In this course, students develop the imaginative, critical, and technical skills necessary for writing fiction and poetry. Using the published work of well-known authors as well as original student writing, students explore various topics and problems faced by those embarking on the creative-writing process. Students read texts as writers, not as critics or historians of literature. Additionally, this class examines the fundamental questions facing writers today: how and why do writers write?
The course follows the workshop model in which students bring their own stories and poems to class for group discussion and students develop the skills to constructively critique and workshop each other's work. Through this process, students learn a variety of techniques for improving and developing their own writing.