Syllabus for Fiction writing course

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English 292-02, Beginning Fiction Writing
ED 442 9:30-10:20 MWF
Joseph Perreault
Jperreault@uidaho.edu
Office: Brink 101
Office Hours: M(10:30-12:00), T(9:30-11:00), or by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Welcome to English 292. Over the course of this semester, we will be learning about fiction—
how to understand it, and how to write it. This is the introductory course in the Creative
Writing sequence, which presumes no familiarity with writing fiction. This is the foundational
course in the genre sequence, and required preparation for the intermediate and advanced
courses. This class will include: substantive written practice via exercises in the techniques of
genre writing; practice via discussion of both exemplary stories by published writers, and of the
written work of classroom peers in the critical analysis of texts; and introduction to the critical
terms of craft in the genre, so as to model and develop a vocabulary for discussion. For the first
11 weeks of the semester, this course will focus on: written exercises in craft; in-class discussion;
copious reading of exemplary texts; and the writing of a story. The final weeks of the semester
comprise the “workshop” component of this course, where the story will be discussed.
COURSE GOALS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES:
English 292 is an introductory composition course designed to provide a foundation in the art of
writing fiction. Though this class is creative by nature, as is the process of fiction writing,
students taking this class will benefit from the practice of many useful skills they can draw
upon both professionally and artistically in the future.
By the end of the course, a successful student will gain...
• A more thorough understanding of how to compose grammatically correct &
syntactically more complex sentences.
• A higher competence in reading and understanding difficult texts.
• A higher degree of skill as a writer, creative and otherwise.
• A broad understanding of the basic components of fictional narratives.
• A greater ability to critically evaluate complex texts.
• A sharper skill for argumentation, both orally (from participation in challenging
classroom discussions) and in print (from written assignments that focus on
textual analysis).
• A better appreciation for the complexity, nuance, and beauty of fiction in print and
other media.

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• An enhanced ability to articulate thoughts, opinions, ideas, plans, and stories via
the written word.
• In short, this class is designed to help you further your endeavor to become a
sharper, more articulate person with the ability to speak and write persuasively,
incisively, and with emotional content, and to be able to more fully understand
and respond in kind to others who share those talents.
DEADLINES:
Administrative Deadlines
The university has certain deadlines of which you need to be aware if you want to drop the
course at some point during the semester.
August 28th – Last day to add the course online.
September 1st – Last day to drop the course without a grade of W.
October 27th– Last day to drop the course with a grade of W.
Class Deadlines
Will be posted in the Class Schedule on BBLearn.
• Deadlines are fixed, but I am more than willing to be flexible—under reasonable
circumstances—if you ask for an extension early. This does not mean the night before an
assignment is due—at least 2 days’ notice. If you have any questions on a deadline, ask.
• I do accept and grade late assignments (sometimes life happens). Writing assignments
and Sentence Workshop assignments will be graded with a 10% penalty. I DO NOT
suggest getting in the habit of turning in assignments late. Ten percent adds up fast over
the course of the semester.
• Late Reading Journal responses will not be graded and will receive a 0 of 5. A loss of 5
points may not seem like much, but these points will quickly add up.
TEXTBOOK (available at the campus book store or elsewhere)
• Alice LaPlante, Method and Madness: A Guide to Writing Fiction
ADDITIONAL READINGS (will be linked to the appropriate subheading on BBLearn)
• A selection of short stories will be available through the Course Readings folder in
BBLearn. Some are available on e-reserve using your student account through the
UIdaho Library. Others are freely available online and will be hyperlinked in the
same BBLearn folder.

