ENGL 339

Advanced Creative Writing

Course Description

For three weeks, you will be living your best life—the life that most writers dream of—reading and writing poetry and essays in idyllic landscapes in Europe, drinking espresso (and a little wine), practicing the art of discovery through language. But this course will also require the hard work of interrogating the self, revising our work, helping our fellow writers revise their work, and accumulating a trove of experiences that will inform our creative practice. And through it all we will cultivate the rigorous discipline of active reading and writing. It’s a beautiful thing, to write in Spoleto, Italy in the summer. It is also work.

Course Objectives & Student Learning Outcomes

Students will:

• Demonstrate the ability to take a single body of creative work through subsequent drafts.
• Demonstrate a working vocabulary for craft analysis relevant to creative writing.
• Demonstrate familiarity with contemporary examples of genres studied.

Gen Ed Humanities General Learning Outcomes

This course fulfills part of the general education Humanities requirement. All courses that meet this requirement include the following learning outcomes:

• Students analyze how ideas are represented, interpreted or valued in various expressions of human culture.
• Students examine relevant primary source materials as understood by the discipline and interpret the material in writing assignments.

Required Texts

• Class materials will be distributed in class via email and/or website, so make sure to download all files before we leave for Spoleto
• A good notebook/journal for writing while on the go (and good pens/pencils)!
• A laptop with a usb port, also a decent tablet to read digital files and pdfs. Do not read these materials, especially poems, on a phone.
• Also bring a good flash drive! This will work as backup if the internet goes down

Grades (out of 100)

• Writing Exercises (x4) = 40
• Workshop = 20
• Participation & Discussion = 20
• Final Portfolio/Blog post = 20

Grading scale

A = 93-100
A- = 90-92
B+ = 87-89 B = 83-86
B- = 80-82
C+ = 77-79
C = 73-76 C- = 70-72
D+ = 67-69
D = 63-66 D- = 60-62
F =59-0

Assignments and Policies

You will turn in four Writing Exercises during the semester. Exercises will include both poems and essayettes. Poems must be minimum of 30 lines of at least medium length. Essayettes must be between 500-1000 words. Include word counts for essayettes. Always title your work accordingly. Poems should be single-spaced. Essayettes should be double-spaced.

You are expected to keep a daily writing Journal designed to inform your writing and work in both courses. You are expected to take the seeds of your journal entries to develop and satisfy writing exercises in both classes as they align with the writing prompts.

Grading creative work will not be based on whether works are publishable. Writing Exercises and assignments may not receive direct feedback, but work submitted for workshop will.

Late Work will not be accepted and will be counted as 0.

Absences. Given the nature of the class. No absences are permitted. If you miss a class, you will receive a failing grade for the class.

For Class Participation & Discussion, students will be required to routinely lead and participate in discussions throughout the semester and complete class activities and writing exercises. If students are unable to lead discussions, complete in-class activities, neglect to read the assigned readings, or fail to bring the appropriate texts to class, their participation and discussion grades will drop.

Use proper etiquette when using Email to contact your professor and peers.

CofC Policy Statements and Information

Writing Lab: Students are encouraged to take advantage of the Writing Lab in the Center for Student Learning (Addlestone Library, first floor). Trained writing consultants can help with writing for all courses; they offer one-to-one consultations that address everything from brainstorming and developing ideas to crafting strong sentences and documenting sources. For more information, please call 843.953.5635 or visit http://csl.cofc.edu/labs/writing-lab/.

Academic Integrity: The Honor Code: Lying, cheating, attempted cheating, and plagiarism are violations of our Honor Code that, when identified, are investigated. Each incident will be examined to determine the degree of deception involved. Cases of suspected academic dishonesty will be reported directly by the instructor and/or others having knowledge of the incident to the Dean of Students. The student may also be placed on disciplinary probation, suspended (temporary removal) or expelled (permanent removal) from the College by the Honor Board. Students should be aware that unauthorized collaboration–working together without permission– is a form of cheating. Unless the instructor specifies that students can work together on an assignment, quiz and/or test, no collaboration during the completion of the assignment is permitted. Other forms of cheating include possessing or using an unauthorized study aid (which could include accessing information via a cell phone or computer), copying from others’ exams, fabricating data, and giving unauthorized assistance. Research conducted and/or papers written for other classes cannot be used in whole or in part for any assignment in this class. Students can find the complete Honor Code and all related processes in the Student Handbook at http://studentaffairs.cofc.edu/honor-system/studenthandbook/index.php

Disability/Access Statement: The College will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. Students should apply for services at the Center for Disability Services/SNAP located on the first floor of the Lightsey Center, Suite 104, or go to http://disabilityservices.cofc.edu; or contact SNAP@cofc.edu; (843) 953-1431]. Students approved for accommodations are responsible for notifying me as soon as possible and for contacting me one week before accommodation is needed.

Accordance with CofC Policies: This professor respects and upholds the College of Charleston’s policies and regulations pertaining to academic integrity; sexual harassment and discrimination; the observation of religious holidays; confidentiality of student records. All students are advised to become familiar with the respective College regulations and are encouraged to bring questions to my attention.

Inclement Weather, Pandemic or Substantial Interruption of Instruction: If in-person classes are suspended, faculty will announce to their students a detailed plan for a change in modality to ensure the continuity of learning. All students must have access to a computer equipped with a web camera, microphone, and Internet access. Resources are available to provide students with these essential tools.

Academic Support Services—Center for Student Learning: The Center for Student Learning’s (CSL) academic support services provide assistance in study strategies, speaking & writing skills, and course content. Services include tutoring, Supplemental Instruction, study skills appointments, and workshops. Students of all abilities have become more successful using these programs throughout their academic career and the services are available to you at no additional cost. For more information regarding these services please visit the CSL website at http://csl.cofc.edu or call (843) 953-5635.

Mental & Physical Wellbeing: At the college, we take every students’ mental and physical wellbeing seriously. If you find yourself experiencing physical illnesses, please reach out to student health services (843.953.5520). And if you find yourself experiencing any mental health challenges (for example, anxiety, depression, stressful life events, sleep deprivation, and/or loneliness/homesickness) please consider contacting either the Counseling Center (professional counselors at http://counseling.cofc.edu or 843.953.5640 3rd Robert Scott Small Building) or the Students 4 Support (certified volunteers through texting “4support” to 839863, visit http://counseling.cofc.edu/cct/index.php, or meet with them in person 3rd Floor Stern Center). These services are there for you to help you cope with difficulties you may be experiencing and to maintain optimal physical and mental health. If you, or a peer, need mental health support after hours (when the Health Services/Counseling Center is closed), please call Campus Security at 843-953-5609 and request that a mental health counselor calls you back as soon as possible. You will receive a call from a trained mental health professional promptly.