“All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.”
--F. Scott Fitzgerald
Dept. of Language and Literature
CRW 2001
Creative Writing I
Dr. Doug Ford
Fall 2009
Office: 645
Office Hours: 8:30-10, 2:30-3 MWF
8:30-9:30 11-12:30, 2-3:00 TR
12:00-2:00 F
Office Phone: 408-1501
E-mail:
Web page: http://faculty.mccfl.edu/fordd/fordd.htm
SCF Virtual Library: http://www.mccfl.edu/pages/109.asp
Elektraphrog (Student publication for creative writing): http://elektraphrog.scfl.edu
Course Description:
Creative Writing (3) (A.A.). Prerequisites ENC 1101 with concurrent registration in or completion of ENC 1102 with a grade of "C" or better. This course meets the 6,000 word Gordon Rule requirement. This course is a beginning workshop in the writing of poetry and/or fiction; projects in drama are optional. Assignments (some formal, some thematic) in either poetry and/or fiction are designed to stimulate beginning writers to familiarize them with literary techniques and forms. Students are expected to participate in class discussions.
Course Performance Standards:
The student, at the completion of this course, should be able to:
1. Devise own writing assignments and discipline self to write regularly
2. Revise and edit own stories and poems
3. Write poems using traditional conventions and devices with competence
4. Use a variety of sources for content of poems and stories (memory, lived experience, ideas found in print, observed experience).
5. Demonstrate the ability to learn from critical suggestions from peers and instructors
6. Critique the work of peers constructively, focusing on artistic constructs rather than personal taste.
7. Demonstrate the ability to work well within a workshop situation
8. Demonstrate the ability to read and analyze published poetry and short fiction by focusing on artistic conventions (e.g. plot structure, rhythm, diction, and image)
9. Demonstrate the ability to prepare a professional manuscript.
10. Fulfill in part writing requirements as mandated by SBE 6A-10.30
Texts and Required Materials:
v The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction, Eds. Lex Williford and Michael Martone. ISBN: 0684-85796-0
v The Spoken Word Revolution, edited by Mark Eleveld . ISBN: 1402202466
v Flash Fiction Forward: 80 Very Short Stories, edited by James Thomas and Robert Shapard. ISBN: 978-0393328028
v Pen and writer’s notebook for informal writings and exercises
v Access to a computer to log-in to ANGEL and to complete out -of -class assignments
v An MCC e-mail address to correspond with instructor
Attendance Requirement
Because this course will involve students sharing and discussing their writings, consistent attendance is mandatory. Missing four hours of class meetings will compromise a student’s ability to interact with professor and classmates, and I may ask students to withdraw at this point. Accordingly, students who miss four class meetings and remain in the class will receive an F for their participation grade, and their final course grade will drop by one letter. Hence, a student’s absences may cause a passing grade to become a failing grade. Please note that I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences, and please do not ask me to make allowances. Also, because much of our class time will consist of sharing and responding to student writing, coming to class without a day’s assignment is grounds for being marked absent for that particular day. Do not come to class without assignments due for that day.
Late Work Policy
Please note that I do not give passing grades to late assignments. If you cannot attend class on the day that an assignment is due, you should e-mail me your work either as an MS Word attachment, or embedded in the text of the e-mail on the day that the assignment is due. Note: my e-mail address is , as indicated at the top of this syllabus. I grant extensions only in the event of an illness or injury to your own body that can be verified with official documentation from a medical professional.
Withdrawal Policy:
In accordance with the Manatee Community College policy as stated in the college catalog, students may withdraw from any course or all courses without academic penalty of a WF by the withdrawal deadline as listed in the Manatee Community College academic calendar. This semester, this date is October 30th. The student must take responsibility for initiating the withdrawal procedure. Students are strongly encouraged to talk with their instructors first before taking any withdrawal action.
Gordon Rule:
This course meets the Florida State Board of Education Rule Number 6A-10.30. In accordance with this rule, students will complete written assignments totaling 6,000 words. A grade of C or better is required for credit in Gordon Rule classes.
Regarding Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is the use of ideas, facts, opinions, illustrative material, data, direct or indirect wording of another scholar and/or writer—professional or student—without giving proper credit. Expulsion, suspension, or any lesser penalty may be imposed for plagiarism.
Standards of Conduct:
Students are expected to abide by all Lancer Student Handbook guidelines. Also, please silence your cell phone before class begins. Anyone who has a cell phone go off must dance to his or her ring-tone!
Description of Assignments and Required Activities
(Note: All work must be completed in order to pass the course.)
Because this is a creative writing course, students should submit all work in Standard Manuscript Format unless I state otherwise. This is the style that professional writers use when submitting work for publication. Students should make their work look as professional as possible, and to help, I will provide a handout detailing how Standard Manuscript Format should look. Any work that is not in Standard Manuscript Format will have one grade deducted, so be sure to follow this format carefully. (Because Standard Manuscript Format calls for an address and phone number in the upper left hand corner, students may make up this information in the interest of privacy.)
Writer’s Notebook: Many of our writings will become part of your writer’s notebook, with most being either modeling exercises (m.e.) or reader analyses (r.a.), and I will occasionally grade them. A reader analysis will be two page examinations of the stories we read for class. In these writings, you will offer a short analysis of how the
story functions—that is, something about plot, theme, character, or technique. You will analyze these stories with the goal of eventually writing your own story like the one we’ve read. A modeling exercise will be a two-page effort to imitate something that we’ve read. These do not need to be complete stories—instead, consider them short experiments, where you try to do something that you see the writer accomplishing in his or her writing. The point of a modeling exercise is this: writers learn to write by imitating other writers. I will grade modeling exercises not in terms of how polished they are. Instead, I will assess your attempt to accomplish something on a small scale. Since we will complete most of these assignments in class, students should bring their writer’s notebooks to class every day. Any missing exercises can result in the loss of up to ten points.
