Minor in English: Creative Writing Track
The English minor in creative writing provides students with intensive writing workshops in various genres: fiction, poetry, scriptwriting, creative nonfiction, performance poetry (slam/spoken word), and music criticism. Students explore the craft of creative writing, including narrative design, point of view, voice, character construction, dialogue, the poetic line, rhythm, and imagery.
Through writing exercises and projects, students explore ways that writers catch and sustain their readers' attention. As models for creative writing, students read selected works by great authors. However, the primary emphasis is on shaping original works. All creative writing workshops are highly interactive, including peer editing and small-group work. Students explore publishing and performing their work as well.
Students must take LENG-111 Introduction to College Writing.
- College students: submit the Declaration of Major/Minor form to the Liberal Arts Department. See detailed instructions in the Registration Guide.
- Conservatory students: submit the Declaration of Minor form to the Registrar's Office.
Upon completion of a minor in English: creative writing track, students will:
- write creatively in a variety of genres, including poetry, drama, fiction, and creative nonfiction;
- apply form, metaphor, voice, style, sound (the "music of what happens"), humor, and ritual;
- write persuasive dialogue, build believable characters the reader/audience will care about, and create settings that reflect the conflict in a scene;
- create sonorous, vivid poetry making good use of imagery, repetition, rhythm, revision, and additional elements of poetry;
- analyze and appreciate different styles, voices, and techniques of creative writing;
- give and accept constructive feedback on the content and style of what workshop members write;
- integrate the revision process with the creative process, learning that "all good writing is rewriting";
- evaluate and emulate the literary, artistic, and intellectual quality of published creative writing (e.g., in journals, literary magazines, books);
- synthesize the creative connections between literature and other arts such as music, drama/film, and the visual arts;
- submit finished creative works to FUSION Magazine;
- apply the basic techniques of news reporting, review writing, and forming and expressing editorial opinions; and
- develop critical thinking about musical performances, productions, recordings, and other music-related issues (news, technology, gear, clubs).
Required Course (3 credits):
- LENG-223 Literature (3 credits)
- LENG-337 Telling True Stories (3 credits)
- LENG-331 Creative Writing: Poetry 1 (3 credits)
- LENG-431 Creative Writing: Poetry 2 (3 credits)
- LENG-335 Fiction Writing Workshop (3 credits)
- LENG-336 Scriptwriting for Theater, TV, and Film (3 credits)
- LENG-450 Spoken Word and Slam Poetry 1 (3 credits)
- LENG-452 Spoken Word and Slam Poetry 2 (3 credits)