Irvine Valley College

Online Creative Writing Workshop

Writing 10 - Introduction to Creative Writing

Spring 2012 - Ticket # 64580

Class runs from 1/9/2012 to 5/17/2012

Marjorie Coverley Luesebrink, MFA, Instructor

Mandatory Online Orientation for Your Class

Overview: The IVC Online Creative Writing Workshop // Writing 10 // Introduction to Creative Writing is a beginning class in writing techniques for fiction, poetry, and drama.  Students will participate in online discussion, write, read and critique workshop submissions and assigned reading, and write weekly exercises.  All work will be carried on electronically, so you will need a computer and e-mail and discussion group access.  (I cannot be responsible for your access to the class - that is under your control :-))

Just as a reminder for those who are new to Online Classes:  This class does require quite a bit of time and energy.  You want to make sure that you budget enough time for this class.  The "Carnegie Unit" guidelines that are followed by IVC and many colleges stipulate that, for every hour "in class" a student will be assigned 3 hours of work outside of class.  Since this class would be three hours a week if we met in a brick-and-mortar classroom, you need to be sure that you have at least 12 hours a week to devote to Writing 10.  Also, it is very important that you keep up with the class - you need to do the Weekly Exercise and Post to the Discussion Board each calendar week.  If you have some emergency and cannot post, please let me know.  Otherwise, these assignments are due in timely fashion!

**Website for your class can be accessed directly from my server**

<http://califia.us/writing10>  remember these addresses are case-sensitive!  Please go to this URL and Bookmark it!

The most efficient way to become oriented to the Class Activities is to look around our Official Website, read the information, and write to me with questions you might have.

About your Class

Syllabus

Assignments

Weekly Writing Exercises

Workshop Page

Discussion List

and Lecture Notes !

In general, we will follow the steps outlined below as a regular, weekly process:

Each session we will address some specific issues about writing style and mechanics.  The activities for the week will include five important tasks (and I suggest that you try to do these tasks in this order):

1.  Online Lecture:  At the beginning of each week, I will offer some thoughts on writing technique particular to that week's Weekly Writing Exercise Assignment.  Each Weekly Writing Exercise will focus on a specific writing aspect, and the lecture will give you direction and ideas for your exercise.

2.  Assigned Reading:  The assigned reading for the week will consist of a short selection of fiction or a poem.  You might read these to help you get started with your exercise.  Links will be provided on the syllabus for each week so that you can do your reading online.

3.  Weekly Writing Exercise:  Good writing is the result of play as well as "work."  Weekly exercises give us a chance to experiment with character, voice, time, and style - without having to think about a command performance or a finished story.  You might, however, find yourself at the beginning of something you want to continue (and perhaps submit to the Workshop)!  You will be posting your Weekly Writing Exercises on the Blackboard Discussion List.

4.  Class Discussion and Workshop Critique:  This is the heart of the course, the class time where we all meet to share and explore our writing.  The Class Discussions will, first of all, address the Weekly Writing Exercises - allowing all of us a chance to respond to the writing being done in the class.  You are required to post your own Weekly Writing Exercise and also to post at least one response to another student's work each week.  It's important to remember that you can learn a great deal about your own writing through the critical reading of and response to other's work!  Also, in the Discussions, you are encouraged to talk about your own writing process and experiences.  Finally, many of you have stories or novels which are already in-progress or complete.  You are invited to submit your piece to the "Formal Workshop" for feedback (you should submit at least one work during the semester); we will also discuss these on the Discussion List.  See Discussion for details!

5.  Formal Writing Workshop:  Your Weekly Writing Exercises are designed to introduce you to some important techniques of writing fiction, poetry, and drama.  These will not be finished pieces, however - they are just exercises and fragments of things you might want to write.  The Formal Writing Workshop is where we will showcase finished work.  Some of you may have pieces that you have completed before class began, some of you may choose to "finish" one of your Weekly Exercises, and some of you may choose to write a new piece to submit to the Formal Workshop.  You must complete and submit at least one piece to the Formal Workshop during the semester.  You can do that as soon as you are ready, and I will be taking names of writers and which week they would like to submit!  

NOTE:  The Discussion List will be activated on the first day of classes.  Be sure to log on and say hello as soon as you can! 

and, again -

here is a suggested order for you to follow in your weekly work:

Each session we will address some specific issues about writing style and mechanics.  The activities for each week will include five important aspects (and I suggest that you try to do these tasks in this order):

1.  Read the Online Lecture

2.  Do the Assigned Reading

3.  Submit your Weekly Writing Exercise 

4.  Read and Respond to your classmates' submissions

5.  Work toward completion of your own Formal Workshop Piece

Remember, the Class Discussion and Critique of Weekly Exercises and the Formal Workshop Pieces are all critical to your participation in the class.  You should be sure to post your own Weekly Assignment and to comment on at least one other submission.  [Note:  You must post every single week of the class to PASS the class!]

see more about these steps in

About your Class and Assignments

The Lecture Notes for Week 1 contain a discussion of some guidelines for reading and responding to the work of your classmates.

Enjoy the Magic!

Marjorie Coverley Luesebrink, MFA, your Instructor, is a Professor of English in the School of Humanities and Languages, Irvine Valley College, Irvine, California.

See My Online writing at my Home Page.