Welcome to the Spring 2026 Creative Writing 1 course with Robert Allen!
In this face-to-face 3-credit course (CRW 2001 70T), we will focus on facilitating and cultivating our understanding, composition, and development of creative writing. In pursuit of these combined goals, we’ll meet weekly on Wednesdays, 5:30-8:10 pm, in room 1-128. During this time, we will sample, share, and discuss creative work.
Writers must fully complete the following two criteria to earn 70% (C) in the course:
- complete five practice assignments, each assessed simply for completion of listed instructions and timely submission, due in two parts: first as a preliminary draft (each worth 4 points), reviewed by the end of class during the second week of each three-week cycle and next as a finished draft (each worth another 4 points), reviewed via email of an attached PDF or Word document before the end of each Friday in the third week of each three-week cycle (January 30, February 20, March 13, April 3, and April 24) — compiling a collective portfolio of pieces which represent the course’s final exam, for a total of 40 points
- attend the first meeting and the five third-week meetings, each worth five points — for a total of 30 points
For the practice assignment, we will consider five forms of creative writing, subject to change with two-week notice:
Weeks 2-4 – prosaic poetry
Weeks 5-7 – one act play (with 2-3 characters, 4-5 spoken lines, 5-6 minute run-time).
Weeks 8-10 – short story (with pacing mechanism)
Weeks 11-13 – personal or narrative Polaroid essays
Weeks 14-16 – literary reportage
Beyond the above criteria, writers may fully complete any one of the following options for another 15 points and earn an 85% (B) or any two of the following options for another 30 points and earn a 100% (A).
- Substantially expand and significantly revise one practice assignment for submission to the college’s literary journal, due via emailed word document before the end of Friday during finals week.
- Write a short critique (300 words) of a classmate’s practice assignment, arranged by the two writers involved and submitted to both the original author and me (Robert) via emailed word document before the end of Friday during finals week.
- Attend four of the five open mic nights with a guest.
- Perform original work at all five open mic nights.
- Perform your one-act play along with two other classmates’ one act plays on a Thursday night of your collective agreement.
- Exhibit the Polaroid essay at the last open mic night of the semester.
Considered cumulatively, the above assignments account for 100 points, so that each point simply equals 1% of each writer’s overall grade—which I translate to letters, according to the most customary 10-point increments:
100-90% (A), 89-80% (B), 79-70% (C), 69-60% (D), and 59-0% (F).
Writers who miss five or more consecutive class meetings without providing an assignment or other communication may earn a non-participatory designation that leads to their withdrawal from the course, as facilitated by the college’s mid-semester participation reporting.
For the possibility of excusing an absence beyond those allowed by the college’s participation policy, linked at the bottom of Appendix B, writers must present the situation to me in person or via email before the date/s in question—excepting sudden emergencies, which I may retroactively excuse if presented with verifiable documentation of an extenuation circumstance outside the writer’s control.
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Office Hours
Titusville Campus, Building 1, Room 128
Monday/Wednesday: 11:15–12:15, 1:30–2:00, & 8:10–8:40 PM
Tuesday: 5:00–5:30 PM & 8:10 – 8:40 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM, online or on campus by appointment
Office Phone: (321) 433-5143
email: allenrob@easternflorida.edu
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Spring 26, Final Exam Schedule:
https://www.easternflorida.edu/academics/calendar/final-exams.php#spring
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Appendix A
The following information appears in all syllabi for CRW 2001 classes, per college-wide requirement.
This introductory course builds creative writing skills in fiction, poetry, drama, and/or creative non-fiction. Student writing will be the primary basis for critical discussion with emphasis on fundamental aspects of technique. Lectures, readings, craft analysis, discussions, exercises, and/or workshops provide students with the opportunity to develop the craft of creative writing.
Course competencies direct students to 1) develop authorial voice, 2) develop authorial style, 3) integrate literary elements into original work, 4) revise creative work, 5) critique model texts, 6) examine elements of literary genres, 7) collaborate on peer drafts using critical thinking, 8) create feedback for peer drafts.
This course links to the college’s “core ability” regarding students’ capacity to “communicate effectively.”
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Appendix B
The following information appears in all syllabi for all courses, per college-wide requirement.
In face-to-face classes, students must physically attend at least one class in the first two weeks and complete one graded assignment. For students who registered during the add or drop period after the course’s last meeting for the first week, students must attend the first class of week two (2) and follow-up with their instructor regarding the missed graded assignment. Failure to meet the participation requirements will result in the student being marked as not participating and withdrawn from the course.
For 16-week and 12-week classes, instructors are required to submit an additional Class Participation Report. A student is considered actively participating if they have recently completed assignment(s) leading up to this checkpoint and continue to engage in the course as outlined in the syllabus. This report verifies each student’s continued participation.
