English (ENGL) 387

Writing Speculative Fiction (Revision 2)

Revision 2 is closed for registrations, see current revision

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Delivery Mode: Individualized study online

Credits: 3

Area of Study: Humanities

Prerequisite: ENGL 381 (or equivalent) and professor approval.

Faculty: Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences

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Overview

ENGL 387 develops speculative fiction (SF) writing skills through a combination of strategic study and writing activity. Students learn key definitions, important history, traditions of the field, essential features of SF, and principles and standards of fiction writing in general. Strategic reading throughout the course, along with analysis of professional working methods, contributes and reinforces insights. Students will learn to perform expert critiques and write informed revisions. Above all, they will write and revise short SF with increasing skill and confidence.

Outline

Introduction

Unit 1: What Is Speculative Fiction?
Unit 2: Preparing to Excel at Speculative Fiction
Unit 3: Elements of Story and Special Problems of Character
Unit 4: Worlds and Wonders
Unit 5: Themes and Tropes of Speculative Fiction
Unit 6: Critique
Unit 7: Final Draft

Evaluation

To receive credit for ENGL 387, you must achieve a minimum grade of 50 percent on each assignment and a composite grade of at least D (50 percent). There is no final examination. The weighting of the assignments is as follows:

Assignment for Credit	Length	Weight
Analysis	400–500 words	10%
Short Story and Reflections	1,500–2,000 words	15%
Short Story	2,000–2,500 words	20%
Markup and Critique	250–300 words plus markup	10%
Short Story Introduction	600–800 word	10%
Story Revision	250 words plus revision	10%
New Short Story Final Draft	3,000 word max	25%
Total		100%

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

Textbooks

Delaney, Samuel R. About Writing. Middleton: Weslyan University Press, 2005.

Wilhelm, Kate. Storyteller. Northampton: Small Beer, 2005.

Other Materials

All other materials are available online.

Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.

Opened in Revision 2, February 9, 2017.