Tom Hazuka
English 372: Fiction Writing

 
 
 
Professor Tom Hazuka
317 Willard Hall
832-2762
hazuka@ccsu.edu

 

Required Texts:

On Writing Short Stories, Tom Bailey, editor
Handbook of Short Story Writing, Jean Fredette, editor
Flash Fiction, Thomas and Hazuka, editors


Course Requirements:

  • Regular attendance and participation in workshops
  • Completion of assigned exercises
  • Reading Journal
  • Writer’s Notebook
  • Frequent written criticism of other students' work
  • 30 pages of new and/or significantly revised fiction

    •  
    In English 372 we will develop not only fiction writing ability, but also critical reading skills.  A writer is unlikely to produce quality fiction without knowing what makes a story work, and that means being a good reader.  Consequently, we will focus not only on getting stories down on paper--although of course that is crucial--but also on analyzing and criticizing other work, from both professional writers and from other members of the class.

    Thus for every story we read, professional and student alike, I expect you to mark up the pages.  Interact with the text: underline, ask questions, disagree, and most of all, examine yourself vis-à-vis the text.  Why are you excited, bored, angry, impressed, depressed, laughing, etc.?  How is the story achieving the author's desired effect, or conversely why is it failing to do so?

    To ensure worthwhile class discussion, and to get you writing and thinking, keep a Reading Journal and write a paragraph concerning each story we read (two sentences for Flash Fiction stories).  Feel free to write much more.  This also relieves anxiety--if you're called on to begin the discussion, it's a simple matter of referring to your journal to get us started.  I expect analytical writing here, not simply plot summary.

    Keep a Writer’s Notebook as well.  Keep your eyes, ears and mind open, and every day record at least one entry--a line of dialogue, an observation, a bit of description, etc.--that might eventually find its way into a story you write.
     
     

    Twice during the semester, each student will photocopy a selection of his or her fiction and distribute it to the class for workshop.  As a matter of common courtesy--and a very important part of your grade--we will all read it carefully at least twice, make extensive written comments on the manuscript and in a paragraph or more at the end (and sign our names to the critique), and come to class prepared to discuss the story with an eye toward helping the writer improve the piece. This process is the heart of the class.  For every story submitted to the workshop I will assign a discussion leader, who will be responsible for ensuring that the session be a productive one.

    Given this structure, attendance and class participation are crucial.  It’s simple: blow off class and/or consistently arrive late and your grade heads downhill fast.

    Grading
    Fiction Portfolio 80%
    Participation 10%
    Journals  10%

    Assignments

    Part of your thirty pages must be three versions of the "same" story, one of 250 words, one of 750 words, and one of 1,000 words or more.

    Starting 2/12, every other Tuesday three typed pages of new fiction are due.  Those days are indicated by three asterisks (***).  If you miss a date, wait until the next time; these assignments will not be accepted late.
     

    1/22  Introduction
    1/24  On Writing Short Stories 3-12; Handbook of Short Story Writing 1-4, 17-22

    1/29  OWSS 13-20;  HSSW 5-16;  "The String"
    1/31  OWSS 28-47;  Flash Fiction 17-30

    2/5  OWSS 47-56;  HSSW 23-40;  "Hills Like White Elephants"
    2/7  Workshop (I provide the story);  Flash 31-46;  HSSW 195-199

    2/12*** Small group flash fiction workshops;  OWSS 57-68
    2/14  Workshop (I provide the story);  HSSW 41-57

    2/19  Small group flash fiction workshops;  "The Lady with the Pet Dog"
    2/21  Workshop;  Flash 53-74;  OWSS 68-72

    2/26*** HSSW 58-69;  OWSS 73-79;  "I Stand Here Ironing"
    2/28  Workshop;  OWSS  80-89;  "A Rose for Emily"

    3/5  Workshop; Flash  84-101;  HSSW 70-85
    3/7  No class;  "The Chrysanthemums"

    3/12*** Class visit from Katharine Coles;  HSSW 86-94;  "Everything That Rises     Must Converge"
    3/14  Workshop;  HSSW 95-109;  OWSS 90-96

    3/19  Workshop;  Flash  126-141
    3/21  Workshop;  HSSW 110-121; "The Shawl"

    3/26  Spring Break
    3/28  Spring Break

    4/2*** HSSW 122-136;  OWSS 97-111;  "A & P"
    4/4  Bring in a favorite piece of literary fiction to read to the class

    4/9  Workshop;  HSSW 137-142;  "Sonny's Blues"
    4/11  Workshop;  HSSW 143-147;  "Cathedral"

    4/16*** Publishing Seminar;  OWSS 112-123;  HSSW 219-225;  "Saint Marie"
    4/18  Workshop;  HSSW148-158;  "The Things They Carried"

    4/23  Workshop;  HSSW 159-167;  "Heat"
    4/25  Bad fiction cornucopia;  HSSW 168-174;  "The Darkness of Love"

    4/30*** Workshop;  HSSW175-183;  "A Father's Story"
    5/2  Workshop;  HSSW 200-209;  "Lust"

    5/7  Workshop;  HSSW 184-194, 226-228;  "Bullet in the Brain"