In this workshop course we will write stories and read those written by our peers. We will get to know each other, share our love of literature, and trade story ideas before we begin reading and critiquing each other's work in earnest. You will be expected to participate in this discussion in three ways: as readers you will be expected to read, consider, and discuss a wide range of contemporary short stories; as writers you will be expected to produce one complete full-length, fully revised short story (length will be approximately 4,000 words) which will be discussed in workshop; and as peer editors you will be expected to produce thoughtful critiques of all work put forward in workshop (as many as fifteen or more comprehensive critiques) and to actively participate in discussion.

In this fully online course, students will write approximately twenty pages of screenplay material, along with committed critiques of their peers' work. A wide range of projects will be considered, including but not limited to short films, feature films, one-hour episodic television scripts, half-hour comedy scripts, and scripts for animated series. Students should come well-prepared to discuss the course materials, the work of their peers, and have a STRONG knowledge of screenplay format, since CRW 3610 (the intro course) is a prerequisite here. We will assume you have mastered format. If you have not, review screenplay format before taking this class. You have been warned! At the end of the semester, students will submit their very best (and often heavily revised pages) along with a revision reflection that details this process. Ultimately, we want to see your script actually produced, so we’ll always be writing with an aim toward production.

This course will introduce students to theoretical and applied concepts in video game design and explore the literary impact of video games on our culture.  Students will critically evaluate video games as rhetorical devices and will learn techniques for dealing with particular game design strategies such as artificial intelligence, storytelling, cueing, and establishing/maintaining immersion.  In order to better understand game literacies, students will be expected to produce a group-produced game design document (GDD).  Using milestone presentations and game design pitches, students will be expected to contribute to multimedia presentations that outline the progress on the GDD (analogous to exec reviews / green light meetings in industry).  Each contribution should emphasize the work that the student has completed to ensure he or she receives credit.  A more detailed description of the specific task requirements will be given in class.