Because of the semester schedule, our course doesn’t meet in Week 1.

WEEK 2

Monday, January 8

Introduction to the Course

New strategies introduced in class: 1) Writing vs. Editing

Work tasks: Begin your daily writing practice and writing journal.

Friday, January 12
Short response due to Canvas by midnight.
Upload your first week of your writing journal to Canvas. At most, it would include five entries, but I understand that it might be less, depending on what days you’ve scheduled as your non-writing days.


WEEK 3

Monday, January 15
No class in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Day

If you would like, please feel free to make an appointment to talk with me in office hours this week. I’m happy to talk through your plans for the semester, your daily writing practice, and / or the project you intend to pick for the final paper.

Work tasks: Keep up your daily writing practice and writing journal.

Friday, January 19
Peer editing: Allura and Kuni circulate sample writing pieces for us all to read and work with in the next session. We will sign up in class and create a schedule for exchange.
Upload a week of your writing journal to Canvas.


WEEK 4

Monday, January 22
New strategy introduced in class: Action and Verbs

Reading due:
Read Allura’s and Kuni’s writing circulated for peer editing. You do not need to do any editing before class. We will practice new strategies on them together in class.
Silvia, Paul. 2007. How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. New York: American Psychological Association. Read: Preface Chapters 1 and 2.

Nar brings snacks to share.

Friday, January 26
Upload a week of your writing journal to Canvas.


WEEK 5

Monday, January 29
New strategy introduced in class: Characters and Subjects

Reading due:
Silvia, Paul. 2007. How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. New York: American Psychological Association. Read: Chapters 3, 4, and 5.

Read Kuni’s piece for editing.

Kuni brings snacks to share.

Friday, February 2
Short response due to Canvas by midnight.
Upload a week of your writing journal to Canvas.
Peer editing: Swarnim circulates sample writing pieces for us all to read and work with in the next session.




WEEK 6

Monday, February 5
New strategy introduced in class: Clear Sentences and Long Sentences

Reading due:
Silvia, Paul. 2007. How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. New York: American Psychological Association. Read: Chapters 6, 7, and 8.

Read Swarnim’s piece for editing.

Alice brings snacks to share.

Friday, February 9
Short response due to Canvas by midnight.
Upload a week of your writing journal to Canvas.
Peer editing: Jasmine circulates sample writing pieces for us all to read and work with in the next session.



WEEK 7

Monday, February 12
New strategy introduced in class: Old Before New

Reading due:
King, Stephen. 2000. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. New York: Scribner. Read: vi-101.

Read Jasmine’s piece for editing.

Jasmine brings snacks to share.

Friday, February 16
Invite a mentor have a conversation about disciplinary writing norms. No additional writing is due.
Upload a week of your writing journal to Canvas.
Peer editing: We will continue to work on Jasmine’s piece.


WEEK 8

Monday, February 19
New strategy introduced in class: Structures of Motivation

Reading due:
King, Stephen. 2000. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. New York: Scribner. Read: 103-200.

Read Jasmine’s piece for editing.

Eve brings snacks to share.

Friday, February 23
Short response due to Canvas by midnight.
Upload a week of your writing journal to Canvas.
Peer editing: Nar circulates a piece for editing.



WEEK 9

Monday, March 5
New strategy introduced in class: Theory of Problems

Reading due:
King, Stephen. 2000. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. New York: Scribner. Read: 200-291.

Read Nar’s piece for editing.

Swarnim brings snacks to share.

Friday, March 9
Short response due to Canvas by midnight.
Upload a week of your writing journal to Canvas.
Peer editing: We will continue to work on Nar’s piece.


WEEK 10

Monday, March 12
New strategy introduced in class: From Problem to Point

Reading due:
Lamott, Anne. 1995. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Anchor Books. Read: ix-94.

Read Nar’s piece for editing.

Allura brings snacks.


Friday, March 16
Short response due to Canvas by midnight.
Upload a week of your writing journal to Canvas.
Peer editing: Anna circulates sample writing pieces for us all to read and work with in the next session.



WEEK 11

Monday, March 19
New strategy introduced in class: Principles of Organization

Reading due:
Lamott, Anne. 1995. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Anchor Books. Read: 95-182.

Read Anna’s piece for editing.

David brings snacks.

Friday, March 23
Short response due to Canvas by midnight.
Upload a week of your writing journal to Canvas.
Peer editing: David circulates sample writing pieces for us all to read and work with in the next session.



WEEK 12

Monday, March 26
New strategy introduced in class: The Basics of Arguments

Reading due:
Lamott, Anne. 1995. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Anchor Books. Read: 183-end.

Read David’s piece for editing.

Allison brings snacks.

Friday, March 30
Short response due to Canvas by midnight.
Upload a week of your writing journal to Canvas.
Peer editing: Eve circulates sample writing pieces for us all to read and work with in the next session.



WEEK 13

Monday, April 2
New strategy introduced in class: Using Warrants to Make Arguments

Reading due:
Helen Sword. 2017. Air & Light & Time & Space: How Successful Academics Write. Harvard University Press. Read: ix-102.

Read Eve’s piece for editing.

Allura, Alice, Jasmin, and Nar each bring *one* snack item.

Friday, April 6
Short response due to Canvas by midnight.
Upload a week of your writing journal to Canvas.



WEEK 14

Monday, April 9
New strategy introduced in class: Responding to Criticism

David, Kuni, Eve, and Swarnim each bring *one* snack item.

Reading due:
Helen Sword. 2017. Air & Light & Time & Space: How Successful Academics Write. Harvard University Press. Read: 103-208.
Read the example drafts and peer review comments from my article, including (in chronological order):
* Note, you don’t have to read these all very carefully! Please pay attention to what’s changing and what the reviews are asking for.
First submitted version (Oct 2010)
Peer review comments
Peer review comments with my highlighting
Revised version (May 2011)
Published version (Dec 2011)
As an added bonus, here is a particularly tricky peer review I got for another publication - tricky because the reviews are diametrically opposed:
Peer review comments
Our response letter
If you didn’t before, now you might understand the memes about “the second Reviewer”...

Friday, April 13
Short response due to Canvas by midnight.
Upload a week of your writing journal to Canvas.



WEEK 15

Monday, April 16
Reflection on our Work and Questions for the Future
No reading due

Allison provides dinner.

Final paper due - TBD based on your writing plans. All papers must be turned in by April 25 at 5pm.