Religious Observations—
When the observance of a student’s religious holiday(s) interferes with attendance in class, class work assignments, examinations, or class activities, the student must notify the instructor in writing within the first week of class. Students are held responsible for material covered during their absence. The instructor should provide alternative arrangements for students to complete the work for the missed session. Students excused for religious observances will be expected to meet the class requirements for those days without undue delay. Students who believe they have been unreasonably denied educational benefits due to their religious beliefs or practices may seek redress through the student appeal procedure. [FS 1001.64, 1002.21, 1006.53] Nationally recognized religious holidays shall be acknowledged plus any significant day of religious observance as recognized by the highest governing body of that particular religious faith. Students may be required to provide information or proof the religious holiday if such holiday is not generally known.
Academic Dishonesty, EFSC Policy—
Any form of academic dishonesty is subject to the disciplinary actions set forth in the Student Code of Conduct. Cheating, plagiarism and any other misrepresentation of work are prohibited. Students who are found to be in violation of this standard may receive severe sanctions, including a failing grade in their respective course and depending on the circumstances, possible expulsion from Eastern Florida State College.
In general terms, plagiarism is the adoption or incorporation of another’s ideas without proper attribution of the source. It is more simply defined as taking the writings of another person or people and representing them to be one’s own. Please note that access to or obtaining information/copying assignments provided from sources like CHEGG, Course Hero, Accounting Tutor, or any other online applications that purport to offer the answers to exercises or instructor materials for courses, may be considered CHEATING, and any instances that can be substantiated will be treated as such.
To avoid plagiarism, you should always credit the sources used when writing as essay, research paper, or other assignment in accordance with the appropriate style manual or format required in your course. Confirm with your instructor the appropriate format to use.
Types of actions defined as plagiarism include but may not be limited to the following:
Cutting and pasting to create a written document from a single or various sources;
Citing a source with false or inaccurate information. (Bibliographical or URL);
Quoting less than all the words copied or paraphrasing a source without proper citation or notation the document has been altered;
Submitting papers, assignments, exams, or forums that were completed by someone other than yourself;
Working in a group or otherwise colluding with other students to prepare and submit work without prior acknowledgment and approval from the instructor;
Receiving or giving outside help without prior written faculty consent, this includes assistance from tutors, websites, or other online resources;
Sharing assignments, exams, or discussions with other students;
Selling or purchasing (or copying) papers, assignments, or exams from any website that buys or sells them and submitting them as your work in whole or in part;
Using a quotation without proper quotation marks and citation;
Preparing a draft for final paper for another student;
Submitting or revising a paper, assignment, quiz or exam that you submitted in a previous and/or concurrent class without requesting and receiving in writing prior permission from your instructor(s);
Copying a non-text material such as: image, audio, video, spreadsheet, PowerPoint presentation, etc., without proper citation and reference;
Altering any information on forms, electronic attachments or emails after the original has been submitted;
Presenting statistics, facts, or ideas that are not your own, or is not common factual knowledge either by the general population, or commonly known within the particular discipline, without citation, even if you view them as common knowledge in your own educational background.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding plagiarism, ask your instructor or Associate Provost for assistance before a plagiarism problem arises. For more information about plagiarism and proper citations please visit the campus learning lab and/or writing center.
Sexual Misconduct—
Eastern Florida State College is committed to providing a safe and productive learning environment. Title IX and our school policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. Sexual Misconduct—in any form, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking—is prohibited at EFSC. Our school encourages anyone experiencing Sexual Misconduct to talk to someone about what happened, so they can get the support they need and our school can respond appropriately. For more information about your options, please visit easternflorida.edu/our-campuses/campus-security/titleix-sexual-misconduct. Our school is legally obligated to investigate reports of Sexual Misconduct, and therefore it cannot guarantee the confidentiality of a report, but it will consider a request for confidentiality and respect it to the extent possible. As an instructor, I am also required by our school to report incidents of Sexual Misconduct and thus cannot guarantee confidentiality. I must provide other EFSC officials with any relevant information reported to me.
SAIL—
Faculty at EFSC are innovative and may utilize additional resources and technology (including recording devices) above and beyond the required course materials to enhance the instructional experience. EFSC strives to provide equitable access at the same academic and instructional level for all students and is committed to ensuring access for students with documented disabilities. A person with a disability may qualify for reasonable accommodations. SAIL (Student Access for Improved Learning) ensures that reasonable accommodations are provided for students with documented disabilities that significantly impact major life functions While personal services and personal aides cannot be provided, reasonable accommodations will be arranged to assist a student with a disability based on documentation provided by the student. For more information about accommodations and the resources available to students with disabilities, students are encouraged to go to the website or visit a SAIL office on any campus.
Addendum
Link: https://www.easternflorida.edu/academics/syllabus-addendum/index.php
Withdrawing from a course
Link: https://www.easternflorida.edu/registrar/course-related/course-withdrawal.php
College-wide participation policy
Link: https://www.easternflorida.edu/registrar/class-participation.php
College-wide participation reporting policy
Link: https://www.easternflorida.edu/registrar/course-related/class-participation-reporting.php
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Thoughts, Revised & Refined 