Creative Writing

Degrees and Certificates

Courses

CRW 200: INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE WRITING

Class Program
Credits 3

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.

Notes

Major, Minor, Elective credit.

CRW 205: LITERARY MAGAZINE EDITING PRACTICUM

Class Program
Credits 1

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.

Notes

Major and elective credit.

CRW 206: INTRODUCTION TO PUBLISHING

Class Program
Credits 3

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.

Notes

Major, minor, elective credit. 

CRW 300: FICTION WORKSHOP

Class Program
Credits 3

Instruction in advanced techniques in the writing of fiction. 

Prerequisites

ENG 292 or permission of the instructor.

Notes

Major, Minor, Elective credit.

CRW 301: POETRY WORKSHOP

Class Program
Credits 3

Instruction in advanced techniques in the writing of poetry. 

Prerequisites

ENG 292 or permission of the instructor.

Notes

Major, Minor credit.

CRW 303: FEATURE WRITING

Class Program
Credits 3

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

Prerequisites

ENG 291 or permission of instructor.

Notes

Major, Minor credit.

CRW 304: SPECIAL TOPICS IN WRITING

Class Program
Credits 3

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.

Prerequisites

ENG 292 or equivalent.

Notes

Major, Minor, Elective credit.

CRW 305: CRAFT STUDIES IN PROSE

Class Program
Credits 3

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.

Notes

Major, minor, elective credit

CRW 306: CRAFT STUDIES IN POETRY

Class Program
Credits 3

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.

Notes

Major, minor, elective credit

CRW 311: WRITING THE NOVEL

Class Program
Credits 3

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.

Notes

Major, minor, elective credit.

CRW 312: NOVELLA WRITING

Class Program
Credits 3

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.

Notes

Major, minor, elective credit.

CRW 399: PUBLICATIONS/MEDIA INTERNSHIP

Class Program
Credits 3

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.

Prerequisites

ENG 291.

Notes

May not be taken for Major credit. 

CRW 400: ADVANCED TUTORIAL IN FICTION

Class Program
Credits 3

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.

Notes

Major, Minor, Elective credit.

CRW 401: ADVANCED TUTORIAL IN POETRY

Class Program
Credits 3

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.

Notes

Major, Minor, Elective credit.

CRW 498: BFA SENIOR SEMINAR

Class Program
Credits 3

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.

Notes

Required of all BFA creative and professional writing majors.