Daily Assignments for Spring 2013

Tuesday/ Thursday Schedule of Work for Professions in Writing Arts, Spring 2013

Assignments & Readings are DUE on the date they are listed.
Several articles are linked via Ebsco and require library log-in to access.
This is merely an outline and is subject to change as the course progresses.

**REMEMBER: You are supposed to be blogging twice weekly in response to the readings. Blog posts are due BEFORE we meet for class.


Last class: Tues. 2/26: Greetings, class. Tonight is our last Professions in Writing Arts class. My plan for tonight was to have you all post a blog entry about how your thoughts and feelings have changed about professions in writing arts over the last five weeks given our readings, speakers, and class discussions. Then I was going to have to all choose one gem from your blog to share with the class. As a reward for all of your hard work last class, and given that most of you have all of the requirements for the course on your web pages already, I was then going to wish you all good luck, make offers of recommendation for anyone who needed letters, and send you on your way early.
Now you all know that I've been dealing with some sickness issues this semester, and today has been a doozie. Any big front that moves in gives me an instant migraine.

Since we were only going to have a half-class today AND since a flood warning has been issued through tomorrow with the coming rain, I vote that we have a hybrid class tonight. What does this mean? Technically, class is canceled. You don't have to sit in James Hall. Plus:

  1. We can work from home; sick students and professors welcome.
  2. You can all post your blog entries (stated above-- what have you learned? have your goals changed in the last 5 weeks?)
  3. We can respond to one another's blogs from home (and stay out of the rain). 

Let me know if you have any questions, and please pass it along. Rowan email is down!


  • FINAL, revised/perfected drafts of ALL of these items need to be posted to your webpage to be graded no later than Monday, April 1 accompanied by your reflective statement for the course.


___________________________________________________________________________________

Week 1:  "I'm a Writing Arts major, now what?"
  • Tues. 1/22: Introductions; your goals & ambitions. Why are you here; what do you want to gain? Thinking about the future-- next 5 weeks and beyond. Writing Ever After. Weebly set-up?

    ***Email me the url to your PUBLISHED weebly site (what comes up in blue after you click PUBLISH) & your photo to link to your course blog.


Week 2: "Stories from the trenches" & "All about Publishing"

  • Thurs. 1/31: Guest speaker: Prof. Sabatino Mangini: He has experience as not only a graduate student out of our very own MA program, but also as a columnist, copy writer, freelance writer, book editor, magazine editor, sports journalist, business writer, & food writer. He's also written a book and worked with publishers.
  • Please come to class with specific questions for him. For homework (due before class): blog a few specific questions for Sabatino. 

Readings:


Tues. 2/5: 
Readings:


In Class: Set up social networks & link to classmates. Let's start with everyone creating a Twitter account (even if only for the purposes of sharing your social networks). Once you have joined some of the networks below, you may tweet to the class #PWA with details.

 Possibilities:
  • Twitter-- a writerly identity separate from your personal identity
  • LinkedIn
  • Academia.edu
  • Writer's Network
  • Writer's Bloq:  they are after the following three things:
    1. Editing and serious feedback on their work.
    2. Marketing.
    3. Validation.
  • Suite101-- place for online journalists, freelancers and experts on various topics. Writers can get paid for posting original content, and the site offers a vast peer network.
  • Book-in-a-week
  • Writer's Cafe
  • DeviantArt: "Their Literature section is host to user-written prose, poetry, scripts, and more. And just like other social sites, you can connect to others and share your work between friends and fans."
  • Writertopia
  • Scribd: "the best place on the web to share your work with others, and it’s incredibly simple to use, allowing you to upload PDFs, Word docs, or even PowerPoint presentations into online documents that anyone can read. Once you’ve connected with friends there, you can share your work with them, or discover great works by others and share that with your readers, too."

Week 3: "Branding yourself & Social networking" & "Résumés & Personal Statements~ 
Getting a J-O-B"

Thurs. 2/7: Keith DuBarry should be stopping by tonight to chat about HubPages, social networking as a writer, and more...

Thurs. 2/14: 
Rescheduled for Love. <3 (or anti-love protests). Happy Valentine's Day. Continue working on your résumé, writing sample, personal statement and/or query letters. Nearly completed drafts of all portfolio items will be due 2/26.

