English 221:  Intro to Creative Writing
Agenda:  January 22

• Wallace Stegner:    “Talent is more common than we think, it is all over the place, and almost everyone has some degree of it—something worth developing.  For everyone, the urge to write is legitimate.”
• Syllabus & Questions

In Class Writing

1. Write your name.    Make up and write an alias.
2. Using only seven words, write a compound sentence, joined by a semi-colon, about your relationship to coffee.
3. Which of the following sentences are grammatically correct?
   • She takes her book and lies on the bed.
   • She takes her book and lays on the bed.
   • She takes her book and lays it on the bed.
   • Yesterday, he took his book and laid down on the bed.
   • Yesterday, he took his book and lay down on the bed. 
   • Yesterday, he took his book and lay it down on the bed.
   • Many times, they have taken their books and have lain down on the bed. 
   • Many times, they have taken their books and have laid down on the bed. 

For Next Time:  2/24

WRITE:   A Writing Process Self-Audit:  A self-audit helps you to discover who you once were as a writer, and who you are now.  By probing the past, writers begin to understand how their interest in writing developed and what persons and events encouraged them.  Start your audit by freewriting notes/answers to the following questions:

1. What is your first memory of writing?  How old were you?  What did you write?  How did you like it?  To whom did you show it? How did he/she/they respond?  How clear is this memory?
2. Tell something of your history of writing;  do you remember particular moments, pieces of writing, periods when writing was important, less important, and so on?
3. In particular, what teacher helped you most with your writing?  How?  
4. Who reads your writing now?  Do you like to share your work?
5. Stand back from yourself and describe yourself as a character who reads.  What does this character choose to read, when, where, how, and so on?
6. What do you think makes writing good?  What does one need to be a good, successful writer?  Make reference, in this answer, to a few of your favorite authors.  What do you like about them?

Shape these notes into an essay of 2-3 pages, typed, double-spaced.  Edit conscientiously, paying attention to grammar, word choice, clarity and economy.  Note that each prompt lends itself to a answers of roughly a paragraph or two each. 

READ:  Meredith Hall's "Shunned"    Be prepared to talk about how the world has changed since Meredith Hall was sixteen and about how some things have remained entirely the same.  I will begin class with a reading quiz about this essay.