online creative writing courses usa

Creative Writing

A haven for writers of all genres and ambitions

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Imbue your writing with imagination and range.

Craft writing that is distinct and well-developed..

Stories are timeless and eternal. They are touchstones, formed by time and place, which reflect upon the human experience. Creative writing is an asset in all professional fields throughout diverse positions. The ability to craft intriguing, memorable prose remains one of the most enduring forms of human expression. Learn to conceive and develop integral elements of a story, including plotline, characters, symbolism, setting, and atmosphere.

Our Approach to Online Learning

Optimize your time with a mode of study that allows you to explore content and complete tasks at your own pace.

Interactive

Our interactive content includes videos from instructors at the University of Chicago as well as materials that enable you to learn through real-world examples.

Personalized

Throughout the program, the teaching assistant will serve as a valuable resource to clarify any questions and provide feedback on your work.

Meet Your Instructor

Sarah Terez Rosenblum, MFA

Sarah Terez Rosenblum’s work has appeared in literary magazines such as The Normal School, Prairie Schooner (shortlisted for the publication’s Summer 2020 Creative Nonfiction Prize), Diagram , Brevity, Third Coast , and Carve. In 2022, Rosenblum was shortlisted for StoryQuarterly ’s annual fiction contest. She has written for sites that include Salon, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Satirist, and Pop Matters .

Pushcart Prize-nominated, she earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Rosenblum is a creative coach and developmental editor. She also teaches creative writing at Story Studio, where she was voted 2022 Teacher of the Year, and at the University of Chicago Writer’s Studio. Rosenblum’s novel, Herself When She’s Missing , was called “poetic and heartrending” by Booklist . 

Unique Program Features

Live sessions and workshops.

Engage in live sessions and workshops that provide the opportunity to pose questions and exchange ideas.

Practical application

Practice specific craft points and explore the drafting process through weekly writing exercises.

Personalized guidance

Receive feedback from your instructors about the development of your writing.

Learning Outcomes

• Reveal character through action.
• Establish setting through characters’ physicality.
• Write dynamic scenes.
• Create dialogue that reveals character and furthers plot.
• Recognize and use imagery and symbolic language.

After completing the course, you will be able to:

Create a strategy for your organization that makes use of AI to accomplish business goals

Build a team for success in an AI world

Choose the best areas for early-stage development and understand how to scale AI solutions

Earn a certificate of completion from the University of Chicago and become part of the UChicago network

Course Modules

Introduction to Writing and Crafting Character

• Things to Consider Before Writing
• Introduction to Character
• Description
• Internal Response

Point of View

• Introduction to Point of View
• First Person
• Third Person
• Less Common Points of View: Second Person
• Less Common Points of View: First Person Plural
• Focalization
• Writing Practice

Setting and Mood

• Starting with Setting
• Creating Setting
• Analysis of Setting in The Road
• Introduction to Workshop
• Introduction to Plot
• Basic Plot Arcs
• Denouement and Resolution
• Conflict and Tension
• Change and Imagery
• The Hero’s Journey
• Introduction to Dialogue
• Dialogue and Action
• Creating Tension with Dialogue
• Dialogue and Subtext
• Issues in Dialogue

Voice and Tone

• Introduction to Tone and Voice
• Authorial Voice and Character Voice
• Finding Your Voice
• Strong Story Starts
• Writing Practice: Drafting

Imagery, Symbolism, and Theme

• Introduction to Imagery and Theme
• Figurative Language
• Systems of Imagery: “In the White Night”
• Building Your Own Systems of Imagery
• Writing Practicen

Time Movement and Literary Magazines

• Simple Scene Movement
• Introduction to Flashbacks
• The Mechanics of Flashbacks
• Writing Practice: Submitting Your Work
• Writing Practice: Beyond this Course

This course is designed for:

Individuals with diverse aspirations, backgrounds, and skills interested in exploring writing in an easily accessible way

Learners from all walks of life with curiosity and enthusiasm toward writing, communication, literature, and the art of crafting a story

Experienced writers looking to hone their skills and elevate their expression.

Participant Experiences

Flexible payment options available.

PROGRAM FEE

Any discounts will be applied at checkout.

Pay in Full

Pay in 2 installments.

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363 Best Creative Writing Classes in Online

Showing 363 courses that match your search.

The Said and the Unsaid: Writing Your Characters Through Dialogue

In this class, we will examine prose conversations and explore dialogue as a tool for getting to know our characters. We will observe the many ways humans communicate and translate gestures and facial expressions into engaging written descriptions.

Website: https://www.porchtn.org/class/the-said-and-the-unsaid-wri...

Categories: Fiction, Book, and Short Story

Start date:

Elementary Writing: Animal Stories

Brave Writer

In this five-week course, each student will conceive and draft a short story of up to 1,200 words. We will begin with a triggering image and build from there, reading examples, working with myths and fairy tales, drafting and revising, and exploring how to begin and how to end.

Website: https://bravewriter.com/online-classes/writing-the-short-...

Categories: Kids, Fiction, and Short Story

April, 2024

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

Using Time as a Narrative Tool

Writing for the theatre is a time-based art form. In this session we’ll explore various ways of observing how time operates dramatically, approaches for making deliberate choices about time, and how those narrative choices effect the audience’s experience of story. Come ready to write and play.

Website: https://theatre503.com/whats-on/twp-spring-24-using-time/

Categories: Fiction and Playwriting

March, 2024

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Your story matters. Unlock your potential with daily video lessons from bestselling ghostwriter Tom Bromley, and finish your first draft in just 3 months. Learn more →

8-week Personal Essay & Memoir II/III (intermediate & advanced)

Sackett Street Writers

Through group discussion of student work, plus that of published authors, writers in this workshop will examine the art and craft of creative nonfiction. The focus will be on learning to understand and use a full range of literary techniques in order to tell a truly compelling nonfiction story.

Website: https://sackettworkshop.com/writing/2023/12/30/8-week-per...

Categories: Essay, Nonfiction, and Memoir

Formatting Your Script Like a Pro

UCLA Extension

In this course, you learn not only how to properly format scene headings, action lines, characters, dialogue, parentheticals and transitions, but why these are industry standards. Even with screenwriting software, writers still struggle with the intricacies of formatting as it relates to clarity, succinctness and the reader’s emotional experience.

Website: https://www.uclaextension.edu/writing-journalism/screenwr...

Categories: Fiction and Screenplay

Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tale Writing With Anca Szilágyi

Atlas Obscura

In this four-part seminar, delve into the genre of fairy tales—reading and dissecting modern retellings before sharing and workshopping a draft of your own.

Website: https://www.atlasobscura.com/experiences/fairy-tales-onli...

Categories: Book, Fantasy, and Fiction

Intro to Writing for TV (On-demand)

Second City

This course is for anyone who wants to learn the essence of writing for television or anyone with a great idea for a series who needs help putting it into words. You’ll learn about the language of TV writing, the importance of deadlines, and unique qualities of a televised story.

Website: https://www.secondcity.com/classes/chicago/intro-writing-...

The Business of Creative Writing: Book Querying

What even is book querying? Let's break it down. In this class, we'll talk the business of book publishing—how to identify your genre, the difference between commercial and upmarket, how to find comparative titles, marketplace trends and how to react to them.

Website: https://www.porchtn.org/class/the-business-of-creative-wr...

Categories: Fiction, Book, Nonfiction, and Publishing

Form and Composition

Writer's Digest University

Proper grammar, punctuation, and mechanics make your writing correct. In order to truly write well, you must also master the art of form and composition. From sentence structure to polishing your prose, this course will enhance your writing, no matter what type of writing you do.

Website: https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/form-and-c...

Categories: Book, Fiction, Nonfiction, and Short Story

Prerequisites: Up to 60,000 words of your novel or two drafts of up to 30,000 words each.

Fearless Writing

In this workshop we’ll look at several techniques you can you use to keep yourself in the creative flow and out of the trouble and misery fear always causes.

Website: https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/fearless-w...

Categories: Fiction and Book

Prerequisites: The Writer’s Compass: From Story Map to Finished Draft in 7 Stages is a required book.

Writing Poetry

University of Oxford

This 10-week online course from Oxford University, taught by Dr. Simon Pomery, is designed for flexible learning. It involves tutor-guided forum discussions and self-paced study, focusing on reading and activities around poetry. Suitable for those looking to explore poetry writing in a structured yet flexible environment​​​​​​​​​​.

Website: https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/courses/writing-poetry-online

Categories: Poetry

Memoir Writing Masterclass

The Memoir Writing Club

This 12-week interactive online course, led by Irene Graham, focuses on the art of memoir writing. It includes a memoir writing workbook, audio lessons, live group sessions, and personalized mentorship. Suitable for writers at all levels, from beginners to those revising their memoirs, the course offers a comprehensive journey into crafting a memoir​​​​.

Website: https://www.thememoirwritingclub.com/memoir-writing-cours...

Categories: Memoir and Nonfiction

January, 2025

So you’re looking for creative writing classes online

Why go to a class in person when you can simply take the creative writing class online, in the comfort of your home and at your own preferred pace? With the single click of a finger, you could have access to the best online writing courses in the world, and a breadth of knowledge that could help you master the art of writing.

This directory of the best online writing courses is meant to help you locate the right one for yourself.  We’ve included filters for price and genre so that you can quickly sort through the writing classes. And before you commit to any one writing class, consider the following questions:

• Who is the instructor?
• What is the price of the writing course?
• Is the writing course offered in person? Or are you certain you want to take the creative writing class course?
• How long could the course last?

Got any questions about finding the right writing class online for you? Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] . Good luck!

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Certificate in Creative Writing

About the Online Creative Writing Certificate

The Certificate in Creative Writing offers an innovative, collaborative course of study for those who have always wanted to unlock their creativity. Each online course is designed as a workshop in which you explore new ideas, tackle new writing tools, generate original insights and discover your own powers of expression. You create, collaboratively discuss and revise your original writing with feedback from your instructors and your peers. You also engage with a range of assigned readings and multimedia that inform and grow your innovative practice.

The Certificate in Creative Writing offers both basic and advanced workshops and appeals to students new to creative writing as well as students with writing experience who want to learn new skills. Through a series of online courses in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and screenwriting, the Certificate in Creative Writing focuses on creative writing as a form of critical thinking as a way to reimagine audience and as a space of innovation. Taught by professionals in the field, our courses cultivate both individual and group learning, providing an overview of the field as well as deep dives into literary genres. These online creative writing courses are designed as hands-on, intensive study of the subtleties and power of language.

Creative Writing Certificate Requirements

The Certificate in Creative Writing is a 4-course, 4 c.u.* credit program of study taught by University of Pennsylvania faculty. To earn a certificate, students complete any four courses offered, in any order.  Students who complete the basic certificate may pursue an advanced certificate (6-course, 6 c.u.*) by adding two additional creative writing courses.

Flexible Course Schedule and Tuition

Penn LPS Online courses in the Certificate in Creative Writing are offered in accelerated 8-week terms and full terms. Courses in the online certificate program are largely asynchronous with some optional synchronous sessions to be scheduled by the instructors.

You have the option to enroll in individual creative writing courses without committing to the entire online certificate, enjoying the flexibility and expertise offered by Penn LPS Online to suit your schedule and interests. Visit the Cost of Attendance page for course tuition and fee rates.

Watch a video of a recent virtual information session to hear from the program team about the Certificate in Creative Writing.

If you are having trouble viewing this video, watch it on YouTube .

*Academic credit is defined by the University of Pennsylvania as a course unit (c.u.). A course unit (c.u.) is a general measure of academic work over a period of time, typically a term (semester or summer). A c.u. (or a fraction of a c.u.) represents different types of academic work across different types of academic programs and is the basic unit of progress toward a degree. One c.u. is usually converted to a four-semester-hour course.

The Certificate in Creative Writing prepares you to:

• Understand how text conveys meaning across a variety of literary genres and styles
• Explore how to use innovation, flexibility, and collaboration to cultivate a creative writing practice
• Create, revise and edit your original writing in multiple literary genres, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and screenwriting

Online Creative Writing Courses

Certificate students who complete four of the online courses listed below earn a Certificate in Creative Writing. Those students are then eligible to pursue an Advanced Certificate in Creative Writing by taking two additional courses.

