English 272 Sect.

0401
Writing Fiction: A Beginning Workshop
Fall 2015
TuTh 12:30 PM-1:45 PM
Class Location: WDS 1131

Theresia Pratiwi
tpratiwi@umd.edu
Office: TWS 2202
Office Hour: W 2:00-3:00 PM or by appointment

Overview
English 272 is an introduction to the craft of creative writing. It’s often said that writing can’t be
taught, but anyone can learn how to generate ideas for writing, and how to use the tools of a craft
and elements of a genre to express ideas. Likewise, we can hone our instincts for what works well,
and what might improve with revision. The aim of this course is not to produce literary masterpieces,
but rather to focus on the practice and process of writing. We will read and discuss texts, practice
writing techniques, and give and receive constructive criticism in a workshop setting. By reading,
writing, and discussing stories, we will come to better understand how to create them.

Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able
1. to identify the elements of craft in fiction,
2. to learn the vocabulary needed to discuss fiction,
3. to read fiction and identify how these elements work, or could work, and
4. to write and revise fiction based on peer feedback and a deeper appreciation of craft

Readings
There are no required texts for this course. All readings will be posted to ELMS and/or handed out
in class.

Students are, however, responsible for bringing all materials to class. Because reading and note taking
on a computer are significantly different cognitive activities, paper copies are strongly recommended.
However, I will notify you when computers are needed in in a particular lesson.

Discussion Board
By 11 PM on the day before class, you should write a discussion post on ELMS. Your brief
paragraph should begin with an observation of the outside reading(s) for that class, a few sentences
developing that observation, and possibly end by posing a question.

Writing Exercises
Regimented practice is key to learning writing, so we will be undertaking daily writing exercises: each
student is expected to write every day. Some of your writing exercises will take place in class, but
most will be completed outside of class. Please bring a notebook with you to class, as we will do
short free writes in class. Prompts may be provided by me or related the outside readings of that
week. You are free to build on motifs established in your writing exercise(s) for one of your
workshop stories.

Workshop Submissions
All students will submit two original, complete stories to be workshopped by the class on assigned
dates. Workshop submissions should be at least 8 pages long and no longer than 18 pages and
distributed to the class one full week before your workshop date. While the nature and style of

1
your fiction submissions will vary given your strengths and preferences, there are some strict
formatting expectations. Adhere to the Formatting Policy.
 All submissions must be emailed to the whole class, myself included, via ELMS one week
before your scheduled workshop. It is your responsibility to post your submission in a
timely fashion. No exceptions will be made—late pieces will not be accepted, and you forfeit
your round of workshop. If you missed the deadline, your workshop will be cancelled
and cannot and will not be rescheduled. An unexcused absence on the day of your
workshop will result in a grade of zero for that submission.
 A note on submissions: I don’t expect every submission to be perfect or immediately
publishable, and you shouldn’t either. However, I do expect your work to demonstrate care
and attention to detail. Anything you put before your peers should be rigorously proofread.

Responding to Workshop Submissions

Each student story demands your full consideration. You will be required to come to every workshop
having carefully read each student story at least twice. You are encouraged to make neat notations
in the margins of the stories—the more feedback you can provide your peers, the better.

You will also provide one workshop letter for every story. These will be single-spaced 1-page
responses to your peers’ work. You are encouraged to make neat notations in the margins of the
printed works themselves, but providing coherent response, a synthesis of your observations and
concerns about the work is a hands-down requisite. Your letter should be thorough, thoughtful,
specific, and courteous. Remember that the feedback you give on these stories is intended to help the
writer revise this story and grow as an artist, so aim to provide constructive feedback. Please bring
the printout of your response letter so that you can give it to the writer in class.

Your response should follow a clear structure, which mirrors the structure our class discussions will
take and is as follows:

What is the situation? Briefly distill the story into its various parts: literally, what happens?
Hold a mirror to the story and reflect it back to the writer. This is invaluable, helping clarify
immediately any logistical confusion. It also helps get the party started.

What is the story? Literally, what’s the big idea here? Milan Kundera in his book The Curtain
writes, “The purpose of art is to reveal some unknown aspect of our existence.” What is
being revealed here?

What are the formal elements of the story? What narrative strategies is the writer
employing for excavating the larger meaning, the bigger ideas, of the story? How—on a
formal, technical level—is the writer aspiring to “reveal some unknown aspect of our
existence”?

