Acquaints students with the technical choices a writer makes in creating a story or a poem. Classes will consist of lectures on specific elements of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Students will also have the opportunity to talk with visiting writers and work in small groups to apply the course techniques and skills to a close reading of stories and poems.
An introductory workshop in fiction, with a primary emphasis on short stories. Prerequisite: Completion of campus Composition I general education requirement.
Practice in the writing of poetry; experimentation with a number of fixed forms and free verse, but emphasis mainly on the student's freedom to develop a personal style. Prerequisite: Completion of campus Composition I general education requirement.
Topics course that varies each semester and by section. The topics offered each semester will be listed in the Class Schedule. Approved for Letter and S/U grading. May be repeated.
Emphasizes the craft of short stories and poems through the study of formal elements central to the production of creative writing (e.g., plot, character, setting, point of view in short fiction and rhythm, meter, line break, imagery, simile, metaphor, formal patterns in poetry). Prerequisite: CW 104 or CW 106. For majors only.
Independent writing projects and examination of literature as the cultural basis of the student's specialized fields. May be repeated as topics vary.
An intermediate workshop in fiction, with a primary emphasis on short stories. Prerequisite: CW 104 or equivalent.
Builds upon the workshop format of CW 106, with an emphasis on prosody and poetic technique. Students will deepen their sense of craft by putting into practice their study and understanding of a variety of poetic forms (e.g., syllabic poetry, dramatic monologue, sonnet, bound/free verse) and technical concerns (e.g., voice, tone, line, line break, image). The workshop component of the course typically includes 8-12 completed poems and their revisions. Prerequisite: CW 106.
Types of nonfiction prose, including the personal essay, memoir, literary journalism, and historical writing.
In this writing- and reading-intensive composition class, students will look at how creative writers—fiction writers, poets, and essayists—write about creative writing outside of the standard literary analysis model. Realizing that there are other methods of discussing, analyzing, and considering literature is a major goal of this class. As a complement to the production of creative work, students will focus on how we analyze, consider, and place that work within the greater context of creative writing. Prerequisite: Completion of campus Composition I general education requirement.
An advanced workshop in fiction, with a primary emphasis on short stories. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 undergraduate hours or 8 graduate hours. Prerequisite: CW 204 or equivalent.
Practice of the writing of poetry aided by intensive study of examples. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 undergraduate hours or 8 graduate hours. Prerequisite: CW 206 or equivalent.
Personal direction in a writing project: fiction (novel or short stories), poetry or creative nonfiction. Frequency of conference to be determined by the type of project. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 undergraduate hours or 8 graduate hours. Prerequisite: CW 208, CW 404 or CW 406, and consent of the Director of Creative Writing.
Practicum in which students learn all the stages of developing and editing a literary publication. Students will solicit, read, and select poems and stories for an online supplement to the Ninth Letter literary journal. At the end of the semester, the supplement will be published on the Ninth Letter website (www.ninthletter.com). Students will gain experience in professional communications, copyediting, and marketing. 3 undergraduate hours. No graduate credit. May be repeated in separate semesters to a maximum of 6 hours. Prerequisite: CW 104 or CW 106.
Advanced topics course in Creative Writing. Students study selected topic through a workshop model, pursuing advanced development in one or more approaches to writing in a specialized field or genre. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated, if topics vary. Prerequisite: Junior standing required.