CREATIVE WRITING
College of Humanities
(See Creative Writing in the Academic Programs section for information on degrees)
Undergraduate Courses
101 Introduction to Creative Writing (3) [GE]
Introduction to the creative writing process. Exercises in writing poetry, fiction, and dramatic scripts. Selected readings of exemplary stories, poems, and plays. Open to all students. [CAN ENGL 6]
301 Fundamentals of Creative Writing (3)
Prerequisite: ENG 114 or equivalent. Priority given to creative writing majors. Instruction and extensive practice in writing poetry, fiction, and plays. Lectures and discussions of both student and published writing explore the craft of all three genres. Required for majors. Open to all students.
403 Short Story Writing One (3)
F,S
Prerequisite: C W 301 or 101 with a grade of B or better or consent of instructor. The writing and analysis of short stories in a workshop setting. Discussion of problems of style, form, intention, and technique. May be taken for two semesters of credit.
404 Poetry Writing One (3)
F,S
Prerequisite: C W 301 or 101 with a grade of B or better or consent of instructor. The writing and analysis of poems in a workshop setting. Discussion of problems of style, form, voice, and craft. May be repeated for a total of six units of credit.
405 Playwriting (3)
F,S
Prerequisite: C W 301 or 101 with a grade of B or better or consent of instructor. The writing and analysis of plays. Discussion of problems of such craft aspects as voice, form, characterization, and dialogue. May be repeated three times for credit.
465 Philosophy in Poetry (3)
Prerequisite: CW 301, or PHIL 110, or consent of instructor. An examination of the relationship between philosophical ideas and associated attitudes on one hand and poetic activity on the other. Team-taught by Philosophy and Creative Writing. Requires two critical papers totalling at least fifteen pages. (Also offered as PHIL 465.)
510 The Creative Process (3)
Prerequisite: CW 301 or consent of instructor. Topic to be specified in Class Schedule. Examination of the creative process in various genres, emphasizing technique, structure, and style. Creative and/or critical projects required. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.
511 Craft of Poetry (3)
Prerequisite: CW 301 or 101, with a grade of B or better, or consent of instructor. Basic craft elements of poetry: diction, imagery, rhythm, voice, and form. Lectures supplemented by discussion of student and professional writing.
512 Craft of Fiction (3)
Prerequisite: CW 301 or 101, with a grade of B or better, or consent of instructor. Basic craft elements of fiction: plot, dialogue, character, point of view, and place. Lectures supplemented by discussion of student and professional writing.
513 Craft of Playwriting (3)
Prerequisite: CW 301 or 101, with a grade of B or better, or consent of instructor. Basic craft elements of playwriting: scene, story, dialogue, character, and conflict. Lectures supplemented by discussion of student and professional writing.
520 Writers on Writing: The Creative Process (3)
Faculty and visiting writers representing a wide range of styles and subjects read from their works and discuss their creative process with students. Creative and/or critical projects required. Open to all students.
550 Poetry Center Workshop (3)
Prerequisite: ENG 114, or CW 301, or consent of instructor. A study of contemporary poetic theory and practice as exemplified by The Poetry Center reading series. Requirements include attendance at readings and written critical study of the work of visiting poets.
600 Special Topics in Writing (3)
Topic to be specified in Class Schedule. Intensive study of a particular area in poetry, fiction, or playwriting. Writing projects in the area of study. May be repeated when topics vary.
603 Short Story Writing Two (3)
Prerequisites: CW 301 and 403 or consent of instructor. Continuation of CW 403. Writing and analysis of short fiction in a workshop setting. Emphasis on developing character and voice. May be taken three times for credit.
604 Poetry Writing Two (3)
Prerequisites: CW 301 and 404, or consent of instructor. Continuation of CW 404. Writing and analysis of poetry in a workshop setting. Emphasis on techniques used in poetry: rhythm, rhyme, meter, imagery, metaphor, etc. May be repeated for a total of nine units of credit.