Short Stories (four total): Most of our major assignments will consist of short fictional narratives. Please note: this is not a course on essay writing, and we do not write term papers. Unless stated otherwise, our writing in this course should consist of invented, made-up material. These writings will not be memoirs or autobiographies; instead, the characters will consist of people of your own invention. Students will be challenged to try different styles and/or techniques in writing their fiction, and grades will be awarded based on how well students met those challenges. Students should also proof read their work carefully (failure to do so will result in deducted grades). Please note: publishers will typically not accept sloppily written work, and such work will typically earn no higher than a C in this course. Each story turned in for a grade will go through multiple drafts, and each of these drafts must be turned in with the final copy. Save all of your drafts! Not having a rough draft will result in the subtraction of ten participation points.
Flash Fiction: To be classified as “flash fiction,” a short story must consist of no more than 500 words. Your flash fiction assignment is simply that: to write a short story of 500 words or less (it’s more challenging than it sounds!). One of our text books consists of only flash fiction, and those stories will serve as useful models.
‘Zine Listing: This assignment calls for you to create your own imaginary market listing. A market listing describes a magazine or other publication that would publish the sort of work you have been writing this semester. These professional listings can be found in The Writer’s Market Guide, a valuable resource for writers that is published every year (a copy can be found in our library). For this assignment, you will do the following:
· Photocopy an actual listing from The Writer’s Market Guide. The listing that you photocopy should describe a market that you would hypothetically submit your work to.
· A cover letter addressed to the listing you have chosen to photocopy
· Write an imaginary listing of an imaginary magazine. This listing should include crucial information such as: Title of publication; editor; type of work published; length or work, etc.
Poetry Collection: Your poetry collection should consist of 15-20 poems written by you. Please turn them in collectively inside a manila folder with your name written on the tab. They will receive a collective grade based on creativity, originality, and evidence that you have mastered the techniques we discussed in class. Throughout the semester, we will be writing poems that can go in your collection. Each poem you include in your collection should show evidence of revision and other results from the workshops we hold in class.
Public Reading (requirement): Thanks to a high level of student interest, the Venice campus of MCC has become quite a scene of dynamic public readings. Public readings are social events, sometimes with an added element of competition, where people take turns reading their poetry and short fiction before an audience. These readings are not only entertaining, but they are a crucial experience for a creative writing student because they offer one way of finding an audience (and every writer needs an audience!). In the past, MCC public readings have taken place on Arts and Letters Day, during “Swampside Poetry” evenings, and most recently, in “slams” that have pitted the Venice campus against the Bradenton campus.
Students in this course must participate in at least one of these events (and don’t worry, I’m always there to take attendance). Participation entails showing up with your own work and taking a turn to read before the audience. Failure to participate in these readings or to complete a make-up assignment will result in a subtraction of 30 participation points.
Submission to Elektraphrog (requirement): Another course requirement will be to submit at least one poem and at least one story to Elektraphrog, MCC-Venice’s online literary publication. You can find this publication by visiting, http://elektraphrog.mccfl.edu/. You will receive credit for your submissions, even if the student-editors do not select your work for publication. When you submit your work to Elektraphrog, send me a copy of your e-mail so that I can award you points for doing so. (Note: Be sure to submit your work in the manner requested by the editors of the Elektraphrog.)
Peer Reviews: “Peer Reviews” consist of responses you have written about a classmate’s work. Because this is a creative writing course, I will ask you to do several of these and to take them very seriously. Failure to take them seriously will jeopardize your participation grade as well as your overall grade for the course. Also, I ask that even when you critique someone else’s work, you do so in a kind, thoughtful, and considerate fashion. Criticism can be constructive without being insulting, so please respond to your classmates as you would have them respond to you. In some cases, you will be asked to complete your peer responses online, using ANGEL.
Participation: Because of the size, content, and nature of this course, I expect steady, near-perfect attendance from everyone. I also expect some form of participation from everyone in each of our class meetings. Accordingly, everyone should complete all of the reading assignments, participate in peer review exercises, and read your own work during at least one open mic event. Not completing the reading assignment for any given class will result in the loss of participation points.
Here is the break down of point distribution for participation:
· In-Class and On-line Discussion (including meeting deadlines for posting material): 30 points
· Submission to Elektraphrog: 20 points
· Participation in Open-Mic: 20 points
· Peer Reviews: 30 points
Grading:
(Note: All work must be completed in order to pass the course.)
Short Story 1 (based on memoir), (1000 words) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 points
Short Story 2 (1000 words) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 points
Short Story 3 (1000 words) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 points
Short Story 4 (1000 words) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 points
Flash Fiction (500 words or less) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 points
Writer’s Notebook (1000 words) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 points
Poetry Collection (1000 words) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 points
‘Zine listing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 points
Participation (including peer reviews and public reading). . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 points
900-1000 points=A
800-899 points=B
700-799 points=C
600-699 points=D
Below 600 points=F
Calendar of Assignments:
Consider this schedule tentative, since these dates will change as the class’s specific needs become clear. When you are absent, you should contact another classmate to find out what is due on our following meeting. Failing to do so can result in being unprepared for class and facing unpleasant consequences.
SACSF=The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction; SW=The Spoken Word Revolution
8/24: Introductions; explanation of class policies; at home: participate in discussion on ANGEL
8/26: Read: SACSF, pgs. 469-483 (“The Things They Carried”).