SPRING 2013 ENGLISH 2308 CREATIVE WRITING II
CRN: 36374
INSTRUCTOR: Professor Schlanger
EMAIL: deanne.schlanger@hccs.edu
ELEARNING SITE: http://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/deanne.schlanger
OFFICE PHONE: 713-718-5675
OFFICE: SPRING BRANCH CAMPUS: AD-8
SKYPE NAME: dschlanger
REQUIRED TEXTS:
 Imaginative Writing: The Elements of Craft, Janet Burroway, 3rd Edition.
 A college level handbook, a dictionary and a thesaurus.
Make every effort to have your book in hand before the semester starts. These books are available at the
HCC Central Bookstore or on Amazon or other online booksellers. Order one now if at all possible! All
quizzes & many readings are based on this text.
The main textbook will be supplemented with other materials and links.
Please contact me concerning any problems that you are experiencing in this course, and remember that you do
not need to wait until you have received a poor grade before asking for my assistance. I am available. I will
respond to your emails within 24 hours during the week and within 48 hours during the weekend.
Also, be sure to take advantage of the tutors (see additional support) who are available during much of the day,
six days a week.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Students in Creative Writing are introduced to the techniques of poetry and narrative prose, and they learn to
explore their own potential through experimentation with new devices, forms and styles of writing. The course
features ample reading in each genre, and focused discussions of the creative process. Students examine
published works and use their conversations as grounding for the peer critiques that gradually form the
workshop nucleus of the class. Each student develops a portfolio of his/her writing.
PREREQUISITES
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COMPUTER LITERACY
Access to a computer with an Internet connection is essential. Students are expected to be familiar with basic
telecommunication skills, such as navigating the web, sending and receiving email, posting and receiving
electronic files, participating in threaded discussions, and using online testing procedures.
COURSE CONTENT
Overview
Each week students should complete the assigned readings listed in the course calendar, study the “lecture
notes,” read the assignments, and complete the written work, quizzes, and discussion prompts. Each quiz,
writing assignment or discussion will have a “window of opportunity” within which you much complete the
task. The “window” will vary according to the complexity of the assignment.
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A NOTE ABOUT WORD REQUIREMENTS: I will give you suggested word requirements for your
assignments. These are ALWAYS minimum lengths. These lengths indicate the number of words that I’ve
observed are needed to explore a topic thoroughly. Feel free to exceed these lengths if you think what you’re
attempting to express demands more room. Just don’t pad.
The following provides a brief overview of our major activities and assignments:
Participation and Discussions
Your class participation is based on your involvement in the course. This is measured by your participation in
class discussions and visits to the course website. Online class discussion takes place on the Forums and in
work you will share with your peers. When you are asked to respond to a prompt, begin with a response of at
least 150 words. You will post these responses on the Forum board. You are encouraged to ask questions,
respond to the discussion questions as well as the comments of others, and make comments on any of the topics
under study. If you are asked to respond to your classmates’ comments, this must go beyond “I completely
agree” or “I really liked your interpretation.” Include comments that demonstrate substantial length and thought
in order to obtain an “A.”
In a traditional creative writing course, several times during the semester you would share your creative work
with the entire class in what is known as a workshop. We would all have read your piece in advance and we
would each contribute to helping you make the piece what you wish it to be. You, the author, would listen to
the comments and when everyone had spoken, you would be invited to ask questions. To simulate the
workshop environment, we will have threaded discussions and everyone will be required to comment on the
piece that is “up.” Your participation in this process is one of the key components that will contribute to the
success of the class and your growth as a writer.
You must login to the course and participate at least once a week. Active participation in this class is required in
order to achieve a passing grade.
If you have not participated in the course by the Official Day of Record (a.k.a 12th Day Class Rolls), you
will be marked “absent” and automatically withdrawn from the course. The Official Day of Record
varies from semester to semester and is noted on your class calendar.
You must show active participation in order to be counted as attending. Active participation can be
accomplished by a student’s response to any of the following:
1) quiz/test on either the syllabus or another assignment (e.g. early reading assignment, self-assessment) graded or not
2) essay response to an instructor's prompt - diagnostic or graded
3) discussion response to an instructor's question (e.g. asking students to identify themselves and explain
expectations for the course) - graded or not
4) email communication with the instructor (i.e. student notifies the instructor about technical difficulties or
other extenuating circumstances and explains how/when these problems will be resolved).
Once we’ve jelled as a class, we might establish an online chat period and a time during which you can contact
me through Skype. My Skype name is dschlanger. For Skype you’ll need a microphone and perhaps a headset.
