Syllabus
MPW 960 – Fiction workshop
3 Units
Section 39214
Spring semester – 2010
Monday 4-6:40 p.m.
Classroom: WPH 200
Instructor: Judith Freeman
Email:
Cellphone: 213-392-0015
Office hours: If you need to discuss anything, please email me to set up an appointment.
Introduction and Purpose of Class:
This class will explore narrative techniques as applied to the short story, as well as the longer form of the novel, with an emphasis on reading and writing assignments. It is not a lecture course (though we will be discussingvarious authors and works of fiction) but rather a focused fiction workshop where students will generate stories and critique each other’s work.We will be looking at various narrative elements, from the importance of the singlesentence and what I call the essential “beautiful paragraph,” toover all structure of a work of fiction, and in particular we’ll talk about the development of voice and point of view, the necessity ofcreating rich atmosphere and a sense of place, and characters that live on the page, with an emphasis onthe necessity forvitality, emotional truth, movement and tension.
Course Requirements and Grades:
Each student will be required to write one original short story for the class, which may be work-shopped in pieces or as a finished story. In certain cases I will consider accepting chapters of a novel-in-progress. Again, my first priority is to help you reach your own goals, and if you are in the process of working on a novel, we’ll discuss work-shopping your chapters as long as they have not been work-shopped before and were written specifically for this class. Additionally, there will be a reading assignment each week and a discussion of that work of fiction (please see course readings section for reading assignments). You will also be given a number ofshort writing assignments in the form of exercises that focus on a particular aspect of narrative technique. During the first session we will create a calendar so each student will know when his/her storywill be due. These stories may be handed out in class the week before they are due to be discussed, or emailed to other class members FIVE days before the assignment is due to give everyone enough time to assess the work and be prepared to discuss it in class. Participation in these discussions will be a major component of a student’s grade. Students will also be asked to occasionally read a portion of their work aloud in class as a means of developing an ear for how one’s writing can benefit from hearing the text spoken.
For the first class you will be expected to have read the first two stories in the Alice Munro story collection and be prepared to discuss them.
Required texts: (Note: This list is subject to change with due notice)
Alice Munro’s story collection, Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage
The Anchor Book of New American Short Stories, Edited by Ben Marcus (2004)
Raymond Carver’s story, “Errand” plus excerpt from Henri Troyat’s biography of
Anton Chekov*
Roberto Bolano’s story “The Insufferable Gaucho”*
T Cooper’s story “Swimming”*
Joy Williams’ story “Honored Guest”*
Louise Erdrich’s story “The Plague”*
Edward P. Jones’ story “Bad Neighbors”*
(* indicates these stories will be xeroxed for students and handed out (or downloaded from internet), as they may be difficult to locate. You will only need to buy three books, the first three on this list, and all are available in paperback. We will also keep our reading list fluid, there may be additions or subtractions, students are permitted to make suggestions, and the stories may not necessarily be read in the order listed below)
Grading Breakdown
50% of your grade will be based on the quality of your stories
15% will be based on participation in discussions
35% will be based on how well the writing exercises are executed
There will be no final exam: the finished short story will serve as a final paper
Class sessions and reading assignments:
Each session will begin with a discussion of that week’s reading assignment. The last half of class, following break, will focus on the student’s story to be considered that week.
Jan. 11 We’ll lay out the goals of the class, discuss structure, and establish a
calendar for when stories from each student will be due. Be prepared to
discuss Alice Munro’s story “Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship,
Marriage.” Expect a writing exercise to be assigned this evening.
Jan. 18 (No class – Martin Luther King Day)
Jan. 25 Story structure: discussion of Alice Munro’s story “Floating Bridge.” The writing
Exercises will be discussed, and possibly read out loud.
Feb. 1 Discussion of Mary Gaitskill’s story “Tiny Smiling Daddy.” We’ll focus on the
subtle weaving of sense of place and landscape into a narrative. Also how flashbacks
can function to reveal character incrementally. Workshop schedule begins.
Feb. 8Guest author visits class
Feb. 15 No class – President’s Day
Feb. 22 Discussion of Jhumpa Lahiri story, “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine”
The emphasis in this class will be on character, and voice: How do we decide
which voice to use in a story---first person or third?
Mar. 1 Discussion of Raymond Carver’s “The Errand” and excerpt from Henri Troyat’s
biography of Chekov. We’ll be looking at how to take characters from real life,
or historical episodes, and transform fact into fiction. (exercise to be assigned)
Mar. 8 Reading for this evening will be Joy Williams’ story, “Honored Guest.” Focus
on third person voice, moving from one character to another.
Mar. 15No Class – Spring Break
Mar. 22 Discussion of Deborah Eisenberg’s story “Someone to Talk to.” We’ll
examine ways to incorporate a sense of the “other” into narrative---how our
travels to foreign places can be a rich source of inspiration for our stories.
Mar. 29 Reading: Louise Erdrich’s story “The Plague.” Discussion will center on the idea
of using one’s own ancestral landscape for fiction: how do we draw
on our own life stories, in a fusion of memory & imagination?
Apr. 5 Reading for this evening is the story “Swimming” by T Cooper. What is not
said in a story is often as important or more so than what is, and we’ll look at
this story as an example of this principle, alsofolding past events into present action.
Apr. 12 Visit by Guest Writer --- writer to be announced. Reading: “The Caretaker” by Anthony Doerr.
We’ll consider plot, and the difference between plot and story, and why some stories require
greater length
Apr. 19 Reading: Deborah Eisenberg’s story “Someone to Talk To.” When the Political becomes
Personal and why Big Ideas can only work in fiction when realized through character.
Apr. 26 Reading: Roberto Bolano’s story “The Insufferable Gaucho,” which deals in
a subtle form of magic realism and blurs the lines of reality.
Optional Texts:
The Artful Edit: Susan Bell’s helpful little book, written to help writers become better editors of their
own work.
The Emigrants, by W. G. Sebald. An original imagining of fictional technique
The Stranger, by Albert Camus. A short, swift, dark story from the existential master
The Loved One, by Evelyn Waugh. A comic masterpiece set in L.A.
The Hours, by Michael Cunningham. A brilliantly structured novel which takes its subject
From Virginia Woolf and Mrs. Dalloway.
Ship Fever, Short Stories by Andrea Barrett with scientific/historical themes
Blame, by Michelle Huneven, a plot driven novel, exquisitely executed
Statement for Students with Disabilities
Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776.
Statement of Academic Integrity
USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General principles of academic honesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that individual work will be will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others was well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. All students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. Scampus, the Student Guidebook, contains the Student Conduct Code in Section 11.00, while the recommended sanctions are located in Appendix A:
http:/ Students will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards for further review, should there be any suspicion of academic dishonest. The Review process can be found at.