CRWR 200-003 Syllabus 1 PDF PDF

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UBC Creative Writing Program Intro to Creative Writing ! CRWR 200-003 Term: Term 1, September 2021 Time: Tues. / Thurs. 2:00PM—3:30PM PST! Type: Classroom ! Location: Buchanan A-101! ! Course Email: [email protected] ! Instructor: ! Tariq Hussain (he/him) Email: [email protected] Office: Buchanan E466! Office Hour: Monday 11:00AM to 12:00PM online on Zoom by e-mail appointment! ! Teaching Assistants: ! Oluwatoke Adejoye! Erin Biberdorf! David Johnston! Rachael McDaniel! Stuart Moore TA Office Hours: Tuesdays 12:30PM to 1:30PM in Buchanan E-178 !

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UBC’s Point Grey Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Musqueam people. The land it is situated on has always been a place of learning for the Musqueam people, who for millennia have passed on their culture, history, and traditions from one generation to the next on this site.

Course Description:! This course is designed for students looking to develop their writing skills through an exploration of a variety of creative genres. Using a combination of in-person lectures, writing exercises, peer sharing as well as larger writing assignments, students will be given the chance to explore a variety of topics and concepts designed to elevate their craft such as how to construct story arcs, handling structure, character development, image building, point of view and creating effective dialogue, to name a few. Genres to be explored include fiction, creative nonfiction (including memoir, personal essay, profile), poetry, songwriting, screenwriting, and playwriting. This course is an inspiring and fun introduction to the world of creative writing and is sure to get your creative juices flowing. This course is to be taken in the classroom in real time with support from modules on Canvas containing all course material week to week. Classes will be recorded with lecture capture for students who are unable to attend in first few weeks due to various obstacles presented by Covid restrictions or should you be unable to make it to a particular class, though again, this is an in-person course and students are expected to attend.

COVID-19 Safety ! You are required to wear a non-medical mask during our class meetings, for your own protection and the safety and comfort of everyone else in the class. For our in-person meetings in this class, it is important that all of us feel as comfortable as possible engaging in class activities while sharing an indoor space. Non-medical masks that cover our noses and mouths are a primary tool for combating the spread of COVID-19. Further, according to the provincial mandate, masks are required in all indoor public spaces including lobbies, hallways, stairwells, elevators, classrooms and labs. There may be students who have medical accommodations for not wearing a mask. Please maintain a respectful environment.! !

If you are sick, it is important that you stay home. Complete a self-assessment for COVID-19 symptoms here: https://bc.thrive.health/covid19/en. In this class, the marking scheme is intended to provide flexibility so that you can prioritize your health and still succeed. Each week is clearly laid out on Canvas so you should have no trouble keeping up with the course material should you find yourself in a position of not being able to attend class. Other helpful steps for you to take include connecting with fellow students early on in the term so that you have a “buddy” to check in with and of course your TAs are available during office hours for you to touch base with.

Provincial Health Orders and UBC policy now mandate masks in all indoor public spaces on campus. These spaces include classrooms, residence halls, libraries, and common areas. Students who wish to request an exemption to the indoor mask mandate must do so based on one of the grounds for exemption detailed in"the PHO Order on Face Coverings (COVID-19). Such requests must be made through the Center for Accessibility (Vancouver campus).#

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this class. Learning Outcomes: By the end of this course, students will be able to: • write a piece of short fiction (short story) with tension and conflict • thoughtfully implement elements of fiction such as character and setting description, dialogue, and point of view in a short story • identify the critical craft techniques in a variety of genres from fiction to poetry to screenwriting to songwriting • experiment with vivid language and detail in the poetic form • differentiate between a variety of creative non-fiction genres from memoir to personal essay to profile • demonstrate creative achievements through the creation of a portfolio of original work Learning Activities: Classroom lectures, short writing exercises, required readings, longer writing assignments, quizzes, possible guest speakers. Assignments & Quizzes:! You will have 3 major writing assignments over the term as well as a series of weekly smaller writing exercises to complete. The idea is to help you maintain a regular writing practice as well as to experiment with the material discussed in the video lectures. As well, there will be 2 quizzes (multiple choice / true or false) which will be based on the content of the lectures as well as the readings that you will be doing over the term. Here is a breakdown of the grading percentages:

