Category: Uncategorized

Thanks for reading in today’s class everyone. It was good to hear your words and to hear which writing assignments produced your favorite pieces. There were excerpts of poetry, fiction, and memoir, and one free write. We’ve done a lot of work this semester!

As was discussed in class, you have three things coming up this week:

1. Final Reflective Activity: on Blackboard, Thursday, May 19 in the early am through end of the day on Friday. (48 hours) This last assignment, which is worth 5% of your course grade. This is not a test of the readings. It will ask you to review the work you’ve done this semester with questions and answers of 1-2 paragraphs. We were originally going to do this in class, but I felt that doing the assignment online will make this less of “timed” test and more of the actual reflective process.
2. Creative Writing Survey:  This very short survey asks about student interest in several creative writing courses that are in development in the English department. This activity will constitute the way I take attendance for Tuesday, May 24. Make sure to input your City Tech email so I know who you are. Link is now live HERE: https://forms.gle/xzANwg7hUXPrMCg4A
3. Memoir Revisions and Late Assignments: The Memoir Folder will open on Thursday, May 19 and close at the end of the day on Sunday, May 22. For information on the Revision Note that must be included with revisions and other details see this post: Instructions for Memoir Revisions (and Late Assignments)

As always, I’m available on email for questions: jsears@citytech.cuny.edu or during my office hours on ZOOM. Office hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays on ZOOM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82754062261 .

Write on and good luck during finals week,
Prof. Sears

Writers,

Today we have the first Discussion Board in fiction. This may seem challenging because fiction writing is new, but we all have to start somewhere. For this round, you have two options:

Option 1: Write two paragraphs of the story you started in class last Tuesday (a family story that gets told and retold) or Thursday (today) using  one of the provided plot-driven prompts.

OR

Option 2: Write a story outline, showing the beginning, middle and end of a story you might write.

• • • For the beginning, you might list characters, setting details and what the main character wants. (You might think of this as the dramatic question being asked.)
    • For the middle, you might identify the main conflict that might prevent the main character from getting the desired goal.
    • For the end, identify which characters remain and are the focal point and the setting again.

The discussion board can be found on the profile page of this course or directly using this link: Discussion Board: Story Starters

Other Class Notes

1. For those planning to do a poetry revision, instructions posted earlier are here: Poetry Assignment: Instructions for Revisions
2. In our next class, we will continue thinking about fiction writing techniques and also discuss the short story: Your Only Job is to Ignore that Phone. Please note, this story will be on the Fiction Reading Quiz.
3. Remember to mark the date for City Tech’s Literary Arts Festival next Thursday with Layli Long Soldier, next Thursday, March 24 at 4:30 pm