Category Archives: Class Description

Class VI—May 4

• Poem—TBD
• Discussion—Discuss Reading Assignments: Pick “one thing” that stood out for you in one of the readings. Did something you read help you with your writing process? Were you able to apply a thought to something you wrote? Or something you edited? We’ll briefly discuss your “one things” before launching into our workshop.
  • Michele Norris Interviews William Zinsser
  • Excerpt: ‘On How to Write Memoir’ from On Writing Well by William Zinsser
  • Where I’m From, a poem by George Ella Lyon, writer and teacher
    • About George Ella Lyon, writer and teacher
  • No Contractions in Dialogue by K.M. Weiland
• Writers share (~12 minutes each. Timed.)
• Parting Gift: Forthcoming
• How to Write a Cover Letter for a Literary Journal Submission by Michelle Richmond an author I know and admire. Her novels are well written, and ones I’ve enjoyed. Some are quite suspenseful.

WRITING ASSIGNMENT FOR CLASS VI: Where I Am From (PDF Download)

Either write from the “Where I Am From” exercise, edit your piece from last time, or bring to class something you want to write. The only requirement: your piece is not to exceed 700 words. We are still thinking in terms of the “micro-memoir.”

Please email your submission to me at anahaysmccracken@gmail.com in a word doc, typed in 12-point Times Roman font, double spaced, with your name at the top and page numbers on lower right hand side no later than Saturday evening, May 3rd at 11:59 PM. I will email our writing to the group by Sunday morning. OR… if you can’t make that deadline, submit on Sunday to the group.

CLASS V—APRIL 27

• Spring by Mary Oliver
• Discussion—Discuss Reading Assignments: Pick “one thing” that stood out for you in one of the readings. Did something you read help you with your writing process? Were you able to apply a thought to something you wrote? Or something you edited? We’ll briefly discuss your “one things” before launching into our workshop.
  • Brevity Craft Essays: On Miniatures by Lia Purpura
  • DarinStrauss, from Why We Write About Ourselves, edited by Meredith Maran. I chose this pieces because Darin discusses questions that have arose in our class.
  • How to Write Short, by Roy Peter Clark, Chap 19
• Writers share (~12 minutes each. Timed.)
  • Writing | Listening | Responding

WRITING ASSIGNMENT FOR CLASS V: The Tacking Points Exercise (Downloadable PDF)

You can either write from the Tacking Points exercise, edit your piece from last time, or bring to class something you want to write. The only requirement: your piece is not to exceed 700 words. We are still thinking in terms of “micro-memoir.”

Please email your submission to me at anahaysmccracken@gmail.com in a word doc, typed in 12-point Times Roman font, double spaced, with your name at the top and page numbers on lower right hand side no later than Saturday evening, April 25th at 11:59 PM. I will email our writing to the group by Sunday morning. OR… if you can’t make that deadline, submit on Sunday to the group.

CLASS III—April 13

• Opening Poem—Planting Peas by Linda Hasselstrom
• Discuss Reading Assignments: Pick “one thing” that stood out for you in one of the readings. Did something you read help you with your writing process? Were you able to apply a thought to something you wrote? Or something you edited? We’ll briefly discuss your “one things” before launching into our workshop.
  • Reading 1 (PDF Download)
    • The Micro-Memoir, by Dawn Field
  • Reading 2 (PDF Download)
    • How To Write Short Chap 1—4, by Roy Peter Clark
  • Reading 3 (PDF Download)
    • Corner, Still Writing, Dani Shapiro
  • Reading 4 (PDF Download)
    • Dani Shapiro from Why We Write About Ourselves, edited by Meredith Maran
• Additional Handout: CLASS III Reading Highlights

CLASS III ASSIGNMENT

You can either write from the prompt “I don’t remember…”, edit your piece from last time, or bring to class something new. The only requirement: your piece is not to exceed 700 words. We are still thinking in terms of “micro-memoirs.” Note regarding the prompt: It might be helpful to make a list like we did with “I remember…” before launching into your piece of writing. Your call.

Please email your submission to me at anahaysmccracken@gmail.com in a word doc, typed in 12-point Times Roman font, double spaced, with your name at the top and page numbers on lower right hand side no later than Saturday evening, April 11th at 11:59 PM. I will email our writing to the group by Sunday morning. OR… if everyone is okay with me sharing email addresses, we can start emailing to the group so you can have each others work sooner? I’ll make this request in the email I sent out with this assignment.

CLASS II—April 6

• Opening Poem: “How I Discovered Poetry,” by Marily Nelson
• Poet Jane Kenyon once said: “Be a good steward of your gifts. Protect your time. Feed your inner life. Avoid too much noise. Read good books, have good sentences in your ears. Be by yourself as often as you can. Walk. Take the phone off the hook. Work [write] regular hours.”
• Discussion—How was the writing experience?
  • Things to consider:
    • What was easy? What was challenging?
    • What could have made the writing easier?
    • General comments / suggestions
  • Review Handout: Listening and Responding
  • Writers share (10 minutes each)
  • Discussion—How was the go-around experience?
• Additional Reading: Wild Horse of Tybee Island by B.J. Hollars published by brevitymag.com

WRITING ASSIGNMENT for CLASS III: I Don’t Remember

You can either write from the prompt “I don’t remember…”, edit your piece from last time, or bring to class something new. The only requirement: your piece is not to exceed 700 words. We are still thinking in terms of “micro-memoirs.” Note regarding the prompt: It might be helpful to make a list like we did with “I remember…” before launching into your piece of writing. Your call.

Please email your submission to me at anahaysmccracken@gmail.com in a word doc, typed in 12-point Times Roman font, double spaced, with your name at the top and page numbers on lower right hand side no later than Saturday evening, by 11:59 PM. I will email our writing to the group by Sunday morning.

CLASS I—March 30

Opening Poem: “Blue Iris” by Mary Oliver

• Introductions—be prepared to:
  • State your name
  • and “briefly”explain what you hope to gain from this class
• Class overview, and how we will work together
• Discuss: Pre-class Reading Assignment
  • Reading 1 (PDF Download): Making Much of the Moment by Beth Ann Fennelly, writemag.org
  • Reading 2 (PDF Download): Eight Tips for Tiny Truths by Beth Ann Fennelly, writemag.org
  • Reading 3 (PDF Download): Beth Ann Fennelly 2 Micro-memoirs which appeared in Gulf Coast A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts, Winter/Spring 2017
    • A Study of Reading Habits
    • The Coming of the Coming of Age
    • PDF: Class One Reading Highlights

• Free Write: I Remember—Inspired by the poem, “I Remember” by Joe Brainard
  • Go-around—Read aloud without commenting

Writing Assignment for Class II: I Remember

Referring to Class One Reading Highlights handout and the two micro-memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly, take one of your “I Remembers” written in class and expand it into a micro-memoir. Beth Ann’s two pieces contain 218-243 words each. Your word count may NOT exceed 350 words to help you strive to create a world in as few words as possible. Remember, you are exploring a moment, and how a moment has shaped and/or affected who you are. Don’t over write. This is a draft. Don’t forget to include a title that contributes to your “meaning-making.” We will read our work in our next session and give each other feedback. Concise feedback instructions will be provided prior to next week’s class.

Please email your submission to me at anahaysmccracken@gmail.com in a word doc, typed in 12-point Times Roman font, double spaced, with your name at the top and page numbers on lower right hand side no later than Saturday evening, by 11:59 PM. I will email our writing to the group by Sunday morning.