English 233/4/5 Summer Quarter

Writing Fiction: Short Stories

 

 

Instructor: Julianne Seeman

Campus email: jseeman@bcc.ctc.edu

The best way to contact me is via email on our course site

 

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS

  1. A reliable computer with Microsoft Word. Please DO NOT use Works or Word Perfect. I will not be able to read your work.

 

  1. A reliable back up plan if your computer fails.

 

 

  1. A notebook and pen that you can easily carry around with you and use as a writing notebook/journal. 

 

  1. Course notebook in which you keep printed off course materials

 

  1. REQUIRED BOOKS;  You need to have the required books the first week.

·        Burroway: Writing Fiction, 7th edition (Available at BCC Bookstore)

 

·        Ursula LeGuin: Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing for the Lone Navigator of the Mutinous Crew

 

 

Recommended books:

·        John Gardiner: The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writer

 

·        Francine Prose: Reading like a Writer: A guide for People who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them.

 

·        Strunk and White: Elements of Style

 

 

Introductory Remarks

 

Writing Fiction is a completely online class; therefore, you are not required to attend classroom sessions. However, this is not a correspondence course to be completed on your own timetable in isolation. How much you learn will be directly proportional to how much you participate in the online community, how well you manage your time, and how well you follow written directions. If you are not sure whether or not an online course is right for you, complete the following questionnaire: http://distance-ed.bcc.ctc.edu/webassess/

Many people believe that writing is a talent, gifted only to the fortunate. But writing is a skill, developed with practice in reading and analyzing other people's writing, thinking through the scene or story, writing the words down, and finally revising. Anyone with enough determination and effort can learn to communicate effectively in writing, whether fiction or non-fiction. We will learn from the text, the process, and each other. The instructor will not be the source of everything you learn this quarter.

If you signed up for this course thinking that it would involve less work than a course in the classroom, you were mistaken. Please be advised that the workload may be very difficult for you if work and family demands do not allow you a minimum of one or two uninterrupted hours every weekday to work on the assignments for this class.


Student Responsibilities

Because of the special method of course delivery, several requirements must be considered.

  1. Every student enrolled in this course MUST have access to a reliable computer and some necessary software and services, including a word processor, an Internet Service Provider, and a browser.
  2. Some critical skills you must have include uploading and downloading files, following simple written directions, copying text to e-mail messages, and knowing how your browser and computer system work.
  3. Always keep me informed if you have problems. I do my best to establish what our challenges will be within the first week of the course, but I expect that you bring some expertise with you to help in solving any problems that arise. Ultimately, that is your responsibility.
  4. This class is conducted entirely online, yet I expect you to be as courteous and respectful to me and to your classmates as you would be in person in a classroom setting. Emails and discussion board posts cannot be taken back. So, please write all of your correspondence with care and courtesy; don't send emails or posts that you might later regret--in terms of content, words, and tone. A good test is, "Would I say that in person, in exactly those words, to a teacher or classmate I didn't know well? How would I react if I were on the receiving end?" (Also keep in mind that even if you're thick-skinned, many of your classmates are not and shouldn't have to be.)

 

 

Outcomes:

By the end of the quarter, each of you should be able to

  • Use a variety of methods to create effects in your stories.
  • Revise and edit your writing (both on and off the computer) until the final submitted draft shows the skill and effort you have put into it.
  • Write for a specific audience with a specific purpose as assigned, using an appropriate voice and tone.
  • Build an artistic but coherent story around your own ideas and craft.
  • Use a style appropriate to your story that focuses attention and controls images to the point of creating unity.
  • Connect scenes to each other; produce a smooth flow of dialogue using appropriate techniques.
  • Construct scenes that develop a story with concrete details.
  • Analyze, evaluate and interpret complex material.
  • Use specific techniques to revise stories and scenes.
  • Construct clear sentences of precise and appropriate words.
  • Be able to express your personal opinions on another's work.
  • Be able to self-assess.

 

What do I have to do for this course?

You will be working on a story throughout the quarter. In order to develop the skills and material for your story, you will complete a writing each week.  Each week’s learning module will direct you to assignments based on the stories  and prompts from Writing Fiction. You will write 300-500 words each/week. By the end of the quarter, you will complete a full story, of up to 12 pages double spaced.  In addition you will complete journal entries, two substantial revisions and weekly peer reviews.

 

 

The process for writing, revising and submitting work is on a tight timeline. Don't fail to meet these deadlines. The process will look like this each week.

