ENG 271 Introduction to Creative Writing

Winter 2012        Monday 6:30 – 9:20      10-4588

Instructor: Dr.Robert Budde          Tel: 960-6693

Office: ADMIN 3016      email: rbudde@unbc.ca

Office hours: Monday 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

or by appointment

Course Description

Writing has the power to invent the world over again. It enchants, stimulates, motivates, informs and delights us. But the act of writing is a craft that must be developed like any other craft and, because of the power of the written word, carries a great deal of responsibility with it.

In this course we will be studying the tremendous variety of tools writers have at their fingertips. At the same time, I will be providing the students with a language to describe the elements of their own writing. We will be focusing on poetry, fiction and script-writing, and my intent will be to give each writer in the class the freedom to expand their writing "tool box" with the assumption that a more versatile writer is a better writer. Working individually, in small groups, and as a class, we will be exploring our goals and strengths as writers and, at the same time, I will be attempting to open up new possibilities for expression. The class will be part lecture, part group work, part workshopping and will be flexible depending to a large extent on the composition, needs, and inclination of the group. We will be discussing the elements of genre, practicing the conventions of the various forms, working on guided projects, and looking at examples of published work.

Ultimately, I hope students will leave the class with a stronger sense of themselves as writers and, by extension, a stronger sense of themselves.

Required Texts

None. I will be bringing in examples of contemporary writing to discuss and developing individualized reading lists based on the students’ writing styles and writing goals.

Assignments/Evaluation

Exercises (4 pages x 3)----------------------------------------            30%

Draft  (8-10 pages)----------------------------------------------   20%

Finished portfolio (25 pages)---------------------------------            40%

Participation-------------------------------------------------------  10%

Guided Exercises: These will be exercises to strengthen writing skills. They will be during class time or be due the week following as a take-home assignment.

Draft: This will be a collection of your writing outside of class as you employ the various tools we discuss.

Finished Portfolio: This final project will extend and refine the Draft, and include editing work. I will be expecting 25 pages here and will want you to work in at least two genres.

Participation: I will be taking attendance and making note of students’ activity in class. Participation does not necessarily mean talking, but it does mean being fully engaged in class. In this type of class, especially because of workshopping schedules, attendance is crucial.

There will be no exam in this class.

Deadline Policy: A 5% per day (including weekend days) late penalty will be assessed to papers handed in after the due date without prior permission. 

**********Plagiarism:  This is a serious offense so if you are unsure whether or not you are plagiarizing in your paper, consult the university calendar or see me before you complete the assignment.