“The truth about stories, is that that’s all we are” ~ Thomas King.
In this asynchronous creative writing course, we will consider the difference between short fiction (the short story) and creative nonfiction, asking how culture, language, environments, our bodies, and perceptions influence our writing. We will navigate the boundaries between short fiction and creative nonfiction genres, considering the craft of writing. Writing is an act of resistance, healing, and resilience — and I canʻt wait to hear/read your voices! I want you to tell your stories.
We will discuss craft—characterization, setting, dialogue, description and detail, and theme—of the short story and creative nonfiction. We will navigate craft through the act of writing, discussions, journals, and workshops. In this class, we are a writing community.
This class will be dynamic and engaging. We will write for the love of writing. One thing I ask all students to keep in mind is that studying craft should be engaging and help give you the tools you need to write the stories that call to you. This class is all about the love of writing!
This is a zero textbook cost class. I will PDF (while maintaining copyright laws and ethics).
Grade Determination:
- 15% Participation in weekly class discussions (via Lamakū Discussions). My lessons are via PowerPoint and short videos, and they will guide our discussions and writings.
- 15% Journal (graded at the end of the semester; six total). Journals are free writes that help students practice craft.
- 15% weekly drafts of fiction (three) and creative nonfiction (three), which will help each of you develop a writing practice.
- 15% Extended and polished versions of drafts are due for writing workshops (conducted via Google Docs). Most writers find their voice and ways into their stories through the revision process. We will discuss this as a class!
- 20% Portfolio (extended, workshopped, and revised work is due for the portfolio at the end of the semester). By the end of the semester, you will have a portfolio of your beautiful writing — all artist/writers should have a portfolio that shows who they are as a creative.
- 10% Writer’s Response/Reflection Essay. This is a short creative essay in which you reflect on who you are as a writer.
- 10% Reading/presentation of work via video recording (due at end semester).
Example of Coursed Readings:
– Alani Apio “Ka Hoʻi ʻAna” PDF on Laulima
– Ted Chiang “The Great Silence”
-Alejandro Puyana “The Hands of Dirty Children
-Audre Lorde’s “Poetry is Not a Luxury
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-Alicia Elliott’s “Unearth”
-Morales, Rodney “Daybreak at Haleakala”
-“Kissing” Anthony Farrington
-“The Pain Scale” Eula Biss
-Selected stories from World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments
and more exciting works by phenomenal writers!
Please contact rwright7@hawaii.edu if you have any questions.