Below is a schedule of the first three weeks of class. It has a part of the content we will cover this semester. Please note the following details:

  • This class is entirely online and asynchronous, which means there is no specific time in the week that we will meet. I’ve noted when there are days we would have off if we were in a physical classroom for holidays or the schedule has been altered by the college. Due dates have been adjusted to reflect those days off.  
  • There are deadlines throughout each week, marked in bold. Most of the deadlines are on Mondays and Wednesdays, with a few exceptions. Some assignment deadlines are small (posts on the Discussion Board), some are large (major writing assignments). All of them count toward your final grade!
  • This schedule is a living document, which means it may change. I will let you know as soon as possible if I make any alterations to assignments or due dates. Be sure to check your email and/or OpenLab on a daily basis.

Week 1: Wednesday, 8/26 – Friday, 8/28

Introduction: Course Overview & Getting to Know Each Other

By end-of-day Friday, 8/28, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

READ:

  • Go to OpenLab class site: if you encounter problems, please email me at creative.writing.citytech@gmail.com.
  • Take a tour of OpenLab. Be sure to read the introduction to course, look over the syllabus, and open and review all course tabs/sections.
  • Find my “Meet My Feet” story under Student Work: Discussions.

WRITE:  

  • Comment on my “Meet My Feet.” What did you enjoy about my story? What questions do you have?
  • Write your own “Meet My _____.” (You can use your shoes or another object that you feel shares something about you.) Post it under Student Work: Assignment Posts on OpenLab. Do not make it private; your classmates will need to read it next week. (A visual guide on how to make a post is here.)

Week 2: Monday, 8/31- Friday, 9/4

Unit 1: Memoir 

By end-of-day Monday, 8/31, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

READ:

  • All of your classmates’ “Meet My ______.”
  • Chapter One from Ann Patchett’s Truth & Beauty.

WRITE: 

  • Critique Patchett’s work in a paragraph. What did you enjoy about her work? What questions do you have? Post under Student Work: Discussions. (Follow the guide from Week 1 but add it under Discussions, not Student Assignments.)
  • Respond to six of your classmates’ “Meet My Feet.” Include at least one positive comment (great story, description was really nice, etc.) and one question (What happened next? Who was X?)

By end-of-day Wednesday, 9/2, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

WRITE:

  • Journal Assignment 1: Using Patchett’s work as an example, write about a friendship that has been significant to you. (Who is it? How did you meet? Why are they important to you?) Post under Student Work: Assignment Posts. Be sure to write the following in the title: Full Name, Journal 1.

WORKSHOP:

  • Based on comments and self-review, send your revised “Meet My _____” to your assigned Cohort.

By end-of-day Friday, 9/4, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

WORKSHOP:

  • Respond to each of your Cohort members and email the responses.

Week 3: Monday, 9/7 – Friday, 9/11 (Monday: Labor Day–no classes) 

By end-of-day Wednesday, 9/9, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

READ:

WRITE:

  • A formal critique of Anonymous’ work. Post it under Student Work: Discussions.
  • Revise “Meet My _____” for evaluation (email it to me by Sunday, 9/13).

Week 4: Monday, 9/14 – Friday, 9/18 (Friday–no classes)

By end-of-day Monday, 9/14, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

READ:

  • Your classmates’ critiques of Patchett and Anonymous’ work.
  • My discussion on plot in memoir (and other genres).

WRITE:

  • Comment on my discussion: What questions do you have about plot in memoir or other genres?
  • Comment on at least four of your classmates’ critiques. With what do you agree or disagree? Be specific! (“I agree with X’s thoughts on X” is not specific. “I agree with )
  • Journal Assignment 2: Write about a time you’ve felt you were anonymous (either by choice or not)

By end-of-day Wednesday, 9/16, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

WORKSHOP:

  • A NEW memoir piece (you can use your journals entries or anything that would be considered a memoir) and email it to your Cohort.