What is really working here? What is fresh, eccentric, strange? Surprising? Wonderfully
mysterious? Magnificently weird? John Gardner writes, “Every true work of art must be
judged primarily, though not exclusively, by its own laws. If it has no laws, or its laws are
incoherent, it fails.”

How might the author make the story more itself? How might the author make the story
bolder? Offer criticism that will help the author realize the story he or she is trying to write.
It’s not always easy to know what an author’s intentions are but it’s useful in these
circumstances to make an effort to discern them.

Leading Workshop

2
During the second round of workshop, you will be assigned to lead the discussion of one of your
classmates’ stories. In addition to reading and commenting on the story and writing a one-page
response (which you are expected to do for every story), you will be responsible for developing
talking points and questions about the piece to guide class discussion, following the standard
workshop format (above).

Writers Here & Now: Every semester, the Writers Here & Now series bring poets and fiction
writers to campus to read their work. As members of the creative writing community, all 272
students are recommended to attend the readings. Attending readings is a good way to get a sense of
how best to present your work. It’s also interesting to consider how hearing written work read out
loud by the author is different from experiencing it as a reader, in the more intimate space of your
mind. The readings are scheduled for certain Wednesday evenings throughout the semester. Unless
otherwise announced, all readings will be preceded by a reception (free food!) at 6:15 P.M. in the
Jimenez Porter Writer’s House. The readings will take place at 7 P.M. in the Ulrich Recital Hall in
Tawes. More information is available at http://www.english.umd.edu/academics/clcs/lectures/whn.

The scheduled readings for this semester are:

September 30 Joshua Ferris (fiction) & Matthew Zapruder (poetry)

October 28 Natalie Diaz (poetry) & Christine Schutt (fiction)
December 2 Rita Zoey Chin (nonfiction), April Naoko Heck (poetry), Anne
Keefe (poetry)

Final Portfolio
At the end of the semester, you will turn in a portfolio comprising your two workshopped stories, a
significant and considerable revision of one of your workshopped pieces, and a process paper (a 2-3
page reflection on your work, the revision you’ve submitted, and your progress over the semester). In
evaluating the portfolio, I will take into account not only the strength of the final drafts as they stand
alone, but the creative energy and regard paid to others’ suggestions.

Conferences
You have two conference slots: one required and one optional. The required conference will be
scheduled during my office hours after you have had one of your stories workshopped in class, and
you will need to arrange a time to meet with me to discuss your work for the optional conference.
Please note that absence or lateness to the required conference will affect your grade in the course.

Class Participation
It is essential to the health and wellbeing of this class that you come to class on time, prepared to
discuss the reading and students’ work in depth. A major part of this class is learning how to both
accept feedback and give appropriate, constructive criticism. Reading the assigned work and offering
sincere response to your classmates will help your writing tremendously. Class participation includes
prompt attendance, speaking up during workshop, having the materials you need, demonstrating
careful attention to the works being discussed, etc. Showing up is not enough to receive a passing
grade in this class; you must be actively engaged. In brief: Pay attention and add to the conversation
in a meaningful way. Make yourself an indispensable presence. Turn in your critiques, your stories,
and your exercises on time.

Grading
You’ll get out of this class what you put into it. Workshop operates on a model of reciprocity, i.e.,
you respond to other people’s stories in the expectation that they’ll respond to yours. However, it’s
the effort you put into analyzing what works and doesn’t work in your classmates’ stories (as well as

3
published work) that will ultimately help you grow most as a writer. This is to say that if someone
doesn’t respond to your story, or gives you a response of very little substance, they are sabotaging
their own learning. I will make an effort to ensure that your grades reflect the degree of thought and
effort you put into your work. If you have any questions at any time regarding your progress or work,
come see me and we can discuss your concerns.

