Department of English

This is a course about being a working writer in our evolving writing
world. For anyone who has dreamt of being Suzanne Collins or George Martin
or Stephen King, this is a good time to do it and a good place to start.
There will be lots of reading and writing, lively discussion, and
livelier critique. Students will work on honing their voice, creating
believable and compelling plot, characters, and language. We will
read across genre, exploring what makes contemporary creative writing work.
And sell. Students will produce a series of writing exercises for critique:
both themed assignments from the instructor and pieces of their
choice. We will explore how technology (social media, Amazon, the
simple email...) can impact the process. At least one session will be
devoted to the Business: navigating today’s publishing world of agents and
editors, submission and rejection, established house or DIY.
By the end of the term, students will have conceived their own book-length
project, and completed a solid opening three chapters.