Introduction
Welcome
to English 303: Short Story Writing. Here
is a syllabus for the course;
you are responsible for the information therein, so read it over carefully
and print out a hardcopy.
In this online course, you will be responsible for completing multiple reading and writing assignments within the context of ten modules—one module per week. This is the first module. While strict deadlines will be upheld for assignments, you are encouraged to work at your own pace. Generally speaking, each module contains a short lesson, a featured book, and a list of weekly assignments.
You may
email me with questions via Pilot. I always answer within 24 hours, usually sooner, on the condition that your emails are written in complete sentences and free of mechanical errors. DO NOT EMAIL ME IN TEXTSPEAK. This is a college writing course. Make sure your queries are polished and professional and I will promptly address your concerns.
This
course is run by way of my
own website in conjunction with Wright State University's
distance learning program Pilot. The index page will operate as your primary resource for the course. You may access
this page via www.wright.edu/~david.wilson or via Pilot.
All
major and minor assignments should be submitted to me via Pilot on their respective due dates and times. Go to the Dropbox and upload your work accordingly. All assignments
must be composed and submitted as MS-Word .doc or .docx files. Assignments submitted otherwise (e.g., .wps, .rtf, or .zip files) will not receive credit.
You are responsible for monitoring the upload of each assignment you submit. Assignments submitted after their due dates have elapsed (whether it be one day, ten days, or one minute) will not be accepted. Assignments are due every Friday at 5 p.m. The modules for the course and Pilot provide you with all due dates from the beginning to the end of the course, so you are responsible for organizing and managing your time accordingly. Never wait until the last minute to submit work in case of computer glitches, among other issues that might crop up. Always provide yourself with enough time to upload your work.
Grades are based upon a point system tallied throughout the quarter by Pilot. With some exceptions, major assignments will be worth 100 points and minor assignments will be worth 10 points.
I will provide feedback on all major writings (Fictions #1 – #5) that you are required to turn in. MS-Word allows me to type comments in the margin of your documents. When I am finished, I save the documents with my comments, grade them, and upload them to you on Pilot.
I do not grade creative writing on the basis of "talent." Rather, I base grades on four principle criteria: [1] grammar and writing mechanics; [2] satisfying the fundamental requirements of a given writing assignment; [3] foregrounding showing over telling (see module 6); and [4] an identifiable effort to be dynamic and unique.
A
Frequently Asked Questions forum is available on Pilot.
This is a peer-response space where you may post questions about assignments,
due dates, etc. Please refer to this forum before referring to me. If none
of your peers are able to answer your question, I will of course do
so.
We
have two required paperback texts for this course: Flash Fiction: 72 Very Short Stories and What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers (Third Edition). All other readings are available online. Another seminal text from which I draw information is Rebel Yell: A Short Guide to Fiction Writing; you are not responsible for purchasing it.
Due dates and times for assignments
will always be clearly posted at the end of each module and on Pilot.
FINAL
NOTE: Under no circumstances should parents or guardians of students
contact me with questions or concerns regarding a student's performance, grades,
or the course itself. Such matters are confidential and protected by
university policy. Parents and guardians need to contact the Wright
State University administration with questions or concerns. Students,
however, should feel free to contact me at any time.