• CRWR 1010: The Craft of Creative Writing
• CRWR 1600: Modern and Contemporary US Poetry
• CRWR 2010: Poetry Workshop
• CRWR 2400: The Art of Editing
• CRWR 2500: Writing and Meditation
• CRWR 2600: Fiction Workshop
• CRWR 2800: Narrative Collage
• CRWR 3000: Writing About Place
• CRWR 3200: Screenwriting
• CRWR 3600: Advanced Nonfiction *
• CRWR 3700: Journalism

*This course may not be offered every academic year. Check the course page or our course guide to see when upcoming terms are added.

Courses are subject to change.

See Course Tuition

Meet The Faculty

Julia Bloch

• Faculty Director, Penn LPS Online Certificate in Creative Writing
• Director, Creative Writing Program

• Director, Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing

Laynie Browne

• Poet, prose writer, teacher and editor

Scott Burkhardt

• Lecturer in cinema and media studies

Christy Davids

• Teacher, poet and assistant editor at The Conversant

Lise Funderburg

• Lecturer in creative writing

• 2017-2018 Digital Studies Fellow at Rutgers University-Camden

Dick Polman

• Povich Writer-in-Residence at the Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing (CPCW)

• Writer, editor, teacher

Zachary Tyler Vickers

Careers related to creative writing.

The Certificate in Creative Writing is designed to enhance your writing and storytelling skills and provide a framework for a creative process that can be applied to a myriad of professional roles including:

• Advertising copywriter
• Fundraising/development consultant
• Author and journalist

Creative Writing and Literature Master’s Degree Program

Online Courses

11 out of 12 total courses

On-Campus Experience

One 1- or 3-week residency in summer

$3,220 per course

Unlock your creative potential and hone your unique voice.

Build a strong foundation in literary criticism and writing across multiple genres — including fiction, nonfiction, and drama — in our live online writing and literature program with an in-person writers’ residency at Harvard.

Program Overview

Through the master’s degree in creative writing and literature, you’ll hone your skills as a storyteller — crafting publishable original scripts, novels, and stories.

In small, workshop-style classes, you’ll master key elements of narrative craft, including characterization, story and plot structure, point of view, dialogue, and description. And you’ll learn to approach literary works as both a writer and scholar by developing skills in critical analysis.

Program Benefits

Instructors who are published authors of drama, fiction, and nonfiction

A community of writers who support your growth in live online classes

Writer's residency with agent & editor networking opportunities

Personalized academic and career advising

Thesis or capstone options that lead to publishable creative work

Harvard Alumni Association membership upon graduation

Customizable Course Curriculum

As you work through the program’s courses, you’ll enhance your creative writing skills and knowledge of literary concepts and strategies. You’ll practice the art of revision to hone your voice as a writer in courses like Writing the Short Personal Essay and Writing Flash Fiction.

Within the creative writing and literature program, you will choose between a thesis or capstone track. You’ll also experience the convenience of online learning and the immersive benefits of learning in person.

11 Online Courses

• Primarily synchronous
• Fall, spring, January, and summer options

Writers’ Residency

A 1- or 3-week summer master class taught by a notable instructor, followed by an agents-and-editors weekend

Thesis or Capstone Track

• Thesis: features a 9-month independent creative project with a faculty advisor
• Capstone: includes crafting a fiction or nonfiction manuscript in a classroom community

The path to your degree begins before you apply to the program.

First, you’ll register for and complete 2 required courses, earning at least a B in each. These foundational courses are investments in your studies and count toward your degree, helping ensure success in the program.

Getting Started

We invite you to explore degree requirements, confirm your initial eligibility, and learn more about our unique “earn your way in” admissions process.

A Faculty of Creative Writing Experts

Studying at Harvard Extension School means learning from the world’s best. Our instructors are renowned academics in literary analysis, storytelling, manuscript writing, and more. They bring a genuine passion for teaching, with students giving our faculty an average rating of 4.7 out of 5.

Bryan Delaney

Playwright and Screenwriter

Talaya Adrienne Delaney

Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University

Elisabeth Sharp McKetta

Our community at a glance.

80% of our creative writing and literature students are enrolled in our master’s degree program for either personal enrichment or to make a career change. Most (74%) are employed full time while pursuing their degree and work across a variety of industries.

Download: Creative Writing & Literature Master's Degree Fact Sheet

Average Age

Course Taken Each Semester

Work Full Time

Would Recommend the Program

Professional Experience in the Field

Pursued for Personal Enrichment

Career Opportunities & Alumni Outcomes

Graduates of our Creative Writing and Literature Master’s Program have writing, research, and communication jobs in the fields of publishing, advertising/marketing, fundraising, secondary and higher education, and more.

Some alumni continue their educational journeys and pursue further studies in other nationally ranked degree programs, including those at Boston University, Brandeis University, University of Pennsylvania, and Cambridge University.

Our alumni hold titles as:

• Marketing Manager
• Director of Publishing
• Senior Research Writer

Our alumni work at a variety of leading organizations, including:

• Little, Brown & Company
• New York University (NYU)
• Bentley Publishers

Career Advising and Mentorship

Whatever your career goals, we’re here to support you. Harvard’s Mignone Center for Career Success offers career advising, employment opportunities, Harvard alumni mentor connections, and career fairs like the annual on-campus Harvard Humanities, Media, Marketing, and Creative Careers Expo.

Your Harvard University Degree

Upon successful completion of the required curriculum, you will earn the Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Extension Studies, Field: Creative Writing and Literature.

Expand Your Connections: the Harvard Alumni Network

As a graduate, you’ll become a member of the worldwide Harvard Alumni Association (400,000+ members) and Harvard Extension Alumni Association (29,000+ members).

Harvard is closer than one might think. You can be anywhere and still be part of this world.

Tuition & Financial Aid

Affordability is core to our mission. When compared to our continuing education peers, it’s a fraction of the cost.

After admission, you may qualify for financial aid . Typically, eligible students receive grant funds to cover a portion of tuition costs each term, in addition to federal financial aid options.

What can you do with a master’s degree in creative writing and literature?

A master’s degree in creative writing and literature prepares you for a variety of career paths in writing, literature, and communication — it’s up to you to decide where your interests will take you.

You could become a professional writer, editor, literary agent, marketing copywriter, or communications specialist.

You could also go the academic route and bring your knowledge to the classroom to teach creative writing or literature courses.

Is a degree in creative writing and literature worth it?

The value you find in our Creative Writing and Literature Master’s Degree Program will depend on your unique goals, interests, and circumstances.

The curriculum provides a range of courses that allow you to graduate with knowledge and skills transferable to various industries and careers.

How long does completing the creative writing and literature graduate program take?

Program length is ordinarily anywhere between 2 and 5 years. It depends on your preferred pace and the number of courses you want to take each semester.

For an accelerated journey, we offer year round study, where you can take courses in fall, January, spring, and summer.

While we don’t require you to register for a certain number of courses each semester, you cannot take longer than 5 years to complete the degree.

What skills do you need prior to applying for the creative writing and literature degree program?

Harvard Extension School does not require any specific skills prior to applying, but in general, it’s helpful to have solid reading, writing, communication, and critical thinking skills if you are considering a creative writing and literature master’s degree.

Initial eligibility requirements can be found on our creative writing and literature master’s degree requirements page .

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

The Best Free Online Writing Courses for Creative Writers, Fiction, and Nonfiction

by Tom Corson-Knowles | 63 comments

All of us want to improve our writing skills, hone our craft, and get ahead in our writing careers.

Not all of us can go back to school and get our MFA in writing—heck, not all of us want to!

Thankfully, the internet makes it possible to take great online writing courses for free (no matter where you live, what your circumstances, or your budget).

Taking a writing course online can help you polish your writing to be the best it can be—a critical step before either self-publishing or submitting your manuscript to publishers .

Through these free writing courses, you’ll gain practical tips and strategies to help you improve your writing—both for your current manuscript and for future projects.

Free Online Writing Courses

The more you learn and practice, the easier writing will become and the better your books will be. And that’s key to attracting and growing a devoted audience and becoming a full-time author !

How to Choose an Online Writing Course

You’ll want to choose a course that meets your needs, which means you need to know your needs first.

Identify Your Goals

When picking a course, ask yourself what specific areas you’re looking to improve:

• Do you want to pick up basic writing skills, like improving your grammar?
• Do you want to learn more about how to create gripping plots?
• Do you want to learn to create realistic, vivid characters?
• Do you want to learn how to add value to your nonfiction writing?
• Do you want to turn your life experiences into a book that has meaning for a broad audience?
• Do you want to learn how to earn a living off a specific kind of writing?
• Do you want to dive deep into a specific area of craft, like dialogue construction?

All of these goals—and many more—make good reasons to choose an online writing course!

Set Your Course Budget

Next, you’ll want to ask yourself what you’re willing to commit to a course, both in terms of time and money. There are some great free courses out there, as well as other courses that charge a fee. You might consider starting with a free class to make sure that you can handle the online learning format, then stepping up to a more advanced paid class later.

Pick a Commitment Level

Any course or class, no matter whether it’s online or not, requires dedication to actually make a difference in your life. You’ll need to be ready to listen to lectures, read papers and presentations, follow through on assignments, and engage with your classmates.

Some online courses are completely self-paced, which means you work through the material on your own, taking as long as you like. This is great for people with busy lives, jobs, and family commitments—but it also means you have to take responsibility for structuring your time and doing the work.

Other courses have weekly assignments, sometimes even monitored or graded by an instructor, along with class chat sessions, feedback opportunities, and other ways to have a full classroom experience without actually going to a university.

These types of courses are less flexible, as they often require you to log in at certain times, and they demand that you do your work on time! But they also offer a lot of benefits in terms of helping you manage your time and devote energy to improving your writing and to working with other writers to start forming a community.

Once you’ve figured out what you’re looking to learn, what you’re willing to commit (in terms of time, energy, dedication, and money), and how you think you’ll learn best, you can get started with your writing course!

Of course, you might not be quite ready to take the plunge into paying for an online writing class just yet. Will you be able to keep up with the assignments? How do online lectures work, anyway?

To help you get started in the world of online learning, we’ve rounded up some of the best free online writing courses out there, regardless of your focus: creative writing, fiction, and nonfiction.

Ready to find the right course for you? Let’s check them out!

Free Creative Writing Courses

Creative writing courses are amazing because they can be applied to just about anything you want to write, from memoirs to novels…even nonfiction!

These classes teach you the basic skills you need to write fluidly, fluently, and with style—essential no matter what your genre or field.

More advanced classes help you find your writing voice, learn the secrets of creating an author brand and ecosystem, and improve your technique.

English Composition Class

About the Course

In order to be a great writer, you have to have solid basic writing skills!

Arizona State University’s Introduction to English Composition class will help you master the basics so that you can improve every aspect of your writing, no matter what your focus is.

Over the eight-week intensive course, you’ll learn a variety of useful skills that can serve as the building blocks of your future writing career, helping you gain mastery over the English language and learn to write in a way that others respect and admire.

You’ll be asked to complete several writing assignments, as well as writing a reflection piece on each of them. You’ll also have the opportunity to engage with other learners and get feedback on your work as you develop your skills.

In this course, you’ll learn:

• How to target your writing to your audience’s needs
• How to think critically about reading and writing
• How to use style conventions and techniques to improve your writing
• How to use technology to write more effectively and efficiently
• How to unlock your creativity
• How to develop good writing habits

This is really a class on building the fundamental skills you’ll need to be a successful professional writer—it’s a fantastic resource for anyone, no matter where they are in their writing journey.

Adam Pacton holds a PhD in Rhetoric and Composition and is a lecturer on creative writing, English, and composition techniques at Arizona State University.

Free! You can also pay $499 to add a “verified certificate” if you want to show the course as a credential on a resume or to an employer, but most writers will do great with the free version.

The Crafty Writer’s Creative Writing Course

The Crafty Writer is a service started by fiction author Fiona Veitch Smith to help teach aspiring and current writers how to master their craft and publish better books that get better results in the market.

As part of that mission, they’ve developed The Crafty Writer’s Creative Writing Course , a self-paced introduction to creative writing. The class walks you through the basics of becoming a dedicated creative writer, including looks at several different styles and genres.

