As you probably noticed, I didn’t blog much about teaching this course this semester.
I think that’s because I’ve almost got it “down” now, which is a relief after three years of tweaking!
This is the seventh straight semester I’ve taught this course, and it always works out that: of 15 students
I require my novel-writing students to turn in 2,250 words a week for 12 weeks. If they turn in the words, they get 25 points. If they don’t turn in the words (or turn in less than 2,250), they don’t get 25 points. Simple as that.
Why 2,250 words?
Because 3 x 750 = 2,250. Which means that students can meet their Weekly Words quota by sitting down and using 750words.com just three times a week. If I’m on a roll and I just write without censoring myself, I can write 750 words in about 30 minutes. Which means that all it takes to stay on schedule is about 1.5 to 2 hours of writing per week. And if they can’t manage that, well…