Course

Writing Short Fiction

Faculty
Language, Literature & Performing Arts
Department
Creative Writing
Course code
CRWR 2350
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
20
Method(s) of instruction
Tutorial
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

Course description
This course concentrates solely on the process of writing short fiction. It includes instruction in the methods of beginning, sustaining, closing, revising and evaluating a short story. The student is introduced to a wide range of narrative approaches and techniques through the study of both traditional and contemporary texts.
Course content

Selected short stories from published texts.

Students’ manuscripts will form the bulk of the course content.

Learning activities

The following methods may be combined with the workshop format:

  • in-class writing exercises
  • lectures and discussions
  • small group work
  • assigned readings and class presentations
  • interviews with instructor
Means of assessment

A minimum of three separate short stories is required, with an overall minimum of forty pages. Each story must include a brief self-evaluation. A grade will be assigned both for the self-evaluations and for class participation. Student work will be discussed by both the instructor and students in the workshop.

Students are required to attend 80% of the workshops. A student missing more than 20% of the workshops without receiving prior permission from the instructor will receive a 0 in class participation. Leaving after the break is considered half an absence.

Learning outcomes

General Objectives:

The student will investigate the range of his/her writing voice and learn to write short fiction consistent with his/her ability and developing style.

Specific Objectives:

Pre-writing:

  1. The student will learn to recognize story material in his/her own life that may ultimately yield a work of short fiction.
  2. The student will learn to access story material through controlled classroom exercises.
  3. The student will learn to launch the story in first draft in a manner that does not disrupt the development or potential of the story.

Writing:

  1. The student will learn the stages necessary to draft a completed short story.
  2. The student will learn different methods of beginning, sustaining, and closing a short story.
  3. The student will learn to develop the writing habits necessary to produce work that is consistently readable, well-developed, and involving.

Reading:

  1. The student will learn to adapt and use the narrative techniques he/she discovers in published works of short fiction.
  2. The student will learn to read the work of his/her peers for the purpose of recognizing narrative techniques and to aid his/her peers in the effective revision of his/her work.

Revising:

  1. The student will learn to revise his/her own work for the purpose of developing the story to its full potential.
  2. The student will learn to evaluate editorial suggestions from the instructor and peers, and incorporate them into the story in the revision process.
  3. The student will learn to prepare the short story for submission to an editor.
Textbook materials
  • Pearls
  • An anthology of short stories such as Short Fiction, Lynch and Rampton

Requisites

Prerequisites

A “B” in CRWR 1103, or instructor permission plus satisfactory result on College Writing Assessment or substitution/equivalent as stated in College Calendar.

Corequisites

No corequisite courses.

Equivalencies

No equivalent courses.

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers

These are for current course guidelines only. For a full list of archived courses please see https://www.bctransferguide.ca

Institution Transfer details for CRWR 2350
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) KPU CRWR 2300 (3)
Langara College (LANG) LANG ENGL 2236 (3)
Simon Fraser University (SFU) SFU GE 1XX (3)
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) TRU ENGL 2XXX (3)
Trinity Western University (TWU) TWU ENGL 207 (3)
University of British Columbia - Okanagan (UBCO) UBCO ARTS_O 2nd (3)
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) UBCV CRWR_V 2nd (3)
University of Northern BC (UNBC) UNBC ENGL 2XX (3)
University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) UFV ENGL 212 (3)
University of Victoria (UVIC) UVIC WRIT 1XX (1.5)
Vancouver Island University (VIU) VIU CREW 220 (3)

Course Offerings

Winter 2025

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
20
Currently enrolled
20
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
1
Building
New Westminster - South Bldg.
Room
S1711
Times:
Start Time
15:30
-
End Time
18:20