• How to uncover your personal writing style and voice
• The basics of writing a short story
• How to choose an effective point of view
• How to use vivid imagery to bring your ideas to life
• How to find and use writers’ groups, competitions, and communities of writers
• The basics of publishing and marketing your work

There are set assignments and tasks to complete, but you don’t need to attend any live chats or sessions. There’s no individual feedback from instructors or coaches, and you won’t get feedback from other people taking the class, but you’re encouraged to ask questions if there’s anything you’re struggling with. Mostly, you’re given the tools and resources to begin finding and building your own community of support and to assess and revise your own work.

If you’ve always wanted to dip a toe into the writing world, but weren’t quite sure where to begin, this could be the ideal online option for you!

Fiona Veitch Smith is a prolific author whose work includes several novels, a biography, a children’s book series, and more than 100 articles published in magazines as diverse as  Sports Illustrated  and  Plain Truth , where she is the New Writing editor. She holds BA and MA degrees in writing and is pursuing her PhD while also teaching creative writing both online and off.

Free! The class suggests recommended reading that you can buy or borrow from your library.

DIY MFA Writing Class

DIY MFA does exactly what it promises—it helps you learn the skills taught in a formal MFA program at home on your own!

The course walks you through the three major areas that big-name master’s programs focus on: writing, reading, and building a community of fellow authors, mentors, and devoted readers.

Along the way, you learn how to select and read books that can help you improve your own writing, whether because they act as source material, give you an idea of the state of your genre, or help you broaden your horizons and learn from great writers.

You’ll also get practical tips for writing better, including strategies for outlining, hints for how to pace the flow of your book, and ideas for creating memorable phrases in both fiction and nonfiction that will hook your reader instantly.

Founder Gabriela Pereira created DIY MFA after she graduated with her master’s in writing and saw all the other writers struggling to feel like pros without that experience…and realized that she still didn’t feel quite like a pro even with it! Gabriela teaches at conferences and online, and she’s helped hundreds of writers get the MFA experience without having to go to an expensive school.

Free! Just sign up at https://diymfa.com/join to get the free starter pack and begin your online MFA journey. You can also check out great tips and tricks on the site’s blog for more in-depth looks into how to improve your writing starting today.

Free Fiction Writing Classes

If you’ve already started on your career as a novelist and are looking to take your skills to the next level, a fiction-specific writing course might be best for you!

Start Writing Fiction

Looking to start your career as a novelist the right way? This may be the class for you!

Offered through The Open University, a world leader in distance learning, Start Writing Fiction takes you from zero to novelist in eight weeks.

You’ll listen to lectures from renowned novelists, develop your skills through writing prompts and assignments, and get personalized feedback from your classmates and instructor during the class.

• How and why to keep a writing journal
• How to write better dialogue
• How to do better research
• How to structure a plot
• Why reading matters as a writer
• How to self-edit your work

The course is taught by Dr. Derek Neale , an award-winning short story author and novelist whose works include The Book of Guardians . Dr. Neale is the Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at The Open University and splits his time between teaching, supervising PhD students, developing new courses, and working on his own fiction projects.

Free! However, you can pay a small fee (£39, or about $50) to upgrade to a version of the course that gives you unlimited access to the lectures and materials after the eight-week session ends.

How to Write a Novel

Ready to write your first novel? Consider taking this class first!

How to Write a Novel will give you the tools you need to actually finish that first draft—and go on to revise it and publish it successfully!

You’ll learn:

• How to keep track of your fiction ideas
• How (and why) to outline your novel
• Basic worldbuilding techniques
• Character development tips and tricks
• How to create a daily writing habit

By the end of the 10 daily lessons, you’ll be ready to roll with your first novel, crafting worlds and characters that set the stage for your career as a successful fiction author.

Ben Galley is a bestselling fantasy author and self-publishing consultant who helps authors create amazing stories and then sell their books around the world.

Free! Just sign up with your email to start the 10-day class.

How to Craft a Killer Short Story

Whether you’re an established fiction author or just getting started, short stories are a fantastic tool to have in your arsenal as a writer. But they involve some very different skills than writing longer fiction.

That’s where How to Craft a Killer Short Story comes in!

This 10-day email course will show you what you need to know in order to create tight, gripping stories, like:

• How to pick a great short story topic
• How to trim the fat from your writing
• How to edit short stories
• How to sell your stories to literary journals, anthologies, and magazines

Follow along every day and within two weeks, you’ll be ready to tackle the short story in all its glory!

Laura Mae Isaacman  is a full-time editor; she’s worked with major authors, including Joyce Carol Oates, T.C. Boyle and Noam Chomsky. She has also lectured on the topics of writing and publishing and is the co-founder of  Tweed’s Magazine of Literature & Art.

Free Nonfiction Writing Courses

Ready to hone your skills at turning real-life information, tips, techniques, and situations into enthralling prose that changes your readers’ lives?

Take one of these free nonfiction writing courses!

The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Nonfiction

Writing nonfiction can be very rewarding, but it doesn’t necessarily have the same glow around it as being a novelist.

Still, the skills you’ll learn as a nonfiction author can help you no matter what you write or what you want to do with your career.

The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Nonfiction walks you through the good, the bad, and the ugly of writing, publishing, and marketing nonfiction books.

In this 10-day course, you’ll get an email each day walking you through some critical aspect of writing and publishing nonfiction, covering topics like:

• How to get started on your book
• How to do targeted market research
• Tools and strategies to maximize your productivity
• Tips for outlining

By the end of the class, you’ll have a toolbox to help you write and publish your first nonfiction book!

Publishing coach Azul Terronez is the founder of Author’s Writing Academy and has helped dozens of authors make their books a reality. He has also coached seasoned writers like Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income, and Dana Malstaff of Boss-Mom.com.

Free! Just sign up with your email.

Writing What You Know

Writing a nonfiction book is all about translating the real world to the page, bringing readers with you as you explore a topic, event, or strategy.

Writing What You Know is an amazing introduction to the power of words to translate your experience to something that other people can learn and grow from.

This eight-hour course covers topics including:

• Using life experiences in your writing
• Creating vivid imagery
• Constructing and pacing scenes
• Using memories to structure narrative
• Turning the everyday into the memorable

By the end of the class, you’ll be able to craft engaging narratives capable of transporting your readers to another time, place, or situation—using the power of what you observe every day.

The Open University doesn’t reveal who developed its courses, but their content is on par with the best massively open online courses (MOOCs) in the world. You’ll learn techniques and skills that bestselling nonfiction authors have used to advance their careers and be able to quickly start improving your own writing.

Free! You can even download the course materials in the format of your choice to refer to later.

How to Write a Business Book

If you’ve ever wanted to write a business book, share your journey as an entrepreneur, or help others make money doing what they love, then How to Write a Business Book may be the class you’re looking for!

This 10-day email course will teach you the fundamentals of business writing, including how to make sure that your book resonates with your audience and helps add value to their business or life. This course will help you make your book more than just a business card—it will help you write in a way that changes your readers lives while enhancing your own career. Topics covered during the class include:

• Important questions to ask before writing your book
• How to outline and structure
• How to set manageable goals
• How to build your audience

Alison Jones  is a publishing partner for businesses and organizations. She provides executive coaching, consultancy, and training services to publishers and regularly speaks and blogs on the publishing industry.

Start Taking Free Online Writing Courses

No matter where you are on your writing journey, there’s always something new to learn. That’s the great thing about this path—we can learn, grow, and stretch ourselves in new and different ways every day!

One or more of the online writing courses we’ve covered here is sure to help you develop your skills and move to the next level as a writer, regardless of what genre you’re focused on or what your goals are.

Pick a class or two, sign up, and try it out! Apply the new techniques and strategies you’ve learned to your next writing project and see what a difference practice and development can make for you.

Then pick another class and keep on going!

Want to learn more about honing your craft as a writer? Check out these great resources:

• How to Write a Nonfiction Book
• How to Write Better Fiction and Become a Great Novelist
• 11 Writing Tips for Improving Readability and Communicating Better

Tom Corson-Knowles is the founder of TCK Publishing, and the bestselling author of 27 books including Secrets of the Six-Figure author. He is also the host of the Publishing Profits Podcast show where we interview successful authors and publishing industry experts to share their tips for creating a successful writing career.

63 Comments

How to join the free English learning course I have not found any link

I want to develop my email writing skill. Do you have any better solution?

Hi Mirko, we actually have a few posts on how to write an email , but you might also find these business writing courses helpful for writing emails too.

I’m trying to find a class to help me with a book I’m trying to write, but I’m a minor and it’s hard to find one that interests me but I can understand and works around my schoolwork. What would you recommend?

Hi Sierra, have you checked out any of these free courses? They’re online, so you should be able to do them in your free time/around your school work.

I think I will try Start Writing Fiction. Thank you for these great courses!

That’s great, Sierra! I hope you enjoy the courses :)

Thank you very much for providing valuable courses. I will surely pick one of my kind to get in the world of writing.

We’re glad you found it helpful Robin. Best of luck to you!

This article is very helpful for me, thank you so much for sharing this information. And here is also some important information so go here and check.

Glad you found this article helpful! And thanks for sharing the information!

Hi, Kaelyn: Lots of interesting classes here. That many are free is quite a treat.

I’m interested in learning more about creative non-fiction. I write pretty decent memoir and essays, but it’s time to dig deeper.

Would you please steer me on this.

I’m also curious what you may think of this genre in terms of earnings on Medium.

Thank you! Roy

Hi Roy, thanks for your comment! We have a post on creative nonfiction that you might enjoy. I don’t have hard numbers on potential earnings through Medium, but it’s an increasingly popular genre for online writing (and one of my personal favorites), so I think there’s definitely a market for it.

Hi, I have taken beginner creative writing class, now I want improve my creative writing more. So, what should be my next step? Are there any further courses for creative writing.

The ASU English Composition link doesn’t work. Please provide a new one. Or, a similar course.

Thanks Mitch, I updated the link!

I can’t find any link

Sorry, not sure what happened there. should be fine now!

Hi Sushmita, you might try practicing with our creative writing prompts or writing a short story :)

I would like to know if a fee is required for classes and if so how much.

Hi Cathy, the courses listed in this post are all free!

I would like to improve my business and day-to-day writing skills including grammar. Which is the best course for me to take pleae?

Hi Princess, you might actually want to check out our list of business writing courses . sounds like those might suit your needs better! :)

I am a sophomore in high school, I love writing and I want to improve so I can write short stories and poetry. What do you suggest for me? Thank you.

Hi Lena, any of the creative writing classes on this list would be a good start, but practice is also one of the best ways to improve. Consider entering a poetry or short story contest! :)

What about writing feedback? A writing course can only thrive with writing and more writing rather than talking the world out of styles and author-lectures. What is the price for feedback driven courses, if any

Hi Rashul, the ASU and Future Learn courses in this list include feedback from instructors :)

[email protected]

Thank you for all these wonderful recommendations. Can you recommend quality courses aimed specifically at writing for children, free or otherwise?

Hi Anna, thanks for your comment! None of the courses on this list are really aimed at kids, but it would depend on the age and learning level of the child. However, we do have these writing prompts for kids that you might find helpful! I’ll also work on making a list of courses for kids :)

Thank you for listing the free courses, but which one to chose is uncertain. I have worked on my manuscript and thought I was at the point for beta readers, only to find out from their comments I am far from publishing my books. I have the experience of online schooling, for I just received my masters. However, my writing skills need much improvement. I know I have a problem with telling not showing. And yes, I am a fictional writer. I also have a problem with moving back and forth with past and present tense. I am looking for the course that will help with these trouble areas.

Hi Allison, thanks for your comment! I think I would recommend the “Writing What You Know” course for your needs. We also have a post on how to show don’t tell that you might find helpful. And don’t feel discouraged, it’s a beta reader’s job to point out areas for improvement — they’ll help you get one step closer! :) Best of luck!

I am quite happy to have come across this website. I really want to take a short course on writing and acquire a certificate after completing it. Where should I go?

Hi Anthony! The ASU course offers a certificate, but so do a lot of Udemy courses. It depends on what kind of certificate you’re looking for

My writing intent is to share my Spiritual journey of the past 40 years most of which was spent learning and living the Medicines Ways of my Elder. I have a developed intuitive sense but I lack structure, form, and a deeply expanded vocabulary that would better capture in prose what I intuitively ‘feel-see’ but the results often end up being disjointed and lacking in a natural unforced flow which always leaves me not quite satisfied with the end result.

