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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "CW 350"
COURSE NAME: "Creative Writing Workshop: Fiction"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Fall 2023
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Elizabeth Farren
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
MW 1:30 PM 2:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisite: EN 103 or 105 with grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS:
by appointment only
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The course aims to develop the creative, editorial, and reading habits needed for the production of literary fiction; to develop self-editing skills; and to foster an aesthetic sensibility for use in writing literary fiction. Students will read both contemporary literary fiction and materials related to analyzing and editing literary fiction and participate in a traditional creative writing workshop through in-class writing exercises, reading classmates' fiction, and producing and workshopping their own fiction. Students will compile a portfolio of the work they produce during the term. Students completing this workshop course will be familiar with the skills needed to produce literary fiction, to self-edit work in progress, and to discern the characteristics that make quality literary fiction.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
Classes are a mix writing workshops, traditional lectures, discussions of assigned readings, and in-class writing exercises. Readings will correspond to the topics covered and will help create a foundation for the writing assignments themselves. Dedicated to the philosophy that all writing benefits from careful critique and thoughtful revision, the workshops help students develop critical thinking and editorial skills, while fostering an aesthetic sensibility about their own writing, the writing of their peers, and ultimately a more thorough understanding of the various components of literary fiction.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students will become familiar with the basic elements of storytelling, story development, and story revision. The goal for this course is for students to produce, develop, and revise an original portfolio of short fiction. Through the review of their peers’ work, students will learn how to offer thoughtful criticism, as well as gain the editorial skills necessary to self-edit. Students will read examples of literary fiction and have an opportunity to develop their own voice as a writer, with the aim of gaining experience and confidence in the craft.
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TEXTBOOK:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments | Format | Local Bookstore | Online Purchase |
| The Penguin Book of the Modern American Short Story | John Freeman | Penguin | SBN-10 : 1984877828 | | | | | |
| Writing Fiction, Tenth Edition: A Guide to Narrative Craft | Janet Burroway | University of Chicago Press | ISBN-10 : 022661669X | | | | | |
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| Final Portfolio | Around 30 pages of fiction. Students must complete a polished final portfolio which shows growth and development over the course of the class. Guidelines for the specific assignments will be posted in Moodle. | 50 |
| Attendance and Class Participation | Students must not miss more than two classes. They are expected to contribute to discussion, peer editing, and workshop activities. Students who are later than 10 minutes may be counted as absent. Students who use their phone/messaging services in class will be counted as absent. | 20 |
| Self-editing, peer editing, and conscientiousness | Students must demonstrate a concerted attempt to self-edit and improve their work through revision and rewriting. Too, students must assist their peers by carefully reading their work and providing them thoughtful feedback (both in class and through written comments on the work itself). | 15 |
| Reading journal and preparation | Students are required to read the provided texts, and they must respond to homework questions in their reading journals. They must also complete in-class writing prompts that will be ungraded but compulsory. All Moodle assignments must be uploaded by the assigned due date and time. | 15 |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Daily attendance and active participation are an invaluable part of the workshop. Students have 2 excused absences. Each additional absence will cause a 5 percent deduction in the final grade. Late arrival in class after attendance has been taken may count as an absence. The use of a phone in class will be counted as an absence. For students who are in virtual learning, failure to be present (face visible) on the live chat will be counted as an absence.
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ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred.
In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment,
may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student
who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from
the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation
to the President, who will make the final decision.
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STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap.
Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning
of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
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SCHEDULE
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SCHEDULE NOTE: This schedule is approximate & subject to change during the term, due to class size, workshop time, and so forth. Please see Moodle for finalized syllabus.
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READINGS: The class will have attached readings on Moodle, as well as readings in Penguin anthology (John Freeman), and required textbook (Janet Burroway). All students are required to have a reading/writing journal which they will use for reading responses and weekly in class writing activities. In almost every class, student work will be workshopped.
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WEEK ONE
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Introduction to the Fiction Workshop; introduction to the elements of story; first assignment due-- the construction of a snapshot or flash piece of fiction
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WEEK TWO
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Flash discussion and discussion of the elements of story structure; workshop
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WEEK THREE
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Continued discussion of flash fiction and the purpose and power of fiction; workshop
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WEEK FOUR
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Discussion of Flash and Microfiction; First Microfiction assignment due; workshop
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WEEK FIVE
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Workshop of Microfiction and discussion of story ideation and plot
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WEEK SIX
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Workshop of Microfiction and continued discussion of fiction structure: beginnings, middles, and endings
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WEEK SEVEN
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Workshop of Microfiction and discussion of character ideation, construction, and transformation
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WEEK EIGHT
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Discussion of dialogue and construction of character through dialogue; workshop;
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WEEK NINE
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Discussion of Point of View and the advantages of different lenses,Longer Short Story Due; workshop
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WEEK TEN
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Discussion of setting, and setting as character; workshop
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WEEK ELEVEN
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Discussion of language; sentences, paragraphs, the potency of prose and textual density; workshop
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WEEK TWELVE
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Discussion of narrative tension and gimmicks; the difference between the commercial and the literary; workshop
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WEEK THIRTEEN
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Discussion of writing as a conversation; experiments with imitative stories and original imitations; imitation assignment due; workshop
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WEEK FOURTEEN
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Discussion of endings, revisions, readings, and the construction of a final portfolio; workshop
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WEEK FIFTEEN
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Final portfolio due; reading journal due, preparation for Creative Writing Showcase (date, time, place TBD); workshop
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