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Assignment 1: 25% Assignment 2: 25% Assignment 3: 25% Writing Exercises: 5% Quiz 1: 10% Quiz 2: 10%

Required Texts: There are no textbooks or course materials to purchase for this course. Instead, required readings / listenings following fair dealing will be posted in UBC Canvas in the modules and will also be available via the Library Online Course Services (link on Canvas).! Weekly Writing Exercises: On Canvas you will find weekly writing exercises each worth 1 point which accompany the content of the lectures. Please check the due dates for these assignments carefully. You will always have one week to complete each one, so please be sure to complete and submit on time as no extensions or concessions will be allowed beyond the one-week allowance, which should allow more than sufficient amount of time for you to complete them. Upload your documents and or files to Canvas (PDF, DOCX, MP3) in the correct module and note that submitting garbled or unreadable/unlistenable documents or items, incorrect formats, or material that doesn't coincide with the requirements of the exercise will render your submission unacceptable. These will be graded as complete (1 point) incomplete (0 points) or partially complete (.5 points) and TAs will not provide written feedback on this work. On the positive side, you are allowed to miss 4 of these smaller assignments over the term with no effect on your grade.

Longer Length Assignments: In addition to the shorter weekly writing exercises, you will complete three longer writing pieces for this class. Please see your Assignment modules on Canvas for full assignment descriptions as well as the “Genre Formatting Guidelines” module for clarification on length, font, spacing, and other specific requirements for each genre.

Assignment Content: While we encourage creativity and taking risks in this class, please be aware that some types of writing DO NOT fulfill the requirements of assignments for this course. They include, but are not limited to: fan-fiction, personal journaling, writing about your TAs and instructor, writing about fellow students, writing about your grades. As well, please do not write

stories about school shootings or other forms of violence taking place on school grounds. If you plan to submit work that depicts sexualized, racialized or gendered violence, please arrange to speak with your TA well ahead of starting your draft to discuss your intentions. If you are unsure whether the content or approach of your assignment is appropriate, again, please contact your TA well ahead of the deadline.! ! Submissions containing gratuitous violence, outright misogyny, racism, or disrespect of individuals based on race, gender or sexual orientation are unacceptable and will receive a grade of zero. ! ! As well, borrowing text, storylines or characters from existing books, tv shows, movies, legends, folk tales, song lyrics, music videos, etc. or retelling that story in your own words is not allowed as a submission and you will receive a grade of zero. This is also considered academic misconduct and more serious action may be taken. Same goes for getting a friend to write your story for you or seeking outside help to write the story. ! If you are experiencing challenges with English, you may seek help in that regard, but note that the individual you seek help from must not be writing your story for you or feeding you creative ideas to write the story, as this is also considered academic misconduct.! ! All the stories that you turn in must be written specifically for this"course. You should be generating new creative work for this class. You may not submit any work that was substantively begun outside of the class at an earlier date. ! All fiction and nonfiction pieces should be complete stories unto themselves and no novel excerpts will be accepted. ! We care about your well-being so should your work deal with subjects around self-harm, or anything that might arouse our concern, please be aware that either a TA, the instructor, or someone from UBC’s Early Alert program will be in touch with you for a check-in to assure that you’re okay. If we feel there are reasons for greater concern, we will arrange to meet with you to discuss further steps. Should you know in advance that the