The percentages of contribution to your final grade are as follows:

Class Participation (includes: workshop 50%

responses, discussion board posts, level of
preparation and engagement):
Workshop Submissions 25%
Final Portfolio (revision and process paper) 25%

I grade all writing exercises and story drafts with a standard letter grade. If a story is not proofread
for spelling or grammatical errors, it will be marked down. Please proofread all of your work. An “A”
story features characters and or a fictional world rendered with attention to emotional depth and
nuance; an awareness of narrative structure; fresh, energetic language and clean, grammatical
sentences; evidence of a deliberately crafted narrative voice. “B” means superior work in these
realms; a “C” means you’ve done the bare minimum; “D” means the lowest passing quality; “F”
means unsatisfactory. With regard to short stories, it’s important to understand that writing fiction is
a process, one that requires, often, numerous drafts. What I am grading is a draft of a story, not your
potential to write a story. Making fiction, ultimately, lies outside the world of grades; but this
workshop lies within it. My grading of your fiction is part of the overall process of evaluation. It is
my hope that your own writing process will continue beyond the end of the workshop and that the
work you do here in the workshop—with the help of my comments and those of your colleagues—
will help you advance your writing and to continue to think deeply about literature and your own
writing.

Course Policies

Formatting Policy: Standard format is double-spaced throughout (with no extra spaces between
paragraphs), Times New Roman in 12 point (no italics except for titles or emphasis), one-inch
margins on all sides. All your work, with the exception of the workshop letters, must be double-
spaced. In the header, include the following information:
 Your name
 My name/course section number
 Title on the first page
 Page numbers at the bottom
 Assignment (Workshop Story 1, Exercise 5, etc.)

Attendance: Though it should go without saying, you will experience difficulty satisfying the above
requirements if you don’t show up to class. But not everything always goes according to plan, and, as
such, you are allowed two unexcused absences without penalty, so long as they do not take place
on a day you are being workshopped. Each unexcused absence subsequent to the second will result
in the loss of all participation points for that day. Any absence unaccompanied by a script from a
doctor or a letter from a dean qualifies as an unexcused absence. Two significantly dilatory arrivals—
showing up more than five minutes late—will constitute one absence. For each unexcused absence
after four, your final participation grade will be lowered by one full letter grade.

4
Excused Absences: The University excuses absences for certain reasons (illness, representing the
University at certain events, religious observance, and the death of an immediate family member),
provided the cause of absence is appropriately documented. If you have, or will have, an excused
absence (such as your mandatory presence at a University event), you must let me know ahead of time or as
soon as possible. No absence is officially excused, however, until I have seen the documentation.
Documentation must be presented no later than the first class period after your return to
class—you have, in other words, one class day’s leeway to get your documentation in order.
If you do not supply documentation within the specified time period, your absence will be regarded
as unexcused. Please make one copy of your documentation for me to keep and keep another copy
for your own records.

Religious Holidays and University-sanctioned Absences: It is your responsibility to inform me

in advance of any intended absences for religious observances or for any University-sanctioned
activities (conferences, sports events, etc.). If you do not give me specific notice in writing (via email)
about planned religious observances by the end of the schedule adjustment period, your only option
will be to count these absences as part of your two allowed discretionary absences.

Late Work Policy: I do not accept late work unless the absence was excused and make-up
assignments were discussed in advance with me. I will always make clear to you the deadline for any
ELMS-uploaded assignments and in-class due assignments. If an assignment is due by 7 PM and it is
uploaded by 7:01 PM, then it will be considered late. You will not be permitted to make up a late
workshop submission.

Cell-phone policy: Silence your cell-phones and put them away. If necessary, I will provide a means
for you to put your cell-phones while in class.

Contact: Email is the best way to get hold of me. I will do my best to respond to you as quickly as
possible, though please be patient. Also expect communication from me through email or via ELMS
if there are any changes to the schedule or I have extra information for you. Do not email me your
assignments, unless I specifically request it.

Academic Integrity and Honor Pledge: Plagiarism is a reprehensible act—don’t do it. Any
submission must be yours alone, written strictly for this class. You are expected to understand the
University’s policies regarding academic integrity. These details can be found on the University of
Maryland’s Office of Student Conduct web page for students.

Special needs: Your success in the class is important to me. If there are circumstances that may
affect your performance in this class, please let me know as soon as possible so that we can work
together to develop strategies for adapting assignments to meet both your needs and the
requirements of the course. In order to receive official university accommodations, you will need to
register and request accommodations through the Office of Disability Support Services. DSS
provides services for students with physical and emotional disabilities and is located in 0106
Shoemaker on the University of Maryland campus. Information about Learning Assistance Service
and/or Disability Support Service can be found www.counseling.umd.edu/LAS or
www.counseling.umd.edu/DSS. You can also reach DSS by phone at 301-314-7682.

5
 Course Schedule

This syllabus is subject to change. Any changes will be announced in class or via email and posted on the
course ELMS site. Students are responsible for keeping up with such changes.

