The School of Arts and Humanities
presents

"Whatsoever Ye Do, Do All to the Glory of God"
1 Corinthians 10:31

Please Note: What you are looking at is a web document accessible by any computer with internet access based on the hard copy syllabus you received the first day of class.  All dates have been removed from this document and you should rely on the hard copy for due date and other information.  This web site is especially helpful with online links to internet resources. The index units below, showing this document's parts, are not only a sort of organizing table of contents but are on the web  links to the indicated parts of this syllabus.  While the basic plan of this class is established, fine tuning as well as added resources may not be included in this printed version. I will announce alterations to the syllabus in class.   Still, student are encouraged to check the actual web site regularly.

Course Index:

• Course Description
[texts] [tools] [objectives] [procedure] [evaluation] [grading scale] [peer evaluation] [class wisdom] [facts of life] [required forms] [attendance] [tests] [midterm & final] [journal] [journal sample] [Final Rewrite [On the Web]
• Class Schedule
[Week One] [Week Two][Week Three][Week Four][Week Five][Week Six][Week Seven][Week Eight][Week Nine][Week Ten][Week Eleven][Week Twelve][Week Thirteen][Week Fourteen][Week Fifteen]

Selected Topics in Creative writing [CRW 3089] is an advanced course in the process of writing fiction, specifically short stories and the novel within the parameters of what has come to be known generally as “Literature of the Fantastic.” Particular attention is paid to the sub-genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy and the types of genre types in which these most often appear, short stories the novel as well as games and graphic novels. Writing poetry is a skill unto itself (and should be treated in a separate class).  However it would be interesting to see how students might approach the challenge of poems within these parameters and they are encouraged to do so. (Tolkien is a great example of one who did)  These will function as sources for extra credit.

Texts:

• Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King. Harper Paperbacks; 2 Sub edition (April 13, 2004)

• How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card Writers. Digest Books (September 15, 2001).

• The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume I: The Greatest Science Fiction Stories of All Time, Chosen by the Members of the Science Fiction Writers of America. Edited by Robert Silverberg Tor Books; 1st edition (February 22, 2003)

• Fantasy Novel Chosen by the C lass.

Tools:

• One Loose-leaf Notebook divided into three (3) parts

• Floppy Disk  Formatted for PC use (Sorry Mac users)

Class Procedure:

CRW 3089 meets three times a week. Class time will be divided between discussion on how to write and edit short stories, the examination of how these principles are manifested in the different short stories assigned for the class, and the practical application of those concepts in student writing. There will be special emphasis of reading viewing writing and creating texts often grouped together as “Literature of the Fantastic.”  Part of our time will be spent viewing films with commentary to hear what issues modern myth makers face and how they solve them. Students will be required to write at least two short stories during the semester.  These will hopefully make their way to student publications and beyond.  There will also be a series of assignments, four tests, a midterm and final.

Class Objectives:

• To develop in students the ability to write fictional narrative, especially emphasizing the sub-genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

• To become familiar both by study and by practice with various examples of science fiction text and film to help through experience the student determine what best suits his or her personal narrative voice.

• To encourage students toward the maximum development of narrative communication skills and abilities.

• To enable students to improve written communications through directed experience.

•  To develop in students the skills needed to enjoy and evaluate Literature of the Fantastic so that they may apply this to their own art.

• To promote within students the vision and ability to apply communication skills and knowledge to enhance the power of the imagination as a tool for redemption for human society towards God's kingdom.

Evaluation:

Each student will be responsible for a portfolio which will be collected both just before midterm and at the end of the semester.

• Submissions 30%
• Quizzes 20%
• Editing 20%
• Class Participation 10%
• Mid-term 10%
• Final 10%

As a sophomore level class there will be plus (+) and minuses (-) in the grading system this year

• 93 to 100 is an "A" Exceptional!
• 90 to 92 is an "A-" A cut above--unusually good.
• 87 to 89 is "B+" Very Well Done!
• 84 to 86 is a "B" Well Done! A fine Job!
• 80 to 83 is a "B-" Fairly Good
• 77 to 79 is a "C+" Solidly in there
• 74 to 76 is a "C" Good, a concrete understanding of the subject
• 70 to 73 is a "C-"  Understanding of subject is workable
• 60 to 70 is a "D" Passing but weak
• 59 and below is an "F"  Fell short of required understanding of material

During workshop sessions students will bring in five copies of what they have ready for class.  With 14 students and the instructor there will be three groups of five.  Each student will read aloud his or her work while the other members of the small group will take notes and fill out the peer form provided.  After listening to the work the peers should give praise and advise.  Each reader will then get four peer evaluations from which to consider as the story process continues.

