Northern Virginia Community College The Outing by James Baldwin Summary

OPTION #1: CREATIVE ADAPTATION

OVERVIEW: Some stories resonate so deeply with people that they’re passed down generation after generation, often taking on new forms and styles while retaining the basic premise and themes. Artistic creation, after all, often involves building on or modifying what’s already been produced and proven powerful.

ASSIGNMENT: Select one of the short stories* from the reading list and write a new version of it by changing at least one major narrative element—i.e., setting, characters, plot, and/or point of view. The change(s) you make should be significant enough that your adaptation offers an interesting new take on the original story while still echoing its thematic concerns.

*The story you select cannot have been used for a previous assignment.

GRADING CRITERIA: Your score will be based in the following—

• Creativity: Is your adaptation imaginative? Does it maintain the spirit of the original story while presenting it in an interesting new way?
• Coherence: Does your adaptation make sense? Do all the narrative elements fit together? Are the characters and events consistent and believable?
• Style: Does the language suit the adaptation? Does it allow the reader to follow along without frustration or confusion?

OPTION #2: STORY REVIEW

OVERVIEW: The most important question facing any reader of literary fiction is, “Is this story good?” While the answer ultimately will be simple—yes, no, or somewhere in between—arriving at it requires extensive and careful consideration of what literature is supposed to do for readers and how the story in question measures up.

ASSIGNMENT: Choose an author we’ve covered this semester and identify a short story they’ve written that is NOT on the course reading list. You’ll then write a review of that story—think of, say, a movie review that you might find in a newspaper or online—in which you discuss its strengths and/or weakness as a piece of literary fiction. Ultimately, your job is to explain whether readers would find value in the story, and why or why not.

• Insight: Does your review offer a thoughtful explanation of the story’s literary merit? Are the criteria you’re using to evaluate the story clear and well-considered?
• Argumentation: Are your claims about the story supported by textual details and convincing statements of relevance?
• Clarity & Coherence: Is your language well-chosen? Are your sentences well-constructed? Are your ideas well-organized?

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