Course Syllabus
Creative Writing 1
Instructor: Laurie Dennison
Email address:
Phone number:
Optional office hours: Wednesdays from 2:00-3:00 PM CST
Course Meeting Information
Meets: Online via Canvas LMS
Duration: 18-weeks, single semester
Prerequisites: Successful completion of grades 6-8 language arts classes
Course Schedule: Pace Chart (Click here to download)
Click here to download a text-only version of the full syllabus.
Course Description
Creative Writing 1 addresses foundational elements and techniques of creative narrative writing. It prepares students to compose short or long form drafts of narrative stories from a clearly established point of view, to effectively give and receive feedback on their drafts, and to revise their writing based on feedback to improve the narrative for clarity and cohesiveness.
Module Topics
- Elements of Story and Why They Matter
- Narrative Drafting Techniques
- Revision and Applying Feedback
Required Texts
Story Genius by Lisa Cron (E-text or Paperback)
On Writing by Stephen King (E-text or Paperback)
Online articles linked through modules
Course Technologies and Teaching Techniques
This course is taught using the Canvas learning management system and uses Voice Thread and Google Docs. Students will need to create a free Voice Thread account at voicethread.com and will need access to Google Docs and any other word processing applications of their choice for completing written work. Teaching techniques include webinars, assigned readings, group discussions via the LMS, and feedback given and received through the LMS and Google Docs.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Discuss the use of character, setting, scene structure, theme, and tone in a given narrative.
- Compose an original narrative draft that employs character development, setting, scene structure, theme, and tone.
- Give and receive constructive feedback on a narrative draft.
- Revise a narrative draft using feedback from peers, adults, and online editing tools to improve the draft’s clarity and cohesiveness.
As this is a creative writing course, students should expect written assignments that include a few paragraphs for discussions and short assignments and three longer original narratives up to 1,000 words each. Students will also receive feedback on their writing from both the instructor and peers in the class, and they will be expected to give nine peer critiques during the course. Three original narrative stories will be revised and resubmitted for a separate grade. Students will then choose two of those three stories to revise a third time for their final portfolio. The portfolio, which will comprise 20 points of the students’ final grade, will include two first drafts, two revised second drafts, two new final drafts, and two self-reflections.
Course Schedule and Pacing Guide
|
|
Topics |
Readings |
Assignments |
|
Week 1 |
1.1 What is a story? 1.2 How stories impact our world |
Story Genius Introduction Chapter 1 |
-Pre-assessment: Tell Me a Story -Week 1 Discussion |
|
Week 2 |
1.3 Character development 1.4 Setting as a narrative element |
Story Genius Chapter 2 |
-Week 2 Discussion
|
|
Week 3 |
1.5 Scene structure and plot 1.6 Identifying theme and tone |
“Thoughts on Writing a Scene” by Janice Hardy “Taking the Scenic Route: Scenes and Sequels” by Janice Hardy |
-Week 3 Discussion -Story Elements Analysis |
|
Week 4 |
2.1 Where do you get your ideas? 2.2 Review of grammar and mechanics for narrative writing |
Story Genius Chapter 3 |
-Week 4 Discussion -What if? Story Starters |
|
Week 5 |
2.3 Narrative planning |
Story Genius Chapter 4 |
-Week 5 Discussion
|
|
Week 6 |
2.4 Drafting a scene |
Story Genius Chapter 9 |
-Week 6 Discussion -Scene Card 1 |
|
Week 7 |
2.4 Drafting a scene |
On Writing Chapter 10 |
-Week 7 Discussion -First Draft 1 |
|
Week 8 |
3.1 Giving constructive feedback 3.2 Receiving feedback |
On Writing Chapter 11 |
-Peer Critique Set 1 |
|
Week 9 |
3.3 Revision techniques |
On Writing Chapter 12 |
-Week 9 Discussion -Revised Draft 1 -Scene Card 2 |
|
Week 10 |
3.4 Self-editing and reflection 3.5 Applying feedback to future projects |
“Kill Your Darlings” by Erin Bowman “Following Directions: Editing First Draft Feedback on The Shifter” by Janice Hardy |
-Week 10 Discussion -Self-reflection -First Draft 2 |
|
Week 11 |
3.6 Drafting and Revising for Character |
“Revising with Julie: Making Edits Manageable” by Julie Dao |
-Peer Critique Set 2 |
|
Week 12 |
3.7 Drafting and Revising for Setting |
“Writing Setting Through the Eyes of Your Narrator” by Anna Lee Huber |
-Week 12 Discussion -Revised Draft 2 -Scene Card 3
|
|
Week 13 |
3.8 Drafting and Revising for Scene Structure |
“Goals, Conflicts, & Stakes: Why Plots Need All Three” by Janice Hardy |
-Week 13 Discussions -First Draft 3 |
|
Week 14 |
3.9 Drafting and Revising for Tone |
“How the Wrong Tone Can Change Your Whole Novel” by Janice Hardy |
-Peer Critique Set 3 |
|
Week 15 |
3.10 Drafting and Revising for Theme |
“Theme Me Up: How to Develop Your Novel's Theme” by Janice Hardy |
-Week 15 Discussions -Revised Draft 3 |
|
Week 16 |
Review and Reflection |
|
-Week 16 Discussions |
|
Week 17 |
Floating Holiday |
|
|
|
Week 18 |
Floating Holiday |
|
-Final Portfolio Due |
Attendance Policies
Students are expected to log in to the course weekly during the semester to complete the modules and assignments.
