poetry creative writing course

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Financial Aid

• Attained at least a 2.70 cumulative GPA in concentrate courses
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00
• Fulfilled all program requirements AND completed a minimum of 120 credits for a single major or 165 for a dual major
• Completed a minimum of 60 institutional credits for a single major or 105 institutional credits for a dual major
• Fulfilled all financial obligations to the college

Transfer Credits

Online undergraduate-level course, creative writing: poetry.

Authored by Pat Pattison

Course Code: OLART-215

Next semester starts June 24 Enroll by 5 PM ET. Limited seats available.--> Enroll by 5 PM ET. Limited seats available.-->

3-credit tuition, non-credit tuition.

Creative Writing: Poetry is a course for writers—songwriters, poets, and anyone who wants to write more effectively. The course—authored by Pat Pattison, who developed the curriculum for the only songwriting major in the country at Berklee—will give you specific tools to help you craft and control your writing. You will be taken through a step-by-step process, each step handing you another tool to give what you say more power. You'll learn how to enhance your ideas through arranging lines into odd or even numbered line groups and creating either a feeling of tension or resolution with the composition itself, independent of the poem's meaning. You'll learn placement, timing, focus, and especially how to use rhythm in language expressively.

• Write clearly and strongly
• Precisely control form and composition
• Counter-point lines against phrases to create musical effects
• Use language rhythms to create tension and resolution
• Understand the relationship between poetry and music
• Deeply understand prosody, the fundamental principle underlying not only poetry, but art in general

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Lesson 1: Prose vs. Poetry

• Prose: Phrase Lengths
• Sentence Construction: Simple Sentences
• Compound Sentences
• Sentence Types
• Lines with Multiple Phrases
• Units of Composition

Lesson 2: Managing End-Stops 

• Creating Subordinate Clauses
• Stable and Unstable Groupings
• "Days" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Instability
• Student Poetry Examples
• Switching Line Order

Lesson 3: Managing Caesuras 

• Frontal, Medial, and Terminal Caesuras
• Creating Tension
• Emerson's Handling of Caesuras
• Creating Motion

Lesson 4: Managing Enjambment

• Moving from Light to Heavy
• Other Movement
• Managing Enjambment

Lesson 5: Writing in Iambic Pentameter

• Stressed and Unstressed Syllables
• Iambic Pentameter
• Blending Languages
• Why Pentameter?
• English Poetry
• Groove and Variation
• "Distractions" by Emma Joy Hanley
• "The Woman with Fire Engine Nails" by Caroline Harvey
• Learning your Craft

Lesson 6: Substituting in Iambic Pentameter

• Substituting in Iambic Pentameter
• Themes and Variations
• Creating Emotion
• "After Long Silence" by William Butler Yeats
• Substitutions in "After Long Silence"
• Going Against Expectations

Lesson 7: Writing in Blank Verse 

• Writing in Blank Verse
• "Birches" by Robert Frost
• "Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
• Compositional Tools
• "Spring" by Elisa Lomazzo
• "Christmas Cheer" by Ian Henchy

Lesson 8: Blank Verse Again 

• More on Blank Verse
• Blank Verse and Substitutions
• "A Wake" by Ryan Toll
• "Still" by Rachel Borovik

Lesson 9: Using Rhyme

• Using Rhyme
• Sound in Poetry
• Rhyme Schemes
• Perfect Rhyme
• Consonance Rhyme
• More on Consonance Rhyme
• Rhyme Schemes Revisited
• "Ode to the West Wind" by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Lesson 10: English (or Shakespearean) Sonnet

• English or Shakespearean Sonnet
• "When I Have Fears" by John Keats

Lesson 11: English (or Shakespearean) Sonnet Continued

• Modern Sonnets
• "Putting in the Seed" by Robert Frost
• "Baby Running Barefoot" by D. H. Lawrence

Lesson 12: Italian (or Pertrarchian) Sonnet        

• The Italian (or Petrarchian) Sonnet
• The First Eight Lines
• "In Memoriam"
• The Italian Sonnet Road Map
• "Mezzo Cammin" 
• "Grief"
• "Design"
• The ccdeed sestet
• e. e. cummings
• e. e. cummings Variation

Requirements

Prerequisites and course-specific requirements .

Prerequisite Courses, Knowledge, and/or Skills All students enrolled in this course must know English well enough to:

• Easily understand recorded videos and written class lessons
• Participate successfully in written and oral class discussions
• Read, write, and study without being hindered by language problems
• Possess intermediate or advanced grammar skills related to punctuation and verb conjugation Though the course uses a rudimentary musical vocabulary, no musical training is required.

Textbook(s)

• No textbooks required

Student Deals After enrolling, be sure to check out our Student Deals page for various offers on software, hardware, and more. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

General Course Requirements

Below are the minimum requirements to access the course environment and participate in Live Classes. Please make sure to also check the Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements section above, and ensure your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements for all software needed for your course. 

