English Plus: Writing to Entertain
Outline
If this course is for you, you know who you are. Maybe you have been carrying around a story in your head for a while and haven’t quite worked out what to do with it. Maybe something keeps telling you that maybe the most important thing you can do with your life is to write about what you have seen and dreamed. Maybe you have written fiction before and you think it might be fun to do it again in the company of others.
There is no correct or good reason for joining this course. The only essential is the willingness to try to write and to become involved in the act of creation, surely one of the most satisfying activities we can know.
The formal aim of this seminar is to take students through the fundamentals of creative writing in English. The focus will be on short fiction in any genre: mystery, crime, suspense or thriller, horror, fantasy, allegory, in the form of a short story or as a novella (maximum 5,000 words − but length is negotiable, and largely dependent on the size of the class).
Each class will consist of a short talk accompanied by handouts or downloads from the course website on the weekly topic, and occasional writing exercises.
Topics and exercises will include autobiography and fiction, incidents and anecdotes and stories, style, dialogue and dialect, viewpoint, plotting, setting the scene, building characters, action and conflict, arguments, description and resolution, the duty to entertain, and editing.
In the nearly three-month period from the first class to their submission date, students will write, edit and redraft their own piece of fiction. The main course assignment is therefore one longish, tightly edited and rewritten short story up to 5,000 words long in the student’s choice of genre.
Note: There is a possibility that if a student does have a longer work in mind, he or she could continue it in a subsequent Creative Writing class. NB. This Creative Writing class is open to SILS students who have a score of more than 550 (PBT) in the TOEFL.
Purpose: The general purpose of this course is to develop students’ writing skills, and their ability to communicate in English. Perhaps more importantly, the hope is that students will gain an awareness of their ability to write fiction – to create a reality on the page that can take on a life of its own in a reader’s consciousness.
Your story: 40％ . Your main task on this course will be to develop and finish your own short story, maximum length 5,000 words (could be longer – negotiable － depends on class size), for first submission in Week 11, second draft by Week 13, and presentation and discussion in the last weeks of the course.
Class Participation: 30％ . Includes your part in discussions of your own and other students’ work, and regular completion of weekly exercises in class and at home. Others: 30％ Attend the class regularly and submit your assignments on time.
Student pdf downloads
Below are the course assignments and guides in PDF format. Select the + sign, enter the password and download the zip folder to view the PDF files.
Week 1: Orientation and preparation
Assignment 1 – You will draw up a short list of fiction (novels, short stories) that influence your writing. Sum them up and discuss them in a sentence.
Assignment 2 – You will answer guided questions about your writing practice – when and how often you can find the time and energy to write.
Week 2: Developing your short story idea
Assignment 1: In a one-on-one meeting in or out of the classroom, pitch your story idea to another student in the class. Revise your idea after feedback from the student, then pitch it to the teacher in class.
Assignment 2: Write 200 words describing the first line/page/10 pages of a story or novel similar to the one you plan to write.
Teacher feedback from the teacher to you on your story, as pitched.
Peer feedback from fellow participants on your story idea.
Week 3: Consolidating your short story idea
Assignment 1 – Timed writing exercise (300 or so words).
Assignment 2 – Write one 25-word and one 150-word pitch for your idea.
Teacher guidance – tips on writing pitches.
Peer feedback from fellow participants on your writing exercise and pitches.
Week 4: Character
Assignment 1 – Character-writing exercise (500 words).
Assignment 2 – Plot your story, then write the first 500 to 1,000 words.
Teacher guidance – on character and plotting.
Peer feedback – from fellow participants on your character piece and first 500 to 1,000 words.
Week 5: Viewpoint
Assignment 1 – Rewrite your first 500-1,000 words using another point of view (POV), and a short conclusion to show your thoughts.
Assignment 2 – Read the first 5 pages of any novel and write 100 words on the author’s use of POV.
Teacher guidance on common point-of-view problems.
Peer feedback – from fellow participants on your revised first 500- 1,000 words and your thoughts on POV.
Week 6: Structure
Assignment 1 – Finalising your first 500-1,000 words, having chosen a viewpoint in conjunction with your teacher/peer feedback.
Assignment 2 – Write the next 500-1,000 words of your novel and bring to class all 1,000-2,000 words so far for peer critiquing.
Teacher guidance – on common structure problems.
Week 7: Creating a world
Assignment 1 – Rewriting exercise.
Assignment 2 – Write the next (up to) 1,000 words of your story, and revise the 2,000 word total before posting for peer critiquing.
Teacher guidance – on common problems in sustaining a fictional world.