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• I am also including two brief narrative theory readings which will be available as pdf
files on BBLearn in the Course Readings folder.
COURSE WEBSITE:
All assignments (save for in-class assignments) and drafts will be submitted through the course
BBLearn site. All assignment sheets and other course materials will also be posted in the
BBLearn site. Log on into BBLearn (http://bblearn.uidaho.edu) using your University of Idaho
NetID and password, and locate English 292.
ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION:
Attendance and participation in English 292 is expected and has direct effects on your
performance in the class. I expect you to be present and actively engaged in the class. I reserve
the right to mark you absent when you are not present or come late. Participation makes up a
portion of your grade. You are allowed two unexcused absences without penalty this semester.
You will not fail the course on the basis of absences alone. Nor do I compel students to engage
in the class discussion if they do not wish to speak, but I may call on students at random if no
one does.
If you miss more than two classes, it will begin to negatively affect your grade. Five points will
be deducted from your total reading journal score for each absence after two unexcused misses.
Reasonable accommodations will be made for extenuating circumstances, serious illnesses, and
proper notification of inability to adhere to class policy from Disability Support Services or the
office of the Dean of Students. Also, I may be flexible regarding reasons for excusing an absence
or a late assignment. If you have a prior commitment or other reason you cannot attend class or
turn in an assignment, email me. I will not, however, excuse an absence retroactively, which
means you must email me Before the time of the missed class or assignment. Ultimately it’s
about taking the work seriously and mutual respect between student and instructor.
Communication is key.
University of Idaho Classroom Learning Civility Clause:
In any environment where people gather to learn, it is essential that all members feel as free and
safe as possible in their participation. To this end, it is expected that everyone in this course will
be treated with mutual respect and civility, with an understanding that all of us (students,
instructors, professors, guests, and teaching assistants) will be respectful and civil to one
another in discussion, in action, in teaching, and in learning.
Should you feel our classroom interactions do not reflect an environment of civility and respect,
you are encouraged to meet with your instructor during office hours to discuss your concern.
Additional resources for expression of concern or requesting support include the Dean of

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Students office and staff (885-6757), the UI Counseling & Testing Center’s confidential services
(885-6716), or the UI Office of Human Rights, Access & Inclusion (885-4285).
Technology. All cell phones must be turned COMPLETELY OFF and put away. Laptops are
permitted for the purposes of taking notes during lectures. They must be put away during
periods of class discussion.
Email etiquette. I welcome your emails and questions – if you have questions about the course,
your work, meeting times, etc., please contact me at the email address listed above or on the
BBLearn home page. When you contact me, please treat it as a professional correspondence—
your message should have a greeting, be written in complete sentences, and signed with your
name at the bottom. Generally, you can expect a response during regular business hours
(Monday-Friday, 8-5 PM)
OFFICE HOURS:
My office hours and office number are listed above and on the BBLearn home page. I enjoy
talking to students outside of class, and welcome you to stop by to discuss your work, questions
about the course, etc.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: There are 4 categories that are the basis for evaluation in this class.
**You should expect to spend about 3 hours per week reading for this class and
3—5 hours writing depending on the stories and writing exercises assigned.**
Participation:
Reading Response Journal. (5pts. X 30 = 150 pts.)
For each class before Thanksgiving break, you will be required to read the assigned text on the
class schedule (usually a short story). As part of your participation grade, you are required to
turn in a written response to the reading via BBLearn prior to the start of class. These should be
very brief and are not formal. Responses should range between ~150-200 words (1/2—1 page
double-spaced), and they should do two things: 1. Demonstrate that you’ve read the assignment
before class discussion; and 2. Help you to begin exploring the story in greater depth.
You can use this space to prepare questions, comment on elements of the story you
loved/hated/were puzzled or intrigued by/etc. You can freewrite about the story in a way that
is completely aimless. Or you can apply some of the tools we’ll be discussing in class to help
explore these stories in preparation for craft analysis assignments. Again, these responses are
informal and shouldn’t take up hours of your time. Use these entries as a way to turn these
stories over in your mind in a way that works for you. I’d advise getting in the habit of reading
the stories and sitting down for a few minutes just afterward as an exercise in processing what
you’ve read. There are 34 stories on the schedule

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3 Minute Story Introduction. (50pts. X 1 = 50 pts.)
For the first few weeks of the class, I’ll be introducing the stories we’re discussing. Once we’ve
all begun to learn some of the vocabulary surrounding the craft of fiction writing, each student
in the class will have the opportunity to introduce a story on the schedule. Plan on a conference
the week prior to that class to discuss your story and some of the elements you might look to
highlight as you introduce the story to your classmates. This is NOT a formal presentation, but a
2—3 minute prepared talk highlighting some of the craft elements of the story. You can read
from your notes and speak from your seat. Think of it as a way to get the ball rolling on the class
discussion.
Exams on Lecture Materials. (50pts. X 2 = 100 pts.)
Lectures will cover materials from the text, but additionally will include material from outside
the text including concepts from other craft guides as well as literary theory. I consider these
exams as part of class participation because the questions on the exams will come directly from
lecture materials, not necessarily the text itself. Exams will not be long, complex, or involve
difficult material, provided you show up for lectures and pay attention to the concepts covered.
Consider the two exams a vehicle for reviewing your lecture notes.
Distinguished Visiting Writers (+10/-10 pts.)
Over the course of the semester, our campus will host several distinguished fiction writers who
will give readings of their work. You are required to attend one and submit a quick reflection on
the reading. I will provide a list of dates and times for readings on BBLearn early in the
semester. Completing this assignment will result in an extra ten points; failure to do so will
result in a ten-point penalty, so it’s a twenty point swing and will serve as a nice introduction to
the world of literary readings.
Sentence Workshop:
Syntax and Grammar Worksheets: (20pts. X 10 = 200pts.)
Written stories get to the reader via sentences presented in a specifically arranged order. The
basic unit of the story is the sentence. Each week you will be required to complete a worksheet
designed to sharpen your understanding of the sentence in a specific way. Great writers are
sometimes renowned for bending or breaking grammatical rules for artistic effect; however, one
first needs to understand the rules and their purposes before endeavoring to manipulate them.
These worksheets will help you to learn the main components of sentences and how great
fiction writers put these components together to form the types of sentences that keep readers
entranced by the written word.

