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A Workshop in the Personal Narrative |  |
The theoretical underpinnings of this workshop are consistent with the ideas set forth in, among other places, Carolyn G. Heilbrun's Introduction to her Writing a Woman's Life -- until relatively recently, women's lives were largely scripted by the expectations of a society largely dominated by men, and this fact has colored and often still colors the way many women write. "Women are nurturing," (always -- and men are not!); "women are intuitive" (always -- and men are not!); "women don't get angry" and so on, down the still-familiar list, and the result, as Heilbrun points out, can be an unintentional, even unconscious, emotional dishonesty.
How do we learn to write honestly when we have been socialized to be tactful and considerate, mindful always of the needs and feelings of others? How can we write honestly if we have been socialized to deny certain of our most powerful emotions, including rage and the hunger for power? And if we can't write honestly, how can we ever hope to write well?
I don't think we can. This is a broad truth, in my opinion, and it applies whether one writes fiction, essays, poetry, criticism or what have you. Without honesty, the writing will fail. Call it McAulay's Law.
So I'll be honest, straight off. This is a writing workshop. By this I mean that the major focus of the course is your own writing, and you will be asked to do a lot of it. There will also be a good deal of emphasis on the fine art of revision. (Student writers seldom realize how much of writing is actually rewriting, or how important the process is to the success of their work.) The readings, some taken from the texts and some from handouts I will provide, will generate material for class discussion and further study. Beyond that, they are intended to model ways in which the energy and emotional charge of personal experience can be channeled into a coherent narrative.
- Journal-- This will be a "reading journal," where I expect to see responses to and questions about each of the assigned readings, class discussions, etc. as well as reflections on your own writing process, freewriting exercises, whatever else you might want to include, in whatever form is comfortable for you. Journals are raw material. They're non-judgemental, non-toxic, guilt-free, non-fattening, non-threatening and as far as I know, both moral and legal, which is more than can be said about many kinds of self-expression. A journal is an opportunity. Grab it.
- Short written exercises -- There will be a number (and a
number of kinds) of these, some prepared outside of class (edited and
proofread!), others done in class. Details TBA.
- Two longer narratives -- Approx. 5 - 8 pp. (typed,
doublespaced. Click here for examples.) These will be discussed in workshop, then revised. Click here for a discussion of the structure and content.
- Written responses to student mss. There are two kinds of these -- informal responses, which are brief (1 - 2 paragraphs, approx) commentaries that address content rather than style or technique -- and critiques. The latter include annotations on the mss, plus several paragraphs of analysis. This will serve as the basis for workshop critique and discussion. Many students find a critique guide helpful, at least at first. These documents, and others that might be useful to you are linked from the Resources page.
There is no final exam. Keep all your work, including in-class exercises, to hand in as your portfolio at the end of the quarter. Attach all previous drafts to your revisions. Your grade will be based on:
- the quality of your writing;
- the quantity of your writing, including your journal;
- your written responses to classmates' manuscripts;
- class participation, including attendance.
For an explanation of my grading standards, see "What Does She Expect, Anyway?"You are allowed two unexcused absences. Use them wisely. Only one excused absence for once a week classes!
I will pass around a sign-up sheet for ms. distribution dates. Each student will be scheduled for one half-hour conference. Additional conferences, in person or by email, as needed.
Work that is to be distributed for workshopping may be single-spaced to save paper and photocopy costs. However, please print out a double-spaced copy for me. Your reading journal may be hand-written in a notebook if you wish. All other work should be typed/printed, double-spaced, using a standard 10 or 12 point font and 1" margins. In general, follow the format you would use if you were preparing to submit the ms. for publication. This will be fully explained in class.
Final note: I can't stress strongly enough how important regular attendance is -- both to your own development as a writer, and to the success of the workshop in general. If you must miss a class, please have the courtesy to let me know, by email or phone. You are responsible for picking up mss. from my office before the next class session, and for seeing that the prior class's authors receive your written responses to their work.