subject matter of your piece might raise some concerns, please contact your TA team or instructor ahead of time. Also, including a disclaimer is required for certain types of assignments. ! Disclaimers: If you feel that the content of your assignment may cause us reason for concern for your personal health, safety, or well-being, or the health, safety and well-being of others, please include a disclaimer with your assignment to contextualize any concerning material readers may come across. Your disclaimer should do the following: —Be specific about the nature of the content —Explain what your intentions were in writing about this subject —Outline your personal relationship to the subject matter and indicate any steps you've taken to nurture your own health well-being —Address any potential concerns readers may have after reading this piece " Example of what a disclaimer might look like, specific to this author's situation: ! ! This piece deals with a traumatic event perpetrated against someone without the power to defend themselves from it. It is my intention in this piece to explore the lasting effects of trauma and how its victims move past it. This is in no way drawn from my own life or experiences nor do I in any way condone the kind of abusive behaviour dealt with in this story. ! ! As well, in addition to putting the disclaimer on your assignment, it's recommended that you send a note to your TA team regarding your intentions for the assignment. That way if there's anything to discuss, it can be done in advance of you submitting your work." !

Quizzes:! There will be 2 quizzes for this class. Quizzes cover all course content including video lecture material, assigned readings, and content from guest speakers. Quizzes are conducted online on Canvas. Quizzes are not cumulative, in other words, once material has been covered on Quiz 1, there won’t be questions about that same material on Quiz 2. ! Final Exam: There is no final exam in this course ! Academic Misconduct & Plagiarism: We expect your work to be original, fuelled by your own ideas and created solely by you. Plagiarism includes copying from existing works by other authors, using assignments submitted by previous students to this or any other course, as well as self-plagiarism. You may not take creative material from one assignment and recycle it for another. Each assignment should present new material for consideration. ! Assignments that are discovered as plagiarized (in whole or part) will be assessed by the department and will receive a grade of zero. From the curriculum guide from the UBC Senate: The academic enterprise is founded on honesty, civility, and integrity. As members of this enterprise, all students are expected to know, understand, and follow the codes of conduct regarding academic integrity. At the most basic level, this means submitting only original work done by you and acknowledging all sources of information or ideas and attributing them to others as required. This also means you should not cheat, copy, or mislead others about what is your work. Violations of academic integrity (i.e., misconduct) lead to the breakdown of the academic enterprise, and therefore serious consequences arise and harsh sanctions are imposed. For example, incidences of plagiarism or cheating may result in a mark of zero on the assignment or exam and more serious consequences may apply if the matter is referred to the President’s Advisory Committee on Student Discipline. Careful records are kept in order to monitor and prevent recurrences. UBC’s official policy on plagiarism can be found here: http:// www.calendar.ubc.ca/Vancouver/index.cfm?tree=3,54,111,959

Canvas (www.canvas.ubc.ca): “Canvas” is our course system for this class and it is where you will find all your lecture modules as well as information for the course such as rubrics and assignment guidelines, as well as where you will upload your assignments, complete your quizzes and also find your grades. Pretty much everything happens on Canvas so please take the time to get familiar with it at the beginning of term. Office hours and communications:! TA office hours will be held once a week as noted at the top of the syllabus. Office hours are the ideal time to meet with your TAs "however, you are welcome to communicate with your TAs over email if that’s easier and more convenient. If you can’t make the office hour time block due to scheduling issues but would still like an online meeting with your TA, please get in touch with them to set up an appointment at a convenient time.! Note that the class email address noted at the top of your syllabus should be your primary method for communications. Please use this email and refrain from communicating with either the TAs or the instructor via Canvas. If a TA reaches out to you via the Canvas Inbox (because they won’t initially have access to your email address any other way), please respond using the class email. Your TAs are busy people too so please do not bombard them with unnecessary questions you can find the answers to in your syllabus. Also, please be clear, concise and, most important, respectful in your emails. Your queries will usually be answered within 24 hours during the week and usually answered on the weekend in a timely fashion depending on TA commitments. If you have a reason to believe UBC doesn’t have your current email address, please sort this out ASAP so as not to miss any communications potentially coming your way. !

