Creative Writing

Instruction in the writing of poetry and short fiction. Regular writing and reading assignments will be required. Student writing will be discussed in a “workshop” format.

An introduction to the elements of professional news and public relations writing, including basic news stories, features, editorials, interviews, press releases and PSA’s.

A laboratory course for student editors of the literary magazine Concept in which students receive a component of experiential learning toward their degree. The work created by students enrolled in this course will directly serve Concept’s editing and production needs, and the course will offer the students a wide variety of editing, marketing, and production opportunities unavailable in the standard classroom, including advertising, manuscript solicitation, manuscript screening, and aspects of developing rejection and acceptance letters, magazine design and layout, editing and proofing, and preparing a volume of Concept for publication. This course is required for students working on Concept, thus it may/will be repeated for credit, as the content will change based on production needs.

Introduction to Publishing offers the Converse student an introduction to publishing from the writer’s perspective. The course provides students with a foundation in the acquisition, editorial, marketing, and publishing structures in the literary publishing industry and the creative writing professional market.

Instruction in advanced techniques in the writing of fiction. 

Instruction in advanced techniques in the writing of poetry. 

Instruction in advanced techniques in the writing of creative nonfiction.

Study in advanced feature writing techniques (human interest story, personality profile, travel story, and special event story). Lecture/workshop format. Offered Spring Term.

An upper-level course for students who wish to focus on one aspect of writing. Topics may include: Advanced Tutorials in fiction, poetry or creative non-fiction.

Students will develop a working knowledge of the history, criticism, and craft theory associated with the writing of fiction and/or creative nonfiction. The course will require extensive writing and reading in the genre, including reading full-length collections of stories, essays, novels, or memoir, plus readings in craft technique and theory. Subjects may include studies of specific writers, specific forms (novel, travel memoir, lyric essay, short story, etc.), movements, and specific sub-genres with emphasis on reading as a writer to learn and develop specific craft techniques. Example topics include Reading and Writing the Lyric Short Story, Form and Technique in the Contemporary Novel, Writing and Reading the Lyric Essay, and Studies in Plot. Writing assignments in the course may include critical response essays, interviews, critical annotations, reviews, in-class creative writing assignments, a creative writing final portfolio, or other options.

Students will develop a working knowledge of the history, criticism, and craft theory associated with the writing of poetry. The course will require extensive writing and reading in the genre, including reading full-length collections of poems, plus readings in craft technique and theory. Subjects may include studies of specific writers, specific forms, poetic movements, and specific sub-genres with emphasis on reading as a writer to learn and develop specific craft techniques. Example topics include Reading and Writing the Lyric Sequence, Form and Technique in Closed Forms, and Voice and the Free Verse Line. Writing assignments in the course may include critical response essays, interviews, critical annotations, reviews, in-class creative writing assignments, a creative writing final portfolio, or other options.

In this writing workshop course, students will develop a working knowledge of the history, form, and craft theory associated with the writing of the mainstream literary novel. The course will require extensive writing and reading in the genre, plus readings in craft technique and theory. By the end of the course, students will have written and revised a substantial portion of a novel.

In this writing workshop course, students will develop a working knowledge of the history, form, and craft theory associated with the writing of the novella, a unique narrative form situated between the brevity of the short story form and the expansiveness of the novel. The course will require extensive writing and reading in the genre, plus readings in craft technique and theory. By the end of the course, students will have written and revised a complete novella.

Designed to accommodate those students engaged in internships in publishing (newspaper, magazine, book), TV, radio and advertising. Generally requires assignment of a written project in addition to the internship work experience. May be taken more than once with the approval of the department. Pass/fail grading.

Instruction in advanced techniques in fiction writing with a focus on one-to-one tutorial instruction and masterclass workshops with the Distinguished Writer- in-Residence. The purpose of the course is to provide intensive study at an individual pace in order to help students develop writing of a publishable quality.

Instruction in advanced techniques in poetry writing with a focus on one-to-one tutorial instruction and master class workshops with the Distinguished Writer- Residence. The purpose of the course is to provide intensive study at an individual pace in order to help students develop writing of a publishable quality.

The seminar offers the opportunity to develop a book length collection of poetry (35-45 pages) or prose (40-50 pages) along with a critical introduction to the work that details how the student author’s writing fits into the contemporary literature scene. In addition, the student creates a reading list developed in consultation with the project director and completes a final oral defense of the senior project. Projects directed by faculty sponsors. Capstone. Offered in the Spring Term of the senior year.