605 Writing and Performing Monologues (3)
Prerequisite: CW 301 or TH A 130 or consent of instructor. Priority enrollment given to Creative Writing and Theatre Arts majors. Workshop in creation of contemporary performance monologues. Development of original pieces through writing, performance, and critique; study of artists in the field. (Also offered as TH A 605.)
609 Directed Writing for B.A. Students (3)
Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Apply to instructor during semester prior to desired enrollment. Preference given to majors. Individual conferences to direct the student's project in one of the creative writing forms. May be taken for three semesters of credit. Students may register for different genres concurrently.
630 Literary Magazine (3)
Prerequisites: CW 301 and either CW 403, 404, 405, or consent of instructor. The selection of original work (short stories, poems, and plays) for an undergraduate literary magazine. Book reviews, interviews, design, production, and distribution are emphasized. Can be used to fulfill three units of the CW 510 requirement.
699 Independent Study (1-3)
Under exceptional circumstances upper division students may enroll for special work under the supervision of a member of the Creative Writing Department.
Graduate Courses
Enrollment priority given to classified Creative Writing graduate students.
709 Directed Writing for M.A. Students (3)
Prerequisites: classified graduate standing in creative writing and consent of instructor. Apply to instructor during the semester prior to desired enrollment. Through individual conferences, the student is directed in a project in one of the forms of creative writing. May be taken for three semesters of credit. Students may register for different genres concurrently.
803 Advanced Short Story Writing (3)
Prerequisite: classified graduate standing in Creative Writing or consent of instructor. An advanced course in the writing of short stories, emphasizing the development of the student's creative and critical abilities. May be taken for three semesters of credit.
804 Advanced Poetry Writing (3)
Prerequisites: classified graduate standing in Creative Writing or consent of instructor. Seminar and personal consultations in advanced writing of poetry with emphasis on analysis of student work and growth of critical abilities. May be taken for three semesters of credit.
805 Advanced Playwriting (3)
Prerequisite: classified graduate standing in Creative Writing or consent of instructor. Further development of critical skills in playwriting. Critiques of student plays in seminar sessions and personal consultations. May be taken for three semesters of credit.
807 Developing the Novel (3)
Prerequisite: classified Creative Writing graduate status or consent of instructor. Students gain a solid foundation for novel writing. They may have a novel in progress, or be developing a character or plot that excites the imagination.
808 Novel Writing (3)
Prerequisite: classified Creative Writing graduate status and CW 807, or consent of instructor. Seminar in the writing and analysis of longer forms of fiction. Personal consultations. May be taken for three semesters of credit.
809 Directed Writing for M.F.A. Students (3)
Prerequisites: classified Creative Writing graduate status in M.F.A. program and consent of instructor. Directed individual practice in a particular genre or problem in writing, with evaluation and revision of the student's work. May be taken for a total of nine (9) units. Students may register for different genres concurrently.
810 Seminar in the Creative Process (3)
Prerequisite: classified graduate standing in Creative Writing or consent of instructor. Topic to be specified in Class Schedule. Advanced examination of the creative process in various genres, emphasizing technique, structure, and style. Creative and/or critical projects required. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.
825 Playwright's Theatre Workshop (3)
Prerequisites: classified graduate standing in creative writing and consent of instructor. Projects designed to give playwrights the opportunity to refine their craft. Projects include attendance at plays, staged readings, and placement at professional theatres. Apply semester prior to course offering.
828 Computer Poetry Workshop (3)
Prerequisite: classified graduate standing in creative writing, or consent of instructor. A workshop designed to introduce advanced poetry writing students to the Hypercard computer environment and to the composition of poems involving text, graphics, and sound elements within that environment.
830 Transfer: Literary Magazine (3)
Designed to give students actual experience in editing and publishing Transfer, the literary magazine of the Creative Writing Department. Includes selection of material, layout, production, proofreading, and distribution.
853 M.F.A. Workshop in Fiction (3)
Prerequisites: classified graduate standing in the M.F.A. program in creative writing or consent of instructor. Open only to students admitted to the M.F.A. program. Students are expected to concentrate on revision of fiction, on bringing work to a finished, publishable state. Emphasizes the short story. May be repeated five times for a total of eighteen units.
