Major Assignments
All assignments should demonstrate engagement with course craft concepts and workshop feedback. Portfolio pieces must show meaningful revision from workshop drafts.
Fiction Story (20%)
Length: 1500-2500 words
Due: Final portfolio (Dec 16, 11:59 PM)
Workshop Draft Due: Mon Oct 13, 11:59 PM (if workshopped Week 7)
Requirements
- Complete narrative arc with clear desire/obstacle structure
- Consistent POV and deliberate psychic distance choices
- At least one developed character with gesture-against-words moments
- Image system that reinforces theme
- Micro-tension in at least 80% of beats
Rubric (10 points total)
Creative Nonfiction Essay (20%)
Length: 1500-2500 words
Due: Final portfolio (Dec 16, 11:59 PM)
Workshop Draft Due: Mon Nov 3, 11:59 PM (if workshopped Week 10)
Requirements
- True story grounded in lived experience
- At least 3 concrete scenes with sensory detail
- Claim Ledger with at least 5 claims (implicit or explicit)
- Reflection passages that complicate (not explain) the story
- Proper-noun specificity ratio of 40%+
Rubric (10 points total)
AI Unit Assignments (A1-A4) — 15% total
These in-class exercises teach Dialectical Prompting (DP). All assignments require Process Notes documenting your A/B testing, contradictions, and craft decisions.
A1: First DP Session (4%)
Due: Thu Oct 2 (in class)
- Design a BRIEF+QA prompt for a 200-word fiction scene
- Run A/B test (change one variable: tone, length, image density, etc.)
- Log 3+ contradictions between A and B
- Make craft decision (keep A, keep B, or hybrid)
- Submit: Process Note + final 200-word scene
A2: Debugging AI Outputs (4%)
Due: Thu Oct 9 (in class)
- Generate flawed AI output (vague, hallucinated, flat, over-literal, or messy)
- Diagnose the problem using the Debugging Matrix
- Revise prompt and re-run
- Compare before/after; explain what changed in the prompt
- Submit: Both outputs + Debugging Process Note
A3: Revision with DP (4%)
Due: Thu Nov 13 (in class)
- Take one scene from your fiction or CNF draft
- Use DP to test a revision strategy (expand reflection, tighten pacing, add image system, etc.)
- Run A/B with different approaches
- Log contradictions and decide which version works
- Submit: Original scene + A/B outputs + Process Note + revised scene
A4: Final DP Reflection Essay (3%)
Due: Thu Dec 4 (in class)
- 500-word reflection on your DP practice this semester
- What did A/B testing reveal about your craft instincts?
- When was AI useful? When did it fail?
- How will you use (or not use) AI after this course?
Workshop Letters (included in Workshop Participation grade)
Format: 250-300 word letter per peer workshop piece
Due: Day of workshop (upload to Brightspace before class)
What to Include
- 1-2 sentences on what's working (be specific!)
- Identify 2-3 craft levers (POV, pacing, image system, claim ledger, etc.)
- Ask 2-3 open-ended questions (not yes/no)
- Point to specific moments in the text (page numbers or line breaks)
Avoid: Grammar policing, personal advice, prescriptive fixes ("You should...")
Final Portfolio Cover Letter
Length: 500-750 words
Due: Dec 16, 11:59 PM (submitted with portfolio)
Content
- Describe your revision process for both pieces
- What workshop feedback did you apply? What did you reject, and why?
- How did you use DP (if at all) in revision?
- What craft concepts from the course show up in your final work?
- What are you still working on as a writer?
📌 Submission Checklist
For Final Portfolio (Dec 16):
- Revised Fiction Story (1500-2500 words)
- Revised Creative Nonfiction Essay (1500-2500 words)
- Cover Letter (500-750 words)
- All uploaded as separate PDFs or .docx files to Brightspace