WRITER’S
CRAFT COURSE
OUTLINE
This course is for writers and readers. It
is expected that you have a love of both, especially of reading, for good
writers must be readers first. You will not be improving your essay
writing skills. The Grade 12 Academic English course (which is a
prerequisite for Writer’s Craft) focuses on academic writing. This
course, while still emphasizing style, grammar and technique, will focus
on creative writing.
You
will be writing every day in this course. You will also be expected to
share your work with the class. This takes a certain amount of risk and
courage. Please note that there are
a number of major evaluations in this course.
In
this course you will both investigate
and practise the Writer’s
Craft. This will involve the analysis of examples of effective writing,
and then modeling your own writing after these examples. You will:
identify and utilize the techniques of style and genre necessary for
specialized forms of writing; engage in a workshop approach to produce a
wide range of works covering different genres; and identify, through self
and peer editing and feedback, effective ways to improve the quality of
your writing.
There
will be many opportunities to research and reflect on the approaches and
wisdom of other writers, as well as to investigate opportunities for
publication and writing careers. You will also be producing, as the
culminating activity in the course, a zine
that includes your writing as well as the work of other student writers in
the class.
Investigating
the Writer’s Craft:
This includes analysis of structure, diction, voice and style in various
genres. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding both through
your own writing and in assessing the effectiveness of the written work of
others.
Practising
the Writer’s Craft: This
includes producing a wide range of writing for specific purposes and
audiences, with an emphasis on fresh and imaginative, well-developed
content, and the application of techniques of style, diction, voice, point
of view, etc.
EVALUATION:
Investigating
the Writer’s Craft
(includes
Mid Term Exam)
35%
Practising
the Writer’s Craft
35%
Zine
30%
Total: 100%
COURSE
TEXT
Elements
of Style (Strunk and White)
COURSE
ELEMENTS
1.
Good and Bad
Beginnings
2.
Postcard Story
3.
Memoir/
Creative Non-Fiction
4.
Stylistic
Analysis
5.
Writers on
Writing (Book Analysis, Written Review and Oral Presentation)
6.
Writing Prompts
(daily Portfolio additions with weekly checks)
7.
Editing
Obsessions
8.
Query and Cover
letters
9.
Making It
Happen (getting published)
10.
Debates –
Writing Issues and Ethics (includes research and formal debates)
11.
The Personal
Essay (journalism)
12.
Creative
Leitmotifs – poetry, short story, script, speeches, etc.
13.
Zine creation
MAJOR
DUE DATES:(Will be
posted shortly)
|
MAIN COMPASS | ||||||||||
|
