Introduction to Creative Writing acquaints students to basic principles, techniques, and tools for writing literary fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. In this writing intensive course, students will read and write within a community designed to generate, share and discuss the work being created throughout the semester. Students are expected to work on their prose and/or poetry every day, outside of class. Semester activities include writing assignments, writing exercises, large group and small group discussions, a presentation, a literary reading response, and a fiction and poetry portfolio. The focus of the course is writing, so the emphasis is to practice throughout the three genres, and to read historical and contemporary examples of these genres.
By the end of the course, students participating in E 210 will be able to:
- Identify techniques, tools, and individual elements of writing in the genres of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry.
- Analyze readings from three genres from wide and varied examples of published works.
- Produce original works of writing in all three genres.
- Demonstrate knowledge of editing and the revision process by rethinking, editing and revising their own writing throughout the semester.
- Understand the writing workshop format through direct class experience.
- Effectively articulate comments toward other students’ writing by integrating learned creative writing elements into responses.
- Create two portfolios of original work, with revisions, in two of the three genres.
Prerequisite
E 100 to 281 - at least 1 course
Important Information
Because of the rapid nature of the course, please make sure all books are purchased before the course begins.
This course is not 100% asynchronous. It does require students to be available for video conferencing three times during the semester at designated times. This course contains two synchronous-video workshops that take place in the semester (one fiction workshop and one poetry workshop). Students will be required to log in and participate in workshops at the designated sign-up times for 90 minutes each time. There is another requirement for a synchronous-video conference with the instructor once in the semester.
Textbooks and Materials
Section 801
Required
- What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers, 3rd Ed.
Bernays, A. & Painter, P.
ISBN: 978-0205616886 - On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
King, Stephen - The Poet's Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry
Addonizio, K. & Laux, D. - A personal journal
Textbooks and materials can be purchased at the CSU Bookstore unless otherwise indicated.
Instructors
