned fiction readings (The Dark Descent, Night Shift, other fiction). You will choose one of the stories assigned each week to write about; you are allowed to answer one of the prompts provided in class, or to pursue a question of your own design. These entries need to demonstrate critical thinking, so you need to have a thesis, or analytical point, to make. One reading journal per week will be due on google docs every Friday at 3pm (20%; 100 pts.). Critiques: 1-2 page comments on student manuscripts, plus reflection essays (5%; 25 pts.) Writer's Workbook: other homework, in-class writing exercises, creative journaling and pop quizzes. Do the assigned homework and the in-class writing exercises alone and you will earn, at most, a "B" grade on your workbook. "A"-grade workbooks will exhibit discipline, variety, and creativity, and they will contain extra entries that either test a creative idea or reflect on an extra horror reading not already submitted for the Reader's Journal. (20%; 100 pts)

Arnzen/Horror Writing/EL 231 -- 4 See the attached course calendar for due dates. Required Workbook exercises will be captured in an online checklist following each class, prior to the deadline. I reserve the right to assign pop quizzes just to make sure everyone is keeping up with the reading. Exercises may be distributed in class, for either in-class writing or homework, and we will learn collaboratively from workshops -- thus attendance is required (see policies below). You need to create a separate folder in google documents (aka "Docs" on "Google Drive") for both the Reader's Journal and the Writer's Workbook, and share these two folders with me, set up so I "can comment" on them. Each story sequence, too, will need to be in a separate folder that you share with both me and your critique group. We will discuss the process for workshops and homework over google documents in class. Help with google docs is available online: https://support.google.com/drive/

Evaluation of Grades:
My grading criteria are designed to reward effort and I will be judging your process of growth, not your "talent" for storytelling. You will succeed if you try to succeed at fiction writing, follow directions closely, and meet all deadlines. In order to gauge this, I will assign points to written items and calculate your final grade by converting your points into a percentage on the scale below. Points notwithstanding, any student who fails to turn in a story, a batch of critiques, exercises, or journal entries -- or who accrues 6 absences (e.g., three weeks worth of classes!) -- will automatically fail the course. 100 point scale A 93-100 A90-92 B+ B B88-89 83-87 80-82

C+ C CD+ D

78-79 73-77 70-72 68-69 63-67

DF

60-62 59 and below

Attendance Policy
Our class will be group-oriented and involve activities and workshops that require attendance. Therefore, attendance is mandatory and impacts grading. You are allowed two absences over the term -- whether "excused" or not, these will be waived. Each subsequent absence reduces your final grade by 2 increments (+/-) of a letter grade. Six total absences (including the two waived) produces "instant failure" in the course. I am inflexible about this because you learn more through participation in this class than in any other way. To be fair to your classmates, excessive lateness or a lack of participation in key course elements (such as arriving on workshop day without a critique, or neglecting to read the assigned homework) will be treated as absences, too. If you expect to miss a day, inquire about what you'll miss in advance. Do not rely on e-mail to make-up missed deadlines at the last minute. While many of our class exercises will be posted on moodle so you can stay organized if you miss a meeting, there is no way to "make up" a missed workshop.

Late Policy
As you know, writers have to work under deadlines. Missing a deadline in the publishing industry means holding up production or other people's work. In this class, we will respect deadlines and you should always strive to be on time or early, never leat. You can only earn 4/5 credit (or 80% = a "B-") at most for any late paper, missed presentation, or quiz. You have one week at most to turn in late work; it will not be accepted after that and you will likely have to repeat the course for the zero you earn. If you expect to be absent on a due date, you should always turn in work to the instructor in advance, so that your absence will not directly affect the grade on your written work. Late work must be posted as soon as possible to google docs. If an assignment is due online (soundcloud, google docs, etc.) you are expected to turn it in on time or early even if you anticipate missing the class on the due date. Late drafts for critique workshops are unacceptable, as your critique group will be depending on your drafts for their critiquing grade. These late drafts will only earn 3/5 credit (or 60% = a "D-"). Moreover, missing critiques due on writing workshop dates will generate absences in addition to the 4/5 penalty.

Archive Policy

Arnzen/Horror Writing/EL 231 -- 5 We are going to be writing in a variety of ways this semester -- from posting documents on google docs to exchanging work via email to working in pen on handouts. You may want to acquire access to a scanner to save handouts and printed work. Google docs will be the primary repository for class writing, and you should keep this archive online (and shared with Arnzen) until you graduate. I highly recommend that all students back up their work as well in a well-organized thumb drive for later use as an electronic archive. In order to fulfill the requirements of the liberal arts curriculum, major assignments completed in this course must be saved by the student, so that they can successfully argue in the capstone liberal arts course, Senior Integrative Seminar, that they have met the University Learning Objectives. Creative Writing majors are required to share work from this class in their "showcase portfolio," which is presented during an "exit exam" their final term, before they graduate with an English degree. At the conclusion of the course, please do NOT move or delete your materials from Google Docs, but leave it there (and shared with the professor) in case of grade errors or English program assessment purposes.