Hi Ron, thanks for your comment! yes, a lot of new writers struggle with structure, but with practice and the insights from some of these courses you can definitely make progress :)

hi do you know any free magazine writing workshops?

Hi Samantha, I don’t know any specifically for magazine writing, but any of the free nonfiction courses here will likely teach you some of the important skills you’ll need for magazine writing too:)

I’m a creative writer, I need work on my grammar ,spelling, ect ,editing my work and I want to write books what’s the best free course or courses?

Hi Jennifer, it looks like the courses on the list don’t really focus on those basic elements specifically, but we do have a lot of grammar posts that I hope you will find helpful. And if you have any specific questions, please let me know, I’m always happy to help!

Your last sentence is a run on sentence. I thought you’d want to know.

Thanks for pointing that out, Barbara. I usually don’t focus on grammar conventions when I’m answering questions. I just try to be helpful and answer as soon as possible. I’ll try to be more conscious of it :)

I am looking for a mentoring program for my 10 yr old who loves to write. Basically somebody who can go through her work and offer feedback. Thanks!

Hi Dharub, that’s so great that your daughter loves to write! you might consider signing her up for a writers’ group, or talk to a writing coach who can guide her :) However, lots of online classes, like those listed above, also feature opportunities for direct feedback from the instructor. I hope that helps!

I have always had a passion for reading and writing. I would really love to write about my life experiences, I just think it might be a little sad. Writing a novel sounds like maybe more fun but I would definitely need help creating characters with depth. I’m wondering what you would recommend as far as some free courses.

Hi Juana, the “How to Write a Novel” course on this list can help you with character development :) We also have quite a few blog posts on the subject, like how to create and use character profiles . I hope that helps :)

I really need to better my grammar. I’m quite rusty.

Hi Amanda, you can try one of these courses, or check out one of our many posts on writing tips and grammar :) I hope that helps!

Interested in Creative Writing

Hi Sonny, that’s great! There are lots of courses on this list that can help you. If you want more practice you can also try these creative writing prompts :)

Hi! I want to help my 10-year-old daughter to read and write with passion, not to write a book, she will see if she likes it, but to have an ease of communication that is not learned in school, there are courses for children ?

In my own research I stumbled across this website. Hopefully this will be of good help to your daughter.

https://outschool.com/classes/semester-long-ms-writing-course-*flexible-schedule*-IFIZxWK7?sectionUid=efcd703b-23a8-4d60-8408-a1f32077ee15#abkiqu8k90

Thank you for sharing this, Janet! :)

Hi Pamela, this Udemy course looks like a great option for kids: https://www.udemy.com/course/theultimatemysterywritingcourseforkids/ , as well as Janet’s suggestions below :)

Your courses are timely for anyone who desires to write books in any genre. But can one register for two or more courses and running concurrently? Please help.

Hi Clement, yes, you can definitely take more than one course at once. I would just recommend you make sure you have the time to dedicate your attention to each one :)

When I was much younger I wanted to be a journalist. The next Nora O’Donnell !! Now that I’m retired I want to write a fiction. I have so many ideas in my head I need to learn how to focus them and put them on paper

Hi Dianne! I can definitely relate – I used to dream of being a journalist too! Luckily, my current work allows me to practice writing, and I’m loving it. I hope you have time now to follow your new dream of writing fiction! You can try a writing course or check out some of the writing tips we share on the blog, such as our post on how to write a novel . If you ever have questions or there are more resources we can send your way, please let us know! :)

I would like to develop my writing skills, I want to learn the pros and cons of writing depending on its specific kind of writing or genre. I he I can find help for free workshops.

Hi Monalisa, here’s a list of writing workshops you might find helpful: https://www.tckpublishing.com/online-writing-workshops/

i would like to take the course on how to write a novel

Hi Dolly, that’s great! You should definitely try it :) best of luck with your writing!

Hello Barron Can you Suggested Me

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Creative Writing

Top 10 creative writing courses in usa.

Planning to get Creative Writing Certification in the USA?

Here is a table of Creative Writing courses in the USA along with the duration and cost of the course:

Top Creative Writing Institutes in the USA

1. The City University of New York, New York

2. The New School, New York

3. The Creativity Workshop, New York

4. Loyola University Chicago, Chicago

5. Gotham Writers, New York

6. St Mary's College of Maryland, Maryland

Duration of Creative Writing courses in the USA

The average duration of the course is 4 days

Salary of a Creative Writer in the USA

The average Creative Writer salary in the United States is $50 951.

• Online Creative Writing Courses
• New York (2)
• Washington DC (1)
• Charlotte NC (1)

Writing That Moves: Write Novels That Keep Pages Turning

Write novels with compelling plots. This writing course, on fiction writing, shows how to plot books that hook readers

• Price $19.99
• Duration 1h 33m

The Foundations of Fiction (Writing Mastery)

Become a creative writing master and write killer novels, memoirs, or short stories

• Price $21.99
• Duration 56 lectures, 05:59:14

Write a Bestselling Novel in 15 Steps (Writing Mastery)

Discover the secret storytelling code behind all successful novels and use it to outline, write, or revise your own.

• Price $29.99
• Duration 3h 39m

Write Your First Novel

You will learn how to form a basic idea, any idea, into a structure and discipline that will allow you to create, write and complete a fully-realized novel ready to submit for publication. If you have any concerns regarding the protection of your original work

• Price Inquire Now
• Duration Approx. 127 Hours

Creative Writing Course by Wesleyan University.

• Duration Approx. 6 Months to Complete

Advanced Writing

Advanced Writing Course by University of California, Irvine

• Duration Approx 20 Hours

Creative Writing Course by Margaret Atwood

• Duration 3h 43m

Take Your Writing From Good to Great

Take Your Writing From Good to Great Course with Jennie Nash

• Duration 7 Video Lessons

Creative Writing Certification

Careers in Writing and Publishing are booming and the demand for trained creative writers currently exceeds supply. If you're interested in enhancing your creative writing and editing abilities, while also gaining a marketable skill, this Creative Writing course is for you.

• Price $49.99
• Duration 11 Lessons

Creative Writing for All (A 10-Day Journaling Challenge)

Creative Writing for All: A 10-Day Journaling Challenge with Emily Gould

• Duration 6 Lessons

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Home > Learn More About Creative writing > Top 15+ Creative Writing Course in USA: 2024 [Updated]

Top 15+ Creative Writing Course in USA: 2024 [Updated]

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Table of Contents

In this blog, we will be talking about what Creative Writing Course in USA is, its type as well as the institutes that provide Creative Writing course. A Creative Writing Course will give you expert guidance in sharpening your artistic talents.

Now let’s go through the

Top 10 Creative Writing Course in USA,

1. Henry Harvin

About the course, creative writing courses with gold membershipg.

45-min online masterclass with skill certification on completion

Mentored By Chetan Bhagat

Access Expires in 24Hrs

Register Now for Free

Find our Upcoming Batches of Creative Writing Courses :-

Duration: 16hrs Live Online Classroom Training

Trainer: Passionate writers with 10+years of experience

Live Projects:  Experience Industry Projects

Internship: You will get to work with Henry Harvin or partner firms

Job Opportunities: Job Opportunities every week 

Benefits of the course

1. UNDERSTAND

Here you will understand the principles of creative writing.

Here you will become a creative writing enthusiast and learn to apply the basic rules and conventions to their creative writing.

3. DEMONSTRATE

You will be able to demonstrate a broad understanding of pieces of literature.

You can apply the principles of creative writing to pen down poems, stories, blogs, or essays.

You will master the universal foundation that helps in writing great fiction.

Why choose Henry Harvin’s Creative Writing Course?

Ranking: Ranked No.1 Writing Course by Trainings360

Employment Support: Live Projects + Internship + Weekly Job Support

Certification: Get Certified Creative Writer certification from Henry Harvin Education with affiliations from the American Association of EFL, UK Cert, UKAF, Content Writing Association in India, MSME & Govt of India

Who Can Attend?

• Digital Marketers / Business Development professionals
• Existing entrepreneurs/business owners
• Professors / Teachers / Trainers
• Bloggers / Content Writers
• Housewives / Retired / Unemployed individuals
• Aspiring entrepreneurs
• Professionals / Corporates

Also Henry Harvin Provides These Courses

Content Writing Course: Content writers endeavors to elevate their writing performance by upgrading their skills. You can learn pinpoints of content writing after completion of this course. Henry Harvin provides assistance in content writing courses to reach the paradise of your career. You can learn a myriad of writing styles after completing the course. You can improve your grammatical segment as well as lexis to make your writing magnificent. Instructors can guide you through experiential teaching and learning. Moreover, it elevates your propensity towards writing.

Content writing is the core segment of marketing and entices readers to promulgate your brand. You can accumulate web traffic after a fascinating write-up. Henry Harvin encourages you to write in different ways.

Research Writing Course: Research writing is an elucidation of the problems. It includes ascertaining the problems, formulating a research plan. Subsequently, research writers have to gather information based upon evidence. They have to make possible explanations that are known as hypotheses. When hypotheses are experimentally verified, it transforms into theories. Moreover, research writers reach a conclusion. Theories are always based on logic.

Henry Harvin teaches the fine art of research writing to convert complex write-ups into simple and well-structured for target audiences. Research writing comprises three phases namely, the planning phase, the research phase, and eventually the presentation phase. They proffer the experiential learning process of this course.

Technical Writing Course: Technical writing highlights the factors that ascertain the level of technicality of the language and concepts. Technical writing is essential to communicate information acquired through a process of technical or experimental work. Moreover, it develops technical writing prowess to pen down your technical terms into more simple ones that can be understood.

Henry Harvin helps you in writing different technical reports, for instance, laboratory reports, research reports, design and feasibility reports, progress reports, consulting reports, etc. It provides a practical platform to explore more in technical writing. Moreover, an industry-experienced instructor will give you proper guidance to become proficient in technical writing.

Check Henry Harvin Other Courses

• Technical Writing Course
• Content Writing Course
• Medical Writing Course

Henry Harvin Provide Creative Writing courses in these Cities

Mumbai ,  Hyderabad ,  Indore ,  Jaipur ,  Chennai ,  Delhi ,  Noida

Henry Harvin Creative Writing Course Ranks #1 in India by  India Today ,  The Statesman

2.  Northwestern University

Northwestern is an elite private university built in Evanston, Illinois in the Chicago Area. It is a mid-size institution with a registration of 8,161 undergraduate students.

There is extreme competition for admission as the Northwestern acceptance rate is only 8%. Most recognized majors include Economics, Psychology, and Journalism. Graduating 95% of pupils, Northwestern alumni go on to receive a starting salary of $58,900.

Northwestern University is a privately owned 4-year research institution in the Chicagoland area. Northwestern has accommodation of 12 colleges and schools and is prominent for its Medill School of Journalism, Kellogg School of Management, and Bienen School of Music.

Added to these academic facilities, the NU campus features the Dearborn Observatory and Shakespeare Garden. To escape the rigors of academia, NU’s location in the town of Evanston provides access to recreational facilities too like coffee shops, theatres, and the city of Chicago.

3. Dartmouth College

Dartmouth is an A-list private college located in Hanover, New Hampshire. It is a small institution with 4,357 undergraduate students.

The competition for admission is extremely high as the Dartmouth acceptance rate is only 9%. Well known majors comprise of Economics, Political Science and Government, and Computer Science. Graduating 95% of students, Dartmouth alumni go on to earn a great starting salary.

4. Emory University

Emory University, situated in Atlanta, Georgia  is a liberal arts institution, with another campus in the Oxford. The campus is stretched over a vast land of 600 acre in the Druid Hills neighbourhood has four undergraduate and seven graduate colleges.

The University has over a dozen research centers and facilities that give more than half of Emory undergraduates with research opportunities. The Atlanta campus provide Bachelors of both arts, and sciences, BSNs and BBAs, while the Oxford College campus provides associates of arts, altogether providing more than 70 majors and 50 minors.

With a campus situated only three miles away from downtown Atlanta, students can use the 2,000 internship possible  opportunities in the city or supplement their horizons through the 135 study abroad programs initiatives outside of it.

Emory University presents sustainability measures all over campus as well as within the classroom, including sustainability courses in 61% of its departments.

5. Oberlin College

There are a number of educational resources on campus, that comprises of the Allen Memorial Art Museum’s always free of cost events and exhibits, the Center for Innovation & Impact, and also a performing arts coffeehouse popularly called The Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse.

