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Dancing
with the Muse Week 1:
Writing Practice Week 2:
Write in Front of Your Nose Week 3:
Setting Yourself Up to Succeed Week 4: Meditation: Meeting Your Guide Week 5:
Gaining Perspective Week 6:
Going Deeper Lectures Each week students are
asked to go to the DANCING WITH THE MUSE Web site to read the current
lecture. The lecture provides the theoretical and practical background
for that unit's writing lesson. The lecture concludes with a short
assignment that helps writers apply what they have learned. The assignment, which is
intended to take about half an hour per unit, dovetails with the week's
lecture. Writers have the option not to post writing that feels too
personal or fragile. However, participants are asked to attempt each
assignment and to post at least half -- three out of six -- of their
efforts to the group. DANCING WITH THE MUSE places emphasis on being
able to tap into a sense of freedom and creative openness in writing.
Letting one's work "go" by posting it to a group of trusted strangers
is an integral aspect of the course. By the end of the course, students
will practice the "pruning and cultivation" technique that allows
for a quiet, respectful, and useful form of response that is different
from traditional critique. However, for the first half of the course,
assignments posted by class members will not receive any response
other than the thrill of seeing one's and each other's work on the
screen, wonderful and brave. Once the lecture and assignment
for the week has been posted, a discussion topic will be sent out
to the e-mail listserv. Topics may relate directly to that week's
lecture and assignment, or to discussions that arose in previous weeks.
Class members are asked to contribute at least one thought, comment,
or question per week. Discussions are always to be respectful, sincere,
and supportive. Class members are always
free to contact the instructor (Sharon) for any reason, including
to ask questions, to get comments on their assignments, or to resolve
any problems they may be having. Questions may be posted to Sharon
via the Muse listserv or privately at Sickhumor2@aol.com. DANCING WITH THE MUSE is
not intended as a "workshop" where students and the instructor comment
on which aspects of a writer's work they like and which they don't.*
Nor is it a forum
for ripping others' work to shreds or having your own work judged
harshly. Rather, this is a class about honing specific writing skills.
Thus, students who respond to others' work -- on the listserv or via
private e-mails -- with critique, judgment, meanness, etc., will be
violating class policy. At the instructor's discretion, such persons
will either 1) receive a warning or 2) be dropped from the class.
"Flaming," insults, or other disrespectful treatment towards students
or the instructor will likewise be grounds for immediate removal from
the class. Class fees will not be refunded for participants who are
dropped due to violating these terms. Anyone who has a question or
concern as to what is an appropriate post to the group is welcome
to e-mail Sharon privately at sickhumor2@aol.com
to discuss the matter. Any such query will always be treated with
respect and will never be grounds for a warning or removal. Any person who has Web and e-mail access is encouraged to enroll. Participants need only be able to read the DANCING WITH THE MUSE Web site, retrieve and reply to e-mail, and post their writing assignments. The one caveat is that posts to the listserv must not contain attachments; writing should be pasted into the body of the e-mail, preferably in plain text (not HTML). Students with disabilities who have specific access needs should please contact Sharon at sickhumor2@aol.com to arrange appropriate accommodations. |
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2003 | site last updated March 2003
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