Peer feedback from other writers on the new 1,000 words of your story.
Week 8: Research
Assignment 1 – Interviewing exercise (200 words).
Assignment 2 – Write the next (up to) 1,000 words of your story, and revise your (up to) 3,000 word total before posting by email for peer critiquing.
Teacher guidance – on common problems in identifying research subjects/interviewing.
Peer feedback on the new 1,000 words of your story.
Individual written teacher feedback on your research ideas.
Week 9: Theme and process
Assignment 1 – Timed writing exercise (500 words).
Assignment 2 – Write the next (up to) 1,000 words of your story, and revise the (up to) 4,000 word total before posting for peer critiquing.
Teacher guidance on common problems in identifying themes and maintaining a writing practice.
Peer feedback – from the participants in your critiquing group on the new 1,000 words of your work
Week 10: Reading, revising and writing week
Use this week to catch up and revise your (up to 4,000 words). Teacher will be available for individual guidance in class or by email.
Week 11: Dialogue
Assignment 1 – Revise each character’s dialogue.
Assignment 2 – Write the next (up to) 1,000 words of your story, and revise the (up to) 5,000 word total before posting for peer critiquing.
Teacher guidance – on common dialogue problems.
Peer feedback – from the participants in your critiquing group on the new 1,000 words of your story.
Week 12: The business
Assignment 1 – Ask questions about the publishing industry.
Assignment 2 － Look again at the (up to) 5,000 words of your story in light of this session’s discussions before posting for peer critiquing. Please highlight the revisions you wish to have critiqued on the document.
Teacher guidance – on common industry questions. Individual written teacher feedback on your publishing queries.
Peer feedback – from your critiquing group on revised sections of your story.
Week 13: Preparing your portfolio
Assignment 1 – Rewrite your 25-word summaries and 150-word pitches
Assignment 2 – Revise your (up to) 5,000 word total, seeking advice from fellow students on ‘problem’ areas.
Teacher guidance – on common revision/editing queries.
Peer feedback – from fellow participants on your novel extracts and pitches.
Week 14: Readings and discussions 1
First group of readings
This is both private time in which to revise your story in preparation for submission to the teacher for final feedback, and to discuss it with the class as a whole. The class is there for you for discussion and peer support.
You have been engaged in one of the most difficult intellectual exercises there is: to create and drive an imaginary world for the enjoyment and understanding of other people. So support really is the keyword. Support for you, and support for your story. These final sessions are intended to help you make your story better.
If your story is discussed in this group, you should revise it following discussion submit by email up to 5,000 words of your story (not selected excerpts) for individual teacher feedback. Your teacher will provide notes or discuss with you your story idea, characters, viewpoint, structure, story world, research, theme, prose style, dialogue, genre awareness or commercial potential, and suggested steps to completion.
Week 15: Reading and discussion 2
Second group of readings.
This is both private time in which to revise your story in preparation for submission to the teacher for final feedback, and to discuss it with the class as a whole. The class is there for you for discussion and peer support.
As above, you have been engaged in one of the most difficult intellectual exercises there is: to create and drive an imaginary world for the enjoyment and understanding of other people. So support really is the keyword. Support for you, and support for your story. These final sessions are intended to help you make your story better. If your story is discussed in this group, you should revise it following discussion and submit by email up to 5,000 words of your story (not selected excerpts) for individual teacher feedback.
Your teacher will provide notes on your story idea, characters, viewpoint, structure, story world, research, theme, prose style, dialogue, genre awareness or commercial potential, and suggested steps to completion.
Creative Writing (Short story) Submission guidelines.
Please make sure your work is: Single-spaced (or 1.5 spaced), with regular margins (alignment left), and includes your name, date submitted and your story title . Put a footer with the page number on each page.
Please use either: Times New Roman or Arial Font size: 12 pt Word or RTF *Please make sure your NAME is part of the file name*.
Upload your course work
Please click on the link below to go to the upload page and use Google drive to upload your course work (Google account required )
http://fagsnmags.com/uploads/
Tutor pdf downloads
Creative Writing: Course Outline
Writing Resources: 100 Greatest Novels
Week 1: introduction
Week 2: Developing your short story idea
Week 3: Consolidating your short story idea
Week 4: Character
Week 5: Viewpoint
Week 6: Structure
Week 7: Creating a world
Week 8: Research
Week 9: Theme and process
Week 10: Reading, revising and writing week
Week 11: Dialogue
Week 12: The business
Week 13: Preparing your portfolio
Week 14: Readings and discussions 1
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Week 15: