Final Exam

Format: in-class or email; open-book, open-notebook.

• If you take the exam in class, bring paper, pen, handouts, and notebooks. Start at 7pm; finish writing by 9:50pm. In-class exams are read separately from email exams to avoid time-biases, etc.
   

• If you take the exam by email, you may take it at any time after our 17 April meeting. Simply sit at your terminal with your assignment, books, and notes, and write the exam before or during the final exam period. You may spend up to four hours on the exam. Keep a log indicating when you stop and start. Email your answers to the instructor by midnight on Sunday, 27 April.
   

• Since you have the exam question ahead of time, you may research, draft, outline, and otherwise practice your answer ahead of time as much as you find helpful. But write your final draft in the four-hour span (though you may divide up the four hours as convenient).

Give Titles to both your essays (for posting purposes).

Required references to Three Genres: Across the exam, make at least three references to the assigned readings in Three Genres.

Previous exam stipulation: Somewhere in your exam you must make at least one reference to final exams on similar topics from previous semesters.

2006 final exams

2005 final exams

Final Exam Assignment: Write two essays of one to one-and-a-half hours

• Essay topic 1: Options include discussion of one or more course objectives in relation to our course readings, workshop, and instruction.
   

• Essay topic 2: Overall description of your learning experience in LITR 3731 Creative Writing

Essay topic 1:

Option 1w:

Discuss and analyze one of our course objectives in relation to our course readings, workshop, and instruction.

• You may choose either a single objective or some combination of two or more objectives, but don’t spread yourself too thin.
   

• If you feel dissatisfied with the objectives and inspired to be inventive, come up with a new objective of your own for the course, explaining why it might be added to the list and how it appeared (or should have appeared) in our course. How would you teach it?
   

• Required texts or applications: Connect to readings in Three Genres, to course instruction, and discussions, presentations, and workshops. In other words, how did you see the objective at work in our course, and how would you explain it to someone outside our class or to a creative writing unit you might teach?
   

Course Objectives:

1.      To “unlearn” the conventional image of a creative writer as a tortured, neglected genius working alone in a garret producing masterpieces overnight.
 

2.      To cultivate alternative images of writers working together productively in disciplined routines and cooperative relations with other writers and Authors (workshops and draft exchanges).
 

3.      To develop a friendly but rigorous atmosphere where students gain practice and confidence in producing, sharing, and revising their writing.
 

4.      Beyond self-expression, to learn how to help others with creative writing.
 

5.      To nurture the attitude that each draft or manuscript presented or submitted is always a “work in progress” under the essential practice of revision.
 

6.      To learn constitutive and critical elements of standard creative genres like lyric poetry and prose fiction.
 

7.      To evaluate academic and popular standards for literature

Option 1x: In a spin-off from objective 6, write an essay describing intensively your learning experience with poetry or fiction.

What was your experience with the genre before this course?

How has this course extended, challenged, or varied your previous learning?

What did you learn that will help you as either an author of poetry or fiction, a reader, or a teacher?

Option 1y: A spin-off from objective 7: Describe and evaluate the differences and potential overlap between popular and literary forms of fiction and / or poetry.

We discussed this in our introductory class when the instructor compared the following poems from the 2006 class:

• popular: "Prayer of a Shrine Clown"

• literary: "Absalom's Lament"

• in-between: "Two Roses"

In fiction, the subject will be discussed in classes of 27 March and 3 April.

• What do you learn from the distinction of "literary and popular?"

• How may the distinction apply to your writing or reading?

• How much has the distinction been discussed in your previous studies?

• Is anything false or suspicious about the distinction?

• Where do the two different fields of literature have their base of support?

• Any other inspired observations about how to study this distinction are welcome.

Option 1z: Describe, analyze, and evaluate our course’s workshops and / or draft exchanges.

• Evaluate how well different aspects worked for you and other students.

• Make suggestions for this class, resolutions for your own potential workshop teaching, or how you might take what you learned into action beyond this course.

• Refer to objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, and/or 5.

• This option provides opportunities to use previous exams’ comments on workshop. Also consider what classmates said at breaks or after class.

Essay topic 2: Overall description of your learning experience in LITR 3731 Creative Writing and its potential applications to your writing / teaching career.

Question / topic: Based on the Three Genres textbook and your experience in this course (particularly in workshops and draft exchanges), what have you learned about Creative Writing and about literature generally?

• Your essay may concern several highlights or dimensions of learning, but unify the material as much as possible.
   

• As an overall unifying theme, how has the course extended or changed your attitudes and skills in writing, reading, or teaching literature?

Those of you interested in teaching careers are welcome to include reflections and references regarding the teaching of Creative Writing. What aspects of the class seemed pedagogically effective, and what new ideas or elements would you introduce to creative writing instruction?

Throughout the exam you are welcome to refer to your developing image of yourself as a creative writer. What have you learned about your abilities, skills, and options? What have you learned about literature generally?

Overlap between the two essays? Some overlap between your topics may be inevitable. If so, no need to repeat yourself—your second essay may refer to your first essay, or your first essay may defer some elements until the second essay. Don’t let this problem hang you up—just work it out sensibly, and I’ll react without looking to punish anyone for unnecessary repetition.

Grading standards:

Quality of writing: strength and interest of theme; thematic organization and development; transitions and connections between parts of essay; general unity of essay; surface quality (absence of chronic errors); inclusion of titles.

Required references to class sources: Across the exam, make several references (i. e., at least 3) to the assigned readings in Three Genres and several references to points raised otherwise in the course, either in lecture, class discussion, or instructor’s and readers’ reactions to your writing submissions or drafts. You are welcome and encouraged to refer to sources beyond our class for examples, models, or instructions on creative writing. Somewhere in your exam you must make at least one reference to final exams on similar topics from previous semesters.

Expansion, extension, or recombination: The base for both essays is the knowledge available through reading assignments, reading highlights, discussion, and lecture. Ability to master such material is impressive enough, but most impressive is the ability to extend such knowledge into new insights, combinations, or possibilities.