SOLUS is Queen’s Student On-Line University System. You’ll have access to a SOLUS account once you become a Queen’s student. You’ll use SOLUS to register for courses, add and drop courses, update your contact information, view financial and academic information, and pay your tuition.
Creative Writing I
CWRI 295/3.0
A practical examination of creative writing skills, focused on the writing workshop. The student may concentrate on short fiction or poetry, or combination of the two, throughout the term. Admission is based on writing samples.
Please note: This course is typically offered in the winter term
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
- CWRI 295 Online should help you write regularly, to bring more sharply refined skills to the reading of your own work, and teach you to edit yourselves with a more clearly intuitive, finely practiced eye.
- It should also encourage you to read literature as the examples offered for exercises are broad ranging.
- By sharing work-in-progress, students will learn from and support one another, and begin to develop critical judgment.
- You will also practice computer and Internet skills and become comfortable working online.
Description
This online creative writing course is an introduction to the art of composing fiction and poetry. Students submit independent creative work to the instructor and to their classmates for feedback and read and respond to their classmates' writing. All writings and course materials are shared electronically via website and email. The course is designed to help students write regularly and to enjoy writing. By sharing work in progress, students learn from and support one another and develop critical judgment. They also practice computer and internet skills and become comfortable working online.
This is a limited-enrolment courses for which students may not pre-register. Admission is by permission of the instructor, Carolyn Smart, based on her assessment of writing samples. Submission materials should include either a recently-completed short story or non-rhyming poem, a cover letter describing your reasons for wanting to take the course, and your student number, and may be submitted in two ways: to the Department of English in hard copy, or as an MS Word attachment to the instructor (smartc@queensu.ca). Early submission is encouraged. Successful applicants will find the course listed on SOLUS during the pre-registration period.
The online postings of student writing will be the primary texts for this course. You will need a good dictionary and thesaurus, and you may find a grammar book helpful. The Canadian Poetry Online site will be our poetry resource.
Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor
Admission is based on writing samples.
Terms
Winter 2020
Course Dates:
Jan 6 - Apr 3, 2020
Exam Dates:
N/A
Evaluation
This course is in an online workshop format, and students are expected to contribute each week. Since this is a workshop and feedback is important, students should plan to be online at least twice a week. Participation in at least 80% of the course is mandatory.
- Creative writing workshop participation – 50%
- 5 assignments (10% each) – 50%
- There is no final exam.
**Evaluation Subject to Change**
Note concerning the Creative Writing Workshop: You will post several examples of new, "finished" writing you have done for this course and worked on with care and considerable attention. Writing you submitted to previous workshops or other classes (including high school) is unacceptable. The page distribution will be as follows:
- Either: 2 short stories – 5 pages minimum for each
- Or: 4 poems
- Or: 1 short story and 2 poems
These pieces will be posted on-line and the whole class will respond.
Five Assignments: Five times during the term I will assign you stories to read from your text or poems to read online. You will be expected to write a story or poem of your own along the lines of the work you are reading. These will be seen by me and marked. They are for my eyes only, not for the response of your classmates.
Instructor
Professor Carolyn Smart (smartc@queensu.ca)
Textbooks and Materials
ASO reserves the right to make changes to the required material list as received by the instructor before the course starts. Please refer to the Campus Bookstore website at http://www.campusbookstore.com/Textbooks/Search-Engine to obtain the most up-to-date list of required materials for this course before purchasing them.
Course Notes
Students will obtain their course notes and assignments from the course onQ site beginning the first day of term.
Recommended Textbook
- "What If?" Exercises and Stories for Fiction Writers, By: Bernays, Publisher: Pearson Longman.
- The Mind's Eye, by Kevin Clark, Publisher: Pearson Longman.
Note: The online postings of student writing will be the primary texts for this course. You will need a good dictionary and thesaurus, and you may find a grammar book helpful.
Additionally, the Canadian Poetry Online site will be our poetry resource.
Time Commitment
You should expect to spend at least one hour per day on the site. This will mostly involve reading your group's postings and responding to them thoroughly, shortly after they are posted. More time will go into your own ongoing creative work for posting on the site, and more time still on your five assignments (for the instructor's eyes only) which are due roughly every two weeks throughout the term. The assignments will involve some research, either in the text, "What If?" or online through individual research into the forms you will be attempting to use in your assignments. Don't forget your two reviews, which should be creative and fun.
Students can expect to spend 120 hours on WRIT 295 over the course of the term.
Course Resources
About SOLUS
About OnQ
onQ is Queen's online learning platform. You'll log into onQ to access your course. All materials related to your course—notes, readings, videos, recordings, discussion forums, assignments, quizzes, groupwork, tutorials, and help—will be on the onQ site.
About Credit Units
Queen’s courses are weighted in credit units. A typical one-term course is worth 3.0 units, and a typical two-term course is worth 6.0 units. You combine these units to create your degree. A general (three-year) BA or BSc requires a total of 90 credit units.
Computer Requirements
To take an online course, you’ll need a high speed internet connection as well as a microphone and speakers to be able to watch videos, hear sounds, and participate in interactive online activities. A webcam is recommended but not necessary.
System Requirements:
Computer Specifications
- Windows 8.1 or newer
- OSX 10.13 (High Sierra) or newer
- Dual Core 2 GHz processor
- 4 GB RAM
- Soundcard
- USB Headset
- Webcam
Supported Browsers
- Chrome (preferred - latest version)
- Firefox (latest version)
- Safari is not recommended as it causes several known issues in onQ
- Edge is not recommended as it causes several known issues in onQ
Internet Connection
- Wired high speed access: Cable or better
- Wifi is not recommended
Java
- Latest version
Media Player
- Flash (latest version)
Adobe Reader
- Latest Version
Dates/Deadlines
The deadlines for new applications to Queen’s Arts and Science Online courses are in our Upcoming Application Dates section.
Grading Scheme
The information below is intended for undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts and Science. Academic Regulations in other Faculties may differ.
| Letter Grade | Grade Point |
| A+ | 4.30 |
| A | 4.00 |
| A- | 3.70 |
| B+ | 3.30 |
| B | 3.00 |
| B- | 2.70 |
| C+ | 2.30 |
| C | 2.00 |
| C- | 1.70 |
| D+ | 1.30 |
| D | 1.00 |
| D- | 0.70 |
| F | 0.00 |
GPA Calculators
Have your SOLUS grade report handy and then follow the link to the Arts and Science GPA calculators.
How does this affect my academics?
See the GPA and Academic Standing page.
Follow the link above for an explanation of how the GPA system affects such things as the Dean’s Honour List, requirements to graduate, and academic progression.
Frequently Asked Questions on the Grading Scheme
Please follow this link to the FAQ's
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees vary depending when you start, your year, faculty, and program. Fees for Summer Term 2018 first-year Distance Career Arts & Science Domestic students are as follows: for a 3.0-unit course, $685.90; for a 6.0-unit course, $1371.80 See also Tuition and Fees.
Campus Bookstore
All textbooks can be purchased at Queen’s Campus Bookstore.
Non-Queen’s Students
All Queen’s Arts and Science Online courses are open to students at other universities. Before applying as a visiting student, request a Letter of Permission from your home university that states that you have permission to take the course and apply it to your degree. See also Apply.
Academic Integrity
Please see Queen’s policy statement on academic integrity for information on how to complete an online course honestly.