• macOS High Sierra 10.13 or later
• Windows 10 or later
• Latest version of Google Chrome
• Zoom meeting software
• Speakers or headphones
• External or internal microphone
• Broadband Internet connection

Instructors

Pat Pattison is a professor at Berklee College of Music, where he teaches lyric writing and poetry. In addition to his four books, Songwriting Without Boundaries  (Penguin/Random House), Writing Better Lyrics, 2nd Edition (Penguin/Random House), The Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure (Hal Leonard), and The Essential Guide to Rhyming (Hal Leonard), Pat has developed several online courses for Berklee Online. He has written more than 50 articles for various blogs and magazines, including American Songwriter , and has chapters in both The Poetics of American Song Lyrics (University Press of Mississippi) and The Handbook on Creative Writing (Edinburgh University Press).

Eric Leva is a songwriter, singer, producer, and classically trained pianist from Massachusetts. Leva has studied at the New England Conservatory of Music and Berklee College of Music. Following his studies, Leva spent time in New York City to hone his craft and develop his writing. A songwriting award from the ASCAP Foundation eventually sparked a move to Los Angeles to pursue more collaborations. His recent releases include Kesha, DNCE, Wes Period, and Rozzi.

Sarah Anne Stinnett is a multi-disciplinary artist and educator. Since 2017 she has served as Teaching Assistant for Harvard Extension and Harvard Summer Schools in the subjects of speech, communication, and social media. At Lesley University she is Teaching Assistant for Musical Theater Writing and instructs curriculum in collaboration, voice, and performance. Her core tenets in teaching are as in life: employ unparalleled curiosity, to do is to discover, and a life of learning and imagination is impelled by the study of the masters before.

What's Next?

When taken for credit, Creative Writing: Poetry can be applied towards the completion of these related programs:

Related Certificate Programs

• General Music Studies Professional Certificate
• General Music Studies Advanced Professional Certificate

Related Degree Majors

• Bachelor's Degree in Music Production
• Bachelor's Degree in Music Business
• Bachelor's Degree in Music Composition for Film, TV, and Games
• Bachelor's Degree in Electronic Music Production and Sound Design
• Bachelor's Degree in Interdisciplinary Music Studies (Create Your Own Major)
• Bachelor's Degree in Songwriting
• Bachelor's Degree in Guitar Performance
• (Pre-Degree) Undeclared Option
• Bachelor's Degree in Songwriting and Producing Music

Related Music Career Roles

Employers look for skills learned in this course, when hiring for the following music career roles:

Music Journalist

Proofreader

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Upcoming Online Poetry Writing Courses

June courses, ordinary to extraordinary: turning everyday experiences into poetry, with tina barry.

Course full. Contact us to join waitlist.

No experience is too small or mundane to serve as a foundation for extraordinary poetry and short fiction.

Creative Nonfiction , Personal Essay , Poetry

Call of the Weird: Poetry and Nature

With caitlin scarano.

Turn your poetic lens towards the outdoors in this six week workshop, where we'll put to verse everything strange and wonderful about the natural world. 

The Healing Power of Poetry

With joy roulier sawyer.

Poetry heals. Journey alongside several poets whose works resonate with a variety of healing themes, and learn how to use craft elements as healing tools.

Lifestyle and Wellness , Poetry

Simple Summer Writing Circles

With susan vespoli.

Sail through the summer and survive the heat with these chill writing circles, where you'll laugh, vent, and honor the season in poetry.

Finding Inspiration in Dreams

With amy bonnaffons.

Our dreams are fertile fields of inspiration, meaning, and creativity. Learn how to use your dreams as doorways to future writing.

Creative Nonfiction , Fiction , Lifestyle and Wellness , Memoir , Novel , Personal Essay , Poetry , Short Story

Observing What’s Vivid in Prose and Poetry

With marc olmsted.

Learn how to spotlight beauty through fresh, vivid, and surprising language, in this four week mindfulness writing course.

Creative Nonfiction , Fiction , Memoir , Novel , Personal Essay , Poetry , Short Story , Stage and Broadcast

July Courses

Opening the door to poetry, with jude nutter.

How do we use poetry to express life's marvelous complexity? Learn how to control language beyond the "ordinary" and discover the many possibilities of poetry.

Both Fish and Fowl: The Prose Poem

With anna scotti.

A successful prose poem reads like a magic trick. Learn how to wield the powers of poetry in the context of prose in this comprehensive prose poetry course.

Poetry , Short Story

Crafting the Poetry Novel for Young Adults

With kelly bingham.

Even if you’ve never written poetry before, you can begin the rewarding process of crafting a poetry novel for Young Adults. Is there a market for novels written in verse? Are they well received? Yes, there is, and yes, they are!

