This syllabus outlines the coursework and assignments for a 12-week creative writing class. It includes 4 projects: poetry, fiction, drama, and a final portfolio. Students will study literary terms and complete weekly readings. They will post writing exercises to a class website and receive feedback through workshops and discussions. The course culminates with students performing their original short plays and submitting their completed portfolios.

1. Week
Class #
Creative Writing Syllabus Homework
Week One
Jan. 9
Project 1: Poetry
Class 1 Adding the class
Syllabus/Green Sheet
Website
Terms
In-class writing
Establish your Wordpress user name
Post #1: 2-3 Haiku
Bring a copy of your work to our next meeting.
Read: Blank Verse-All (on the website under
“course readings,” “poetry,” and “blank verse”).
Study Terms 1-5
Class 2 Groups and Participation Points
Discussion: Haiku
Terms 6-10
Lecture: Blank Verse: Form, Meter, and
Structure
Guided Writing (Color Poem)
Post #2 Blank Verse: Color Poem
Read: Sonnets
Study Terms 1-10
Week Two
Jan. 16
Poetry
Class 3 Discussion: Blank Verse: Color Poem
Terms 11-16
Lecture: Rhyme and Rhyme Schemes/Sonnet
Guided Writing: Shakespearian/Petrarchan
Sonnet
Post #3 Sonnet: Shakespearian or Petrarchan
Read: Sestina/Villanelle
Study Terms 1-16
Class 4 Discussion: Sonnet
Terms 17-23
Lecture Sestina/Villanelle: Form and Structure
Guided Writing: Sestina/Villanelle
Post #4: Sestina or Villanelle
Read: Free Verse
Study Terms 1-23
Week Three
Jan. 23
Poetry
Class 5 Discussion: Sestina/Villanelle
Terms 24- 30
Lecture: Free Verse
Guided Writing: Free Verse
Post # 5 Free Verse
Choose two or three different-style poems to
revise for project 1.
Bring copies of your proposed project for each
member of your group to our next class meeting.
Study Terms: 1-30
Class 6 Terms Test 1
Writers' Workshop: Poetry
Post # 6: Project #1
Project 1 is due Friday Week 4 before noon.
Week Four
Jan. 30
Project 2: Fiction
Class 7 New Groups
Lecture: Elements of Fiction: Plot and POV
Guided Writing: POV (Three little Pigs)
Project 1 is due Friday Week 4 before noon.
Post #7: 250 words of your Three Little Pigs
story.
Read: Note the Plot and POV of each:
“The Tell Tale Heart” Edgar Allan Poe
“A Very Short Story” Ernest Hemingway
“Dr. Chevalier’s Lie” Kate Chopin

2. Class 8 Terms 1-8
Review: POV and Plot
Discussion: "A Very Short Story," "A Tale Tell
Heart," and "Dr. Chevalier's Lie"
Lecture: Character and Setting
Guided Writing: Character, place, time,
situation
Project 1 is due Friday Week 4 before noon.
Post #8: Guided Writing
Read: “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of
Calaveras County”
Study Terms: 1-8
Week Five
Feb. 6
Project 2: Fiction
Class 9 Terms 9-17
Review
Discussion: "The Celebrated Jumping Frog"
Lecture: Setting, Tone
Guided Writing: Adventure Story
Post # 9: Guided writing (draft)
Read: “The Chrysanthemums”
Study Terms
Class 10 Terms 18-25
Discussion: "The Chrysanthemums”
Lecture: Fiction: Dialogue
Guided Writing: Fiction Adventure Story
Post # 10: post one or two dialogues from your
story that demonstrate the skills we learned today.
Bring: One copy of your completed fiction for
each member of your group.
Study Terms
Week 6
Feb 13
Fiction
Class 11 Terms 25-30
Writers' Workshop: Project #2: Fiction
Post # 11: The best two paragraphs of your
fiction project.
Read: “The Most Dangerous Game”
Study: Terms
Submit Project 2: Before Friday, Week 7, at
noon
Begin Project 3 Fiction
Class 12 Terms Test #2
Lecture: Fiction: "The Most Dangerous Game."
Suspense
Guided Writing: Suspense
Post #12: Post a long paragraph or two that
demonstrate your efforts at creating suspense.
Read: "Labels"
Week 7
Feb 20
Class 13 Discussion: "Labels"
Lecture: Eliminating the passive voice; 7 genres
Guided Writing: Using the Active Voice in 7
genres
Post #13: two paragraphs (without
the “to be” verb) from your in-class writing.
Work on your fiction 2 project
Read Science Fiction: Heinlein: Stranger in a
Strange Land: Sections I-III, ending on page 19.
Class 14 Review: Eliminating "to be" verbs/ 7 Genres
Lecture: Fiction: 7 plots
Guided Writing
Post #14: Post a scene from your story that
demonstrates a convention or step in your tale.
Work on your fiction project.
Finish reading the section from Stranger in a
Strange Land.

3. Week 8
Feb 27
Fiction
Class 15 Discussion: Fiction: Science Fiction: Stranger in
a Strange Land
Lecture: Sentence level construction
Guided Writing: Body language
Post #15: A scene of body language
Bring: Three copies of your completed fiction
Class 16 Writers' Workshop #3: Fiction Project
Terms 1-9
Post # 16: The best two or three paragraphs of
your fiction project.Reading: Drama: 10 minute
plays: "Gray Matter"
Submit Project #3 Friday, week 9.
Study: Terms 1-9
Week 9
Mar. 6
Project 4: Drama
Class 17 Writing Exercise
New Groups
Terms 10-18
Lecture: Short Plays
Guided Writing
Project #3 Due before class Friday, week 9
Work on Play
Study Terms 1-18
Class 18 Red Wheelbarrow submissions
Coming Attractions
Discussion: Self evaluation postings; Short
Plays
Terms 19-25
Guided Writing
Project #3 Due before class Friday
Work on your projects
Write your self-assessment. Post it via the
comment section of Kaizena.
Study for terms test #3
Week 10
Mar. 13
Project 4: Drama
Class 19 Due: Self-assessment
Terms: Test #3 Drama
Discussion Short Plays
Group work
Study for make-up test (optional).
Work on your portfolio
Work on your play
No Formal
Class
Alternative Assignment
Work on your portfolio and your play.
Study for make-up test (optional), at our next
meeting.
Work on your play
Bring a copy of your play to our next meeting.
We will do a writers’ workshop.
Week 11
Mar 20
Project 4: Drama
Class 20 • Coming Attractions
• Discussion: Portfolios
• Make-up or Retake of Terms Test
• Writers' Workshop: Drama Project
#4
Work on your portfolio
Work on your play
Prepare: Reading/Performance/or Video for
class 21.
Email me a copy of your drama
Email me a copy of (or a link to) your
performance.
Class 21 § Due: Project #4 Drama
§ Play Readings/Performances
Prepare: Portfolio submission is due before our
final class.
.

4. Week 12
Mar 27
Drama
Final
Thursday,
9:15 to 11:15
am
Due: Portfolio (Electronic in one file)
Due: Submission to Poetry Magazine
Finish Play Readings/Performances