COURSE SYLLABUS
LITERARY TECHNIQUES AND STORY DEVELOPMENT—ONLINE
CONTACT INFORMATION
Catalog Course Code: ECW 2123
Three-Letter Course Abbreviation: LTS-O
Instructor: Michael Ferraro
Telephone: 407.679.0100 ext. 8957
Email: [email protected]
iChat: AIM: csmferraro
Hours: Hours vary
Email is preferred
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The Literary Techniques and Story Development Course
provides a broad spectrum and intensive study of authorial
choices and literary techniques that bring meaning and direction to stories. By employing literary devices, authors play
upon their readers’ conscious and unconscious experiences
and archetypes, which in turn shapes the interpretation by
and impact on the audience.
COURSE MATERIALS
yy MacBook Pro
yy Microsoft Word
yy Final Draft
yy Firefox
yy Keynote
yy Adaptations: From Short Story to Big Screen: 35 Great
Stories That Have Inspired Great Films, ed. Stephanie
Harrison, Three Rivers Press
yy The Complete Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, Art Spiegelman,
Pantheon
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Students will accomplish these course objectives by completing the milestones specified:
yy Demonstrate an understanding of the creative elements,
techniques, and conventions used in literature by writers
in a variety of genres by using critical thinking to analyze
and discuss selected works
yy Incorporate creative elements into their own creative
works throughout the course
yy Display a strong comprehension of traditional literary
terms, devices, and conventions
yy Communicate the ways perspective affects
storytelling
yy Discuss the significance of the decisions a writer
makes and how these decisions affect the audience’s
experience
yy Recognize how creative works are structured and how
structure affects meaning
yy Understand the function of variations of story paradigms in narrative storytelling
yy Discover why sequencing in narrative is integral to the
cohesiveness of the story
yy Learn to deconstruct narratives into the three-act
dramatic structure and discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of adhering to conventional structure
yy Analyze assigned works of literature and reading material
yy Identify literary techniques, conventions, and creative
elements
yy Recognize the role of plot in narrative storytelling
yy Interpret themes, tone, and style
yy Discuss how symbolism and metaphor help enhance
an artist’s vision
yy Codify the artistic design of the story into structural
elements
yy Demonstrate an understanding of theme and the ways
themes are integrated into works of literature
yy Discuss authorial choices
yy Discover methods writers use to convey information
and compel the audience to keep reading
yy Produce a creative masterwork project that incorporates
literary techniques effectively
yy Begin creative work with an attention-grabbing hook
yy Illustrate how creative use of literary conventions enhances premise
yy Compel the reader to want to know what happens
next
Literary Techniques and Story Development—Online  Course Objectives
Outcomes
yy Complete work free of grammatical and formatting errors
yy Demonstrate comprehension of syntax and mechanics
yy Understand how grammatical issues can distract or
confuse meaning
yy Display competence formatting for a variety of
mediums
COURSE OUTCOMES
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
yy Add the Masterwork Final to their degree portfolio
yy Skillfully analyze and critique creative work
yy Understand a wide array of literary techniques and
conventions
yy Incorporate literary devices into original creative work
yy Improve technical and creative writing skills
GENERAL EDUCATION COMPONENT
Students will enter this course after their basic writing skills
are polished in English Composition I and their creative
minds are honed in Creative Skills Development and Visual
Thinking and Writing. The objective of effective writing is to
communicate ideas with clarity. With so many outlets for
creative work, a mastery of the written language can separate one writer with good ideas from the next. Learning to
assess works by other successful writers is a valuable skill,
and learning how to effectively implement this learning into
all types of creative and professional writing in the evolving
digital and new media world is essential.
DEGREE CONNECTION
Literary Techniques and Story Development is the fourth core
course in the Creative Writing for Entertainment BFA program
and supplements many of the competencies taught in previous core courses. This course will provide students with a
vast array of techniques and methods used in literature that
are also fundamental to creative writing for the entertainment
industry. Concepts such as plot, theme, flashbacks, dramatic
structure, and metaphor are just as integral to writing for film,
narrative video games, television, and other forms of entertainment as they are to literature. Having a foundation rooted
in these elements will aid students as they work on their own
creative projects throughout the program.
INDUSTRY CONNECTION
The future of entertainment and new media in the digital age
is exciting and boundless, and the entertainment industry
continues to grow and push the limits of technology. The
fundamentals of writing in the entertainment industry remain
closely tied to the techniques and conventions of literature,
which has had thousands of years to develop methods that
work. After successful completion of this course, graduates
will be able to employ these literary techniques and methods
as they develop creative projects in the industry.
Literary Techniques and Story Development—Online  Research Component
RESEARCH COMPONENT
Beyond the comprehensive literary elements and
resources provided in this course, each student
will be encouraged to continue exploring as a
reader and reading as a writer. The best writers are
often the most prolific and most eclectic readers.