Policy on Electronic Devices

Our classroom is a mecca of state-of-the-art educational technology. You will be required to bring your MacBooks to class so we can type or work together "in the cloud." However, our classroom is also a haven from the distractions of everyday life, giving us a place to focus attentively, in collaboration, on learning. Listening to each other is imperative and enables focused concentration. "Multitasking" inhibits learning and disrupts communication; unexpected beeps and surprising ringtones distract us all. Thus, while I want you to use devices (cell phones, PDAs, laptops, sound recorders, and other electronic devices) in class, they must only serve class needs (e.g., typing on a laptop for an in-class writing assignment; using an iPhone to record lectures; tapping notes on an ipad). My policy on this matter can be summed up in one phrase: "class in the foreground." If you ever appear to be "backgrounding" the class in order to attend to personal matters (like checking your facebook feed or chatting on twitter) you will receive an absence for the day, and may be expelled from the room and not permitted to make up missed in-class work. Examples of "backgrounding" the class in a punishable way include: answering or making a cell phone call; texting, tweeting or IMing; checking or writing e-mail; surfing the web; wearing headphones; logging into Facebook, Pinterest, your SHU blog, or other social network; reading an ebook or even any printed matter not related to class content (e.g. a magazine); and handheld gaming. Please set your cell phones to "silent" mode before class begins. If I say "laptops down" then I expect everyone to temporarily extinguish electronic media and pay attention to lecture/group. I reserve the right to collect your electronic device during the class period if I feel it is distracting you or your classmates from proper study.

Academic Integrity Policy

Copyrights are important to writers. When you create a short story out of your imagination, you have created "literary/intellectual property" that you own and can sell in the open market. You also must respect the property of other writers, who could sue for infringement (which results in expensive fines and potential imprisonment), let alone ruin your reputation as an artist worthy of any reader's or editor's trust. Likewise, Seton Hill University expects that all its students will practice academic honesty and ethical conduct. The University regards plagiarism, cheating on examinations, falsification of papers, nonsanctioned collaboration, and misuse of library material, computer material, or any other material, published or unpublished, as violations of academic honesty. Violators of the code may expect disciplinary sanctions, which are discussed in the Seton Hill University Catalog (under "Code of Academic Conduct"). Any unreferenced use of the written or spoken material of another, or of previously submitted work of the students own, constitutes plagiarism. Paraphrasing the thoughts or written work of another without reference is also plagiarism. Helpful information is available at the following web site: "Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Recognize and Avoid It" (http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml). For this course, as in all English courses, your research is expected to be documented in current MLA Style. When in doubt, document your sources! If you ever need help, please visit tutors in the campus Writing Center or consult with Dr. Arnzen during office hours. NOTE: we will be using google docs and other electronic storehouses for paper submission as part of this course. By taking this

Arnzen/Horror Writing/EL 231 -- 6 course, you assent to having your writing retained within the "cloud" (an online database). While privacy will be retained whenever possible, some writing and other artifacts you create may be accessible to the public. Also expect that any writing you produce may be read by a classmate, quoted by the professor, or recited to the whole class, as well.

Disability Assistance
If you have a disability that may require consideration by the instructor, you should contact Terri BassiCook, the Director of Disability Services at 724-838-4295 or tbassicook@setonhill.edu and/or disabilityservices@setonhill.edu as soon as possible to develop a plan of accommodation. You should provide the instructor with a copy of your accommodation plan and schedule a meeting so that you can be supported in an informed manner. It is not necessary to disclose to your instructor the nature of your disability. If you need accommodations for successful participation in class activities prior to your appointment at the Disability Services Office, you should offer information in writing to your instructor which includes suggestions for assistance in participating in and completing class assignments.

SIGNIFICANT MUSINGS ON HORROR & SUSPENSE "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." -- H.P. Lovecraft "Horror is not a genre, like the mystery or science fiction or the western. It is not a kind of fiction, meant to be confined to the ghetto of a special shelf in libraries or bookstore...Horror is an emotion. [Horror is] that which cannot be made safe -- evolving, ever-changing -- because it is about our relentless need to confront the unknown, the unknowable, and the emotion we experience when in its thrall." -- Douglas Winter "I try to terrorize the reader. But if...I cannot terrify...I will try to horrify, and if I find I cannot horrify, I'll go for the gross-out." -- Stephen King "Horror is the removal of masks." -- Robert Bloch "Writing about the unholy is one way to write about what's sacred." -- Clive Barker