Although a web cam is nice to have, it’s not necessary. Many computers now come equipped with a built in
microphone and camera.
Creative Writing Assignments
Throughout the semester you will write 10-14 pieces, which will increase in length from a half page to several
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pages. For your initial assignments you will receive very specific instructions and you will gain more freedom
to create your own assignments as the semester progresses.
Reading and Writing Journal
You will keep a journal that contains your personal responses to literature, criticism and essays that you read.
You will write a minimum of 2 pages per week which discuss your observations, problems you’ve confronted,
new “tricks of the trade” you’ve seen and with which you want to experiment, your reactions to the workshop
environment, or any other writing related issue or idea you wish to explore.
Special Project
At the end of the semester you will create a work of poetry or fiction of your own design. You will receive
reading lists and suggestions to assist you with the creation of this project.
Portfolio
At the end of the semester you will submit a portfolio of your work. The portfolio will include your semester’s
work and specified revisions. Portfolio grades are determined by the completeness of the portfolio, the
timeliness of completed assignments, the mastery of the techniques discussed in class, the quality, clarity and
originality of the assignments, and the quality, clarity and originality of revisions. You must turn in your
portfolio to pass the course.
Analytical Writing Assignments
We will explore the assigned readings through discussions based on prompts I post. The questions will relate
to the writing tools we are addressing at that time.
All writing assignments will have a “window of availability.” You may submit and post only within this
window.
Quizzes and Other Assignments
I may give quizzes over the lectures and assigned readings. These quizzes are short, timed tests. Once you start
a quiz, you will have a specified time to complete it. Carefully read and study the assigned readings before
starting the corresponding quiz. You will not have time to look up the answers. Also ensure that you will not
be interrupted once you start the quiz. You only get one try for each quiz. You will take the quizzes on your
schedule during the quiz availability “window.” This window is generally the week the quiz is assigned
(approximately 7 days). You must finish the quiz before the quiz window closes. Remember to SAVE every
answer before the time limit expires and then click Finish. If you change an answer, be sure to SAVE the
answer again.
All formal assignments written or revised for the final portfolio must be typed.
Important: Do not throw away anything that you write for the class. Save your drafts. You will need to
submit all of your work and notes, whether written in class or out of class, in your final portfolio.
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Develop an advanced understanding of the inter-relatedness of the literary tropes.
2. Apply that advanced understanding in a variety of written assignments.
3. Analyze the effects of these alternatives in published works
.
4. Evaluate the usefulness and implications of these applications in original peer writing.
5. Create an original manuscript that demonstrates mastery and understanding of one's own work and that
of others.
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COURSE GRADING:
Participation in discussion boards, chat,
on-line workshop, conferences, & quizzes
30%
Reading/Writing Journal
5%
Creative & Analytical Writing Assignments and Portfolio
(Portfolio submission required to pass the course)
65%
GRADES
I grade by traditional letter grades ranging from A through F. The number equivalents are, for example, B+ =
88, B=85, B- =82, etc.
The following descriptions indicate what I consider grade appropriate.
A(90-100%): The student demonstrates superior ability and originality. Thorough knowledge of the material is
displayed. The quality of submitted work is consistently high with no stylistic or rhetorical errors.
B(80-89%): The student demonstrates above average ability. Knowledge of the material exceeds basic
requirements. The quality of submitted work contains few stylistic or rhetorical errors.
C(70-79%): The student presents work that adequately treats the assignment. Errors in proofreading,
mechanics, style, and rhetorical devises appear.
D: (60-69%) The student submits below average work that displays little skill or creativity. The work contains
repeated mechanical and stylistic errors, and poorly developed assignments.
F(0-59%): The student submits sloppy, poorly organized works containing excessive stylistic and rhetorical
errors. The work displays little student effort and less interest.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
1. All work MUST be written specifically for this class. Creative work MUST not have been submitted to
another class. Credit will not be given for work that has been submitted to another class.
2. Pay careful attention to the assignment sheet for submission directions.
3. Submit all work in the following formats: MS Word (.doc), Text (txt), Rich Text Formatted (.rtf). I will
not grade or give credit for assignments submitted in other formats. DO NOT submit .wps files because
I can’t open them.
4. All assignments must be in MLA format unless otherwise indicated. Papers must be double-spaced on
81/2 x 11 paper with 1" margins. Use a 12 pt. font (Times New Roman). Remember to use a spell
checker.
MAKE-UP & LATENESS POLICY
1. Make-ups and deadline extensions are given at the instructor’s discretion. The student must provide a
compelling excuse and provide documentation such as an official doctor’s letter.