Peer Evaluation:

On primary due dates (after being confirmed by the instructor) each student will exchange papers with a classmate, referred to from now on as a "final peer." That peer will check the typed draft for mechanical difficulties (comma use, fragments, etc.) as well as stylistic elements covered in class, He or she will then return the paper with corrections after signing the draft with his or her class number on the lower left-hand side of the first page.

The corrected manuscript is due by the following class. A standard list of revision symbols taken from The Scribner Handbook, has been included in a separate handout. Also you will find there a section on pet peeves that I hate to find in student papers. Take note, in the real world if a superior points out within your work elements with which he or she has issues it's politically wise to avoid such habits.

When the portfolios are handed in on the 11^th and 6^th due dates, the drafts must be included. No student should edit more than one paper for an assignment. However, peers may be and should be different for exchange dates.

·         NOTE: Failure to return the edited essay promptly to the writer will lead to a failing grade for the Peer editor's portion of the assignment.

·         FURTHER NOTE: If an essay is handed in without the original and corrected drafts, a failing grade will be recorded in my grade book for both students. To avoid this, the Peer editor may hand in a photocopied version of the corrected draft to prove that he or she has completed the assignment.

The quizzes scheduled throughout the semester will be based on the assigned readings found within Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, and How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy, The Science Fiction Hall of Fame and a short novel within the fantasy genre chosen by the class..  Orson Scott Card, author of How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy is a well established and recognized author.  I read his premier novel Ender’s Game this past summer for which he won a Nebula and Hugo award.  That novel not only established his reputation, he has continued to build on it. Card takes the art of writing SF and F seriously and has become a major spokesperson on the craft of writing.

In 2005, Card accepted a permanent appointment as "distinguished professor" at Southern Virginia University in Buena Vista, Virginia, a small liberal arts college. . .Card has cited his frustration with dismal teaching methodology for creative writing in most universities as a reason for accepting this position, along with his desire to teach the techniques of effective fiction writing to writers whose values are more harmonious with his own.[1]  Card has worked closely with colleagues to develop new and effective ways to educate aspiring writers and has published two books on the subject. He was eager for the opportunity to apply these techniques in a university environment which his assorted workshops did not allow the follow-through he desired.

 Self-Editing is a practical (and sometimes finny) guide into the art of writing, which itself includes various examples.  The Science Fiction Hall of Fame exposes student to the kinds of works published and seriously considered as outstanding examples.  Since most are from the sixties, the reader may find them slightly dated.  Still they are now the recognized founders and give a good taste of the genre does best.

Fantasy Novel?  While the first part of the semester will be steeped in reading of Science Fiction, the class will choose a short fantasy novel as the reading for the second half.  Some suggestions might be The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett, or Something Wicked this Way Comes by Ray Bradbury.  Be thinking of this.

[1] Card is a Mormon whose school, Southern Virginia University, is based on the ethics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Thus while he may not agree with us about particulars of faith, he is deeply sympathetic to writers who have found faith a dead issue in the world of SF.

·         There will be six (6) quizes throughout the semester especially on the readings given for class.  One will be dropped.  These quizes will be made up of  true and false, multiple choice and matching questions.

·         The Midterm Portfolio is due on Wednesday Oct. 14

·         The Midterm Exam is set for the Friday Oct 15^th before Mid Semester Break.  The Midterm is based strongly on the quizes.

·         Final Portfolios are due Friday Dec. 4^th.

•  The Final  is on Thursday Dec. 10^th at 10:00am.

