This course explores a range of creative literary genres, and combines study and analysis of existing modes of one or more forms in order to establish a basis for original creative work by class members.
Upon successful completion of this class, students will be able to:
- Advance their understanding of what constitutes readable, interesting, and dynamic creative writing;
- Develop, revise, and polish several pieces of creative writing;
- Read, analyze, and communicate more contextually and skillfully;
- Engage in critical discussion of creative works by fellow students as well as published writers;
- Assess their own writing for strengths and areas for improvement, and be able to articulate this information;
- Co-create knowledge in a collaborative learning environment;
- Cultivate awareness of the traditions and conventions of literature, film, and other forms of narrative art, analyze those traditions and conventions in specific cultural contexts; and
- Describe relationships among languages, philosophies, cultures, literature, ethics, or the arts.
Writing implements and one novel and memoir to be chosen in consultation with professor
With the exception of the individual fiction and memoirs and accompanying materials which must be turned in on paper in class, assignments should be submitted to Canvas by the due dates posted in Canvas. Most assignments will be due at 9:30 a.m. on the day of class to align with course content and in-class activities.
If you need more time to complete an assignment, flexible deadlines are available. Completed assignments will be accepted for full credit until 9:30 a.m. the day after the due-date, after which a 40% partial credit based on the earned grade will be awarded until the last day of classes. Assignments not turned in at all will receive a 0.
If you anticipate missing class for more than one week due to illness or other reasons, please contact me to make alternative arrangements for completing assignments.
Attendance and active participation are 10% of your grade. You will receive full credit if you attend every class. Absences due to your own illness, family illness or death, religious observances, or other extenuating circumstances will need documentation. Three absences for any reason are permitted. Every absence over three will impact your grade by -2%.
Just so you know, we do a lot of freewriting, brainstorming, listing, and revising in class to help you when it comes down to writing your scripts, particularly in the beginning of the semester. All of this work is generative, and sometimes it’s spur-of-the-moment, so if you’re not in class, you won’t be able to generate this material. Therefore, it behooves you to be in class so that you can get the benefit of these activities.
Please be sure to sign the attendance sheet which I will pass around every day. This is how I keep track of who’s come to class and who hasn’t. If you don’t sign the sheet, I will assume you did not come to class.
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.
LMC 3234 Creative Writing is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Humanities area.
Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.
This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question: How do I interpret the human experience through creative, linguistic, and philosophical works?
Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome: Students will effectively analyze and interpret the meaning, cultural significance, and ethical implications of literary/philosophical texts or of works in the visual/performing arts.
Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies: Ethical Reasoning, Information Literacy, and Intercultural Competence