Oberlin is historically progressive college and its Memorial Arch on campus has been cited a site for activism, as well as protest, for several years.

6. Brandeis University

Brandeis University is a private, non-sectarian institution set-up by the Jewish community and named after the Supreme Court’s first Jewish justice. The 235-acre campus is settled in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts, and home to more than 100 academic and residential buildings.

As a much appreciated and recognised research university, Brandeis’ motto of “Truth, Even Unto Its Innermost Parts” is upheld in the number of centers and institutes dotting its campus. Which they have also made it a preference to include undergraduate students.

In its 13 th year, Brandeis received Phi Beta Kappa recognition, making a history for being the youngest university to do so, and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management has a combination of social welfare and policy making it the first school in the US to do so.

7. Hamilton College

Hamilton college is well known 4-year liberal arts college located in central New York, named for Alexander Hamilton and founded in 1812. Hamilton confers undergraduate degrees in around 43 academic concentrations and features an open curriculum policy.

To provide space for students interested in the fine and performing arts, Hamilton has provided access to the Kennedy Center for Theatre and the Studio Arts. Hamilton holds an annual sprint triathlon every spring known as Ham Trek for interested student-athletes.

8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT is a private college located in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the Boston Area. It is a small institution with a registration of 4,557 undergraduate students.

There is extremely high competition as the MIT acceptance rate is only 7%. Well-liked majors comprise Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, and Mathematics. Graduating 94% of students, MIT alumni go on to receive an average  starting salary of $82,200.

9. Brown University

Most desired majors compromise Computer Science, Economics, and Biology. Graduating 95% of students, Brown alumni go on to receive a starting salary of at least $52,500.

10. Columbia University

This place is distinct from any other. Where a renowned Core Curriculum is powered by an incredibly diverse community.

Columbia University is a privately owned research university situated in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It was founded in 1754. The urban Ivy League campus has accommodation of 17 libraries and 20 schools, which offer over 350 majors, as well as the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the largest cathedral worldwide.

6,000 undergraduate students from all around the 50 states and more than 100 countries with different diversities find a favoured place in the residential campus in Morningside Heights: your corner of New York City.

Undergraduates in the college can select from about 100 areas of study and boost their classroom conversations through research at 200+ research centers and institutes.

Columbia education will be the foundation base for a lifetime of learning, collaboration, and the unending pursuit of truth and understanding.

As the birthplace of FM radio and the very first literary magazine in the nation, this university has a well desired Journalism School, and houses the records of winning Pulitzer Prize entries in journalism dating to the present goes back to the early 1917.

11. Harvard University

Harvard University offers various creative writing course in USA to its undergraduates, graduates, faculty, and cross-registrable students from other universities. Each program has a capacity of 12 participants. Moreover, the best creative writing classes are offered during the fall or spring. Students must apply to the course of their choosing before the application deadline. Undergraduates have the option to participate in both workshop and seminar formats for their Creative Writing Course in USA. Students write inventive works of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction to practice and hone their critical thinking skills.

12. University of California, Berkeley (UCB)

The university offers undergraduate students minor in creative writing courses in USA. Over thirty departments on campus provide a variety of approved courses for students to choose from. To complete the course, students must select three creative writing courses and two academic courses from any department. Students must declare their minor by the end of the term preceding their anticipated graduation term.

Students can select beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes based on their preferences. The application date for Spring 2023 is on November. 

13. Stanford University

The Creative Writing program at Stanford is among the top in the nation. It offers workshop-based and independent tutoring for its creative writing major and minor courses. The English major comprises fourteen courses, eight of which are English classes and six of which are creative writing classes. The minor consists of six courses, and students must pick between prose, poetry, and fiction. Stanford also offers the best online creative writing course.

They provide creative writing course in USA in various genres, such as fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, etc. Students are required to apply to enrol in one of the many available courses. All majors and minors can enrol in the best online creative writing course.

14. University of Chicago

The University of Chicago offers a creative writing concentration. There are three primary genres: fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Furthermore, the curriculum includes many courses, advanced workshops, technical seminars, and a thesis. 

Students must declare their major at the end of the third year’s Autumn quarter.

The undergraduate curriculum combines workshops and seminars in creative writing course in USA. Students create imaginative works of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction for the purpose of critical critique. Additionally, the university offers the best creative writing classes. Students may follow either a single genre or a combination of two genres (Poetry, Fiction, or Nonfiction).

15. New York University (NYU)

NYU is the premier institution for the study of literature and writing. NYU’s creative writing department, housed in a West 10th Street townhouse, welcomes students to participate in workshops, events, and other activities. NYU provides graduate students with an MFA in Creative Writing and a Creative Writing Minor for undergraduates.

 In addition to literary outreach activities, teaching opportunities, a reading series, seminars, contests, and summer programs in New York, Paris, and Florence, the program includes other components. 

The courses include poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, essay, memoir, travel writing, documentary writing, and theatre. For the creative writing course in USA, students must choose five courses.

What do you know about Creative Writing?

Creative writing is a way to express ideas and thoughts in an imaginative way, here you are free to express feelings and emotions in your writing style. There are three major creative writing genres: short story, narrative essay, and memoir.

Good writing is a craft, and the impact of a work of literature is dependent on the writer’s skill. And hence, a Creative writing course can help you become a more sound writer.

Creative Writing is the study and practice of new literary works. We all know writing has different purposes. Some of the writing forms inform, such as technical or academic. Some writing reports, however, exist to tell a story or signify an idea.

During this quarantine you can improve your writing skills with the help of creative writing course online , you can choose essay writing, grammar, business writing and more from top universities. You can learn to produce clear and effective written communications.

Creative writing has many forms and literature and poetry are the most well-known form of creative writing.

Why choose Creative Writing?

A career in writing is a difficult thing to look up to, so while choosing this path many questions may arise in your subconsciousness. The questions like

• what will you get to learn during this course
• the potential careers that you can choose

If you are innovative, have a good command of English, and are able to make connections then you are perfect for the job. You can opt for novel writing, poetry or any other form of creative writing to gain more knowledge about this area.

The creative writing course or degree will allow you to analyze the existing literature works and use this as your reference for your own creative works.

If you are a person who like creating original works like, stories, poems or a blog then Creative Writing may be right up your street.

The skills that you will learn while studying Creative Writing in any of the top institutes can make you highly employable in areas like:

• Creative Industries
• PR & Marketing
• Social Media

Some examples of creative writing

• Short Story
• Movie Script

Why Creative Writing is Important?

Creative Writing can help you in building a career, but studying creative writing can engross you with a range of other fields. Character development and other writing practices can help you think in new ways.

You can focus on and build communication skills by learning creative non-fiction. Even the short story can guide you on how to make an excellent point.

Looking beyond these skills, creativity is also a critical part of the human experience. You need to develop your empathy and expand your horizons with a creative discipline and see what it can do for you.

Studying creative writing can help you with a variety of other fields. Like earlier said, non-fiction writing can help you to focus on and build communication skills and short story can teach you how to make an excellent point.

Writing could help with your mental health and overall well-being. It will teach you empathy. Creative writers are often innovative individuals, they have the ability to make connections where other people wouldn’t.

You can improve your skills with free creative writing course online in essay writing, grammar, business writing and more from top universities. You will learn how to improve your creative writing process to produce clear and effective written communications.

Elements of Creative Writing?

• Unique Plot
• Character Development
• POV (Point Of View)
• Emotional Appeal
• Imaginative Language
• Visual Description

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As a software engineer what skills should I pursue to be successful in 2020?

What are the trending software technologies in 2020? What opportunities should I explore?

Is there any certification that I should go for, to boost my software engineering career?

If you have any of the above questions, most likely you are a software engineer or an aspiring software engineer. Software Engineering is one of the most sought after careers. Most of the professionals get attracted to it because of its handsome remuneration. However, software engineering being a very dynamic field, needs its professionals to keep themselves constantly updated with changing tools and technologies. This is precisely the reason, some professionals are most sought after in this industry and some are not. Keeping track of all such changes and pursuing all of them as they change is impossible. 

Here we list out top 10 skills required for software engineers to be successful in this year.

1. Data Science Skills

Data Science is a multidimensional field that wields,

Business acumen 

Scientific methods

Data Science uses these components for the extraction of information. Moreover, it discerns from structured and unstructured data and executes cognition and practicable insights from data.

Henry Harvin’s Data Science Course provides you hands-on experience and training in Data Science. Henry Harvin offers 40-hours training and free brush-up sessions. Henry Harvin gives a chance to experience industry projects.

RPA Course is Robotic process automation t hat emerges as a prime technology for reorganizing business processes. It helps IT professionals to expedite the novice  RPA tools and practices. It is a software development that curtails the efforts of humans by making a wield of Artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Henry Harvin gives you the tips to execute RPA solutions in your organization. Henry Harvin, upgrade your RPA prowess by complete prop up and interactive sessions.

Expert trainers of Henry Harvin show you the facets of RPA and provide internship programs for exposure to the leading industry. 

1. Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence

AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) are the buzzwords in the market. The hype is justified, given its possibilities and applications. It is still in its nascent stage, yet, has shown promise and students with a degree in AI and ML are hired at a very handsome package.

AI and ML opens up possibilities not only for greater remunerations but also the satisfaction of building something unique. There have been some amazing implementations using this. Your software engineer skills will get thoroughly tested and challenged to bring out unique solutions to the problem at hand. 

An AI and ML professional is widely respected in the software engineer community for his/her software developer skills. There are many online courses, distance learning opportunities, and on campus curriculum providing AI and ML related courses.

2. Cloud Computing Literacy

Software engineer skills, like staying open to fresh things, adoption of distinct software languages, tools and techniques go a long way. The major cloud offerings are proprietary and thus get governed by their own set of tools and methodologies. However, a generic idea of how things operate and expertise in at least one of such platforms open scope for one to work comfortably in most cloud environments. 

Training, courseware and certification are provided by respective cloud service providers. For Google Cloud you get certified by Google, For AWS(Amazon Web Services) you get certified from Amazon and for Azure you get certified by Microsoft.

3. Security Expertise

With an increase in solutions getting online, for wider availability and acceptance, most data which used to reside on stand-alone databases or servers, are now on the move over the internet. This not only increases accessibility, ease of use and convenience but also risks to that data during transit. 

Software and data security is a vast field. You can make an entire career out of it. There are a variety of fields of application, a multitude of tools to use and management processes. There are many certifications available for this field of software engineering. Your s oftware engineer skills are put to test in this field almost everyday due to evolution of threats very frequently.

Remuneration wise this skill is valuable as software security specialists are highly sought after professionals in the industry. With certifications like CEH, CISSP, ECSA, CISM etc the value increases even more.

4. Software Testing Basics

When I mention software testing basics as an in-demand skill, some who are familiar with the industry may disapprove. However, truth be told, earlier dedicated software testing roles are getting mutated into automation testing or into coders for maintaining existing software codes. 

Then why am I saying software testing is an essential skill? Because, since the dedicated tester roles are getting obliterated, every software developer has to be a tester besides his development profile. They have to understand software testing principles, techniques and methods to be effective in testing their own piece of code. They have to integrate testing as a quality assurance trait into their software developer skills.

In an organisation where they follow latest trends, processes for software development, they would not hire dedicated full-time testers; instead they will groom their engineers to develop software engineer skills which should definitely have a decent amount of software testing fundamentals covered.

5. Docker and Kubernetes

With the increase in usage of cloud based environments, a hunt for a convenient software shipping solution began. Docker was the answer. Docker allows all your configuration to be saved easily in images and shipped for further usage. Without the need of any major setups that span across multiple softwares or dependencies, one can directly start using the docker images. Not only convenience, docker also provides optimal usage of underlying hardware in your hosting environment. 

Kubernetes is the orchestration tool for Docker that significantly adds to the capabilities of Docker. With Kubernetes, Docker’s true potential of being a very dependable and convenient containerization solution can be exploited.

This is definitely one of the skills required for software engineers this year and many more years to come to be successful. Being a relatively new technology, this also has tremendous earning potential if one becomes an expert in using this platform.