2. In the event that I accept late work, it will be penalized 5 points for each calendar day they are due,
including holidays and weekends, up to a maximum of 30 points. This includes rough drafts.
TUTORING AND WRITING CENTERS
 Katy Campus Writing Center, Room 321, located across from the third floor Library. Look for posted
hours or call 713-718-5841.
 Spring Branch Writing Center, South Hall, Room 703. Look for posted hours or call 713-718-5889.
 On-Line Tutors: HCC provides free online tutoring in writing, math, science, and other subjects. Look
for Ask Online on your Blackboard log-in page. This directs students to the HCC AskOnline Tutoring
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site: http://hccs.askonline.net/. Use your student ID or HCC e-mail address to create an account.
Instructions, including a 5-minute video, are provided to make you familiar with the capabilities of this
service.
Students are expected to maintain a state of technical compliance, including (but not limited to): up-to-date
software as required by the instructor; a stable Internet connection; and use of the Firefox browser when
using Eagle Online. The instructor is NOT required to give consideration for lost/missing/unacceptable
work stemming from technical non-compliance and/or end-user technical issues.
Scholastic Dishonesty: According to the Student Handbook for the Houston Community College System,
scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion.
1. Cheating on a test includes:
 Copying from another student’s test paper and using materials not authorized by the person
giving the test.
 Collaborating with another student during a test without authority.
 Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or part the
contents of an un-administered test.
 Bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered.
2. Plagiarism means the appropriation of another’s words or ideas and the unacknowledged incorporation
of that work in one’s own written work offered for credit.
3. Collusion means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered
for credit.
Since this is a sophomore English course and a course that relies almost entirely on your own creativity, I will
assume either that you have taken English 1301 and 1302 or that you know how to document any sources you
might use. Failure to document your sources in MLA format, whether intentional or accidental, will
result in an IMMEDIATE F for the course. Plagiarism in the work submitted for this class including but
not limited to journals, discussions, proposals or creative work will NOT be tolerated. There will be NO
SECOND CHANCES. There is ZERO TOLERANCE FOR PLAGIARISM.
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DE STUDENT SERVICES
The Distance Education Student Handbook contains policies and procedures unique to the DE student. It is the
student's responsibility to be familiar with the handbook's contents and part of the mandatory orientation. The
handbook contains valuable information, answers, and resources, such as DE contacts, policies and procedures
(how to drop, attendance requirements, etc.), student services (ADA, financial aid, degree planning, etc.),
course information, testing procedures, technical support, and academic calendars. Refer to the DE Student
Handbook by visiting this link: http://de.hccs.edu/de/de-student-handbook
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ENGLISH 2307 & 2308 SPRING 2013 CALENDAR
When you read the chapters, you may do the exercises, but you’re not required to so.
All of the page numbers refer to your text, Imaginative Writing. There are also web links to other assigned
texts. Complete all assignments during the week assigned unless otherwise noted. Generally, assignments and
discussions are due on Mondays by midnight, but always check the due date.
I may augment or delete readings and assignments.
KEY: L = lecture; F= forum; A = assignment; Q = quiz (assessment); W= workshop
WEEK 1 JANUARY 14-21
Let’s Get Started
 Who are you, anyway? = ungraded F open 1/14-1/21
 Just show me = L
 Read Ch. 2 pp. 13-25
 Ch. 2 = Q
 The Workshop Method = L
 Read “The Workshop,” pp 209-211
 Read “Shitty First Drafts” = link
 Write What You Know = F board open 1/14-1/21
WEEK 2 JANUARY 22-28
 It’s All in the Details
 “Gosh, I Love This Place”: Describe a place = A due 1/28
 Read Alice Walker’s “Beauty: When the other Dancer is the Self,” pp. 61-67
 Details, details = F open 1/22-1/28
 Thin, skinny, bulimic. What’s the difference? = L
 Read “Editing” pp. 207-209
JANUARY 28 IS THE OFFICIAL DATE OF RECORD. IF YOU HAVEN’T ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED,
YOU WILL BE MARKED “ABSENT” AND AUTOMATICALLY DROPPED FROM THE COURSE.
WEEK 3 JANUARY 29- FEBRUARY 4
 Surprise in the Familiar
 “She’s/he’s So Special”: Describe a person = A due 2/4
 Workshop “Gosh, I Love This Place = W board open 1/29-2/4
 Read Ch. 10 pp. 294-310
 Read “Stillborn,” p. 326; “Annus Mirabilis,” p. 327-328, “The Language of the Brag,” pp. 331332, and “Dream Song 14,” p. 332.
