Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Foundations of Creative Writing (Online)

ENGL 6010-70I

Course: ENGL 6010-70I
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: ENGL
CRN: 32285

Course Description

A foundational, process-based course on the craft, tools, and techniques of two genres: fiction and poetry. Students will read literature and compose works informed by traditional and contemporary models. (Fall) [Graded (Standard Letter)]

Required Texts

  1. Ron Carlson Writes a Story by Ron Carlson, ISBN: 9781555974770
  2. The Art and Craft of Fiction, 2nd ed. by Michael Kardos, ISBN: 9781319030421
  3. American Journal: Fifty Poems for Our Time, ed. by Tracy K. Smith, ISBN: 9781555978389
  4. Elements of Creative Writing, 2nd ed., by Grant Tracey, Rachel Morgan,and Jerermy Schraffenberger (OER)

Learning Outcomes

  1. Recognize the steps and stages of the creative writing process.
  2. Recognize and reproduce writers’ habits of mind and begin to cultivate them.
  3. Through close reading, discuss and analyze classic and contemporary models of fiction and poetry.
  4. Identify and analyze foundations of good writing in any genre including: image, tension, point of view, setting, and voice.
  5. Create original work that grows out of creative writing craft.

Course Requirements

Annotations and Discussion, 30%
Readings and video lectures will be posted weekly. Students are responsible for annotating by hand the readings and contributing to discussion on the lectures via Annoto. Toward the end of the semester, the annotations and discussions will shift away from published poems and stories to student poems, which we call workshop. The expectations are the same: annotations and discussion of craft.

Writer's Notebook, 15%
Each week, students will hunt for and record in a notebook "glimmers" or ideas of pieces they find that week. Once in the week, each student will choose one "glimmer" to write in earnest. The start to each idea must be a complete poem or at least 500 words of a short story.

Exercises, 15%
Once a week, students will complete and reflect on a creative writing exercise to help them practice the elements of craft. Length and topic will vary.

Final, 40%
By the end of the semester, students will demonstrate a culmination of their creative writing skills, both analyzing others’ work as well as drafting and analyzing their own work. This portfolio will need to include: 

  • 1 published poem, annotated/analyzed
  • 1 published short story, annotated/analyzed
  • 1 original poem, annotated/explained
  • 1 original short story, annotated/explained
  • A reflection

This course uses SUU's standard grading scale.

Course Outline

  • Weeks 1-2: The first unit of the course is spent giving students an overview of the creative process in general. Student will take time to deliberately develop a sustainable and productive writing process.
  • Weeks 3-11: In the second major unit students will learn the basic elements of creative writing craft and close read to see how they manifest in published works of poetry and fiction. Students will also practice using those elements in their own writing. 
  • Weeks 12-16: In the final unit of the semester students will turn their focus to looking at the craft elements all at once instead of one by one. They will choose and write formal analyses of one published poem and one short story. Students will then, with the help of their classmates, analyze their own use of craft in their own writing. The semester will end with a whole-class reflection. 

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

If the instructor hasn't finished grading the assignment yet, students can still submit late assignments. Once the instructor has entered a zero for a student's grade, that means the instructor is done grading that assignment and the grace period has ended. That this late policy does not apply to the final, presentations, or other time-dependent assignments like workshop.

Accepted late work will be given no feedback, only a grade, and may take longer to be returned.

Computer or user error is not a legitimate excuse for late work, so students are encouraged to submit early and double-check that their submissions were the correct submissions and that they were uploaded correctly.

Extra credit is not offered in this course.

Attendance Policy

This is an online course so traditional attendance is not a factor. Students are nonetheless expected to participate generously regularly in weekly discussions and workshop which cannot be made up if missed.

Course Fees

$12 fee

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.