Class Wisdom:

The final point in the above paragraph may seem frightening to some since one's grade will at times hang on the ability and maturity of a fellow student. This is why it is vital to cover oneself. Always make a back-up copy of one's work both on disk and on hard copy. .  If in the shuffle of papers your work is mislaid by the instructor or a peer, it is your responsibility of have a backup copy. MAKE A BACKUP OF ALL YOUR WORK! SAVE IT ON DIFFERENT DISKS!

The Facts of Life:

What I am about to say is a difficult truth not often voiced in either secular or religious circles: Contrary to popular belief, God did not create us all equal.

Often I have heard teachers, especially those being celebrated, say things like "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise: you can be whatever you want to be! All it takes is effort!" From the pulpit I have heard the claim that the church is in the business of creating spiritual leaders. But the simple fact is that there are many things we as individuals will find we are not capable of being, just as many of us will find that taking leadership roles is not God's will for our lives. True we can "soft peddle" it so that even a worker in the church nursery has taken a leadership role forming the future, but we know that this is not the image of leadership usually suggested nor celebrated.

Within the spiritual we may take comfort that God loves us all equally and seeks for the development of our special value. In the secular we may take pride in the ideal that we are equal before the law. However, in the giving out of gifts and talents we must recognize the unique and varied distribution which makes up the human experience.

Why am I dwelling on this in a Creative Writing syllabus? Because Creative Writing, unlike other classes, is not just a class of information; it is a performance class of a talent. Hard work and consistent participation, while certainly helpful, can not guarantee superior achievement in this field.

I learned this difficult reality at ENC. in the field of voice. Through effort and grit I had managed to get into the traveling choir. But I was never able to get into the smaller singing groups. My professor once explained that although my notes were true and I could blend in well with a group, when it came to singing solo I had "a character voice not a solo voice." I was a B singer not an A. The same will be true for many of you in creative writing.

Form:

All papers, both first draft and final, will be typed. Also please increase the font from the default setting of 12 to 14.  They will also be in MLA style and double spaced. For an example look at The Scribner Handbook on page 745.

Margins should be an inch (although our computers default to an inch and a quarter (1/4). If you choose to use a computer don't bother changing the default margins but you will need to alter the spacing and be certain that your text is no smaller than 12 point and no larger than 14 point.

Attendance:
Since this class is strongly based on student involvement, in fact since 20 percent of the grade is centered on editorial work given to peers as they read their work in class, regular and faithful attendance is vital.  This fact is acerbated by the fact that our class meets only twice a week.  Students who miss three classes have missed a week and a half of work.  More than this makes catching up highly unlikely and the student will be asked to drop this course.

Electronic Submissions and email:

This semester I am going to experiment with submissions via email.  However, the student must be certain that he or she can do this task and do it well before handing in work to me.  Here are some guidelines

• Assignments are to be submitted as attached files, NOT as actual email text.  Part of what you are learning in the class is MLA form as well as content.
• Just as in standard hand-ins, email submissions will require full headings. Furthermore the subject of the email should indicate which assignment it is as well as what section (5 or 6).

2009 Fall Class Schedule

Important Dates:

·         Wednesday, Sept. 2 First Day of Classes

·         Friday Oct. 9 First Work is exchanged with “final peer.”

·         Wednesday Oct. 14 Portfolios with story and final peer work are collected

·         Friday Oct. 16 Midterm Exam and then break begins at 5:20pm and goes through to Tuesday Oct. 20^th.

·         Wednesday Nov. 24 and Friday Nov. 27 Thanksgiving Break

·         Monday Dec. 7^th the Final Portfolios are due

·         Thursday Dec. 10^th Final Exam for Selected Topics in Creative Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy at 10:00am.

Abbreviations Index

               Self-Editing for Fiction [Self Editing]

               How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy [How to Wright]

               The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume I: The Greatest Science Fiction Stories of All Time, Chosen by the Members of the Science Fiction Writers of America [Hall of Fame]

Fall 2009

Note: All readings and assignments are due on the day for which they are listed. Exercises associated with readings are not required unless they are specifically assigned. The professor reserves the right to modify this schedule.

