Creative Writing Courses

ENGL 351: Fiction Writing I

Instructor: Adam Desnoyers
58314 | TuTh 9:30-10:45 AM | Wescoe 4021

If you have had a life-long interest in writing fiction then this is the course for you. By studying short stories from established writers, students will learn to read “like a writer” and recognize how narrative is constructed. We will study how characters are created and are made sympathetic (or less than sympathetic) by their actions, their words, and their histories. Students will learn how to write scenes, craft dialogue, build conflict, and otherwise learn how to tell a story, which is a skill that has benefit in every field. Students will produce two short stories over the course of the semester. A class period will be allotted to each story you produce, in which you will receive feedback from all of your peers. You will have an opportunity to rewrite these stories based on that feedback before finally presenting them in your final portfolio for the semester.

Instructor: Divya Bhalla
58313 | TuTh 11:00-12:15 PM | Wescoe 4021
65005 | TuTh 12:30-1:45 PM | Wescoe 4037

In this course, we will examine the craft of fiction writing through an analysis of a range of narrative techniques that may include setting, voice, character, imagery, writing the Other, etc. We will also examine how stories counter, resist, and subvert the dominant narrative. We will learn to write stories that empower; we will learn to articulate that which has been silenced. We will also visit Spencer Research Library to examine manuscripts and get inspiration for our own writing and revision. We will further focus on the revision process through workshops, where each student receives feedback on their fiction pieces while providing critiques to their peers. We will thus forge our ideas through a range of assignments, including fiction writing, critical responses, class discussions, and Canvas Discussion posts.

Instructor: Brian Daldorph
53505 | M 5:30-8:20 PM | Regnier 152 - Edwards

ENGL 352: Poetry Writing I

Instructor: Christine Singleton
58316 | MWF 12:00-12:50 PM | Fraser 223
64981 | MWF 1:00-1:50 PM | Fraser 223

Visit Christine L. Singleton's Profile

ENGL 354: Playwriting I

Instructor: Darren Canady
62483 | TuTh 9:30-10:45 AM | Wescoe 4075

Visit Darren Canady's Profile

ENGL 355: Nonfiction Writing I - Workshop in the Essay

Instructor: Doug Crawford-Parker
58317 | TuTh 11:00-12:15 PM | Fraser 225

When you hear the word “essay,” what comes to mind? School assignments? Five paragraphs? Exams? In this class, we will study and write a very different kind of essay: the essay as a form of literature where writers artfully enact their engagement with the world and with themselves. Our emphasis will be on the art and craft of the personal essay. We will read numerous essays to get a better handle on this often-slippery form. We will spend some time sharpening our sentence style, the material essays are made out of. And we will write essays and read each other’s work. The class employs a workshop format where each student reads and comments on the work of everyone else in the class and receives feedback from everyone else in the class. The workshop format of the course demands a high level of student participation, both in degree and quality. Students will be required to write one short essay and two longer essays, keep a journal, do a presentation, and revise their work for an end of semester portfolio, in addition to reading numerous essays and other assignments. A willingness to read seriously, write, offer feedback, accept feedback, and enjoy oneself is essential for the course.

Visit Doug Crawford-Parker's Profile

ENGL 551: Fiction Writing II

Instructor: Laura Moriarty
60429 | TuTh 11:00-12:15 PM | Wescoe 4037

Instructor: Adam Desnoyers
59412 | TuTh 12:30-1:45 PM | Wescoe 4019
62488 | TuTh 2:00-3:15 PM | Wescoe 4019
OLD DESCRIPTION:
This course is an intensive exploration of the ideas and
techniques of fiction writing within the form of the
short story, with primary emphasis on the careful
analysis and discussion of student works-in-progress.
We will read a variety of published stories each week
and discuss narrative structure and style, imagery and
metaphor, use of scene and exposition, dialogue, and
the various points of view. Requirements: Students will
attend class regularly and participate actively in
discussion. They will produce three short stories of
their own during the semester, which they will submit
to the class to be workshopped. They will also provide
critiques for their peers’ stories as these are
workshopped. Lastly, students will revise their own
stories for inclusion in their final portfolio.

Instructor: Brian Daldorph
53506 | M 5:30-8:20 PM | Regnier 152 – Edwards

ENGL 552: Poetry Writing II

Instructor: Meagen Youngdahl
62489 | MW 2:00-3:15 PM | Bailey 301

This course will build upon lessons in craft and poetics from Poetry I with the goal of helping each student to further explore and shape their particular style and approach to poetry writing. We will do this through an abundance of reading, writing, discussion, workshopping, and revision, as well as frequent generative writing exercises. Students will also be asked to familiarize themselves with the local poetry community (on campus and off) by attending readings and other poetry-centered events. By the end of the course, each student will have produced a chapbook-length collection (20-30 pages) of writing organized around a central theme, idea, or experience, as well as a self-reflection paper discussing how their work might fit into (and add to) the broader poetry landscape.