Untitled

APPLY NOW

Web Schedules

Fall 2025
Spring 2025
Summer 2025

One Credit Courses

Fall 2025
Spring 2025
Summer 2025

No Cost Textbook/Resources Courses

Fall 2025
Spring 2025
Summer 2025

Low Cost Textbook/Resources Courses

Fall 2025
Spring 2025
Summer 2025

Course Planning by Program

2025-26

Essential Objectives

Course Syllabus


Revision Date: 28-Jul-25
 

Fall 2025 | ENG-2101-VO01 - Creative Writing


Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Location: Online
Credits: 3 (45 hours)
Day/Times: Meets online
Semester Dates: 09-02-2025 to 12-15-2025
Last day to drop without a grade: 09-15-2025 - Refund Policy
Last day to withdraw (W grade): 11-04-2025 - Refund Policy
This course has started, please contact the offering academic center about registration

Faculty

Ruth Farmer
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Heath Fuller

General Education Requirements


This section meets the following CCV General Education Requirement(s) for the current catalog year:
Arts and Aesthetics
    Note
  1. Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.
  2. Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course is an exploration of creative writing as a means of self-expression. Students learn the process of creative writing: topic selection and form, planning, developing imagination, and revising drafts. This course focuses on characteristics of good writing and the discipline, practice, and self-awareness required. Prerequisite: English Composition.


Essential Objectives

1. Demonstrate a command of English grammar and usage suitable for intended audience and purpose.
2. Through reading work of established writers, identify and practice such craft elements as sound, imagery, diction, tone, and syntax; discuss choices a writer makes in regard to these elements.
3. Develop a process for drafting and revising toward a final product.
4. Practice creative work in a variety of forms.
5. Apply critical thinking and reading skills to discuss the work of other class members as well as the work of established writers from diverse cultures.
6. Explore how works of creative writing contribute to social change individually or collectively.
7. Submit a final portfolio of selected work which demonstrates a commitment to practice and revision.


Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV computer recommendations Support page.

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.


Required Textbooks and Resources

This course only uses free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials. For details, see the Canvas Site for this class.


Artificial Intelligence(AI) Policy Statement

CCV recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools are widely available and becoming embedded in many online writing and creative applications.

Prohibited: The use of generative AI is not allowed in this course, with the exception of spellcheck, grammar check and similar tools. This course rests in the value of students engaging in the learning process without relying on AI-generated content. Students will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills independently, owning their learning journey from start to finish. If you use these tools, your actions would be considered academically dishonest and a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.

Syllabus, methods, assignments, and structure are subject to change.



Methods

  • Small group and whole-class discussion forums and activities
  • Weekly reading and writing assignments
  • Revisions
  • Peer reviews
  • Lectures
  • Audiovisual texts, including films, artwork, photos, and podcasts
  • Portfolio of revised pieces

Evaluation Criteria

40% - Portfolio: The portfolio consists of revised fiction and creative nonfiction with post-writes as well as a reflective essay.

30% - Short stories, essays, and other assignments: Assignments include those that lead to completion of the portfolio.

30% - Discussion forums, attendance and participation: Regular attendance and participation are essential components of a student's success in college and are completion requirements for courses at CCV.Participation in online discussions is mandatory. Late, missing, and incomplete postings will negatively impact your final grade


Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

 HighLow
A+10098
A Less than 9893
A-Less than 9390
B+Less than 9088
B Less than 8883
B-Less than 8380
C+Less than 8078
C Less than 7873
C-Less than 7370
D+Less than 7068
D Less than 6863
D-Less than 6360
FLess than 60 
P10060
NPLess than 600


Weekly Schedule


Week/ModuleTopic  Readings  Assignments
 

1

What is Creative Writing?

