Students must have completed English 1301 (or its equivalent) with a minimum grade of C before taking English 2341. Students may be asked to produce proof of the prerequisite (a transcript, screenshot, etc.) to the professor. I will send you an email if ACC records do not show you have competed the necessary course.

You must have a computer, internet access, and be familiar with navigation of websites (or willing to learn). The Blackboard home page at  https://www.austincc.edu/academic-and-career-programs/acconline/frequently-asked-questions contains information on succeeding in the online format. Obviously you will need access to your ACC email address, and your Blackboard account. ACC supplies all registered students with a Google mail address. Your email address is firstname.lastname@g.austincc.edu. (Depending on how common your name is, there may be a number after your last name; be sure to check that.) The school uses this email address to send you information about your classes and about the school, and requires all instructors to send communication to this school- provided email. Check it regularly. Class Announcements posted on Blackboard are also sent to your email.

I expect you to respect your instructor, as well as your classmates.  Any rude or inappropriate behavior will result in your expulsion from the learning environment or the class. You are expected to help create an environment for learning which means part of what we do this semester is to learn to “listen”/ to read closely, critically, before answering, and commenting; to refrain from discussion and behavior which impedes the intellectual progress of the course; to offer support to your classmates in the act of learning; and to address each other with the understanding that all are learners in this class. Harassment, bullying, name-calling and the like will not be accepted; such behavior will result in your inability to post in the discussion boards.

The course involves the reading, writing, and critical analysis of fiction (short stories, with discussions of novel and longer forms) along with online peer critiques (workshop) and discussion. The best way to become better writers is to read, write and discuss; be prepared to do a significant amount of all three. You will each be required to answer questions and comment on others’ answers, based on the readings and activities. Your answers will need to be more than simply “I didn’t like it” or “I think he’s a cool guy” or “I didn’t understand,” and your comments should be more than simply “Agreed” or “Ditto” or “I didn’t like it.” Consider your classmates’ responses, your reaction to the work, and then answer. And ALWAYs return to the texts/stories/essays for proof to support your answer, which means use examples from the stories/essays/articles to answer, and to discuss with, classmates.

This course consista of readings and creative writing exercises in response to an assigned story form that we study in each week.

This course consists of readings and creative writing exercises in response to an assigned story form that we study in that week. There will also be Reader Response assignments, as well as required attendance at, and written responses to, literary events.

Course Outcomes

After taking this course, students should

• Be familiar with the various forms and structures of short and long fiction, including braided stories, modular stories, epistolary stories, visitation stories, quest stories, framed stories, and various others.
• Recognize and explain key features in literary fiction that set it apart from genre literature and nonfiction forms.
• Demonstrate the ability to incorporate literary elements in one’s own prose.
• Show an increase in skill, objectivity, and technical expertise in the revision process through submission of a polished portfolio.
• Exhibit improved communication skills in both interpretation and expression of ideas in one's written, oral and visual communication.
• Demonstrate social and civic responsibility and intercultural competence in regional, national, and global contexts, through analysis and discussion of a broad sampling of literary works, and through communications with one’s peers and instructor.
• Exhibit personal responsibility and ethical decision-making in one’s choices and actions, specifically within one’s written work, group communications, and peer-to-peer exchanges.