FAQs about the Creative Writing Minor
Q: What would I have to take in order to get this minor?
Proposed Requirements: 5 courses
1 206 Creative Writing
1 288 Contemporary Literature OR 301 Writing Communities (new courses)
3 different workshops at 300 or 400 level—one must be either 304 or 306
303 Playwriting Workshop
304 Poetry Workshop
305 Screenwriting Workshop
306 Fiction Workshop
406 Writer’s Workshop
· Workshops can be repeated for credit, but only after fulfilling the above requirements.
· No more than 2 courses taken toward the English major may be counted in the Creative Writing minor.
Q: So what’s this creative writing minor all about, anyway?
This minor is for anyone who wants to write. It was designed to accommodate both English and non-English majors. The minor in Creative Writing offers students the opportunity to learn the craft of writing by studying the works of published writers, by writing and revising their own work, and by examining, critiquing, and supporting each other’s work in and out of workshop. The literature component of the minor will come from one of two new courses: Contemporary Literature OR Writing Communities. The workshop component of the minor provides incremental exposure to the writing process. In 206, students are introduced to writing poetry and fiction, discuss published work, complete writing exercises which focus on particular aspects of craft, and are introduced to the workshop method. At the 300-level, students continue their study of creative writing in workshops which focus on a single genre. These courses function primarily as workshops, with some lecture/discussion of published work and craft issues. The 400-level course (406 Writers’ Workshop) is the most intensive course in which students must produce a significant body of work, such as a chapbook of poems, a series of stories, a full-length play, the beginning of a novel, or a combination of these.
Q: Are there any prerequisites?
206 is the prerequisite for all 300 and 400 level workshops except 305 Screenwriting. Contemporary Lit and Writing Communities have no prerequisite. In order to enroll in 406 Writers’ Workshop, you must have TWO prerequisites: 206 and at least one 300-level workshop.
Q: What’s the difference between Contemporary Lit and Writing Communities?
Contemporary Lit is a survey course that focuses on both contemporary poetry and fiction. Writing Communities is a course designed to put you in contact with contemporary writers. You’ll help to administrate a Visiting Writers’ Series and read books by visiting authors. They’ll visit the class, and they’ll read YOUR work, too. Other activities and assignments are also required. So, Contemporary Lit is a standard survey, and Writing Communities is not.
Q: What will I get from this minor?
If you want to be a writer, or have thought about it, then this minor is definitely for you. The minor will prepare you for a possible “next step,” the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing. If you love to read and want to better appreciate literature from the inside/out, then this minor is for you. If you plan to become a teacher and want to prepare yourself to teach creative writing to young people, then this minor is for you. If you want to work someday as an editor, an agent, an arts administrator, then this minor is for you.
Q: How do I declare the Creative Writing minor?
After you've taken 206 Creative Writing, you can declare the Creative Writing minor. Go to this website and download the form: Application for Minor Form. Bring the form to Prof. Cathy Day in 229 Bliss Hall. She will need to spend a few minutes advising you about the program. Then, you take the form to the Associate Chair of the English Department to be signed. Then you take it to Records and Registration in Green Hall. That's it!