Week 5:
Tues. 2/19:  
  • Complete the following blog post before class: Blog post (to be completed out of class): Respond to the "hard questions" on the second page (#3) of the personal statements essay you read for last week. All of these are good to answer whether you are applying to graduate school or trying to write a compelling cover letter for that first job.
  • Keith DuBarry is stopping by to chat with the class about his writing-- Hub Pages, & more.
  • Creative writing jobs reading response.
  • Discussion questions-- if we do not have time to get to these today, choose your favorites and respond to them for homework (around 300 words).

Readings: 
OLDER ASSIGNMENTS ARE AT THE BOTTOM
*Sites that Sabatino shared: Literary Agents & Query that got me 18 full requests and 5 offers of rep

Thurs. 2/21:  
In class, we will discuss the final portfolio/page as well as your reflective statements. For the final grade, I will be looking to see that your webpage contains: a current CV/résumé, links to at least three writing social networks you have joined, and a cover letter for an internship or other writing job (can be 'generic' or specific). You also must have EITHER a personal statement for graduate school OR a query letter for a piece you would like to publish.

Workshop day. Use your classmates for examples too. We can all learn from one another!

Browse samples for inspiration:

Cover letter

CV/résumé

Personal Statement

Query Letter

Daily Assignments for Fall 2012:

10/2: *Due today: Link your new social networking sites to your webpage (minimum: LinkedIn and Twitter). Also consider Scribd, academia.edu, Facebook. 
In class: Final branding. Discuss additional opportunities, jobs, fellowships, and more! Discuss reflective narrative. 

10/4: * Due today: Reflective letter/narrative outlining your journey through the last 5 weeks. What did you learn about careers in writing? Graduate school options? Have your goals changed, and how so? What are your goals from here? (print copy to share in class AND post on your webpage) 
Let's end on a positive note. Read the most recent AWP Report on the Academic Job Market for Writers. 

In class: Reflect and share. Love all around. Remember to keep writing!


Older Assignment:
9/4: Introductions, your goals for the course vs. my goals for the course. Sign-up for discussion leading days.

9/6: Reading:   Stephen King, "Everything You Need to Know About Writing Successfully--in Ten Minutes" and "Super Sad True Habits of Highly Effective Writers"  
First readings discussed; discussion lead by Alex and Keith

9/11: Readings: "M.A. and M.F.A.: The Final Word,"  "How to Write a Great Statement of Purpose" and " Writing A Convincing Personal Statement For Grad School" (Read all 5 parts)
Discussion lead by Heather and Christine
In class, I will discuss some aspects of the M.A. vs. the M.F.A. and also will discuss the Rowan M.A.


9/13: Readings:  "Author Day Jobs: 7 Authors Who Worked On The Side," "Ranking the Writing Programs Best for You," and "Glossary of Writing Careers"
Discussion lead by Justine and Sarah

9/18: Readings: "HOW TO WRITE A RESUME FOR INTERNSHIPS, CO-OP POSITIONS, SUMMER, OR PART-TIME JOBS, and "Yale Undergraduate Career Services: Résumés"  
Discussion lead by Jae


9/20: Readings: "Roxane Gay’s Guide to Being a Contemporary Writer,"  "25 Things I want to say to so-called aspiring writers" and "Maintaining Your Writing Career" 
In-class: Create goals accomplished/goals in progress/goals for the future, figuring yourself out to sell yourself (not as bad as it sounds), and figuring out your network/recommendations.
Discussion lead by Caroline

9/25: Readings:  Mitch Hedberg (video & article): "Write down anything funny that comes into your head. Don’t be lazy." 
Discussion lead by our guest speaker, Prof. Sabatino Mangini. Please come to class with specific questions for him. He has experience as not only a graduate student out of our very own MA program, but also as a columnist, copy writer, freelance writer, book editor, magazine editor, sports journalist, business writer, & food writer. He's also written a book and worked with publishers.

9/27: *Due today: Drafts of Résumé & Goals Statement/Statement of Purpose (print copy for peer review and post a copy on your blog). 
Readings: "Social Networking for Writers: HOW TO NETWORK LIKE A PRO -- AND WHY EVERY WRITER SHOULD" (sightly dated now), "The Author & the iPhone App," "Social Networking for Writers," and "Best Social Networking Sites and Message Boards for Writers"
Discussion lead by Jamie