Writing Workshop Part IV

Course Type	Course Code	No. Of Credits
Discipline Core	SCC2CW106	6

Course coordinator and team: SCCE Faculty

1. How does the course link with the vision of AUD?

This course aligns closely with Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University Delhi’s (AUD) core vision of fostering critical inquiry, social engagement, and interdisciplinary practice-led scholarship. By positioning the creative portfolio not merely as an end product but as a primary site of knowledge production, the course encourages students to interrogate the societal role of the author and the ethics of representation. The curriculum places contemporary Indian writing in active dialogue with World and Western paradigms, reinforcing AUD's commitment to cultural plurality, linguistic diversity, and global decolonial frameworks. Furthermore, by equipping emerging writers with essential legal, practical, and pedagogical literacies, the course ensures their creative expression remains intellectually rigorous, ethically grounded, and socially engaged.

2. How does the course link with the specific program (s) where it is being offered?

As the final capstone workshop of the two-year postgraduate Creative Writing programme, this course serves as the structural and professional culmination of the curriculum. It builds sequentially on the narrative craft, stylistic experimentation, and manuscript development skills introduced in Writing Workshop Parts I, II, and III. By bridging the gap between student workshops and the public creative industries, the course equips students with the professional skillsets necessary to launch, sustain, and advocate for their writing careers.

The course directly supports the programme's key pedagogical objectives by:

Refining, curating, and editing a polished, publication-ready master creative writing portfolio.
Demystifying professional pathways, including agent queries, publisher pitches, and independent press models.
Fostering active literary citizenship through reviews, editing, cultural advocacy, and community building
Providing robust legal and contractual training on copyright, permissions, licensing, and emerging digital systems.
Developing pedagogical and project management capabilities for teaching, grants, and residencies.

3. Does the course connect to, build on, or overlap with any other courses offered in AUD?

Yes. This course builds directly on and completes the sequential series of core writing workshops (Writing Workshops I, II, and III) by translating creative development into professional execution. It also complements theoretical and methodological courses, such as Research Methods and Methodology in Literary and Creative Practices, by applying research frameworks to portfolio design and the drafting of a critical artist statement.

4. Specific requirements on the part of students who can be admitted to this course:

(Pre-requisites; prior knowledge level; any others – please specify): None.

None. According to the structure of the two-year postgraduate program, this course is designed for second-year students enrolled in the Creative Writing programme. It is a compulsory course and must be taken as a core requirement.

5. No. of students to be admitted

(with justification if lower than the usual cohort size is proposed): usual cohort size 25

6. Course scheduling

(semester; semester-long/half-semester course; workshop mode; seminar mode; any other – please specify):

Winter Semester / Semester IV, full-semester course, combining seminar discussions with practical peer-workshop modes.

7. Course Details:

a. Summary:

Writing Workshop Part IV: Portfolio, Publication and Professional Practice is a practice-led capstone course designed to prepare postgraduate creative writing students for the transition from the university seminar to the professional literary arts sector. The course emphasizes writing as an active professional vocation, a site of critical self-reflexivity, and an ethical practice of literary citizenship. Over five structured modules, students examine the professional pathways of publishing, the legal-ethical parameters of intellectual property, and the civic role of the writer in contemporary society.

Through hands-on workshops, mock pitch panels, and simulated contract edits, students will curate a polished, cohesive portfolio from their cumulative drafts. The syllabus draws on a diverse curation of Indian, Western, and World literary models to explore structural curation, editor-writer dynamics, public intellectual voice, ethical representation, and creative sustainability. The course culminates in the compilation of a professional portfolio, a mock agent submission package, and a public presentation of creative work.

Objectives: The course aims to: Guide students in the rigorous curation, editing, and sequencing of a professional creative portfolio; Develop practical, demystified understandings of the contemporary traditional, independent, and digital publishing landscape; Foster the habits of active literary citizenship, including critical reviewing, editing, translation, and community building; Provide foundational training in key legal and ethical dimensions of writing, including copyright, contract negotiation, and the ethics of life-writing; Equout students with the skills for lifelong vocational sustainability, creative writing pedagogy, and professional development.

Expected Learning Outcomes

On completion of the course, it is expected that the student will have:

Curated, edited, and formatted a publication-ready creative writing manuscript or portfolio.
Demonstrated advanced proficiency in drafting query letters, book proposals, and pitching work to industry agents.
Acquired critical skills in book reviewing, editing, translation, and organizing public cultural events
Applied core legal and ethical principles, such as copyright, permissions, fair use, and responsible representation, to creative practice.
Formulated sustainable professional strategies, including grant proposals, residency applications, and creative writing pedagogy designs.
Reflected critically on their creative positionality, processes, and craft choices in relation to global and regional literary networks.

Module I:

The Art of the Portfolio: Curation, Structuring, and Aesthetic Cohesion (Weeks 1–2)

Description

This module focuses on the transition from individual workshop drafts to a unified creative portfolio or manuscript. Students learn the principles of selection, sequencing, and structural curation, analyzing how a book-length collection or a multi-genre portfolio achieves thematic and aesthetic cohesion. They will also draft an introductory artist statement or critical exegesis that frames their creative project.

Topics Covered:

Portfolio structure and sequencing

Thematic and formal cohesion

Writing the artist statement / exegesis

Manuscript self-auditing and proofing

Readings :-

Kiran Desai. The Inheritance of Loss. New Delhi: Penguin Books India, 2006. (An Indian novel exploring fractured sequencing, multi-voiced structure, and thematic cohesion across geopolitical boundaries).

Maggie Nelson. The Argonauts. Graywolf Press, 2015. (A Western hybrid text showcasing non-linear curation, theoretical integration, and structural experimentation).

