Creative Writing

This creative writing class is a study of human expression and human experience that will challenge students to grow in appreciation for different forms of poetry and prose.

Throughout the semester, we will establish a routine of reading existing works, critiquing them, writing ourselves, participating in group workshops, and then revising our work. Writing is not a solitary process. It takes great courage to face the criticism of your peers, but what an excellent opportunity to grow in humility and perseverance. By the end of the course, students will have a writing portfolio containing: a one-act play, a piece of creative nonfiction, an original short story, a piece of satire, a sonnet, a pantoum, a sestina, and a villanelle."

Course Objectives

Students will become proficient in the conversational approach to learning: close readings, interpretive questions, and Socratic discussions of given texts.

Students will learn how to read critically as writers– appreciating not just the content, but the craft involved in written expression.

Students will learn how to navigate the creative process– how to generate ideas, break through writer's block, and how to revise.

Students will become comfortable with sharing their work in workshops and learn how to offer kind and constructive criticism.

Students will learn how to write poetry and prose that adheres to a given form.