    

Discussion Forum: Fiction

 

2

Generating Writing / Plotting

    

Discussion Forum: Plotting

Writing Assignment 1: Plotting

 

3

Shaping the Short Story

    

Discussion Forum: Shaping the Short Story

 

4

Showing and Telling

    

Discussion Forum: Showing and Telling

Writing Assignment 2: Flash Fiction

 

5

Point of View and Dialogue

    

Discussion Forum: Point of View and Dialogue

 

6

Reliability of the Narrator

    

Discussion Forum: Reliability of the Narrator

 

7

Character Development

    

Discussion Forum: Character Development

Writing Assignment 3: Short Story

 

8

Revision

    

Discussion Forum: Revision

 

9

Creating Worlds

    

Discussion Forum: Creating Worlds

 

10

Revision - Continued

    

Discussion Forum: Revision - Continued

 

11

Creative Nonfiction - Personal Narrative

    

Discussion Forum: Creative Nonfiction - Personal Narrative

Writing Assignment 4: Personal Narrative #1

 

12

Creative Nonfiction as Self-Discovery

    

Discussion Forum: Creative Nonfiction as Self-Discovery

Writing Assignment 5: Personal Narrative #2

 

13

Revising Your Personal Narrative

    

Discussion Forum: Revising Your Personal Narrative

 

14

Sharing Your Fiction - Reading Your Work Aloud

    

Discussion Forum: Sharing Your Fiction - Upload a Recording of Yourself Reading Your Fiction

 

15

Portfolio Due

    

Portfolio Due

 

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

  • In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
  • Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
  • Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.


Participation Expectations

As this is an online course, you receive credit for attendance by entering the course site and doing classwork.

Participation in discussion forums is mandatory. Discussion forum assignments count toward your participation and attendance grade. Incomplete and late posts will negatively impact your grade.


The regular posting schedule is as follows:


1. Post a response to forum assignment(s) by Friday evening. Assignments will vary. You might be asked to reflect on a reading or video, or to post your fiction or nonfiction.

2. Respond to the post of at least three classmates by Sunday evening.

Responses to class members should be substantive. “I agree” or other minimalist phrases do not constitute sufficient engagement in the discussion.


Occasionally, you might be asked to respond to fewer posts. Or you might be placed in small groups; in which case, you would be expected to respond to the writing of everyone in that group.

If you are someone who would like to earn an “A” in discussion assignments, you must respond to more than the above-stated minimum number of posts.



Missing & Late Work Policy

Attendance, Making Up Work, and Related Information

Attendance Policy: It’s understandable that computer glitches, illnesses, family crises, and other unexpected events may cause absences or late postings. However, three absences (explained or unexplained) will result in a non-satisfactory grade.

  • Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.
  • In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
  • Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
  • Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Late Work Policy: An assignment is considered late if not submitted or presented by the due date. Points will be deducted from late postings and late papers.

Assignments not submitted within one week of the due date will not be accepted. No assignments will be accepted after the last day of the semester; this includes portfolio components.

Making Up Work: If you cannot attend class due to an emergency, email me. Contact me before submitting make-up assignments. You may make up a maximum of two discussion forums. You may make up one story or essay. Make-up work will receive a late penalty.

You must contact me within a week of the missed assignment. As an example, do not ask in Week 8 to make up work that was due during Weeks 1-6.

You will not receive credit for submitting make-up work if we have not had an email exchange or video or phone conversation first.


Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:


CCV strives to mitigate barriers to course access for students with documented disabilities. To request accommodations, please
  1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
  2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
  3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.


Academic Integrity


CCV has a commitment to honesty and excellence in academic work and expects the same from all students. Academic dishonesty, or cheating, can occur whenever you present -as your own work- something that you did not do. You can also be guilty of cheating if you help someone else cheat. Being unaware of what constitutes academic dishonesty (such as knowing what plagiarism is) does not absolve a student of the responsibility to be honest in his/her academic work. Academic dishonesty is taken very seriously and may lead to dismissal from the College.

Apply Now for this semester.

Register for this semester: March 31 - August 29