Jorge Luis Borges. Ficciones. Translated by Andrew Hurley. London: Penguin Classics, 2000. (A world literary masterwork showcasing how short-form fictions can be curated to create a unified speculative universe).

Ursula K. Le Guin. Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing for the Lone Mariner or the Mutinous Crew. Eighth Mountain Press, 1998. (Foundational craft essay on manuscript-level syntax, rhythm, and self-editing).

Module-II:

The Publishing Landscape: Traditional, Independent, and Alternative Ecosystems (Weeks 3–5)

Description

This module examines the practical and commercial dimensions of the contemporary publishing industry. Students explore diverse publishing pathways, from major multinational trade houses to independent presses, university presses, literary magazines, and self-publishing platforms. Through practical exercises, students learn the art of the query letter, the structural components of a book proposal, and how to identify and pitch to literary agents and acquisitions editors.

Topics Covered:

The publishing value chain

Drafting query letters and book proposals

Navigating literary agents and submissions

Self-publishing and digital platforms

Readings :-

Anjum Hasan. Difficult Pleasures. New Delhi: Penguin Books India, 2012. (Selected short stories analyzing contemporary urban life, navigating indie and mainstream publishing paths in India).

Betsy Lerner. The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers. Riverhead Books, 2000. (The definitive Western guide on the psychology of writing, the acquisitions process, and the editor-writer relationship).

Elena Ferrante. Frantumaglia: A Writer's Journey. Translated by Ann Goldstein. New York: Europa Editions, 2016. (A world literary text of essays and letters exploring authorial anonymity, the independent publishing ecosystem in Europe, and the editor-author dynamic).

Michael Bhaskar. The Content Machine: Towards a Theory of Publishing from the Printing Press to the Digital Network. London: Anthem Press, 2013. (Critical theoretical work analyzing the evolution of editing, curation, and dissemination).

Module-III:

Literary Citizenship: Reviews, Advocacy, and Creative Communities (Weeks 6–7)

Description

This module investigates the writer’s role as an active participant in the public sphere, exploring the concept of "literary citizenship." Students learn the art of the book review and the critical essay, and examine how writers build and sustain creative communities through literary journals, editorial work, reading series, community workshops, and translation as cultural advocacy.

Topics Covered:

Writing the book review and critical essay

Literary magazine editing

Literary translation as citizenship

Arts advocacy and public programming

Readings :-

K. Satchidanandan. Positions: Essays on Indian Literature. New Delhi: Authorspress, 2019. (A critical collection of essays on linguistic diversity, translation, and the public role of the writer in India).

James Baldwin. The Price of the Ticket: Collected Nonfiction 1948-1985. St. Martin’s Press, 1985. (A monumental Western collection of essays detailing the writer's public voice, political citizenship, and cultural critique).

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature. London: James Currey, 1986. (A world literary work investigating language choice, translation, and the decolonial responsibilities of literary citizenship).

Pascale Casanova. The World Republic of Letters. Translated by M. B. DeBevoise. Harvard University Press, 2004. (Critical theoretical work on the global unevenness of literary capital and the politics of international recognition).

Module-IV:

Legal, Financial, and Ethical Dimensions of the Writing Life (Weeks 8–10)

Description

This module introduces students to the essential legal, contractual, and ethical frameworks of professional authorship. It covers copyright law, intellectual property rights, royalty structures, contracts with publishers and agents, and the legal parameters of plagiarism, fair use, libel, and defamation. Students also examine the ethical responsibilities of representing real people and marginalized communities, alongside the emerging legal and creative questions surrounding Generative AI in publishing.

Topics Covered:

Demystifying publishing contracts and royalty terms

Fair use, libel, and the ethics of memoir

Generative AI and intellectual property

Readings :-

Jerry Pinto. Em and the Big Hoom. Mumbai: Aleph Book Company, 2012. (A celebrated Indian novel that serves as a case study for the ethical boundaries of writing about family, illness, and private lives).

Janet Malcolm. The Journalist and the Murderer. Knopf, 1990. (A classic Western text exploring the moral friction, betrayal, and ethical complexities between the writer and their living subjects).

J.M. Coetzee. Elizabeth Costello. London: Secker & Warburg, 2003. (A world literary novel investigating the ethical limits of representation, voice, animal rights, and the moral weight of authorship).

Richard Stim. Getting Permission: How to License & Clear Copyrighted Materials Online & Off. Nolo, 2016. (An indispensable legal craft text detailing fair use, licensing, and permissions workflows).

Module V:

Sustainability, Pedagogy, and Lifelong Professional Practice (Weeks 11–13)

Description

The final module prepares students for a sustainable lifelong career in the literary arts. It addresses the practical dimensions of post-MFA life: identifying and applying for writer-in-residence programs, fellowships, and grants; designing creative writing syllabi and workshop lesson plans (pedagogy); and exploring alternative writing-adjacent careers. Students will develop their own professional portfolio and prepare for the public presentation of their work.

Topics Covered:

Grants, residencies, and fellowships

Creative writing pedagogy and workshop design

Alternative careers for writers

Developing a sustainable daily practice

Readings :-

Meena Kandasamy. When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife. London: Atlantic Books, 2017. (A powerful Indian novel exploring the reclamation of voice, domestic violence, and the act of writing as professional and personal survival).

Anne Lamott. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Pantheon Books, 1994. (A beloved Western craft handbook detailing the emotional and practical realities of maintaining a writing life and managing self-doubt).

Mario Vargas Llosa. Letters to a Young Novelist. Translated by Natasha Wimmer. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002. (A world literary epistolary work offering advice on the discipline, passion, and professional commitment required to sustain the writer's vocation).

Chad Harbach, editor. MFA vs NYC: The Two Cultures of American Fiction. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014. (Critical essays analyzing the financial, institutional, and pedagogical models that support contemporary writers).

Assessment