  1. No later than noon on  Wednesday, you will post the week's writing assignment to the discussion area.
  2. Your weekly writing is NO LONGER than 300-500 words, and written in standard college/ manuscript format (see below.)
  3. Work that is not submitted in appropriate format will not be read or critiqued.   
  4. It is best if you post your work as an attachment.
  5. If you want/expect to get comments on your writing, you must post your work on time.  Submissions posted late will not be critiqued.
  6. While you wait for comments on your own writing, you will write and post Peer comments on three other writings posted by class members.  Complete all critiques by noon on Friday.
  7. Read the comments given to you and examine your writing. Make any changes you think will improve your work.

 

Peer Reviews: Peer review points available: 5/week.

Much of what you will learn in this course will come from participating in a peer review of others' papers.

You will critique THREE pieces of writing each week.

Please follow this procedure to critique writing:

1.      Download and print off ‘Peer Review Guidelines”. They are on your homepage.

2.      Go to the week’s Discussion.

3.      Select the first writing you plan to critique.

4.      Download the writing and save it to a blank WORD document on your

5.      computer with the writer’s name and/or title.

6.      Open the writing.

7.      Put your name at the top of page one.

8.      Click on TOOLS in your toolbar.

9.      Click on TRACK CHANGES

10.  CLICK on BLUE.

11.  In your comments, look for what WORKS in the writing and WHAT DOES NOT WORK.  Be specific in your comments. That is why you are using Track changes. You can write into the manuscript.

12.  Good examples of helpful comments  I  really like the way you describe the weather in this scene.  I would like to know about how Marilyn feels about loosing her keys. Great Writing.  Wonderful. Are NOT helpful.  I really like this story/character/scene because….IS helpful.  (Please do not duck this very important work by saying that you have no experience critiquing. )

13.  Track changes will record your comments and suggestions. 

14.  Save the document with the label revised+title.

15.  Return your critique to the writer as an attachment.

 

How Goes It: Each Friday you will send me a writing on how the week has gone for you.  You will find instructions in the Week 1 assignments.

If you wish feedback from me on the week’s writing, include your writing as an attachment with your Week’s How Goes It.

Be sure that I read and critique at least pieces of your writing during the quarter, one /week.

Each week’s How Goes It is worth 2 pts.

 

 

 

Self-Assessments:

 

You will complete two self-assessments: one at the opening of the quarter and one at the end.  Assessments should be turned into the ASSIGNMENT DROP BOX to the top labeled Self Assessment.

 

Each assessment is worth 5 points.

 

 

Revisions: Revision points available: 10/ each

Due no later than July 30.

 

You will substantially revise two of your weekly writings, which have been critiqued.  These Rewrites must demonstrate substantial revision--that means rethinking ideas, addressing previous comments and suggestions, not just fixing superficial errors. Revisions that are not substantially revised will not earn credit.

 

Revisions can be turned in any time during the quarter but no later than JULY 30.  Late Revisions will not be read, critiqued or given credit.

 

Turn your Revisions into the ASSIGNMENT DROP BOX labeled REVISIONS.

 

Label your work with your name and  "Revision 1" and "Revision 2"

 

 

 

Discussion/Journals: In  addition to your own writing and peer responses, you will post a response to a specific assignment on the Discussion Board. You will also read the comments posted by other students.

Journal Discussion points available: 5/week

 

 

Final story: Using material that you have developed in the course during the quarter. Length: Up to twelve pages, double spaced . You may not submit part of a novel you are writing or a separate story that you are working on outside of class. This final story should demonstrate  the skills you develop in this class.

Final story points available: 30

 

 

Please see the next page for how to prepare your work in Standard College/Manuscript Format.

 

 

 

 

Standard College/ Manuscript Format.

 

 

Go to View on your tool bar and write a Header with page numbers (first box)  and your last name

 

On the first page, single space

Your Name

The Date

The Number of Words (under Tools)

 

 

Title centered/14 pt.

 

1 “ margins all the way around

Font: Times New Roman

Size: 12 Pt.

Space and a half or double space the body of your story.

     Indent five spaces to show new paragraphs (set your tab for convenience)

Do not double/double space to show paragraphs.

 

Run your work through spell/grammar check. This is a 200 level college course so appropriate spelling, grammar and punctuation are expected. 

 

Only work saved in Word, written in Standard College/Manuscript Format, which  demonstrates appropriate  conventions of Standard English will be accepted and read.

 

 Check with your text or a  handbook for how to punctuate dialogue.