Independent project
This assignment is designed for you to apply what you have been learning throughout the semester beyond the readings and viewings on the syllabus. The range of possibilities for this assignment are broad, so if you have ideas beyond the options described here, please do reach out to me to ensure that they will meet the requirements.
Option 1: Write part of a script for a film or television episode, or, write a short story, part of a short story, the opening of a novel, or a detailed plot outline, for an original work of crime fiction. You are encouraged to use your existing creative talents, or experiment developing new ones. The creative work itself should constitute 2-3 pages minimum, in whatever medium, and you must include a 500 word accompanying reflection piece. The reflection piece should make explicit connections to how your creative work has been inspired by what you have learned in this class: it could discuss how particular texts inspired you in terms of both form and content, and/or how you have attempted to challenge generic conventions that you have become familiar with. A good way to approach this is to analyze your own work in terms of form, content, and to some extent context (in terms of recognizing how you are writing from a particular point in history and from a particular worldview). You can submit this as one file, or two separate files, depending on the nature of your project.
You will be graded on the following criteria:
1. Your level of engagement with ideas and concepts that we have been discussing this semester. Have you missed obvious connections, or left others undeveloped?
2. Your ability to successfully apply these ideas and concepts in a new situation. Can you articulate precisely how you are using what you have learned? For example, rather than saying “I used characterization in my story” or “author X uses characterization in my story”, can you explain specifically how you are using the concept “characterization” in this new context?
3. The presentation of the project itself, meaning the extent to which you avoid obvious errors, present your ideas in a coherent way, and the visual or audio clarity of your project (is it accessible to an outside reader/viewer?) A good way of thinking about this is to ask yourself not just whether your instructor can follow what you are presenting, but whether a fellow student not in this class could understand the logic of your presentation, creative project, or reflection piece.
