The Short Story: My Life in Edmonton

A. Compose a SHORT STORY that demonstrates your familiarity with the building blocks of the form. Your story should include all of the following: <-*
<-•
- The phrase “Then it started again” must be the first line of the story. <-*
- One genre convention (or trope) must influence or appear in the story. On a separate page, after your story, provide a very brief (one or two sentence) explanation (no more) of the convention.^
- One excuse must appear in the story.^
- One metonymic prop or prop list must appear in the story.^
- One simile or metaphor (minimum) must appear in the story
- An exchange of dialogue must appear in the story. ^
- One flat character and one round character (minimum) must appear in the story.- The story must feature a conclusion that simultaneously opens and closes.^
- One concrete image (or strong sensory appeal) must be included in the story (minimum) .<-*
<-<
Your story should run between 600 and 1,200 words. Any work more than 1,200 words will be penalized (-10%). <-*

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English 050:

Creative Writing

Spring 2020

Required Texts

Anne Bernays’s and Pamela Painter’s What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers (3rd edition)

Mark Strand’s and Eavan Boland’s The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms

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Goals and Design

This course provides an introduction to creative writing, focusing primarily on poetry and fiction while touching upon other modes such as script writing and creative nonfiction. Through reading, analysis, and imitation of successful practitioners of these forms, students will gain an understanding and appreciation of the writer’s craft. They will also have multiple opportunities to produce work of their own. Indeed, a significant portion of most meetings and many assignments will involve writing. By the end of the semester, each student will have generated a collection of poems and short fiction. More significantly, each student will have enhanced the range and the volume of his or her voice.

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Required Work and Grading

You will compose seven overnight creative works, each worth 10% to 15% of your grade (75% total). All of these writings are designed to exercise your imagination as well as your skills with language. Assignments will typically follow from readings, which will furnish us with models, commentary, and inspiration. Unless otherwise noted, every overnight creative work should be typed, double-spaced, and set in a “reasonable” eleven or twelve-point font, like Garamond or Times New Roman. No BLAIRMDITC TT or ENGRAVRERS MT fonts, please. Everything you submit must have your name on it. If your work exceeds one page, be sure to include page numbers and a staple or a paperclip. Failure to adhere to these basic standards of presentation will result in lowered grades.

Overnight creative works must be submitted at the beginning of class on the due date specified. Late submissions will receive lowered or failing grades. Your grade on a late submission decreases by one letter grade per business day after the initial due date (a B-, for example, becomes a C-). Anyone who has not submitted an assignment within three business days after the deadline automatically receives a zero. Please note that I do not accept unsolicited e-mailed assignments. Hard copy submission is expected unless previously arranged by the professor.

 We will regularly complete in-class writings. Sometimes, I might administer short quizzes to determine how students have handled readings. More frequently, I will task students with constructing independent creative work based upon readings. The number of in-class writings depends upon the tempo and the character of the class. It is therefore not preset. However, I will randomly record your performance on ten exercises and count them for 20% (2% each) of your grade. If you miss an in-class writing that is collected, you will have to accept a corresponding loss of points, unless extraordinary circumstances or a university-approved commitment rate a make-up.

Talking about what we are doing is an integral part of this course. This includes sharing your creative writing and commenting intelligently and respectfully upon that of others. If you do not like to have participation required of you, then you should not take this course, or you should anticipate a lower grade than your written work might otherwise seem to warrant. Participation is determined subjectively by the professor, and it will count for 5% of your grade. 

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A. The table below describes the weight of individual assignments. 

B. The table below shows the numerical scale used to calculate final grades: