Department of Language and Literature

Department of Language and Literature CRW 2001 Creative Writing Instructor: David Anson SPRING 2010 Bradenton Campus Office: 6 – 127 Office Hours: MWF 11:00 a.m. – 12 noon TR 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Office extension: 752.5461 SCF email account: [email protected] (*do not use Angel for email*)

Course Description Creative Writing (3)(A.A.). Three hours per week. Prerequisites: ENC 1101 and concurrent registration in or completion of ENC 1102 or its equivalent with a grade of “C” or better. This course meets the six-thousand 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) are designed to stimulate beginning writers and to familiarize them with literary techniques and forms. Students are expected to share their work with the class and to participate in class discussion. This course may be repeated for credit (however, satisfies Gordon Rule only once).

Course Performance Standards Students may access course performance standards by clicking on the “Course Performances Standards” link at the following web address: pages/docs/CouPerSta /CRW_2001.doc A hard copy may be obtained from the Department Office.

Required Texts Rosenthal, Lucy. ed. The Eloquent Short Story. New York: Persea, 2004. Print. Schoen, Steven. The Truth About Fiction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2000. Print. class handouts

Attendance Because our class meets one evening each week, missing more than one three-hour class will jeopardize your class standing. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to get the assignment from a classmate and to be prepared for the next class meeting. Be forewarned: Any student missing more than one class is subject to withdrawal. N.B In accordance with the State College of Florida policy, as stated in the college catalog, students may withdraw from any course, or all courses, without academic penalty, by the withdrawal deadline listed in the State College of Florida academic calendar. This semester, the withdrawal date is Thursday 25 Mar. Students should take responsibility to initiate the withdrawal procedure. In addition, students should note that faculty may also withdraw students for violating policies, procedures or conditions of the class, as outlined in individual class syllabi, and such action could affect financial aid eligibility. Further, please be advised that workshop participation is an integral part of CRW 2001. This includes responding to questions and initiating dialogue / critique / review. Students who have not read the assignments or produced required opera will not receive participation credit (see “Grades”). Bottom line: Be prepared to involve yourself. Grading Scale A+ 100 B+ 92 C+ 84 D+ 75 A 96 B 88 C 80 D 72 A– 93 B– 85 C– 76 D– 70

SCF's Virtual Library: Direct link from SCF homepage

Gordon Rule This course meet the Florida State Board of Education Rule Number 6A-10.30. In accordance with this rule, students will complete written assignments totaling six-thousand words. A grade of C or better is required for credit in Gordon Rule classes.

Plagiarism The college and this instructor define plagiarism as the use of ideas, facts, opinions, illustrative material, the use of 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. Please be aware that my policy is one of zero tolerance. You will receive an F for the course and face possible expulsion from The State College of Florida.

Standards of Conduct Students are expected to abide by all SCF Student Handbook guidelines. Students are required to use their SCF email accounts to communicate with their instructor(s) Please do not bring your adorable children to class.

Grades Grades will be based on class participation and the quantity (all assignments submitted) and quality (sensible revisions) of writing. In order to earn a grade in the course you must 1 attend class and have class sets of your manuscript(s) prepared to distribute 2 participate in discussions about classmates’ work and assigned readings. 3 do all assignments seriously, regardless of whether they succeed or fail for you; work through multiple drafts to find out if the magic might occur 4 regularly present work to the class for general workshop 5 seriously attend to comments about your work 6 revise your work (see item 8) 7 respond (thoughtfully, kindly, and honestly) to others’ works 8 submit specific assignments at midterm and the end, annotating finished (or most current) drafts (in other words, clarify the revisions you’ve tried). 9 submit two or three poems and one short story (minimum) to Pentangle.

Class participation (items 1-7) accounts for 30% of your grade; the midterm and final submissions (item 8) account for 30% each; the Pentangle submission accounts for 10%.

Also note that I do not put a letter grade on individual works. I do not believe in the concept of an A poem or a C short story. I do not have to “like” your poem/short fiction in order for you to earn good evaluations for your individual work or the course as a whole. I do believe in the need to communicate honestly and clearly, to share with others our ways of seeing the world. I shall comment on what I consider to be your strengths and point out areas that might need attention, however, and make suggestions for revising a work to make it stronger.

Due Dates [adjustment likely, depending on class enrollment] Midterm portfolio End of 8th week (3 Mar.) The final portfolio will be due during the last week of regular classes (28 Apr.) Pentangle submissions are due at the final exam period (5 May)