ENGL-280-01 – Intro to Creative Writing

Instructor: Prof. Z. El-Amine

Meeting Times: TTh 11AM – 12:15PM

Location: Car Barn 306

Section Description:

This course will introduce the writer to fundamental elements of the craft of poetry, prose, essay, and creative non-fiction. This is an intensive creative writing course with four main components:

1) Reading and in-class discussions of selected pieces from that would give the student a survey of the genres mentioned above. The focus will be on readings that break out of the Eurocentric canon. However, they will include provocative works from contemporary western writers.
2) Writing: Multiple writing exercises will serve as prompts for students to write poems, short stories, essays, novels, and even movie scripts. Assigned work will focus on the revision process so the student must be prepared to take in constructive critiques from fellow students and professors and revise the work according to what is judged to be helpful to the writer’s goal.
3) Workshop: Students will share their original work; they will offer feedback to their peers and receive constructive criticism from fellow students and instructors. Significant time will be put into training students on proper workshop conduct, understanding that these groupings are arbitrary and are often guided by personal taste rather than listening to what the writer is trying to achieve.
4) Final Portfolio: Students will compile the entirety of their work (original drafts and revisions of all poems, short stories, and essays) and create a portfolio that will be returned to them so that they can build on it in the future.