Option 1, Fanfiction

You will be expected to write a short piece of fan fiction (5-7 pages) as well as an even shorter critical introduction (1-2 pages) that precedes your creative work. The introduction should situate your project within the larger Austen canon (i.e. the novels, criticism, and film, etc. that inspired your own work and authorial perspective).

Guidelines for the Critical Introduction

  • No more than 2 double-spaced pages; Times New Roman 12, or similar
  • Provide an overview of what decisions you made when crafting your creative work (i.e. which text? Which “canon”? Did you choose an alternate universe? Why? Did you choose to write a scene (or character) not in the Austen primary text? Did you change a scene or character? In short, what were the rules of the “canon” you chose to employ when writing your fan fiction?
  • If a particular piece of literary criticism influenced your creative work, please note it appropriately. The same holds true if you are working within the parameters of a particular adaptation or set of adaptations.
  • Please use the MLA format when referring to critical works, primary sources, and film.

Guidelines for Fanfiction

  • 5-7 double-spaced pages; Times New Roman 12, or similar
  • Your fanfiction should be coherent and engaging. It may be useful to model your own work on a piece of fanfiction that you found to be particularly successful. If you have done this, please note its influence in your critical introduction.
  • It should reflect the vast reading you have done this semester in the Austen canon more broadly. If influenced by a piece of literary criticism, for example, you should note its importance in your critical introduction
  • Your submission should be carefully edited and proofread prior to submission.
  • If your fanfiction requires illustration or hypertext, please let me know what form you’ll be submitting it in.
  • No more than an “R” Rating and let’s keep it classy.
  • Nothing AI generated

Option 2, A Jane Austen Playlist

  • Construct a playlist meant to accompany one of the three Jane Austen novels read this semester. In order to complete this project, you’ll need to identify key moments in the text and choose an appropriate song to accompany those moments.
  • In an expository essay (3 pages), you’ll explain why the songs you’ve chosen fit the mood of the moment, as well as how all of the songs construct your own “musical” reading of the novel.
  • 5-7 double-spaced pages; Times New Roman 12, or similar
  • There are no restrictions on your chosen tunes, but let’s keep it PG-13 or R if possible.
  • A model for this project would be the soundtrack to Bridgerton for example.

Option 3, Material Culture Project (i.e. video, photography, visual arts, clothing, etc.)

  • If your material project does not have a written element, you will need to submit an introductory essay of no more than 3 double-spaced pages; Times New Roman 12, or similar.
  • Your essay should provide a thorough overview of what decisions you made when developing your project. In what ways does the object you made fit into the Austen canon and which elements does it respond to?
  • In the case of a material object, it is particularly important to situate it within both the primary sources and the larger critical and creative canon.
  • Which Austen texts influenced your work? If a particular piece of literary criticism influenced your project, please note it appropriately. The same holds true if you are working within the parameters of a particular adaptation or set of adaptations.
  • Please use the MLA format when referring to critical works, primary sources, and film.

Due Dates

  • We will discuss the project guidelines on Thursday, October 26th.
  • Submit a description of your proposed project any time after October 26thh but no later than Thursday, November 9th, on eLC. The description should be 1-2 paragraphs long and include sources and images, if applicable. Please use the MLA format when referring to critical works, primary sources, and film. (Updated 10/23/2024)

  • All creative projects are due on Tuesday, November 28th. Each project will be presented to the class in a 3 minute flash presentation. Feel free to have a 2-slide presentation if you’d like or a posterboard. I’ve asked you to describe your presentation plan in eLc. Please do that as soon as possible but no later than the 26th. You should plan on presenting as early as the 28th but you may be scheduled for the 30th.
  • Please send all written materials to roxanne.eberle@gmail.com in a form that will allow me to make comments directly on the draft. All written material is due no later than Tuesday, December 5th but can be submitted any time prior to that date.
  • It should go without saying that you cannot use any AI generated material for this project.