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Most of the worksheet have 20 questions worth 1 point each. You have three tries to get things
right, so you should be able to get all 20 points on each assignment. The worksheets vary in
length depending on the topic, but should take around 30-40 minutes to complete.
Writing Exercises:
Writing Exercises: (50pts. X 10 = 500pts.)
These assignments are diverse and range from describing a space, to exploring a character’s
inner thoughts and motivations, to writing a formal analysis of craft. There will be one prompt
each week with clear directions and a model to help guide you. The writing exercises are
designed to be the bricks in your story’s foundation. They should help get you started in
thinking about and executing the final story due after Thanksgiving break.
Craft Analysis #2: (100pts. X 1 = 100pts.)
Your second attempt at a formal craft analysis is due the Friday before Thanksgiving break and
should be an exploration of how the author of one of the stories we explored this semester used
a specific element of craft to a particular (and excellent) effect.
Fiction Workshop:
8-10 Short Story: (400pts. X 1 = 400pts.)
You are required to submit a story (8-10 pages double-spaced) to be workshopped by your
colleagues in the final weeks of the semester. This story will be an extension of the work you’ve
done in the writing exercises throughout the semester. It should reflect the elements of craft we
cover over the course of the semester. It should be polished, well-formed, and demonstrate the
careful consideration you’ve given it over the course of the semester.
Workshop Participation & Feedback: (100 pts.)
Workshop guidelines will be covered in class before the workshopping of stories begins. You
will be required to write written responses to your colleagues for the stories you respond to in
class. The aim is to provide your colleagues with constructive feedback that will help and
encourage them to achieve their creative and artistic goals for their stories. Depending on the
number of students enrolled and the logistics of the actual workshopping process, the number
of responses you write may vary. These should be no less than ½ and no more than 1 ½ pages
GRADING:
If you withdraw from this course on or before Friday, September 1st, nothing will appear on
your transcript. If you stay registered for the course after that date, you will receive one of the
following grades.

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A
Represents achievement superior relative to the level necessary to meet the requirements of
the course. (1440-1600 points)
B
Represents achievement above the level necessary to meet the requirements of the
course. (1280-1439 points)
C
Represents achievement that meets the basic requirements in every respect. It signifies that the
work is average, but nothing more. (1120-1279 points)
D Represents achievement that falls below the basic standard for this course. (960-1119 points)
W Stands for Withdrawal.
F Stands for Failure. (959 points or fewer)
I Stands for incomplete.
POLICY ON PLAGIARISM IN ENGLISH 292:
At the University of Idaho, we assume you will do your own work and that you will work with
your instructor on improving writing that is your own. Plagiarism—using someone else’s ideas
or words as your own without proper attribution—is a serious matter. Work that was
previously submitted for a previous class is also considered plagiarism. If you are in doubt,
email so that any potential issues can be resolved beforehand.
The consequences of plagiarism:
If I find that you have plagiarized willfully, you will receive an F for the assignment, which
could result in a failing grade for the course.
When you need to use words or ideas from another person—whether an idea, a picture, a
powerful statement, a set of facts, or an explanation—cite your source!
Disability Support Services Reasonable Accommodations Statement:
Reasonable accommodations are available for students who have documented temporary
or permanent disabilities. All accommodations must be approved through Disability
Support Services located in the Idaho Commons Building, Room 306 in order to notify
your instructor(s) as soon as possible regarding accommodation(s) needed for the
course.
• 885-6307
• email at <dss@uidaho.edu>
• website at www.access.uidaho.edu