Arnzen/Horror Writing/EL 231 -- 7

EL 231: Course Calendar

Always read the assigned text before class meets and always bring your books to class. These due dates and exercises are tentative; any oral directions will supersede this schedule. Specific homework and writing exercises will usually be assigned in class, but subsequently posted to a regularly-updated checklist on our class moodle page. wk
1

date
1/22 1/24 Introductions IMAGERY & FEAR

topic

readings/due in class
In Hartwell: Shea, "The Autopsy" [A weekly reading response is due to GoogleDocs every Friday at 3pm, unless otherwise directed] In Hartwell: Bradbury, "The Crowd" In King: Forward to Night Shift Bradbury, "The Thing at the Top of the Stairs" (online) In King: "I Am the Doorway" In Castle: Williamson, Sallee & Marano (40-58) In WWOH: Waggoner In King: "The Ledge" Ketchum: "The Box" (online) or tba In WWOH: Massie, Laimo & Gonzales In Hartwell: Bloch, "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper" In Castle: Kaufmann (77-82) In WWOH: Arnzen Arnzen, "The Element of Surprise" (online) In Hartwell: Barker, "Dread" In WWOH: Snyder In Castle: Bonansinga (95-101) STORY #1 DRAFT DUE In Hartwell: Matheson, "Born of Man & Woman" & Faulkner, "A Rose for Emily" Arnzen, "She Screech Like Me" (online) In WWOH: Nicholson WORKSHOP #1 IN CLASS (CRITIQUES DUE) In King: "The Man Who Loved Flowers" WORKBOOK (WEEKS 1-5) DUE REVISION #1 DUE

1/29

INVENTING SCARY PREMISES

1/31

DEVELOPING ORIGINAL IDEAS

2/5

SUSPENSEFUL PLOTTING

2/7

THE SURPRISE AND "THE END"

2/12

SUSPENSE & PACE

2/14

VIEWPOINT & VOICE

2/19 2/21

WORKSHOP #1 VOICE

2/26

CHARACTERS REAL & UNREAL

2/28

FILM/SENSORY exercise

Sanders, "The Inheritance of Tools" (online) Marek, "Tamagotchi" (online) In Castle: Jens & Lansdale (65-76) In WWOH: LeBlanc In Hartwell: Poe, "The Fall of the House of Usher"

7 mid terms

3/5

DIALOGUE & PACE

3/7

STRUCTURE & IRONY

In King: "Trucks" In Castle: Morrell (88-94) In WWOH: Monteleone Silva, "The Calling" (online) Haracourt, "Prisoner of His Own Masterpiece" (online) STORY #2 DRAFT DUE In Hartwell: Wagner, "Sticks" In Castle: Castle (82-7) & Ochse (179-83) In WWOH: Fuller WORKSHOP #2 IN CLASS (CRITIQUES DUE) [Note: HorrorRealm con in Pittsburgh 3/15-17]

3/12

SETTING

3/14

WORKSHOP #2

3/19 3/21

FILM: "Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" or other tba STYLE

REVISION #2 DUE In King, "Jerusalem's Lot" In WWOH: Hautala

Arnzen/Horror Writing/EL 231 -- 8

WORKBOOK (WEEKS 6-9) DUE 10 3/26 3/28 4/2 4/4 12 4/9 Spring Break -- No class held Spring Break -- No class held THE SUPERNATURAL: GHOST STORIES THE SUPERNATURAL: CHAOTIC HORROR THE PSYCHOLOGICAL: PSYCHO & SERIAL KILLERS MEET A HORROR WRITER Author Lawrence C. Connolly visit planned. --In Hartwell: Dickens, "The Signal-Man" & Leiber, "Smoke Ghost" In Hartwell: Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu" Poe, "The Black Cat" (online) Watt-Evans, "Stab" (online) In Castle: Knight & Picciarelli (146-55) Connolly, "Echoes" (online) [Possible Outing: Fri. 4/12, Evil Dead premiere] 13 4/16 THE VISCERAL: INNOVATION & EXCESS EMOTIONAL REALISM King, "Survivor Type" (online) Other short readings tba (online) In Castle: Cavelos, Mamatas & Ketchum (108-123) Braunbeck, "Union Dues" (online) In WWOH: Braunbeck MULTIMEDIA SCRIPTS/OUTLINES DUE 14 4/23 4/25 WORKSHOP #3 THE INFLUENCE OF HORROR MULTIMEDIA WORKSHOP IN-CLASS (critiques due) Readings TBA ["Neck Biters" Exercise Due in Workbook] WORKBOOK (WEEKS 10-14) DUE 15 4/30 5/2 MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA THE FUTURE OF HORROR & THE SCREAM TRADE CLASS REFLECTIONS Final Reader's Journal DUE before class 5/2 [Please remember to complete course evaluations online by today.] MULTIMEDIA SHORTS DUE Ligotti, "Notes on the Writing of Horror" (online) In Castle: Winter (124-31) Arnzen, "Genre Unleashed" (online)

11

4/11

4/18

16

5/8, 1-3pm

Final's Week -- No class meeting planned, but I reserve this time period, if needed.

No final exam.

Random prompts from Arnzen's Instigation: Creative Prompts on the Dark Side (http://www.gorelets.com) + Write from the point of view of fire as it burns a building down. Give it a motive. + Draft a humorous instruction manual for a monster. (e.g., "How to be Cthulhu", "Neck-biting for Dummies") + Describe a morgue from the point of view of a blind woman. + The title of your piece is "Death by Chocolate." Go. + Describe the first birthday party for a disturbing mutant. + Begin a story with the line, "It was when I died that...." + Describe the mascot for Psycho University. + Write the stream-of-consciousness of a man falling to his death from the top of a skyscraper. + Transform a musical instrument into a device for torture.