Like most graduate seminars, this course builds to a final paper project. In this course, however, the final paper is not necessarily a paper written specifically for this class. Instead, the final paper project offers you the opportunity to use the techniques we have learned in this course to draft, edit, and improve a significant paper you’re writing in another context.
Here’s what I mean -
Before Week 4, please pick the final writing project you would like to concentrate on in this course. This could be:
1) a paper you’re writing (this semester) for another seminar;
2) a major revision of a paper you previously wrote for another course;
3) a dissertation chapter;
4) an MA thesis;
5) a dissertation proposal or prospectus;
6) a specific grant application;
7) an article you’re drafting for publication.
Pick the project you want to work on, realizing that a number of the weekly projects and your daily writing will be targeted toward this project. In Week 2, I ask you to set up an individual meeting with me and there I’m happy to talk through options or ideas. You’re also always welcome to sign up for my office hours. In Week 4, I ask you to turn in a writing plan for the semester, including concrete deadlines for drafts you will turn in to me. Although I hope this course will teach you techniques helpful for many writing projects, for this assignment you need to pick just one specific project that you’ll target.