By end-of-day Friday, 9/18, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

WORKSHOP:

  • Respond to each of your Cohort members and email the responses.

Week 5: Monday, 9/21 – Friday, 9/25  

By end-of-day Monday, 9/21, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

READ: 

WRITE: 

  • A formal critique of Gurba’s work. Post it under Student Work: Discussions.

By end-of-day Wednesday, 9/23, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

READ:

  • My discussion on Characterization in memoir (or any genre).
  • Your classmates’ critiques of Gurba’s work.

WRITE:

  • Comment on my discussion: What questions do you have about creating characters in either memoir or other genres?
  • Comment on at least four of your classmates’ critiques of Gurba’s work. With what do you agree or disagree? Be specific! (“I agree with X’s thoughts on X” is not specific. “I agree with X because of X” is specific.)

Week 6: Monday, 9/28 – Friday, 10/2 (No classes Monday; Tuesday is a Monday schedule)

By end-of-day Tuesday, 9/29, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

WRITE:

  • Revise your memoir and email it to me for evaluation.
  • Journal Assignment 3: Reflect on your experience with memoir writing—good, bad, so-so, and why

By end-of-day Wednesday, 9/30, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

READ:

WRITE:

  • A formal critique of Jones’ work. Post it under Student Work: Discussions.
  • Journal Assignment 4: Visit a park, coffee shop, or another public place that is buzzing with activity (being sure to socially distance yourself and wearing a mask, of course). Take note of what you hear the people around you say. Share what you noticed/heard.

Week 7: Monday, 10/5 – Friday, 10/9

By end-of-day Monday, 10/5, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

READ: 

  • My discussion on short fiction, real life in fiction, and POV.

WRITE:

  • Begin to write short story based on a real event, but NOT first person.
  • Comment on my discussion: What questions do you have about short fiction or POV?
  • Comment on at least four of your classmates’ critiques of Jones’ work. With what do you agree or disagree? Be specific! (“I agree with X’s thoughts on X” is not specific. “I agree with X because of X” is specific.)

By end-of-day Wednesday, 10/7, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

READ: 

WRITE: 

  • A formal critique of Le Guin’s work. Post it under Student Work: Discussions.
  • Continue writing a short story based on a real event, but NOT first person.

Week 8: Monday, 10/12 – Friday, 10/16 (No classes Monday; Wednesday is a Monday schedule)

By end-of-day Friday, 10/16, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

READ:

  • My discussion of POV.
  • Your classmates’ critiques of Le Guin’s work.

WRITE: 

  • Finish writing a short story based on a real event, but NOT first person. Email it to your Cohort.
  • Comment on at least four of your classmates’ critiques of Le Guin’s work. With what do you agree or disagree? Be specific! (“I agree with X’s thoughts on X” is not specific. “I agree with X because of X” is specific.)

Week 9: Monday, 10/19 – Friday, 10/23 

By end-of-day Monday, 10/19, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

WORKSHOP:

  • Respond to each of your Cohort members and email the responses.

WRITE:

  • Journal Assignment 5: Write about a moment from your past that changed you.

By end-of-day Wednesday, 10/21, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

READ:

  • Chapter One from Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer

WRITE:

  • A formal critique of Coates’ work. Post it under Student Work: Discussions.
  • Begin writing a NEW story in any POV you like, but focus on the setting and/or context.

Week 10: Monday, 10/26 – Friday, 10/30 

By end-of-day Monday, 10/26, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

WRITING:

  • Revise short story and email it to me for evaluation.
  • Continue writing a NEW story in any POV you like, but focus on the setting and/or context.

By end-of-day Wednesday, 10/28, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

WORKSHOP:

  • Email your new short story to your Cohort.

Week 11: Monday, 11/2 – Friday, 11/6

By end-of-day Monday, 11/2, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

RESEARCH:

  • Four poems that you’ve enjoyed in the past.

WORKSHOP:

  • Respond to each of your Cohort members and email the responses.

