St.

Joseph High School Syllabus: Creative Writing

Teacher: Mr. Matarazzo

Department: English

Email: cmatarazzo@stjoek12.org

Course Objectives:
In this course, students will gain skills in producing various kinds of creative writing, including
poetic forms and various types of prose-writing, like: short fiction, plays, screenplays and
creative non-fiction. By the need of the year, students will have a strong basic knowledge of the
elements of these types of creative writing.

Course Outline:
Quarter One:
Unit One: Creative Nonfiction. Students will practice with short exercises in writing
creatively while sticking to the facts of a narrative story. The final project will be a journalistic
piece about a real event that shows use of literary craft, including figurative language and
imagery.
Unit Two: Short Fiction. Students will write short narrative pieces while practicing the
creation of imaginative stories. They will expand on what they have learned in writing creative
nonfiction. The final project will be a fully-developed short story
Quarter Two:
Unit Three: Free-verse Poetry. Students will practice and study short poetry in order to
define, in their own way, what poetry really is; what makes a collection of words a poem. They
will practice free-verse poetic writing in short pieces. The final project will be a themed
collection of ten free-verse poems.
Unit Four: Poetic Forms. Students will explore various established poetic forms and
they will learn how different poetic rhythms and verse structures by studying the work of poets
and by practicing the forms themselves. The final project will be a collection of ten themed
poems following either specific forms or rhythm and verse constructions.

Quarter Three:
Unit Five: Play-writing. Students will learn to write strong and believable dialogue
and to create a story arc in dramatic or comedic theatrical form. During the unit, students will
practice writing and performing individual scenes. The final project will be a one-act play that
runs for 25-30 minutes.
Unit Six: Screenwriting. Students will learn the basic elements of film and they will
learn the structure, artistic considerations and responsibilities of writing a screenplay. Students
will practice by writing treatments for movie ideas and then will write ten pages of a
screenplay as their final project.
Quarter Four:
Unit Seven: The Novel. Students will begin to plan and write a novel. They will, of
course, not finish this novel by the end of the year, but they will plan and begin it. We will
discuss progress in class and workshop selections.
Unit Eight: Coffeehouse. Students will revisit, revise or write new material for the
genre of their choice and they will prepare their work for a coffeehouse reading, either in class
or in a special assembly outside of class, depending on time and availability of space.

Grading Breakdown:
Journal:

40%

Final projects:

40%

Readings/short assignments: 20%

Necessary Materials:
For class, every day, students must have: their writing journal and a computer or tablet (if desired
for writing during workshop time).

Procedures and Policies:

Be gentlemen and ladies. All of us will respect each other. I trust you.

Personal Technology in the Classroom:

Cell phones, computers, tablets, or any other electronic devices, are not to be used during class
time without the permission of the teacher. Students may not record any audio or any visual
element of class without the teachers permission. Doing so without permission will result in

disciplinary action. Any infraction of the Acceptable Use Policy, as explained in the student
handbook, will be reported to the administration.