Course Syllabus
Creative Writing
Course Description
This course invites students to think about language in new and innovative ways. I discourage focus on the final product, and instead encourage students to think of this course as an opportunity to experiment with the literary and linguistic palate. We will spend the first third of the class examining conventions in various genres of writing (so we can learn how best to break the rules). Then, we will dig into the labor of producing our own longer works of writing. Finally, we will spend the final weeks learning the unique and special skill of workshopping each others’ writing. Students should anticipate reading and writing every day, with regularly-assigned reading and writing for homework. Students should anticipate sharing their work with the class several times throughout the course.
Goals
In this course, my hope is that the students will achieve the following:
-an introductory understanding of the tools and devices writers use to achieve their literary effects.
-a critical lens for reading like a writer, examining craft, structure, and composing choices.
-a comfort and flexibility with language, giving students the ability to write with creativity and confidence in any form.
-a final portfolio of writing that has been carefully composed over several weeks, has received feedback from several sources, and has been lovingly revised into something the student is proud of.
-exposure to writers working in their profession, including poets, novelists, essayists, and writers for the stage and screen.
Course Materials
Most of our readings will be excerpts and short works, which I will provide. Students should come to class prepared with a notebook, a writing utensil, and a charged laptop.
Assessment
-There will be a variety of graded homework assignments. Most of the reading and smaller writing assignments will be graded based on completion to the best of your ability. If I feel you haven’t put your best effort into an assignment, the assignment isn’t completed, or isn’t your own work, then points will be deducted.
-There are several larger assignments in the class: two short stories, a book review, and a final portfolio. These will be graded based on completion and quality. Again, I assess quality of work based on your own ability. My goal is to encourage growth, not uniformity.
-You will receive a weekly participation grade. Participation looks different for different students. Some students are comfortable speaking in the full-class discussion. Other students only want to speak in small groups. Others are terrified of speaking in the group, so I may only hear their voices once or twice. You should be working each week to participate in some form, so that we’re all benefiting from your expertise! If your behavior leads to you not being present in class, then your participation grade will reflect that.
-Late policy: I have what I believe is a fair and manageable late policy. Homework assignments are due at the beginning of class. Do not take class time working on a homework assignment, or you will lose participation points! You have until the end of the following schoolday to get up to 95% of the assignment’s value, two schooldays to get up to 90%, three schooldays to get up to 85%, four schooldays to get up to 80%, and five to get up to 75%. After that, you can still turn assignments in for up to 70% of the credit due within the first or second half of a course. That being said, I am still assessing the homework assignment based on the parameters listed above; if the assignment is late and incomplete, you still may not receive all 70% of credit. A general rule of thumb in my classes is that if you do the work on time and thoroughly, you will pass my class.
A.I. Disclaimer
Because this is a class focused on developing your reading and writing ability, the use of Artificial Intelligence to assist you in reading and writing will count as plagiarism, unless the teacher has specifically said otherwise about an assignment. A.I. can, and will, be a useful tool for your future reading and writing needs. However, if we are going to improve your current skill set, we need to do so without the “shortcuts” A.I. offer us. If you are unsure if the program you intend to use to help you with an assignment is AI or banned by this class, consult your teacher. “I didn’t know” is not a valid excuse for turning in a piece of work that has used A.I. inappropriately. See the community guidelines around A.I. for more information.
Advice:
A general rule of thumb in this class: if you submit work on time, you will almost assuredly receive an A or B in my class. If you’re challenged or confused by an assignment, ask me. If you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing, that’s ok! That means you’re learning how to do something. Produce work and turn it in, even if you’re unsure what the “right” way of doing something is. You do not learn from me making things easier for you. You learn from trying things. You learn from having to try again.