 Returning 2308 students also read “Terminus” by Nicholas Christopher. See link.
 “What a Shocker”: Discuss fresh or startling imagery, language, pacing in these poems = F
board open 1/29-2/4
WEEK 4 FEBRUARY 5-11
 The Cliché Lover’s Guide to the Galaxy
 POV Shift, Part 1 = A due 2/11
 POV Shift, Part 2 = A due 2/11
 Workshop “She’s/he’s So Special”= W board open 2/5-2/11
 Please DON’T think outside the box = L (see poetry pages in text)
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



Listen to link of Billy Collins reading “Adage” & respond to prompts = F
“How do I know what I think until I see what I’ve said” = F 2/5-2/11
Read Ch 3 Pp. 47-61
Quiz Ch 3 = Q
WEEK 5 FEBRUARY 12-18
 It’s All a Question of Perspective
 Figurative Language/Connotation = A due 2/18
 Workshop “POV Shift Part 1” = W board open 2/12-2/18
 Power of figurative language = L
 Read Langston Hughes “How To Be a Bad Writer (In Ten Easy Lessons)” -- see link
 Read “How It Feels to be Colored Me” (see link).
 Discuss “How It Feels…” = F board open 2/12-2/18
WEEK 6 FEBRUARY 19-25
 In Denial
 Fly on the Wall=A due 2/25

“Fairy Tale” read (voice & POV)
 Discussion about voice & POV = F board open 2/19-25
 Workshop Figurative Language assignment=W board open 2/19-25
 Read Ch. 4 “Character” pp. 87-105
 Quiz on Ch. 4 = Q
WEEK 7 FEBRUARY 26- MARCH 4
 Fact or Fiction
 “Woman in the Field” = A due 3/4
 Workshop “Fly on the Wall” = W board open 2/26-3/4
 Read Lorrie Moore’s, “How To Become a Writer” = see link
 Discuss “How To Become a Writer”= F board open 2/26-3/4
WEEK 8 MARCH 5-10
 Becoming
 Write a poem = A due 3/10
 “How to become a …” = A steps 1 & 2 due 3/10
 Read poems pp. 119-122
 Read Ch. 5, pp. 132-144
 Quiz Ch. 5
 Workshop “Woman in the Field” = W board open 3/5-10
WEEK 9 MARCH 11-17 SPRING BREAK
WEEK 10 MARCH 18-25
 Writing between the Lines
 “How to become a …” = A step 3 (your story) due 3/25
 Workshop Poem = W board open 3/18-25
 Read Flannery O’Connor’s, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” see link
 Discuss “A Good Man…” = F board open 3/18-25
 2308 Special Project Proposal = A due 3/25
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WEEK 11 MARCH 26-APRIL 1 EASTER
 Dear Artist
 Workshop “How To Become a . . .” = F board open 3/26-4/1
 Read Rilke “Letter To a Young Poet” 1 & 2
 “Dear Artist” = A due 4/1
 Read “The Killers,” by Ernest Hemingway (link)
 Discuss “The Killers” = F board open 3/26-4/1
 Read Ch. 6 167-176
 Quiz Ch 6= Q
APRIL 1 IS LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW
WEEK 12 APRIL 2-8
 Love or What We Talk About
 Read Ch. 9 265-275
 2307 students read “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love,” Look at New Yorker
edited text.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/2007/12/24/071224on_onlineonly_carver?currentPage=all
 Discuss Carver’s techniques in “What We Talk About…” = F board open 4/2-8
 Read “Revision” pp. 204-229
WEEK 13 APRIL 9-15
 More Love
 “What You Talk About…” PART I = A due 4/15
 “What You Talk About…” PART II (the story) = A due 4/22
 Read Barthleme, “The School,” 151-153
 Read Alexie, “At Navajo Monument Valley Tribal School,” 155-156
Portfolio requirements – due 5/5 no extensions
WEEK 14 APRIL 16-22
 The Story’s Arc
 “What You Talk About…” = A due 4/22
 2308 Project of your own design due 4/22
 Read Raymond Carver’s “A Small Good Thing”
 Apply the model of Conflict to “A Small Good Thing”; apply the model to your “What we
talk…” = F board open 4/16-22
Portfolio requirements – due May 5. No extensions
WEEK 15 APRIL 23-29
 The End Is Near
 Read and discuss “Ten Rules…” = F open 4/23-29
 Workshop “What You Talk About…” = W board open 4/23-29
 Workshop 2308 Special Project = W open 4/23-29
WEEK 16 APRIL 30 -MAY 5
 Portfolio due MAY 5
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