Fiction , Novel , Poetry

August Courses

Crafting poems in form: rhyme, meter, fixed forms, and more, with jonathan j.g. mcclure.

Working within the guidelines of a fixed poetic structure can make your poetry more creative, not less. Find freedom in form in this 8 week workshop. 

The Deep Dive: Poem As Self-Discovery

With meghan sterling.

Through poetry, we can access our deepest truths. Use the poem as a roadmap to self-discovery in this 6-week poetic deep-dive.

Poems of All Sizes: Haiku, Tanka, and Japanese Poetic Forms

With miho kinnas.

Explore the history and poetics of Japanese poetry forms, and write haiku, tanka, renga, haiga, and linked verse poetry.

Live Workshop , Poetry

Warp and Weft: Weaving Free Verse Poetry from Life

Weave everyday events into deftly-written free verse poems in this generative, creativity-centered poetry workshop. 

Long Night’s Journey into Day: Writing Poetry Through and About Serious Illness

With caryn mirriam-goldberg.

Poetry can help us integrate and learn from our experiences as patients, survivors, and/or caregivers. Join a supportive community, explore poetic and healing traditions, and spark powerful poems into being.

The Joy of Poetry: A Beginner-Friendly Workshop

Have you wanted to get into poetry, but don't know where to start? Learn the craft from the Joy of poetry herself in this welcoming workshop.

September Courses

A writerly life: develop a writing routine that works for you, with shelby hinte.

What does a writer's life look like? Build a productive writing habit in this course for writers of all backgrounds.

Writing with Consistency and Courage

With tamara dean.

What makes a successful writer? It's not talent, craft, or even the right connections—it's consistency and courage.

Creative Nonfiction , Fiction , Lifestyle and Wellness , Live Workshop , Memoir , Novel , Personal Essay , Poetry , Short Story

Putting It All Together: Completing Your First Poetry Manuscript

How do you put together a poetry book? From choosing a theme to ordering your poems, you'll end this course with a ready-to-publish manuscript.

Writing Mindfulness: Sensual World/Poetry Mind

A four-week class, melding the language mind with the sensual: How to turn detailed observation into a poem. With Marc Olmsted.

October Courses

Plumbing the past: turning life experience into poetry, flash and creative non-fiction.

Dig deep into personal ritual while studying narrative poets, short fiction and non-fiction authors, and food writers.

Creative Nonfiction , Personal Essay , Poetry , Short Story

The Spirituality of Poetry

Let the spirit of language move through you. In this 6 week course, we will study, write, and share poetry about the sacredness of human experience.

November Courses

Poetic prose: the prose poem, with barbara henning.

Explore the border between prose poetry and flash fiction. For writers of fiction, poetry, essay and memoir.

Fiction , Poetry , Short Story

Unscheduled Courses

These online writing classes don’t currently have a next session on our calendar, but will soon. If you see a course you’re interested in, use the “I’m Interested” button to let us know, and we’ll follow up with you when the course is on our calendar next.

Want to reach us or our instructors with questions about our online writing courses? Contact us at [email protected] , or visit the contact form .

(Live Workshop) Haiku & Senryu: Rekindling A Sense of Wonder

Haiku, Senryu, and other Japanese poetry forms encourage us to slow down and write mindfully. Learn how to write these forms in this meditative writing workshop.

*Private Class | Poetry Workshop: Bring Your Poems to Life

With rosemary tantra bensko.

Join us for this workshop on creating powerful poems—poems that are clear and organized, fresh and moving, full of life.

*Private Class | The Craft of Poetry

Poetry is alive and well. Contemporary poets can be touching, terrifying, and laugh-out-loud funny. Join us for an exploration of writing and reading poems.

*Private Class | Using Bullet Journaling to Achieve Writing Goals

With rudri patel.

Looking to keep your writing goals organized? Make it happen in our bullet journaling course. Learn the art of the BuJo with Rudri Patel!

Creative Nonfiction , Fiction , Lifestyle and Wellness , Memoir , Novel , Personal Essay , Poetry , Short Story , Stage and Broadcast

*Private Class | Writing with Tarot

With sandra novack.

Jump-start your creative juices, and explore a world of divination, symbolism, and imagery right at your fingertips: learn short story and novel writing through Tarot.

30 Poems in 30 Days

With ollie schminkey.

This National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), build community and get feedback on your work while writing a poem every day.

A Crazy Little Thing Called Love: Writing Original Love Poems

With lisa c. taylor.

How do poets write about love in fresh, surprising, original ways? Tackle the art of love poetry and write about all kinds of love in this generative workshop.

A Poet’s Calling Card: Writing and Composing a Chapbook

The poetry chapbook gives poets the chance to make a small, artful collection around a poetic obsession. Learn how to craft yours in this 8 week chapbook intensive.

Architecture of the Creative Heart: Writing Formal Poetry

With david mills.

