1. Creative Writing Syllabus
Homework
Week One
Jan. 6
Section 1: Poetry
Class 1
Adding the class
Syllabus/Green Sheet
Website
Terms
In-class writing
Class 2
Groups and Participation Points
Disussion: Haiku
Terms 6-10
Lecture: Blank Verse: Form, Meter, and Structure
Guided Writing (Color Poem)
Post #2 Blank Verse: Color Poem
Reading: Sonnets
Study Terms 1-10
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
Reading: 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
Reading: Free Verse
Study Terms 1-23
Establish your Wordpress user name
Post #1: 2-3 Haiku
Bring a copy of your work to our next meeting.
Reading: Blank Verse-All (on the website under
“course readings,” “poetry,” and “blank verse”).
Study Terms 1-5
Week Two
Jan. 13
Week Three
Jan. 20
No Class
Class 5
Holiday
Discussion: Sestina/Villanelle
Terms 24- 30
Lecture: Free Verse
Guided Writing: Free Verse
Week Four
Jan. 27
Class 6
Class 7
Post # 5 Free Verse
Choose two or three different-style poems to revise
for project 1. Bring four copies of your proposed
project to our next class meeting.
Study Terms: 1-30
Section 2: Fiction
Terms Test 1
Writers' Workshop: Poetry
Post # 6: Project #1
Due: Project #1: Poetry: Sat 7:00 am
New Groups
Lecture: Elements of Fiction: Plot and POV
Guided Writing: POV (Three little Pigs)
Post #7: 250 words of your Three Little Pigs story.
Reading: 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. Week Five
Feb. 3
Class 8
Class 9
Week Six
Feb 10
Class 10
Section 2: Fiction:
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
Post #8: Guided Writing
Reading: “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of
Calaveras County”
Study Terms: 1-8
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
Fiction
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
Class 11
Terms 25-30
Writers' Workshop: Fiction Project #2
Post # 11: The best two paragraphs of your fiction
project.
Submit Project #2 before our next class meeting.
Reading: “The Most Dangerous Game”
Study: Terms
Week Seven
Feb 17
Fiction
Fiction Project 3
Monday No
Holiday
Class
Class 12
Project #2 Due
Terms Test #2
Lecture: Fiction: "The Most Dangerous Game."
Suspense
Guided Writing: Suspense
Week Eight
Feb 24
Fiction
Class 13
Class 14
Post #12: Post a long paragraph or two that
demonstrate your efforts at creating suspense.
Reading: "Labels"
Post #13: two paragraphs (without
the “to be” verb) from your in-class writing.
Discussion: "Labels"
Work on your fiction 2 project
Lecture: Eliminating the passive voice; 7 genres
Read Science Fiction: Heinlein: Stranger in a
Guided Writing: Using the Active Voice in 7 genres
Strange Land: Sections I-III, ending on page 19.
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 Nine
Mar. 3
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 before our next class meeting.
Study: Terms 1-9
Week Ten
Mar. 10
Section Three: Drama
Class 17
Class 18
Project #3 Due
Writing Exercise
Terms 10-18
Lecture: Short Plays
Guided Writing
Coming Attractions
Discussion: Self evaluation postings; Short Plays
Terms 19-25
Guided Writing
Week Eleven
Section Three: Drama
Mar 17
Due: Self-assessment
Terms: Test #3 Drama
Class 19
Discussion Short Plays
Group work
Class 20
Make-up or Retake of Terms Test
Discussion: Portfolios
Writers' Workshop: Drama Project #4
Week Twelve
Drama
Mar 24
Due: Project #4 Drama
Class 21
Play Readings/Performances
Class 22
Final
Due: Portfolio (Electronic in one file)
Wednesday, Due: Submission to Poetry Magazine
March 26
Finish Play Readings/Performances
11:30 to 1:30
Work on Play
Study Terms 1-18
Work on your projects
Write your self-assessment and email it to me.
Study for terms test #3
Each person should bring a hard copy of the play.
Study for make-up test (optional).
Prepare: Reading/Performance/or Video for Monday.
Email me a copy of your drama
Email me a copy of (or a link to) your performance.
Prepare: Portfolio submission is due before our final
class.