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
Class Engagement	30%
Creative Writing	30%
Feedback Letters	15%
Reading Responses	15%
Craft Paper	10%

Grading Scale

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 4 absences without a grade penalty. Each absence over 4 will result in a deduction from your participation grade. After a student’s 8th 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 10 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:

• The Greensboro Review Issue 109: This international literary magazine, produced twice a year by the MFA Writing Program at UNCG, is required for the semester and will be available for purchase in class ($5 cash) or for online order via Submittable once the semester begins.

• Journal/Notebook: You will need a journal or notebook for regular in-class writing.

• Tech: As most course texts will be distributed electronically, you will need to bring a laptop or tablet to each class. If you’re not in possession of such a device and obtaining one is financially burdensome, please let your instructor know as soon as possible. 

• Software/Applications: Canvas; Microsoft Office365 (available via UNCG); OneDrive for collaboration; Microsoft Teams for virtual meetings/office hours (if requested).