Course weeks begin on Mondays at 12:00 AM EST and end on Sundays at 11:59 PM EST, and specific due dates for assignments will appear in the modules and the gradebook.
Grading Policies
This course is graded using a point system. First drafts, peer critiques, revised drafts, and the final portfolio will be assessed using rubrics that will be provided at the time of the assignment. Discussions, scene cards, and all other assignments will receive either full credit for completion according to the provided guidelines or zero points for non-completion.
|
Assessment |
Number |
Points Each |
Point Total |
|
Discussions |
13 |
1 |
13 |
|
Scene Cards |
3 |
3 |
9 |
|
Other Assignments |
3 |
2 |
6 |
|
First Drafts |
3 |
5 |
15 |
|
Peer Critiques |
9 |
1 |
9 |
|
Revised Drafts |
3 |
10 |
30 |
|
Final Portfolio |
1 |
20 |
20 |
|
Total Possible Points |
|
|
102 |
Grading Scheme
|
Total Points Earned |
Final Semester Grade |
|
90-102 |
A |
|
80-89 |
B |
|
70-79 |
C |
|
60-69 |
D |
|
Below 59 |
F |
Students will receive their points and any instructor feedback no later than seven days following the due date. Please note that in weeks 9, 12, and 15, students will have at least seven days to revise their first drafts based on peer and instructor feedback by the due date.
Late Work
Discussions may not be submitted for late credit. While there are 13 total discussions during the course, students may choose to complete 11, skipping any two discussions without penalty with the possibility of still earning 100 total points. Any other assignments will be issued a 10% reduction in score for each 24-hour period they are late, up to a total of five days.
Original Work
All assignments should be original works by the student created for this class during this semester. Students interested in revising previously written original works for the portfolio may contact the instructor directly, and approval will be given on a case-by-case basis. Assignments may be checked through plagiarism detection platforms, and assignments found to be plagiarized will earn zero points.
Netiquette Policies
To be successful in this course, students are expected to interact respectfully and courteously with their fellow classmates and the instructor. This includes the language used in discussion boards, emails, peer critiques, and any other course interaction. Posts deemed to be inappropriate, harmful, or offensive to others will be deleted at the instructor’s discretion.
Students will use Google Docs commenting features to critique each other’s work, and comments will be visible to the writer, the instructor, and others giving critique. Before the first peer critique, expectations for giving and receiving feedback will be discussed. Students will be expected to focus on the writing, follow the techniques discussed in Module 3, and adhere to the same policies of respect and courtesy as all other course interactions.
Discussion Expectations
Most of the interaction among classmates for this course will occur by text on the discussion boards. Each week students will have two prompts. To earn the point for each week’s discussion, students must post at least three times in the discussion by responding to both prompts and commenting on at least one other student’s response in a meaningful way.
Discussions may not be turned in for late credit beyond the due date. There are 13 weeks of discussion assignments, but completing 11 of 13 would still allow for a 100 points as a final grade. This allows students to miss up to two discussions with no penalty.
Discussion responses should answer the prompts fully, clearly, and stay related to course content. Responses to fellow students should be respectful and should further the conversation. In order to receive full credit, students must participate on at least two different days during the week in order to respond to further comments and discussion as needed. The first post must take place more than 24 hours prior to the due date. Postings should use complete sentences and accepted rules of grammar and mechanics; a typical post length should be one to two paragraphs long, though they may be longer.
Please feel free to reach out any time via email with any questions or concerns.
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