By end-of-day Wednesday, 11/4, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):


READ:

  • My discussion on voice & style in poetry (and other genres).
  • Read/Watch Staceyann Chin’s “Tsunami Rising”

WRITE:

  • Comment on my discussion: What questions do you have?
  • Share briefly about what you felt about Chin’s poem. Did you like/dislike it? Why? Did you prefer just reading the poem or watching the poem? Again, why? Post this under Student Work: Discussions.
  • Journal Assignment 6: Reflect on your experience with short story writing—good, bad, so-so, and why
  • Begin writing poems.

Week 12: Monday, 11/9 – Friday, 11/13

By end-of-day Monday, 11/9, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

WRITE:

  • Comment on at least four of your classmates’ feelings about Chin’s poetry.
  • Post links to (or type in) the poems you’ve found and briefly state why you enjoy these poems. Post this under Student Work: Discussions.

By end-of-day Wednesday, 11/11, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

WORKSHOP:

  • Continue writing four poems in two or three forms we’ve discussed.

Week 13: Monday, 11/16 – Friday, 11/20

By end-of-day Monday, 11/16, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

WORKSHOP:

  • Post your second short story under Student Work: Short Stories.
  • Email your poems to your Cohort.

By end-of-day Wednesday, 11/18, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

WORKSHOP:

  • Respond to each of your Cohort members and email the responses.

Week 14: Monday, 11/23 – Friday, 11/27 (Wednesday follows a Friday schedule; College closed Nov 26-29 (Thursday-Saturday) for Thanksgiving)

By end-of-day Tuesday, 11/24, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

READ:

  • My discussion on dialogue in drama (and other genres).
  • Assigned scenes from Suzan-Lori Parks’ play, Topdog/Underdog.

WRITE:

  • Comment on my discussion: What questions do you have about dialogue?
  • Revise your poems and email them to me.
  • Journal Assignment 7: Reflect on your experience with poetry writing—good, bad, so-so, and why.

Week 15: Monday, 11/30 – Friday, 12/4

By end-of-day Monday, 11/30, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

READ:

  • My discussion of the Final Portfolio.

WRITE:

  • Comment on my discussion: What do you need to know more about?
  • Find at least three text threads and begin rewriting them as dialogue.
  • Journal Assignment 8: Take/create the dialogue from Journal Assignment 4 and revise it to tell a story (perhaps fashion it after Topdog/Underdog!).

By end-of-day Wednesday, 12/2, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

READ:

  • My response to your questions.

WORKSHOP:

  • Email your text threads to your Cohort.

WRITE:

  • Begin working on your Final Reflection.

Week 16: Monday, 12/7 – Wednesday, 12/9 (Thursday December 10 and Friday December 11 are Reading Days, no classes meet)

By end-of-day Monday, 12/7, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

WORKSHOP:

  • Respond to each of your Cohort members and email the responses.

WRITE:

  • Journal Assignment 9: Reflect on your experience with dialogue writing—good, bad, so-so, and why.
  • Continue writing your Final Reflection.

GATHER:

  • Choose one memoir, one short story, one poem, and one dialogue to be in the Final Portfolio. Begin to revise/rewrite each piece based on my comments and those of your peers.

By end-of-day Wednesday, 12/9, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

WRITE:

  • Revise your texts and email them to me.
  • Continue writing your Final Reflection and the pieces you’ve gathered for the Final Portfolio. Email them to your Cohort.

By end-of-day Friday, 12/11, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

WORKSHOP:

  • Respond to each of your Cohort members and email the responses.

Week 17 (Finals Week): Monday, 12/14 – Friday, 12/18

By end-of-day Monday, 12/14, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

WRITE:

  • Journal 10: If you could write a letter to a future student of this class, what would you tell them?

By end-of-day Wednesday, 12/16, the following activities are DUE (end-of-day means 11:59 PM):

FINAL REFLECTION & PORTFOLIOS DUE!

Print this page