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Exploring Creative Writing
“Believe in yourself. Go ahead, see where it gets you.”
—Rita Dove

This course is designed for non-majors or potential majors who want to study and explore three distinct creative writing genres (literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry) before enrolling in a single-genre workshop. Throughout the course of the semester, students will read and discuss a wide variety of contemporary, canonical texts while simultaneously drafting similar material through exercises that target genre as well as point-of-view, form, voice, and structure. Students will study and discuss elements of craft, begin to develop and implement a literary vocabulary, and develop critical editorial skills for responding to their peers’ work. Students should expect to produce ample writing throughout the semester, share this work with others regularly in a formal workshop environment, and offer thoughtful verbal and written feedback. This class will serve as the foundation for a larger literary community here on campus while encouraging individual creative growth. Course work will culminate in a final portfolio comprised of revised drafts of all formal assignments, notes taken during workshop, and a thoughtful reflection on the revision process for each assignment.
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