Course Outline

Wednesdays 1:30–3:30 pm (Winter 2005)
Seminar 2
University of King's College A&A Building

This is a writing/reading course, with the emphasis on writing. The primary goal is to practise some of the techniques and approaches you read about and discussed in Journalism 3440 (Introduction to Narrative). At the same time, you will continue to read — and report on — book-length works of narrative nonfiction as well as books on the craft of writing and a variety of readings from the Narrative Nonfiction Portfolio.

Specifically, you'll be writing — including querying, outlining, writing two drafts, workshopping and revising — one major narrative nonfiction essays (4,000 words), plus reading and reporting on two assigned books about the writing craft and three books of narrative nonfiction.

Class Schedule/Assignments due

Date Class Assignment due
Jan 9

Intro/Finding story ideas

  
Jan 16

Workshopping your ideas/Thinking story

  • Like a Novel by Tom Wolfe
  • The Line Between Fact and Fiction by Roy Peter Clark
  Ideas due for class discussion
Jan 23

Interviewing/research
Query letters

  • Queries by Fredericton Writers
  • Writers' Guidelines (Walrus, Saltscapes)
  
Jan 30

Organizing your writing

  • Organizing Narrative by Tom French/David Hayes
  • Structure by Jon Franklin
Book Report #1
Query letter due
Feb 6

Readings #1

  • Tyson the Timid, Tyson the Terrible by Gary Smith — Nick Bergeon
  • The American Man at Age 10 By Susan Orlean — Mary Burnet
  • The Life of a Hunted Man by Touré — Angelina Chapin
  • Shadow of a Nation by Gary Smith — Ricky Cormier
 Outline due
Feb 13

Readings #2

  • Long Fall of 1-1-1 Heavy by Michael Paterniti — Becky Fiander
  • Flight 111 (excerpts) by Stephen Kimber
  • The Perfect Fire by Sean Flynn — Arlene Lahey

Workshop outlines

 Book Report #2
Feb 20

Readings #3

  • Angels and Demons by Tom French — Okanta Leonard
  • Death of a Playmate by Teresa Carpenter — Robyn MacNeil
  • A Father's Pain by Barry Siegel — Michael Warren
  • "Prisca Mholo" by Stephanie Nolen from 28 — Shannon Webb-Campbell
    (HANDOUT)
  
Mar 5

Readings #4

  • Three Little Words (first 10 chapters only)— http://www2.sptimes.com/3Words/Default.html
    by Roy Peter Clark — Nick Bergeron
  • Keegstra's Children by Robert Mason Lee — Mary Burnet
  • Salvation's Army by Ian Brown —  Angelina Chapin
  • Mount Hood's Deadly Deceit — Ricky Cormier
 Book Report #3
Mar 12

Readings #5

  • Baghdad Without A Map by Tony Horwitz (excerpt) — Becky Fiander
  • Everyone is Talking about the Fog by J. B. MacKinnon — Arlene Laheay
  • In the Jungle by Rian Milan — Okanta Leonard
  • Dr. Daedelus by Lauren Slater — Robyn McNeil
  • Tales from the Fog City Diner by John Demont — Michael Warren
  • Some Dreamers of the Golden Dream by Joan Didion — Shannon Webb-Campbell
 First draft due
Mar 19 Workshop first drafts Book Report #4
Mar 26 Workshop first drafts

 
April 2 The Writing Life
Course evaluation/discussion		 Final draft due
Book Report #5
Apr 9 No class  

Marks

Major narrative project 50 per cent
5 Book Reports  40 per cent
Reading discussion 10 per cent

                                  

Readings

Assignments

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 Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities should register as quickly as possible at Student Accessibility Services if they want to receive academic accommodations. To do so please phone 494-2836, e-mail disabilities@dal.ca, or drop in at the Killam Libarary, G28.

Intellectual Honesty

Plagiarism is a form of academic fraud. Plagiarism is the presentation of the work of another author in such a way as to give one's reader reason to think it to be one's own.
Self-plagiarism is the submission of work by a person which is the same or substantially the same as work for which he or she has already received academic or professional credit.
Plagiarism is considered a serious academic offence, which may lead to loss of credit, suspension or expulsion from the University, or even the revocation of a degree. For more see King's calendar p. 40-41 and Dalhousie's calendar p. 25.