I had a really good idea for a creative writing class

Back when I was in school, I took two creative writing classes: one was an introduction (so we did a unit on essays, one on short stories, one on poetry, and one on screenplays) and the other focused on fiction, albeit in short story format. I love fiction writing, but I'm not very involved on short stories; I want to write novels and I didn't get much advice on how to do it. So I thought of a rough curriculum for a class that would favor novel writing (well, more like novella, because they'd probably cap off at about sixty pages or so).

First day would be introductions. I'd have the class do short written intros that included information about what kind of stories they like to write/read too. That way, if they didn't have groups for workshops in mind, I'd be able to put them in groups that would hopefully be compatible. There would be a total of three workshops over the semester, all with the same group (of around three or four), all for about twenty pages of the same story. I'd give the group members about a week to come up with reviews and suggestions for their groups' stories.

During class times in between workshops, I'd have students anonymously (or not, if they choose) send in writing problems for the class to discuss. If no problems arose, we could talk about different tropes or writing methods. It'd be very "free-flowing" and hard to fail because I'd mostly grade on participation and completion (aside from the final, which would be the finished story, where I'd grade on how much the student improved from their rough drafts).

The biggest pain would be grading the sixty-page finals. I'd probably have to cap off the class at like, twelve people or so (sixteen at max). It'd be neat to read so many stories though, and I think it would help students who want to write novels work with issues like plot development, foreshadowing, and long-term character development that don't really come up in short story classes.

... can I teach a class like this if I become an English major? I wonder...

Currently Watching: Mawaru Penguin Drum (episodes 1-20)

POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT

As of late, I have been picking up new series based on how popular the are on Tumblr (especially with people I follow). I got into Doctor Who and Homestuck that way (both of which are two of my favorite series now). The most recent series I picked up is an anime called "Mawaru Penguin Drum", which, in summary, has been a fun ride so far.

When I stared watching, I knew two things about the series. One, in involved penguins. Two, many of the relationships between characters were... problematic? It sounded enough like plenty of other series I like (Bakemonogatari, DRRR!!, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and the more relevant Revolutionary Girl Utena).

Turns out, it shares a director with Utena. Aesthetically, they are very similar, although Utena's visuals are a bit dated by this point. I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call Penguin Drum a spiritual successor, but if you enjoy one you'll probably enjoy the other. There's a good balance of character development, slowly revealed plot, background wackiness, and various relationship drama that keeps things fresh and interesting.

I've gone so far without summarizing Mawaru Penguin Drum because that's actually rather difficult to do. It starts out with three siblings, fraternal twin brothers Kanba and Shoma (16) and their younger sister Himari (? 14... maybe?), living on their own in a small house in Tokyo. Himari is terminally ill, probably at home because there's nothing left being in a hospital can do for her. Sounds like a real downer... until the penguins show up. Then things just get weird.

I should probably wait until the ending to write up a full review. I've gotten a bit ahead of myself.

Basically, if you're into interesting visuals, heavy symbolism, and psychological drama, give Mawaru Penguin Drum (and Utena) a spin.