DevOps includes a large Tool-chain to achieve the primary goal of enriching customer experience and reducing time to market all the while adding more quality to the software product. This is achieved by continuous integration of improvements on the live software. One can learn and be a master of some tools from the various aspects of Devops like Coding, Building, Testing, Packaging, Releasing, Configuring and Monitoring to add to the overall progress of the software. Getting familiar with this new mode of execution, all in the meantime adding to his/her software engineer skills will ensure the professional never goes out of demand.

7. Professional Networking

This is the age of collaboration, to leverage market opportunities and maximize profits. For example, you may have something excellent that addresses some important use case of the customer, but you may not have the means to reach out to the customer at their convenience or in a specific market. Here, you can find a suitable business partner and collaborate with them to use their solution or market presence to increase your business gains. In exchange, the partner can also gain some from your expertise, products, a share of your revenue and increase credibility in the market for future collaborations.

Not only business gains but also you can get lessons, best practices from peers in other companies to improve your competencies, processes and knowledge of new tools and technologies. The more you collaborate, more chances are there for your software developer skills to get exposure and recognition. If you are recognized in a professional circle, then chances of landing a desired job balloons up significantly.

This is one of the trending, and important skills required for software engineers in this era of professional interdependence.

With the increase in computer literacy, availability of mobile computing devices (including your mobile phone) to the masses, it becomes important for you to make your software as presentable as possible. There are few web frameworks that make lucid user interfaces that fit both on the Desktop Web and mobile Web with ease. Angular is at the forefront of such technologies. It becomes extremely important to have a neat, accurate, attractive and efficient website to stay relevant in this changing market. 

You can significantly boost your demand in the industry by including Angular expertise in your software developer skills list. Most companies adopting Angular are now looking for professionals adept in this technology. However, this technology being relatively new, has less practicing professionals. This has led to hiring such professionals at a higher pay package. It can definitely be considered as one of the skills required for software engineers in this year to be successful.

9. Internet of Things

The Internet of Things can be best imagined by taking the example of a smart home solution. Elaborating, it is the inter-operation of various electronic devices, primarily interfaced via sensors over a network to carry out intended functionalities; mostly driven and orchestrated remotely. 

A lot of technologies like machine learning, real-time analysis, commodity sensors and embedded systems go into achieving the complete use cases of IoT. Your software engineer skills will need to be innovative enough to fit useful code in smaller form factor hardware, limited bandwidth internet connection and adopt wireless technology protocols. If you are dealing with Realtime devices that have critical functionalities like medical implementations then you need to make them extra resilient to failure.

To be successful in this domain, in addition to your component, it is advisable to have an idea of the complete picture. This will help you grow into a solutions consultant role. As a solutions consultant, you will need to see use cases that others cannot and thus be successful in this field. Because of unavailability of common standard till now, we can say IOT still has a lot of scope to grow and open its wings. Solution consultants being some reference point, are in high demand in companies that provide IoT solutions.

10. Management and Certifications

One of the most underrated software engineer skills is to mature from being an individual technical contributor to handling higher roles by growing into a manager without a formal degree. With a lot of technologies changing overnight, it is important to adapt to such changes in your management style.  

Besides, new process certifications like Agile Certification and its derivatives you can rely on some old but industry proven certifications like Six Sigma that help you grow into a thorough management professional. Besides, your technical background, such management skills will add even more value to your profile and distinguish you over your peers.

Conclusion:

Software Engineer Skills being very dynamic because of the rate at which technology changes, by the time you go through this blog, it is possible that the technologies mentioned here have become obsolete. Still the takeaway from this blog should be to stay open to fresh things and keep upgrading your skills instead of taking this blog as a cornerstone of your career. 

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21 comments.

My aim was to get a job and I wanted to join an institute that provides me with a guarantee of placement. Henry Harvin did just that and although I am yet to apply for the creative writing exam I am already working as a content writer fresher. Henry Harvin prepared me for an extensive interview and written test, which companies conducted and I was able to clear it with very much ease.

Thank you so much for your encouraging feedback. We always strive to offer you a delightful learning experience. Happy learning!

I had come across many institutes for this course but after Evaluating options and reading this article it has cleared all my doubts and queries . This article on is amazing in deciding among the top Creative Writing Course in USA

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Creative Writing Course in USA was a great blog..! It included all the information.

I find the information provided by this article to be really useful as it provides good guidance about the best courses in America.

As USA is the hub of content writing, it is important to know which course is good to learn content writing. This article provides a lot of useful information about the top content writing courses in USA.

This is a great module for those who seek to advance their knowledge in Lean creative writing blog.

Out of all of the five courses for Creative Writing, this is my favorite one. After learning how to craft a plot and build a character, the next step is to immerse the reader into your world and story. This course teaches you how to do exactly that. I found it very insightful. Thank you….

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2024 -“Juried Undergraduate Exhibition,” Ridenbaugh Gallery, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID -At Invitation, University of Idaho’s President’s House, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID -“In Medias Res,” Ridenbaugh Gallery, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID (Forthcoming)

2023 -At Invitation, “Painting Show,” Ridenbaugh Gallery, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID -“VAC is Back!”, Reflections Gallery, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID -“Pens, Pencils & Paint,” Ridenbaugh Gallery, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID -At Invitation, University of Idaho’s President’s House, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID. 2023-2024 -“Palouse Plein Air,” Moscow City Council, Moscow, ID. (Winner: City Purchase Award) -“Mirage,” Reflections Gallery, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID. -At Invitation, “Painting Show,” Moscow City Council, Moscow, ID. Fall 2023-Spring 24

2022 -“Figures”, Downtown Arts Center, Honolulu, HI -“Palouse Plein Air”, Moscow City Council, Moscow, ID. (Winner: Best Watercolor) -At Invitation, “Student Painters,” Moscow City Council, Moscow, ID. -At Invitation, “Student Printmakers,” Ridenbaugh Gallery, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID. -“Clay?!”, Ridenbaugh Gallery, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID.

2021 -At Invitation, “Student Show”, Iolan’i Gallery, Windward Community College, Kaneohe, HI.

2020 -“Foundations Juried Exhibition”, The Looking Glass Gallery, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC.

2019 -“Student Show”, The Arts Center, Carrboro, NC.

2024 Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Painting and Ceramics, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID. (Forthcoming)

Extracurriculars and Honors

2022-2024 President of Visual Arts Community (VAC), University of Idaho President of Vandal Print Guild (VPG), University of Idaho Volunteer Artist, Vandaljacks, University of Idaho Dean’s List, University of Idaho Alumni Award for Excellence, University of Idaho

2019-2020 Resident Artist, Cannon Hall, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC.

Work Experience/Training

2021-2022 Gallery Attendant, Iolan’i Gallery, Windward Community College, Kaneohe, HI.

Studied Under: Kelly Oakes, Durham, NC. 2019-2020. William Zwick, Honolulu, HI. 2020. Mark Brown, Honolulu, HI, 2020-2022. Daunna Yanoviak, Kailua, HI. 2021- 2022. Mark Norseth, Honolulu, HI. 2021-.

Art: “Introduction to Figure Drawing,” Stacey Leanza, Class, The Arts Center, Carrboro, NC. 2018. “Printmaking; Mono-prints,” Stacey Leanza, Class, The Arts Center, Carrboro, NC. 2018. “Mixed Media,” Stacey Leanza, Class, The Arts Center, Carrboro, NC. 2018. “Introduction to Portrait Drawing,” Kelly Oakes, Class, The Arts Center, Carrboro, NC. 2019. “Painting Portraits in Alla Prima,” Kelly Oakes, Workshop, The Arts Center, Carrboro, NC. 2019. “Demystifying the Modern Portrait,” Marie Rossettie, Class, The Arts Center, Carrboro, NC. 2019. “Intuitive Painting,” Heather Gerni, Workshop, The Arts Center, Carrboro, NC. 2019. “Oil Painting Crash Course,” Vanessa Murray, Workshop, The Arts Center, Carrboro, NC. 2019. “Live Portrait Sessions,” Alla Parsons, Downtown Arts Center, Honolulu, HI. 2023. “Introduction to Watercolor,” Dwayne Adams, Class, Downtown Arts Center, Honolulu, HI. 2023.

Creative Writing: “Writing the Killer Mystery,” C1121, Central Carolina Community College, 2019. “Flash Fiction Made Easy,” C1058, Central Carolina Community College, 2019. “Charting Your Path To Publication,” C1060, Central Carolina Community College, 2019.

Newspapers and Articles

Long, Maryanne, “Windward Artists Turn Impression Into Expression,” Windward O’ahu Voice, February 9th, 2022

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• Good with Words: Writing and Editing :   University of Michigan
• Creative Writing :   Wesleyan University
• Academic English: Writing :   University of California, Irvine
• Write Your First Novel :   Michigan State University
• Writing in the Sciences :   Stanford University
• Writing in English at University :   Lund University
• Business Writing :   University of Colorado Boulder
• Writing and Editing: Word Choice and Word Order :   University of Michigan
• Memoir and Personal Essay: Write About Yourself :   Wesleyan University
• English Composition I :   Duke University

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French Journal of English Studies

Home Numéros 59 1 - Tisser les liens : voyager, e... 36 Views of Moscow Mountain: Teac...

36 Views of Moscow Mountain: Teaching Travel Writing and Mindfulness in the Tradition of Hokusai and Thoreau

L'auteur américain Henry David Thoreau est un écrivain du voyage qui a rarement quitté sa ville natale de Concorde, Massachusetts, où il a vécu de 1817 à 1862. Son approche du "voyage" consiste à accorder une profonde attention à son environnement ordinaire et à voir le monde à partir de perspectives multiples, comme il l'explique avec subtilité dans Walden (1854). Inspiré par Thoreau et par la célèbre série de gravures du peintre d'estampes japonais Katsushika Hokusai, intitulée 36 vues du Mt. Fuji (1830-32), j'ai fait un cours sur "L'écriture thoreauvienne du voyage" à l'Université de l'Idaho, que j'appelle 36 vues des montagnes de Moscow: ou, Faire un grand voyage — l'esprit et le carnet ouvert — dans un petit lieu . Cet article explore la philosophie et les stratégies pédagogiques de ce cours, qui tente de partager avec les étudiants les vertus d'un regard neuf sur le monde, avec les yeux vraiment ouverts, avec le regard d'un voyageur, en "faisant un grand voyage" à Moscow, Idaho. Les étudiants affinent aussi leurs compétences d'écriture et apprennent les traditions littéraires et artistiques associées au voyage et au sens du lieu.

Index terms

Keywords: , designing a writing class to foster engagement.

1 The signs at the edge of town say, "Entering Moscow, Idaho. Population 25,060." This is a small hamlet in the midst of a sea of rolling hills, where farmers grow varieties of wheat, lentils, peas, and garbanzo beans, irrigated by natural rainfall. Although the town of Moscow has a somewhat cosmopolitan feel because of the presence of the University of Idaho (with its 13,000 students and a few thousand faculty and staff members), elegant restaurants, several bookstores and music stores, and a patchwork of artsy coffee shops on Main Street, the entire mini-metropolis has only about a dozen traffic lights and a single high school. As a professor of creative writing and the environmental humanities at the university, I have long been interested in finding ways to give special focuses to my writing and literature classes that will help my students think about the circumstances of their own lives and find not only academic meaning but personal significance in our subjects. I have recently taught graduate writing workshops on such themes as "The Body" and "Crisis," but when I was given the opportunity recently to teach an undergraduate writing class on Personal and Exploratory Writing, I decided to choose a focus that would bring me—and my students—back to one of the writers who has long been of central interest to me: Henry David Thoreau.

