Writing of Fiction: Introductory

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

• Develop artistic abilities and ultimately produce a refined body of work by focusing intensively, under faculty guidance, on fiction.
• Learn sophisticated models for revision; sharpen reading, editorial, and analytical skills; and cultivate the ability to articulate matters of craft and literary theory.
• Become familiar with formal possibilities for writing through a close study of the structure of fiction.
• Develop a broader knowledge base of contemporary works and current publishing trends.
• Enhance professional development with the support of a community of faculty, fellow students, and distinguished visiting writers.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Story Submissions	25%
Workshop Participation	25%
Writing Practices	25%
Participation	25%

Grading Scale for the Course

Percentage	Letter Grade
93.0 and above	A
90.0 – 92.9	A-
87.0 – 89.9	B+
83.0 – 86.9	B
80.0 – 82.9	B-
77.0 – 79.9	C+
73.0 – 76.9	C
70.0 – 72.9	C-
67.0 – 69.9	D+
63.0 – 66.9	D
60.0 – 62.9	D-
Below 60.0	F

Attendance/Participation:

Students are allowed a maximum of 3 absences without penalty. Each absence over 3 results in a deduction from your participation grade. After a student’s 6th absence, the instructor will hold a mandatory attendance meeting with the student to establish an intervention plan. Students who do not attend the meeting or who do not follow the intervention plan risk failing the course. A student with 7 absences will receive a grade of F for the course.

Students must attend every class, arrive on time with the necessary assignments and course materials, and stay for the duration of the class. This attendance policy does not differentiate between “excused” and “unexcused” absences; it is your responsibility to reserve your absences for unavoidable occurrences, such as illness, work-related events, advising sessions, childcare concerns, car trouble, minor emergencies, etc.

State law requires that students be allowed two absences due to religious holidays; please notify me at least 48 hours prior to your anticipated absence. Intercollegiate athletes should provide official documentation of anticipated absences early in the semester. Absences for religious holidays and documented athletic events will not count toward the maximums described above.

If you have extenuating circumstances such as serious illness, chronic illness, an injury requiring prolonged medical treatment, prolonged psychological issues, etc., you should make your instructor aware of these circumstances as soon as possible and keep your instructor informed until you are able to return to class. You should also contact the Dean of Students Office, which can review documentation and notify multiple instructors on your behalf, especially if hospitalization or distress prevent you from doing so yourself. You should be aware, however, that the Dean of Students Office will not override any individual instructor’s attendance policy and that decisions about whether and how to accommodate students in distress are made by individual instructors. The Dean of Students office is located at 210 Elliott University Center and can be reached at 336-334-5514 or deanofstudentsoffice@uncg.edu.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

• Issue 109, The Greensboro Review
• Deesha Philyaw, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
• Kali Fajardo-Anstine, Sabrina & Corina