ENGLISH 3140 INTERMEDIATE CREATIVE WRITING – FICTION - Spring 2015
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Professor: Miroslav Penkov
Web Page: http://courses.unt.edu/mpenkov
Office Location: AUDB 213B
Office Hours: Wednesday – 5:00 – 6:30 pm, Thursday – 3:00 – 3:30 or by appointment.
Email: mpenkov@unt.edu
Required Texts
 Raymond Carver: Where I’m Calling From
 Wells Tower: Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned
 Bonnie Jo Campbell: American Salvage
Course Objectives
This course is designed to develop your skills in writing short fiction. By carefully reading the stories of
some contemporary practitioners of the short form we’ll learn how to identify and understand the basic
elements of fiction (point of view, setting and atmosphere, character and so on). Hopefully, this
understanding will help you write better stories of your own. A significant portion of this class will be
devoted to workshop. You will be expected to turn in one complete short story (we’ll discuss the story
assignment later in greater detail) by the deadline specified in the syllabus. For the story you turn in, you
will receive both written and oral feedback from your peers and from myself. You will later revise the
story and resubmit it as part of your final portfolio, along with an analysis of your revision strategies.
Because much of the work revolves around group discussion, attendance and participation are mandatory.
Therefore, your final grade will be based upon individual progress in writing, willingness and ability to
critique others, and class attendance and participation.
Assignments
For workshop you are expected to turn in one original short story. We will discuss the specifics of your
writing assignment later. The story is due March 4. It should be 5-10 double-spaced pages long, typed on
8.5 x 11 inch sheets of white paper, with the following margins: Left/Right 1.25” Top/Bottom 1.” Use
Times New Roman, font 12 (the one used for this syllabus). Include your name, my name, the title of the
course and the date in the upper-left corner of the first page of the story, but do not use a folder or cover
sheet. Number the pages, but don’t staple them; use a paperclip. If you do not follow these formatting
requirements exactly, I will drop one letter grade from your final grade for the course. Stories are
due on my desk one minute before class on March 4.
Course Requirements and Grading
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Participate in class – 200 pts
Take quizzes over the assigned stories – 100 pts
Submit written responses to the work of your peers – 200 pts
Turn in one original short story – 300 pts
Submit a final portfolio – 200 pts
Scale
A
B
C
D
F
900
800
700
600
Below 600
ENGL 3140
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Quizzes
We will have quizzes based on the stories assigned for reading at home. Each quiz will bring you points
toward your final grade. There will be no make-up for quizzes.
Participation
100% = more than one insightful comment per story discussed & writing exercise volunteer reader each
class, zero absences
90% = one insightful comment per story discussed & writing exercise volunteer reader each time, one or
no absences
80% = one insightful comment every other story & writing exercise volunteer regularly, plus two or fewer
absences
70% = one insightful comment every third story
60% = one insightful comment every other week
This is an upper division (3000-level) writing course. Students must have proficiency with fundamental
grammar, punctuation, spelling, syntax, and other mechanics of writing. We won’t spend time on these
topics and I will lower grades substantially for errors. If you are not proficient in written English, you’re
likely to receive a D or F, despite creative potential. I reserve the right to withhold manuscripts from
workshop for reasons of grammar or offensive content.
Responses to peers’ work
For each of the stories turned in to workshop, you will give and receive feedback. This feedback should
take the form of in-text comments and at least half a page (double-spaced) typed response for each story.
Make two copies of this typed response – give one to the author of the story; give the other one to me. If
your comments are not lengthy enough, or if they do not follow the guidelines for appropriate
commenting we will discuss in class, you will not get credit.
Attendance
Attend class and participate in workshops. This is mandatory. Workshops fail if no one shows up, or if I
am doing all of the talking. You will get one unexcused absence. After that, your final grade will drop one
letter grade for each subsequent absence. To excuse an absence, please take the effort to talk to me in
advance, if possible. Bring a doctor’s note to the next day of class, but know that a doctor’s note does not
automatically excuse your absence. Excusing the absence is still at my discretion.
Portfolio
Print out all portfolio elements, place them in a folder and bring them to class on April 29, 2015. If you
cannot make it to class on the April 29, turn in your portfolio at an earlier day. I will not accept the
portfolio at a later day. Also, I cannot accept the portfolio in electronic form (email etc.).
The portfolio consists of:
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The original draft (on which I have commented) of your short story.
A substantial revision the story.
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ENGL 3140 3
500-word typed assessment of the revision, which may include commentary about how you made
revision choices and/or how you feel about this revised draft.
Cell Phones / Laptops / Ipads etc. etc.
Every time I see you texting, using a laptop, or other such devices in class I will drop one letter grade
from your final grade for the course. When it comes to finance, writing is the least expensive of all arts –
a pencil and some paper is all you need; so practice your longhand.
Web Page
I have created a web page where you can find the policies and procedures for the class, our syllabus and
some additional reading materials: h t t p : / / c o u r s e s . u n t . e d u / m p e n k o v
Make-up Policy and Late Work
All late assignments automatically drop a letter grade for each calendar day they are late unless submitted
with written documentation of an excused absence. No late assignments will be accepted after one week
of the original due date. Try to avoid this. Losing your chance to have your stories workshopped defeats
the purpose of this class.
Inclement Weather
If the university closes officially, we will not have class. If I deem that the conditions are too dangerous, I
will send an e-mail to cancel class. We will have class under all other circumstances.
Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism is the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of published or unpublished writing of another
person without giving full and clear acknowledgment. It includes the unacknowledged use of materials
prepared by a person or agency engaged in the selling of academic materials as well as the paid or unpaid
assistance of a “friend” who wants to “help” you out. The minimum punishment will be an F for the
course; the maximum might include expulsion from the university. Think twice before you turn in work
for which you cannot take full responsibility.
Punishment for plagiarism will be an F for the course.
Compliance With Americans With Disabilities Act
The University of North Texas makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with disabilities.
Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA)
to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide you with an accommodation
letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion regarding your specific needs in a course.
You may request accommodations at any time, however, ODA notices of accommodation should be
provided as early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students
must obtain a new letter of accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member
prior to implementation in each class. For additional information see the Office of Disability
Accommodation website at http://www.unt.edu/oda. You may also contact them by phone at
940.565.4323.