2 One of the courses I have routinely taught during the past six years is Environmental Writing, an undergraduate class that I offer as part of the university's Semester in the Wild Program, a unique undergraduate opportunity that sends a small group of students to study five courses (Ecology, Environmental History, Environmental Writing, Outdoor Leadership and Wilderness Survival, and Wilderness Management and Policy) at a remote research station located in the middle of the largest wilderness area (the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness) in the United States south of Alaska. In "Teaching with Wolves," a recent article about the Semester in the Wild Program, I explained that my goal in the Environmental Writing class is to help the students "synthesize their experience in the wilderness with the content of the various classes" and "to think ahead to their professional lives and their lives as engaged citizens, for which critical thinking and communication skills are so important" (325). A foundational text for the Environmental Writing class is a selection from Thoreau's personal journal, specifically the entries he made October 1-20, 1853, which I collected in the 1993 writing textbook Being in the World: An Environmental Reader for Writers . I ask the students in the Semester in the Wild Program to deeply immerse themselves in Thoreau's precise and colorful descriptions of the physical world that is immediately present to him and, in turn, to engage with their immediate encounters with the world in their wilderness location. Thoreau's entries read like this:

Oct. 4. The maples are reddening, and birches yellowing. The mouse-ear in the shade in the middle of the day, so hoary, looks as if the frost still lay on it. Well it wears the frost. Bumblebees are on the Aster undulates , and gnats are dancing in the air. Oct. 5. The howling of the wind about the house just before a storm to-night sounds extremely like a loon on the pond. How fit! Oct. 6 and 7. Windy. Elms bare. (372)

3 In thinking ahead to my class on Personal and Exploratory Writing, which would be offered on the main campus of the University of Idaho in the fall semester of 2018, I wanted to find a topic that would instill in my students the Thoreauvian spirit of visceral engagement with the world, engagement on the physical, emotional, and philosophical levels, while still allowing my students to remain in the city and live their regular lives as students. It occurred to me that part of what makes Thoreau's journal, which he maintained almost daily from 1837 (when he was twenty years old) to 1861 (just a year before his death), such a rich and elegant work is his sense of being a traveler, even when not traveling geographically.

Traveling a Good Deal in Moscow

I have traveled a good deal in Concord…. --Henry David Thoreau, Walden (1854; 4)

4 For Thoreau, one did not need to travel a substantial physical distance in order to be a traveler, in order to bring a traveler's frame of mind to daily experience. His most famous book, Walden , is well known as an account of the author's ideas and daily experiments in simple living during the two years, two months, and two days (July 4, 1845, to September 6, 1847) he spent inhabiting a simple wooden house that he built on the shore of Walden Pond, a small lake to the west of Boston, Massachusetts. Walden Pond is not a remote location—it is not out in the wilderness. It is on the edge of a small village, much like Moscow, Idaho. The concept of "traveling a good deal in Concord" is a kind of philosophical and psychological riddle. What does it mean to travel extensively in such a small place? The answer to this question is meaningful not only to teachers hoping to design writing classes in the spirit of Thoreau but to all who are interested in travel as an experience and in the literary genre of travel writing.

5 Much of Walden is an exercise in deftly establishing a playful and intellectually challenging system of synonyms, an array of words—"economy," "deliberateness," "simplicity," "dawn," "awakening," "higher laws," etc.—that all add up to powerful probing of what it means to live a mindful and attentive life in the world. "Travel" serves as a key, if subtle, metaphor for the mindful life—it is a metaphor and also, in a sense, a clue: if we can achieve the traveler's perspective without going far afield, then we might accomplish a kind of enlightenment. Thoreau's interest in mindfulness becomes clear in chapter two of Walden , "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For," in which he writes, "Morning is when I am awake and there is a dawn in me. To be awake is to be alive. I have never yet met a man who was quite awake. How could I have looked him in the face?" The latter question implies the author's feeling that he is himself merely evolving as an awakened individual, not yet fully awake, or mindful, in his efforts to live "a poetic or divine life" (90). Thoreau proceeds to assert that "We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn…. I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor" (90). Just what this endeavor might be is not immediately spelled out in the text, but the author does quickly point out the value of focusing on only a few activities or ideas at a time, so as not to let our lives be "frittered away by detail." He writes: "Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; … and keep your accounts on your thumb nail" (91). The strong emphasis in the crucial second chapter of Walden is on the importance of waking up and living deliberately through a conscious effort to engage in particular activities that support such awakening. It occurs to me that "travel," or simply making one's way through town with the mindset of a traveler, could be one of these activities.

6 It is in the final chapter of the book, titled "Conclusion," that Thoreau makes clear the relationship between travel and living an attentive life. He begins the chapter by cataloguing the various physical locales throughout North America or around the world to which one might travel—Canada, Ohio, Colorado, and even Tierra del Fuego. But Thoreau states: "Our voyaging is only great-circle sailing, and the doctors prescribe for diseases of the skin merely. One hastens to Southern Africa to chase the giraffe; but surely that is not the game he would be after." What comes next is brief quotation from the seventeenth-century English poet William Habbington (but presented anonymously in Thoreau's text), which might be one of the most significant passages in the entire book:

Direct your eye sight inward, and you'll find A thousand regions in your mind Yet undiscovered. Travel them, and be Expert in home-cosmography. (320)

7 This admonition to travel the mysterious territory of one's own mind and master the strange cosmos of the self is actually a challenge to the reader—and probably to the author himself—to focus on self-reflection and small-scale, local movement as if such activities were akin to exploration on a grand, planetary scale. What is really at issue here is not the physical distance of one's journey, but the mental flexibility of one's approach to the world, one's ability to look at the world with a fresh, estranged point of view. Soon after his discussion of the virtues of interior travel, Thoreau explains why he left his simple home at Walden Pond after a few years of experimental living there, writing, "It is remarkable how easily and insensibly we fall into a particular route, and make a beaten track for ourselves" (323). In other words, no matter what we're doing in life, we can fall into a "beaten track" if we're not careful, thus failing to stay "awake."

8 As I thought about my writing class at the University of Idaho, I wondered how I might design a series of readings and writing exercises for university students that would somehow emulate the Thoreauvian objective of achieving ultra-mindfulness in a local environment. One of the greatest challenges in designing such a class is the fact that it took Thoreau himself many years to develop an attentiveness to his environment and his own emotional rhythms and an efficiency of expression that would enable him to describe such travel-without-travel, and I would have only sixteen weeks to achieve this with my own students. The first task, I decided, was to invite my students into the essential philosophical stance of the class, and I did this by asking my students to read the opening chapter of Walden ("Economy") in which he talks about traveling "a good deal" in his small New England village as well as the second chapter and the conclusion, which reveal the author's enthusiasm (some might even say obsession ) for trying to achieve an awakened condition and which, in the end, suggest that waking up to the meaning of one's life in the world might be best accomplished by attempting the paradoxical feat of becoming "expert in home-cosmography." As I stated it among the objectives for my course titled 36 Views of Moscow Mountain: Or, Traveling a Good Deal—with Open Minds and Notebooks—in a Small Place , one of our goals together (along with practicing nonfiction writing skills and learning about the genre of travel writing) would be to "Cultivate a ‘Thoreauvian' way of appreciating the subtleties of the ordinary world."

Windy. Elms Bare.

9 For me, the elegance and heightened sensitivity of Thoreau's engagement with place is most movingly exemplified in his journal, especially in the 1850s after he's mastered the art of observation and nuanced, efficient description of specific natural phenomena and environmental conditions. His early entries in the journal are abstract mini-essays on such topics as truth, beauty, and "The Poet," but over time the journal notations become so immersed in the direct experience of the more-than-human world, in daily sensory experiences, that the pronoun "I" even drops out of many of these records. Lawrence Buell aptly describes this Thoreauvian mode of expression as "self-relinquishment" (156) in his 1995 book The Environmental Imagination , suggesting such writing "question[s] the authority of the superintending consciousness. As such, it opens up the prospect of a thoroughgoing perceptual breakthrough, suggesting the possibility of a more ecocentric state of being than most of us have dreamed of" (144-45). By the time Thoreau wrote "Windy. Elms bare" (372) as his single entry for October 6 and 7, 1853, he had entered what we might call an "ecocentric zone of consciousness" in his work, attaining the ability to channel his complex perceptions of season change (including meteorology and botany and even his own emotional state) into brief, evocative prose.

10 I certainly do not expect my students to be able to do such writing after only a brief introduction to the course and to Thoreau's own methods of journal writing, but after laying the foundation of the Thoreauvian philosophy of nearby travel and explaining to my students what I call the "building blocks of the personal essay" (description, narration, and exposition), I ask them to engage in a preliminary journal-writing exercise that involves preparing five journal entries, each "a paragraph or two in length," that offer detailed physical descriptions of ordinary phenomena from their lives (plants, birds, buildings, street signs, people, food, etc.), emphasizing shape, color, movement or change, shadow, and sometimes sound, smell, taste, and/or touch. The goal of the journal entries, I tell the students, is to begin to get them thinking about close observation, vivid descriptive language, and the potential to give their later essays in the class an effective texture by balancing more abstract information and ideas with evocative descriptive passages and storytelling.

11 I am currently teaching this class, and I am writing this article in early September, as we are entering the fourth week of the semester. The students have just completed the journal-writing exercise and are now preparing to write the first of five brief essays on different aspects of Moscow that will eventually be braided together, as discrete sections of the longer piece, into a full-scale literary essay about Moscow, Idaho, from the perspective of a traveler. For the journal exercise, my students wrote some rather remarkable descriptive statements, which I think bodes well for their upcoming work. One student, Elizabeth Isakson, wrote stunning journal descriptions of a cup of coffee, her own feet, a lemon, a basil leaf, and a patch of grass. For instance, she wrote:

Steaming hot liquid poured into a mug. No cream, just black. Yet it appears the same brown as excretion. The texture tells another story with meniscus that fades from clear to gold and again brown. The smell is intoxicating for those who are addicted. Sweetness fills the nostrils; bitterness rushes over the tongue. The contrast somehow complements itself. Earthy undertones flower up, yet this beverage is much more satisfying than dirt. When the mug runs dry, specks of dark grounds remain swimming in the sunken meniscus. Steam no longer rises because energy has found a new home.

12 For the grassy lawn, she wrote:

Calico with shades of green, the grass is yellowing. Once vibrant, it's now speckled with straw. Sticking out are tall, seeding dandelions. Still some dips in the ground have maintained thick, soft patches of green. The light dances along falling down from the trees above, creating a stained-glass appearance made from various green shades. The individual blades are stiff enough to stand erect, but they will yield to even slight forces of wind or pressure. Made from several long strands seemingly fused together, some blades fray at the end, appearing brittle. But they do not simply break off; they hold fast to the blade to which they belong.

13 The point of this journal writing is for the students to look closely enough at ordinary reality to feel estranged from it, as if they have never before encountered (or attempted to describe) a cup of coffee or a field of grass—or a lemon or a basil leaf or their own body. Thus, the Thoreauvian objective of practicing home-cosmography begins to take shape. The familiar becomes exotic, note-worthy, and strangely beautiful, just as it often does for the geographical travel writer, whose adventures occur far away from where she or he normally lives. Travel, in a sense, is an antidote to complacency, to over-familiarity. But the premise of my class in Thoreauvian travel writing is that a slight shift of perspective can overcome the complacency we might naturally feel in our home surroundings. To accomplish this we need a certain degree of disorientation. This is the next challenge for our class.

The Blessing of Being Lost

14 Most of us take great pains to "get oriented" and "know where we're going," whether this is while running our daily errands or when thinking about the essential trajectories of our lives. We're often instructed by anxious parents to develop a sense of purpose and a sense of direction, if only for the sake of basic safety. But the traveler operates according to a somewhat different set of priorities, perhaps, elevating adventure and insight above basic comfort and security, at least to some degree. This certainly seems to be the case for the Thoreauvian traveler, or for Thoreau himself. In Walden , he writes:

…not until we are completely lost, or turned round,--for a man needs only be turned round once with his eyes shut in this world to be lost,--do we appreciate the vastness and strangeness of Nature. Every man has to learn the points of compass again as often as he awakes, whether from sleep or any abstraction. Not till we are lost, in other words, not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves, and realize where we are and the infinite extent of our relations. (171)

15 I could explicate this passage at length, but that's not really my purpose here. I read this as a celebration of salutary disorientation, of the potential to be lost in such a way as to deepen one's ability to pay attention to oneself and one's surroundings, natural and otherwise. If travel is to a great degree an experience uniquely capable of triggering attentiveness to our own physical and psychological condition, to other cultures and the minds and needs of other people, and to a million small details of our environment that we might take for granted at home but that accrue special significance when we're away, I would argue that much of this attentiveness is owed to the sense of being lost, even the fear of being lost, that often happens when we leave our normal habitat.

