English 482: Advanced Fiction Writing is the next step for students who have taken English 381 or a similar introductory course in writing fiction. The course provides an option to work on separate short stories or linked stories, or develop a longer narrative, whether a novel, novella, or novel-in-stories. Students read sample fiction with close attention to technique and style.
Outline
English 482: Advanced Fiction Writing consists of six units:
Unit 1: The Writing Process: Why Write?
Unit 2: Reading as a Writer
Unit 3: Creating Character
Unit 4: Creating a Structure
Unit 5: Style
Unit 6: Revision
Evaluation
To receive credit for ENGL 482, you must achieve a minimum grade of 50 percent on each assignment and a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent). The weighting of the course assignments is as follows:
Activity
Weight
Assignment 1: First Chapter or Story
15%
Assignment 2, Part I: Why Write? Blog
5%
Assignment 2, Part II: Reading as a Writer Blog
5%
Assignment 3: Chapter or Story
25%
Assignment 4: Chapter or Story
30%
Assignment 5: Revision of Assignment 1, 3, or 4
20%
Total
100%
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Burroway, Janet, Elizabeth Stuckey-French, and Ned Stuckey-French. Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft, 9th edition. Boston: Pearson, 2015. (PDF)
Gardner, John. On Becoming a Novelist. Foreword by Raymond Carver. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1999. (Print)
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.