Week One:

Wed. Sept. 2

Introduction to Class and Syllabus Review

Pre-Writing Excursuses

PowerPoint on SF's Textual Gaps

Fri. Sept. 4

            “Science Fiction” Handout from The Graceful Lie pp. 436-451                     

How to Write

                        “Introduction” pp. 1-2

                        “The Infinite Boundary” (one and two) pp. 3-11

            Self Editing

            “Introduction” pp. xi-xii

Hall of Fame

                        “A Martian Odyssey” by Stanley G. Weinbaum pp. 1-23

Week Two:

Mon. Sept. 7

“Science Fiction” Handout from The Graceful Lie pp. 451-

How to Write

                        “The Infinite Boundary” (three and four) pp. 11-20

            Self Editing

            “Show Don’t Tell” pp. 5-22

            Bring five copies of Four (4) story beginnings to class  Look at some basic plot lines.

Wed. Sept. 9

“Science Fiction” Handout from The Graceful Lie pp.

How to Write

                        “The Infinite Boundary” (five) pp. 23-39

            Self Editing

            “Characterization and Exposition” pp. -15-27 High in the Mountains

Hall of Fame

                        “Twilight” by John W. Campbell pp. 24-41

Fri. Sept. 11

·         Quiz # 1

How to Write

                        “World Creation” (Where Ideas Come From) pp. 26-36

            Self Editing

            “Point of View” pp. 29-35 (first part of the chapter)

Hall of Fame

                        “Helen O’Loy” by Lester de Ray pp. 42-52

Week Three:

Mon. Sept. 14

How to Write

                        “World Creation” (Where Ideas Come From) pp. 37-62

 Self Editing

 “Dialogue Mechanics” pp.

Hall of Fame

                         "The Roads Must Role" by Robert Heinline pp. 53-87

Wed. Sept. 16

How to Write

                        “Story Construction” pp. 63-73

                        The Forms of Plot

 Self Editing

 “See How it Sounds” pp.  

Hall of Fame

                         "Microscopic God" by Theodore Sturgeon pp. 53-87

Fri. Sept. 18

How to Write

                        “Story Construction” pp. 63-73

Hall of Fame

                         "Nightfall" by Isaac Asimov pp. 113-144 

·                      You should have chosen which narrative you will be concentrating on for now.

Week Four:

Mon. Sept. 21

How to Write

 “Story Construction” (pp. 73-83) (Stop at "Deciding Which is Which"

 Self Editing

  “Interior Monologue” pp. 116-139

Hall of Fame

 "Mimsy Were the Borogroves" by Lewis Padgett ( pseudonym of the husband and wife team: Henry Cutter and CJ Moore) pp. 181-210 

Wed. Sept. 23

How to Write

 “Story Construction” (pp. 83-87) ("Deciding Which is Which")

 Self Editing

  “Easy Beats” pp. 140-150

Hall of Fame

        "Huddling Place" by Clifford Smak  pp. 211-226

 Fri. Sept. 25

·                      Quiz # 2

            Self Editing

                        “Easy Beats” pp. 150-160

Hall of Fame

                        "Arena" by Fredrik Brown  pp. 227-251

Week Five:

 Mon. Sept. 28

            Self Editing

                        “Breaking Up is Easy to Do” pp.160-174

Hall of Fame

                        "First Contact" by Murray Leinstern  pp. 252-280

 Wed. Sept. 30

Self Editing

                         “Breaking Up is Easy to Do” pp.175-181

Hall of Fame

                        "That Only a Mother" by Judith Merril pp. 281-289

Fri. Oct. 2

Self Editing

                        “Breaking Up is Easy to Do” pp.182-191 Humor Within the Realms of SF and Fan

Hall of Fame

                        "Scanners Live in Vain" by Cordwainer Smith  pp. 281-289

Week Six:

•  Please Bring Four Copies of Your Story Thus Far

Mon. Oct. 5

 “Sophistication” pp. 192-199

Hall of Fame

  "The Little Black Bag" by C.M. Kornbluth  pp. 338-362

Wed. Oct. 7

Self-Editing

"Sophistication" pp. 200-212
 

Hall of Fame

  "Mars is Heaven" by Ray Bradbury  pp. 322-337

Fri. Oct. 9

• First Work is exchanged with “final peer.”
• Quiz # 3

How to Write