9/1
Introduction
Readings: “Why I Write,” Joan Didion
Exercise: Why do I write?
Workshop Signup

9/3
Drafting
Readings: “Shitty First Drafts,” Anne Lamott
Exercise

9/8
Senses
Readings: “The Wedding Picture,” Jayne Anne Phillips; “Sonny’s Blues,” James Baldwin
Exercise

9/10
Structure and Plot (1)
Readings: “The Lame Shall Enter First,” Flannery O’Connor
Exercise

9/15
Time
Readings: “Long Times in Short Stories,” Joan Silber
Workshop Round 1: Stories 1 & 2

9/17
Time, cont.
Readings: “Pet Milk,” Stuart Dybek
Workshop Round 1: Stories 3 & 4

9/22
Voice (1)
Readings: “Seventeen Syllables,” Hisaye Yamamoto
Workshop Round 1: Stories 5 & 6

9/24
Structure and Plot (2)
Readings: “Lost in the Funhouse,” John Barth
Workshop Round 1: Stories 7 & 8

9/29
POV: First Person
Readings: “The Happiest I’ve Been,” John Updike; “The Dinner Party,” Joshua Ferris (WHN)
Workshop Round 1: Stories 9 & 10

6
10/1
POV: First Person, cont.
Readings: “Cathedral,” Raymond Carver, “The Zero Meter Driving Team,” Jim Shepard
Workshop Round 1: Stories 11 & 12

10/6
POV: Second Person & Direct Address
Readings: “Girl,” Jamaica Kincaid; “How To Become A Writer,” Lorrie Moore
Workshop Round 1: Stories 13 & 14

10/8
POV: Third Person Omniscient
Readings: “To Build A Fire,” Jack London; “A Perfect Day for Bananafish,” J.D. Salinger
Workshop Round 1: Stories 15 & 16

10/13
POV: Close Third Person
Readings: “X Number of Possibilities,” Joanna Scott
Workshop Round 1: Stories 17 & 18

10/15
Voice (2)
Readings: “In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried,” Amy Hempel
Workshop Round 1: Stories 19 & 20

10/20
Rewriting
Readings: “The Sisters,” James Joyce (1904 and 1914)
Exercise

10/22
Sentences
Readings: “The Sentence is a Lonely Place,” Gary Lutz
Exercise

10/27
Sentences, cont.
Readings: “The Girl Needs to Be Kissed,” Christine Schutt (WHN)
Workshop Round 2: Stories 1 & 2

10/29
Dialogue
Readings: “Escape from New York,” Zadie Smith
Workshop Round 2: Stories 3 & 4

11/3
Settings
Readings: “Symbols and Signs,” Vladimir Nabokov; “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place,” Ernest
Hemingway
Workshop Round 2: Stories 5 & 6

7
11/5
Retellings
Readings: Cinderella; “Fairy Tale is Form, Form is Fairy Tale,” Kate Bernheimer
Workshop Round 2: Stories 7 & 8

11/10
Other Forms of Narrative
Readings: “A Primer for the Punctuation of Heart Disease,” Jonathan Safran Foer; “Curriculum,”
(Sejal Shah)
Workshop Round 2: Stories 9 & 10

11/12
Thriller and Mystery
Readings: “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson; “War of the Clowns,” Mia Couto
Workshop Round 2: Stories 11 & 12

11/17
Flash Fiction
Readings: “The Mayor’s Dream” and “Late Dusk, Joslin, Illinois,” Peter Orner; Claudia Rankine (12,
13, 15 from Citizen)
Workshop Round 2: Stories 13 & 14

11/19
Magical Realism
Readings: “The Green Monster,” Haruki Murakami; “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,”
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Workshop Round 2: Stories 15 & 16

11/24 & 11/26

No class—Thanksgiving Break

12/1
Science Fiction
Readings: from So Long Been Dreaming (ed. Nalo Hopkinson & Uppinder Mehan, TBA)
Workshop Round 2: Stories 17 & 18

12/3
Revising
Readings: What Stories Teach Their Writers: The Purpose and Practice of Revision,” Jane Smiley;
“Fail Better,” Zadie Smith
Workshop Round 2: Stories 19 & 20

12/8
Beginnings and Endings
Readings: “How I Met My Husband,” Alice Munro
No class, individual conferences

12/10
Turn in portfolios
Class eval and/or readings