A writer should have a deep well of creative work
from which to draw and be inspired, an intimate
knowledge of the form and function of his or her
area of writing interest, and an insatiable desire to
develop effective ways to express his or her ideas
creatively.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
yy Handbook of Literary Terms: Literature, Language, Theory, X.J. Kennedy, Dana Gioia, and
Mark Bauerlein, Pearson Longman
yy MetaMaus: A Look Inside A Modern Classic,
Maus, Art Spiegelman, Pantheon
yy http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
TOPICS COVERED
yy Authorial Choices
yy Narrative Structure
yy Story and Plot
yy Linear and Nonlinear Storytelling
yy Backstory and Flashbacks
yy Point of View
yy Literary Metaphor
yy Symbolism
yy Subject and Theme
yy Deus ex Machina
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Video
Each week, students will view one brief video
lesson. The video may provide definitions of glossary terms, an overview of the course’s or week’s
objective, or instructions for completing weekly
assignments.
Reading
Since this is a course devoted to literature,
students will be assigned several reading assignments each week. These readings are crucial to
the course objectives and essential to complete
assignments. Students must read all assigned materials and be prepared to respond to the material
via assignments and discussion-board postings.
Discussion Board
Discussion-board prompts must be answered
thoroughly each week. The discussion boards are
designed to foster high-level discourse about the
reading assignments and themes of the course.
Masterwork
A Masterwork Creative Starter assignment will be
due at the end of Week Two. The Creative Starter
and the revised and expanded Masterwork Final
due in Week Four must be original work for this
course and must meet the specifications outlined
in the assignment. No previously submitted works
are permitted.
GRADE WEIGHTS
Discussions
42%
Masterwork Creative Starter
18%
Masterwork Final
30%
GPS
10%
Total
100%
STRATEGIES FOR
SUCCESSFUL LEARNING
yy Make time to read the assigned stories. Don’t
wait until the last minute and then scramble
to read. These stories are best when digested
slowly and even reread.
yy Contact your Course Director at least two days
prior to an assignment’s due date to ensure
you receive a response. Some assignments are
due over the weekend, and instructors do not
work often on the weekends.
yy Meet deadlines. It is unprofessional to turn in
work late or not at all. Not meeting deadlines
will lower your grade. Let your grade be based
on your achievements and hard work, not
missed opportunities.
Literary Techniques and Story Development—Online  Course-Specific Rubrics
COURSE-SPECIFIC RUBRICS
Discussion Board
Criteria
Superior
Above Average
Average
Below Average
Failing
Individual Input and
Initiative
Contributions enhance instructor’s
vision for the assignment
Contributions accurately reflect
instructor’s intentions for the
assignment
Response appropriate to the
subject
Response displays little
understanding of the subject
Did not complete
Generally competent, though little
sense of engagement
Lack of compliance toward
discussion goals
Inspires rich responses from
classmates
Surpasses typical expectations
Response affirms discussion’s
focus and direction
No energy or enthusiasm
conveyed
Follows instructions completely
Group Participation and Participation fosters team spirit
Interaction
Brings life to group
Shows respect for classmates
Encourages and supports
classmates
Comments not integral to
discussion (e.g., “I agree with…”)
Diplomatic in disagreement
Courteous, but little rapport with
classmates
Participation consistent and
rewarding
Critical Thinking and
Analysis
Grammar, Mechanics,
and Presentation
Off topic
Postings irrelevant or out of
context
Responses to classmates lack
courtesy and etiquette
Insightful, creative, and stimulating Perceptive
Competent overall
Perspectives richly detailed
Effectively detailed
Comprehensive
Logical and coherent
Perspective well stated but
uninspired
Persuasive
Strong continuity
Adequate details and support
Little analysis or demonstration of
understanding
No significant errors in
spelling, grammar, punctuation,
capitalization, structure, or
organization
Few or minor errors
Frequent or major errors that
detract from ideas
Errors abound to point of
distraction
Presentation diminishes content
Tone disruptive
Sentences not fluid
Presentation defeated content
Presentation enhanced content
Presentation adequately conveys
ideas
Content avoids wordiness and
awkward sentence construction
Did not complete
Responses do not reveal even a
minimal grasp of the concepts
Did not complete
Did not complete
Literary Techniques and Story Development—Online  Course-Specific Rubrics
Masterwork Assignments
Criteria
Superior
Above Average
Average
Below Average
Failing
Individual Initiative
Enhances instructor’s vision for
the assignment
Accurately reflects instructor’s
intentions for the assignment
Generally competent
Misses the goals of the
assignment
Did not complete
Surpasses typical expectations
Meets expectations
Follows instructions completely
Follows instructions
Unique and original premise
Engaging premise
Problems with clarity
Not original
Work only the writer could have
crafted
Story conveyed effectively
Not compelling
Story confusing
Employs literary techniques
effectively
Literary techniques do not
enhance work
Literary techniques not used or
ineffective
Few or minor errors
Frequent or major errors that
detract from ideas
Errors abound to point of
distraction
Presentation diminishes story
content
Tone or style disruptive
Creativity and
Inventiveness
Compelling to read
Does not follow instructions
completely
Does not follow instructions
Did not complete
Employs literary techniques
perfectly
Grammar, Mechanics,
and Presentation
No significant errors in
spelling, grammar, punctuation,
capitalization, structure, and
organization
Story enhanced by language and
metaphor
Completely free of clichés
Perfect formatting
Presentation adequately conveys
ideas
Content avoids wordiness and
awkward sentence construction
Sentences not fluid
Nearly free of clichés
Few clichés
Adequate formatting
Problems with formatting
Presentation or formatting defeat
content
Did not complete