LCAD-Catalog-2016-2018

CRAFT SEMINARS
(CW602)
2 Units
Mark Twain offers this on the topic of diction: “The
difference between the almost right word and the
right word is really a large matter—’tis the difference
between the lightning-bug and the lightning.” A strong
writer, of course, understands not only these types
of differences but when to lean on one and when
to lean on the other. During this second residency,
students attend a variety of craft seminars with
the goal of demystifying the intangibles of creative
writing. Seminars may address any of the following
topics: diction, visual imagery, wit and humor, irony,
suspense and surprise, motifs, and more.
CRAFT JOURNAL 2: SEMINARS, LECTURES,
DISCUSSIONS
(CW603)
1 Units
Jack Kerouac nails craft with this meta-example: “...
it ain’t whatcha write, it’s the way atcha write it.”
Building on the unit of work completed in the first
residency, students continue the written reflections
specific to their creative processes. Whereas the first
residency laid more general storytelling foundations,
the second residency focuses on the specificity and
indelibility of craft, so the journal writing in this
second go-round will reflect this amplification.
SECOND YEAR OF NON-RESIDENCY
MANUSCRIPT WRITING 3
(CW604)
6 Units
Illumination is the fourth step in the Graham Wallas
model of creative process. Structurally, this model
aligns where students are at in the program during
this third installment of Manuscript Writing. This is
where creative ideas surge into conscious awareness.
With the momentum of the second residency and
a year of intensive writing behind them, students
work with a new mentor to begin bringing their
final manuscripts to fruition. As before, students
fulfill four manuscript submissions throughout the
semester.
Mentors impart guidance and support via an agreedupon
method of communication (videoconferencing,
teleconferencing, email, etc.).
DIRECTED READING AND RESEARCH 3
(CW605)
3 Units
An appeal to the authority of John Keats: “Nothing
ever becomes real ‘til it is experienced.” In the final
installment of this corequisite, students are in the
process of making their own manuscripts become
real. Mentors will assist students in creating a list of
readings and experiences that will aid in rendering
their creative work tangible, concrete, and, indeed,
real. Specific focus of the materials will be geared
toward the distillation of the final manuscript.
MANUSCRIPT WRITING 4
(CW654)
6 Units
It’s a mistake to build temples around your writing,
especially in the drafting stages. It’s a mistake
because it’ll hurt when you have to burn the temple
down. And so often you will. This final semester is
about holding the flame to your words and making
sure they’re fireproof. Many of them won’t be.
Working with a mentor, students undergo the final
revisions and polishes of their thesis manuscripts. As
before, students fulfill four manuscript submissions
throughout the semester.
Mentors impart guidance and support via an agreedupon
method of communication (videoconferencing,
teleconferencing, email, etc.)
FINAL SUMMER RESIDENCY
MANUSCRIPT DEFENSE
(CW655)
2 Units
According to Joseph Campbell, “The returning hero,
to complete his [or her] adventure, must survive the
impact of the world.” This works nicely as a metaphor
for the Manuscript Defense. Substitute writer for hero
(though we argue they are synonymous) and impact
of the world for thesis committee. Students submit
their final manuscripts to a committee of three faculty
and compose an oral defense that advances what they
have learned on their creative journeys. Students
should expect to field questions specific to form,
genre, and craft. Yes, it might be difficult, it might be
intimidating, it might be rigorous, but shouldn’t it be?
It is, after all, what separates those who are masters
from those who are not.
SELF-MARKETING
(CW656)
2 Units
“If you’re going to be crazy,” says Hunter S.
Thompson, “you have to get paid for it or else you’re
going to be locked up.” If you’ve made it this far into
the program, then you’re a writer; if you’re a writer,
you’re probably a little bit crazy. But, ya know, the
good kind of crazy. Taking the gonzo journalist to
heart, then, this course — via lecture, discussion, and
Q&A — prepares students to navigate the writingspecific
terrain of self-promotion, marketing,
collaboration, agents, managers, producers, and more.
JOURNAL 3: SEMINARS, LECTURES, DISCUSSIONS
(CW653)
1 Units
Plato, Socrates, Aeschylus, and a host of others have
leaned pretty heavily on the following suggestion
— “Know thyself.” It’s apt advice for anyone but
especially for a writer. This final course asks students
to reflect one last time on who they’ve become as
a result of three residencies, four semesters, and
thousands and thousands of words, written, read, and
exchanged.
CATALOG
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