16 So in my class I try to help my students "get lost" in a positive way. Here in Moscow, the major local landmark is a place called Moscow Mountain, a forested ridge of land just north of town, running approximately twenty kilometers to the east of the city. Moscow "Mountain" does not really have a single, distinctive peak like a typical mountain—it is, as I say, more of a ridge than a pinnacle. When I began contemplating this class on Thoreauvian travel writing, the central concepts I had in mind were Thoreau's notion of traveling a good deal in Concord and also the idea of looking at a specific place from many different angles. The latter idea is not only Thoreauvian, but perhaps well captured in the eighteen-century Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai's series of woodblock prints known as 36 Views of Mt. Fuji , which offers an array of different angles on the mountain itself and on other landscape features (lakes, the sea, forests, clouds, trees, wind) and human behavior which is represented in many of the prints, often with Mt. Fuji in the distant background or off to the side. In fact, I imagine Hokusai's approach to representing Mt. Fuji as so important to the concept of this travel writing class that I call the class "36 Views of Moscow Mountain," symbolizing the multiple approaches I'll be asking my students to take in contemplating and describing not only Moscow Mountain itself, but the culture and landscape and the essential experience of Moscow the town. The idea of using Hokusai's series of prints as a focal point of this class came to me, in part, from reading American studies scholar Cathy Davidson's 36 Views of Mount Fuji: On Finding Myself in Japan , a memoir that offers sixteen short essays about different facets of her life as a visiting professor in that island nation.

17 The first of five brief essays my students will prepare for the class is what I'm calling a "Moscow Mountain descriptive essay," building upon the small descriptive journal entries they've written recently. In this case, though, I am asking the students to describe the shapes and colors of the Moscow Mountain ridge, while also telling a brief story or two about their observations of the mountain, either by visiting the mountain itself to take a walk or a bike ride or by explaining how they glimpse portions of the darkly forested ridge in the distance while walking around the University of Idaho campus or doing things in town. In preparation for the Moscow Mountain essays, we read several essays or book chapters that emphasize "organizing principles" in writing, often the use of particular landscape features, such as trees or mountains, as a literary focal point. For instance, in David Gessner's "Soaring with Castro," from his 2007 book Soaring with Fidel: An Osprey Odyssey from Cape Cod to Cuba and Beyond , he not only refers to La Gran Piedra (a small mountain in southeastern Cuba) as a narrative focal point, but to the osprey, or fish eagle, itself and its migratory journey as an organizing principle for his literary project (203). Likewise, in his essay "I Climb a Tree and Become Dissatisfied with My Lot," Chicago author Leonard Dubkin writes about his decision, as a newly fired journalist, to climb up a tree in Chicago's Lincoln Park to observe and listen to the birds that gather in the green branches in the evening, despite the fact that most adults would consider this a strange and inappropriate activity. We also looked at several of Hokusai's woodblock prints and analyzed these together in class, trying to determine how the mountain served as an organizing principle for each print or whether there were other key features of the prints—clouds, ocean waves, hats and pieces of paper floating in the wind, humans bent over in labor—that dominate the images, with Fuji looking on in the distance.

18 I asked my students to think of Hokusai's representations of Mt. Fuji as aesthetic models, or metaphors, for what they might try to do in their brief (2-3 pages) literary essays about Moscow Mountain. What I soon discovered was that many of my students, even students who have spent their entire lives in Moscow, either were not aware of Moscow Mountain at all or had never actually set foot on the mountain. So we spent half an hour during one class session, walking to a vantage point on the university campus, where I could point out where the mountain is and we could discuss how one might begin to write about such a landscape feature in a literary essay. Although I had thought of the essay describing the mountain as a way of encouraging the students to think about a familiar landscape as an orienting device, I quickly learned that this will be a rather challenging exercise for many of the students, as it will force them to think about an object or a place that is easily visible during their ordinary lives, but that they typically ignore. Paying attention to the mountain, the ridge, will compel them to reorient themselves in this city and think about a background landscape feature that they've been taking for granted until now. I think of this as an act of disorientation or being lost—a process of rethinking their own presence in this town that has a nearby mountain that most of them seldom think about. I believe Thoreau would consider this a good, healthy experience, a way of being present anew in a familiar place.

36 Views—Or, When You Invert Your Head

19 Another key aspect of Hokusai's visual project and Thoreau's literary project is the idea of changing perspective. One can view Mt. Fuji from 36 different points of views, or from thousands of different perspectives, and it is never quite the same place—every perspective is original, fresh, mind-expanding. The impulse to shift perspective in pursuit of mindfulness is also ever-present in Thoreau's work, particularly in his personal journal and in Walden . This idea is particularly evident, to me, in the chapter of Walden titled "The Ponds," where he writes:

Standing on the smooth sandy beach at the east end of the pond, in a calm September afternoon, when a slight haze makes the opposite shore line indistinct, I have seen whence came the expression, "the glassy surface of a lake." When you invert your head, it looks like a thread of finest gossamer stretched across the valley, and gleaming against the distinct pine woods, separating one stratum of the atmosphere from another. (186)

20 Elsewhere in the chapter, Thoreau describes the view of the pond from the top of nearby hills and the shapes and colors of pebbles in the water when viewed from close up. He chances physical perspective again and again throughout the chapter, but it is in the act of looking upside down, actually suggesting that one might invert one's head, that he most vividly conveys the idea of looking at the world in different ways in order to be lost and awakened, just as the traveler to a distant land might feel lost and invigorated by such exposure to an unknown place.

21 After asking students to write their first essay about Moscow Mountain, I give them four additional short essays to write, each two to four pages long. We read short examples of place-based essays, some of them explicitly related to travel, and then the students work on their own essays on similar topics. The second short essay is about food—I call this the "Moscow Meal" essay. We read the final chapter of Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma (2006), "The Perfect Meal," and Anthony Bourdain's chapter "Where Cooks Come From" in the book A Cook's Tour (2001) are two of the works we study in preparation for the food essay. The three remaining short essays including a "Moscow People" essay (exploring local characters are important facets of the place), a more philosophical essay about "the concept of Moscow," and a final "Moscow Encounter" essay that tells the story of a dramatic moment of interaction with a person, an animal, a memorable thing to eat or drink, a sunset, or something else. Along the way, we read the work of Wendell Berry, Joan Didion, Barbara Kingsolver, Kim Stafford, Paul Theroux, and other authors. Before each small essay is due, we spend a class session holding small-group workshops, allowing the students to discuss their essays-in-progress with each other and share portions of their manuscripts. The idea is that they will learn about writing even by talking with each other about their essays. In addition to writing about Moscow from various angles, they will learn about additional points of view by considering the angles of insight developed by their fellow students. All of this is the writerly equivalent of "inverting [their] heads."

Beneath the Smooth Skin of Place

22 Aside from Thoreau's writing and Hokusai's images, perhaps the most important writer to provide inspiration for this class is Indiana-based essayist Scott Russell Sanders. Shortly after introducing the students to Thoreau's key ideas in Walden and to the richness of his descriptive writing in the journal, I ask them to read his essay "Buckeye," which first appeared in Sanders's Writing from the Center (1995). "Buckeye" demonstrates the elegant braiding together of descriptive, narrative, and expository/reflective prose, and it also offers a strong argument about the importance of creating literature and art about place—what he refers to as "shared lore" (5)—as a way of articulating the meaning of a place and potentially saving places that would otherwise be exploited for resources, flooded behind dams, or otherwise neglected or damaged. The essay uses many of the essential literary devices, ranging from dialogue to narrative scenes, that I hope my students will practice in their own essays, while also offering a vivid argument in support of the kind of place-based writing the students are working on.

23 Another vital aspect of our work together in this class is the effort to capture the wonderful idiosyncrasies of this place, akin to the idiosyncrasies of any place that we examine closely enough to reveal its unique personality. Sanders's essay "Beneath the Smooth Skin of America," which we study together in Week 9 of the course, addresses this topic poignantly. The author challenges readers to learn the "durable realities" of the places where they live, the details of "watershed, biome, habitat, food-chain, climate, topography, ecosystem and the areas defined by these natural features they call bioregions" (17). "The earth," he writes, "needs fewer tourists and more inhabitants" (16). By Week 9 of the semester, the students have written about Moscow Mountain, about local food, and about local characters, and they are ready at this point to reflect on some of the more philosophical dimensions of living in a small academic village surrounded by farmland and beyond that surrounded by the Cascade mountain range to the West and the Rockies to the East. "We need a richer vocabulary of place" (18), urges Sanders. By this point in the semester, by reading various examples of place-based writing and by practicing their own powers of observation and expression, my students will, I hope, have developed a somewhat richer vocabulary to describe their own experiences in this specific place, a place they've been trying to explore with "open minds and notebooks." Sanders argues that

if we pay attention, we begin to notice patterns in the local landscape. Perceiving those patterns, acquiring names and theories and stories for them, we cease to be tourists and become inhabitants. The bioregional consciousness I am talking about means bearing your place in mind, keeping track of its condition and needs, committing yourself to its care. (18)

24 Many of my students will spend only four or five years in Moscow, long enough to earn a degree before moving back to their hometowns or journeying out into the world in pursuit of jobs or further education. Moscow will be a waystation for some of these student writers, not a permanent home. Yet I am hoping that this semester-long experiment in Thoreauvian attentiveness and place-based writing will infect these young people with both the bioregional consciousness Sanders describes and a broader fascination with place, including the cultural (yes, the human ) dimensions of this and any other place. I feel such a mindfulness will enrich the lives of my students, whether they remain here or move to any other location on the planet or many such locations in succession.

25 Toward the end of "Beneath the Smooth Skin of America," Sanders tells the story of encountering a father with two young daughters near a city park in Bloomington, Indiana, where he lives. Sanders is "grazing" on wild mulberries from a neighborhood tree, and the girls are keen to join him in savoring the local fruit. But their father pulls them away, stating, "Thank you very much, but we never eat anything that grows wild. Never ever." To this Sanders responds: "If you hold by that rule, you will not get sick from eating poison berries, but neither will you be nourished from eating sweet ones. Why not learn to distinguish one from the other? Why feed belly and mind only from packages?" (19-20). By looking at Moscow Mountain—and at Moscow, Idaho, more broadly—from numerous points of view, my students, I hope, will nourish their own bellies and minds with the wild fruit and ideas of this place. I say this while chewing a tart, juicy, and, yes, slightly sweet plum that I pulled from a feral tree in my own Moscow neighborhood yesterday, an emblem of engagement, of being here.

Bibliography

BUELL, Lawrence, The Environmental Imagination: Thoreau, Nature Writing, and the Formation of American Culture , Harvard University Press, 1995.

DAVIDSON, Cathy, 36 Views of Mount Fuji: On Finding Myself in Japan , Duke University Press, 2006.

DUBKIN, Leonard, "I Climb a Tree and Become Dissatisfied with My Lot." Enchanted Streets: The Unlikely Adventures of an Urban Nature Lover , Little, Brown and Company, 1947, 34-42.

GESSNER, David, Soaring with Fidel: An Osprey Odyssey from Cape Cod to Cuba and Beyond , Beacon, 2007.

ISAKSON, Elizabeth, "Journals." Assignment for 36 Views of Moscow Mountain (English 208), University of Idaho, Fall 2018.

SANDERS, Scott Russell, "Buckeye" and "Beneath the Smooth Skin of America." Writing from the Center , Indiana University Press, 1995, pp. 1-8, 9-21.

SLOVIC, Scott, "Teaching with Wolves", Western American Literature 52.3 (Fall 2017): 323-31.

THOREAU, Henry David, "October 1-20, 1853", Being in the World: An Environmental Reader for Writers , edited by Scott H. Slovic and Terrell F. Dixon, Macmillan, 1993, 371-75.

THOREAU, Henry David, Walden . 1854. Princeton University Press, 1971.

Bibliographical reference

Scott Slovic , “ 36 Views of Moscow Mountain: Teaching Travel Writing and Mindfulness in the Tradition of Hokusai and Thoreau ” ,  Caliban , 59 | 2018, 41-54.

Electronic reference

Scott Slovic , “ 36 Views of Moscow Mountain: Teaching Travel Writing and Mindfulness in the Tradition of Hokusai and Thoreau ” ,  Caliban [Online], 59 | 2018, Online since 01 June 2018 , connection on 01 April 2024 . URL : http://journals.openedition.org/caliban/3688; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/caliban.3688

About the author

Scott slovic.

University of Idaho Scott Slovic is University Distinguished Professor of Environmental Humanities at the University of Idaho, USA. The author and editor of many books and articles, he edited the journal ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment from 1995 to 2020. His latest coedited book is The Routledge Handbook of Ecocriticism and Environmental Communication  (2019).

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