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Your instructor’s office hour is by appointment and noted at top of the syllabus on Canvas. Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns you may have. Note that all questions and concerns regarding assignments and the writing you’re doing for your assignments are questions that our excellent TA team will be able to help you with.!

Submission & Late Assignment Policy:! One of the challenges of being a successful writer is the disciplinary practice of meeting deadlines. Working writers regularly meet deadlines and are wellprepared for meetings and classes. The professionalism you practice during this course and your program of study will help prepare for a career as a writer. Your 3 larger assignments are to be submitted via Canvas (hard copies or emailed submissions are not acceptable) on the due dates noted in the module. Any of these 3 assignments submitted after these due dates will be noted as late and subject to the following penalty: 2 points (10%) off your assignment for lateness within the first 24 hours followed by an additional 1 point (5%) deduction for every additional 24 hours that its late. Assignments submitted after 1 week will not be accepted and will receive a mark of zero.! ! Note again that where the smaller weekly writing assignments are concerned, if they are not submitted on time, they will simply be marked with a “0,” no excuses accepted. But again, you are allowed to miss 4 of the smaller weekly writing exercises over the term and this will not affect your grade. Where your 3 larger assignments are concerned, if you have unexpected conflicting responsibilities as defined in the UBC calendar, you must contact the instructor as soon as possible. If you have an acute medical illness or require concession for compassionate grounds, please contact the instructor ahead of due dates. You may be asked to submit a self-declaration form. In the event of a technical problem with the Canvas submissions protocol (i.e. an assignment won’t upload or any related matter), the student must avail themselves of the appropriate technical support via Arts IT Tech Support. Arts IT Tech Support Line = 604-827-ARTS(2787). If you predict any other potential conflicts for yourself the day the assignment is due, simply submit early. ! Here is a small sample of excuses that will NOT be accepted where your assignments are concerned: My internet failed; I was unaware of the deadline; I registered late and was unaware of the deadlines; I didn’t read the syllabus; I got the dates mixed up; And so on, and so on.! ! Also, this one: “I uploaded the wrong document or file type by accident,” or any excuse of that nature is not acceptable. Uploading wrong file types or garbled or unreadable documents will be subject to late penalties or a grade of zero.

Marking:! Writing assignments are marked using rubrics on a scale of 0-20. Please see Canvas for rubric examples in the various genres. You will also receive some feedback on your larger assignments from your TA team, what’s working and what you might consider improving on. Note that the rubrics are NOT a recipe for the perfect assignment so it’s not advisable to try and write your piece simply by following the rubric. Not only will this thwart your creativity, it will not necessarily yield a more successful piece of work either.

Additional Notes on Marking:! You are responsible for monitoring your grades on Canvas for all assignments and quizzes throughout the term. Please check to see that your grades have in fact been entered after every assignment and quiz and don’t wait until the end of term to sort out any issues where this is concerned. ! Similarly, you are responsible for making sure that your assignments get properly uploaded to Canvas—if it’s not there, the TAs can’t grade it and you will get a “0." Note that Canvas does not “lose” documents—if it’s not there, it means it wasn’t uploaded correctly. ! Please keep in mind that your TAs are experienced and thoughtful writers and they put effort into the grading process. As you can imagine, grading creative writing is challenging and yes, highly subjective compared to other courses you might be taking. If you would like to discuss your work or feedback please get in touch with your TA team using the course email.

Final Grades and Totals: While students sometimes use online grade calculators to keep track of how they’re doing in the course, these calculators often use different formulas and yield different results than the Canvas system. In order to maintain fair and consistent grading for every student in the class, the grading breakdown in the syllabus and the Canvas calculations (rendered automatically by Canvas and uninfluenced by the instructor or TAs) stand as the final grade calculations for this class.

Grades: The range of grades at UBC is as follows: 90-100

A+

85-89

A

80-84

A-

76-79

B+

72-75

B

68-71

B-

64-67
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