854 M.F.A. Workshop in Poetry (3)
Prerequisites: classified graduate standing in the M.F.A. program in creative writing or consent of instructor. Open only to students admitted to the M.F.A. program. Students are expected to concentrate on revision of poetry, on bringing work to a finished, publishable state. May be repeated five times for a total of eighteen units.
855 M.F.A. Workshop in Playwriting (3)
Prerequisites: classified graduate standing in the M.F.A. program in creative writing or consent of instructor. Open only to students admitted to the M.F.A. program. Students are expected to concentrate on revision of a play, on bringing work to a finished state, ready for production. May be repeated five times for a total of eighteen units.
860 Teaching Creative Writing (3)
Prerequisites: classified graduate standing in the M.F.A. program in creative writing or consent of instructor. A class designed to introduce students to the theoretical and practical aspects of teaching creative writing. Enrollment limited to ten students.
865 First Person in Poetry and Philosophy (3)
An exploration of the philosophical implications of the use of first person singular in modern and traditional poetry. Its central concern is the shift from the Cartesian point of view to that of some significant modern thinkers. (Also offered as PHIL 865.)
866 Craft of Translation (3)
Prerequisite: classified graduate standing in creative writing or consent of instructor. A literary translation course to emphasize the art and craft of translation in which students familiarize themselves with the best models and develop skills in their own translation.
875 Community Projects in Literature (3)
Prerequisite: classified Creative Writing graduate standing in M.F.A. program or consent of instructor. Students are placed in work positions in community organizations such as Intersection for the Arts, City Arts and Lectures, Mercury House, and other centers so that they acquire practical knowledge of writing in the larger social context. May be repeated once for up to six units of credit.
880 M.F.A. Craft and Process Tutorial in Fiction (3)
Prerequisites: classified graduate standing in the M.F.A. program in creative writing or consent of instructor. Topic to be specified in Class Schedule. Intensive study of aspects of craft and theory, or of the art of an author or group of writers. Combines writing projects with focused technical study. May be repeated three times when topics vary.
881 M.F.A. Craft and Process Tutorial in Poetry (3)
Prerequisites: classified graduate standing in the M.F.A. program in creative writing or consent of instructor. Topic to be specified in Class Schedule. Intensive study of aspects of craft and theory, or of the art of an author or group of writers. Combines writing projects with focused technical study. May be repeated three times when topics vary.
882 M.F.A. Craft and Process Tutorial in Playwriting (3)
Prerequisites: classified graduate standing in the M.F.A. program in creative writing or consent of instructor. Topic to be specified in Class Schedule. Intensive study of aspects of craft and theory, or of the art of an author or group of writers. Combines writing projects with focused technical study. May be repeated three times when topics vary.
893 Written M.F.A. Creative Work (6)
Prerequisites: advancement to candidacy for the Master of Fine Arts and approval of the major adviser. May be a book-length collection of short stories, group of poems, a novel, or a play of publishable quality. Graduate Approved Program and Proposal for Culminating Experience Requirement forms must be approved by the Graduate Division before registration. CR/NC grading only.
893 Written M.A. Creative Project (3)
Prerequisites: advancement to candidacy for the Master of Arts in English: Creative Writing and approval of the major adviser. May be a collection of short stories, group of poems, a novel, or a play. Graduate Approved Program and Proposal for Culminating Experience Requirement forms must be approved by the Graduate Division before registration. CR/NC grading only.
896 Directed Reading of Selected Authors (3)
Prerequisite: advancement to candidacy for the Master of Arts in English: Creative Writing. Directed reading in selected major authors, leading to oral presentations and questioning on two authors. May be repeated once for credit if the oral presentation is failed.
899 Special Study (3)
Prerequisites: consent of instructor. A special study is planned, developed, and completed under direction of a faculty member. Open only to graduate students of demonstrated ability to do independent work. Enrollment by petition (form available in department office).