Learn how diving into form—the coherent relationship of all of a poem’s parts—can enhance your creativity and freedom as a poet.

Crafting the Poetry Novel: Advanced Workshop

Want to make headway on your poetry novel? This workshop offers the structure and resources to get it done, with instructor Kelly Bingham.

Creative Nonfiction , Fiction , Memoir , Novel , Poetry

Death Riding Shotgun: How Awareness of Our Mortality Impacts Poetry

How can your own mortality inform your work? In this 6-week course, you'll use death to inspire and motivate your poetry writing.

Deep Waters: The Prose Poem Advanced Workshop

Take the plunge in this advanced prose poetry course, where you'll write and revise short, powerful works of prose that hit like poetry.

Drawing Poems: the Art of Visual Poetry

With zining mok.

By melding poetry with design, visual poets can create multidimensional works of art and literature. Explore the craft in this visual poetry workshop. 

Embodied Writing: Improve Your Writing with Full-Body Creativity

Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.

Embodied Writing: Somatic Practices to Improve Your Work

Even smaller: adventures in short-form writing.

Less is more in this bite-sized writing class, where you'll learn how to tell complete stories under the tightest word counts.  

Fiction , Personal Essay , Poetry , Short Story

Experiments in Poetry

With elizabeth winder.

See poetry in a totally new light! Draw inspiration from the most radical, innovative, and imaginative poets in literary history, master their techniques, and write new exciting poems of your own.

Fall (Back) In Love with Poetry

With moriel rothman-zecher.

Whether you're new to poetry or returning after a hiatus, rekindle the spark that puts verse to page in this exploratory poetry class.

Finding Wildness and Freedom in Poetry

Find a greater sense of comfort, ease, lightheartedness, and freedom in reading and writing poetry.

From the Source: Journaling for Self-Knowledge and Creativity

Journal to discover yourself, find a wellspring of creativity, and produce publication-ready pieces.

From Writing Circle to Finished Poem: Turn Raw Writing into Poetry

Gather together in a virtual writing circle, hit the mute button on your internal editor, and uncover inspiration to shape into poetry.

From Writing Circle to Poems in 6 Contemporary Forms

From the sonnet to the villanelle, turn your journal entries into formal poetry in this 6 week writing circle workshop.

From Writing Circle to Poems in 8 Contemporary Forms (Tuesdays and Saturdays)

From the sonnet to the villanelle, turn your journal entries into formal poetry in this 8 week writing circle workshop.

From Writing Circle to Poems of Kindness, Wonder, Connection & Joy (Mondays and Fridays)

Only 2 seats left!

Explore the power of joy, kindness, and community in this four week poetry workshop.

From Writing Circle to Poems of Kindness, Wonder, Connection & Joy (Tuesdays and Saturdays)

From writing circles to poems of gratitude & hope for the new year (mondays and fridays).

Want to move forward into the new year with gratefulness and clarity for 2024? Join us for 4 weeks of writing about gratitude and hope.

From Writing Circles to Poems of Gratitude & Hope for the New Year (Tuesdays and Saturdays)

From writing circles to poems of gratitude and hope.

Poetry is a powerful method for healing and happiness. Write poems about gratitude and hope in our intimate, live-video writing circles, with instructor Susan Vespoli.

Get Clear on Your Story and Voice

With nadia colburn.

What is your story about? What is your voice? Whether you write poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, hone your writing in this 3 hour workshop.

Get It Done: Create the Scaffolding to Start (and Finish) a Writing Project

With eman quotah.

Get your butt in the chair, your mind roaming freely, and your creative juices flowing in this motivational, all-genres writing class.

Creative Nonfiction , Fiction , Lifestyle and Wellness , Live Workshop , Memoir , Novel , Personal Essay , Poetry , Short Story , Stage and Broadcast

How to Craft a Poem

A poem can tell a story, communicate our innermost thoughts, and reveal what moves us most deeply. Craft poems that do all of this and more in this guided poetry workshop.  

I’ve Drunk Your Poisoned Nectar: Writing with the Goddess

With shankar narayan.

Dig deep into the rich mythology of South Asian goddesses to find new inspiration for your work in this generative, open-genre writing class.

Iconoclast: Reimagining the Line Break

Poets can express so much in just a line break. Hone this tool of the poetic craft in this two part Zoom workshop.

In Bloom: Nature Writing Workshop

With dana de greff.

Only 3 seats left!

Want to write about nature like Robert Frost, Henry David Thoreau, or Annie Dillard? Join us for this six-week nature writing course.

Creative Nonfiction , Fiction , Lifestyle and Wellness , Personal Essay , Poetry , Short Story

It Starts with Play: Get (Back) into Writing

With janée baugher.

Harness the joy of creativity in this inspiration-focused class, where we'll uncover new ideas for writing projects and draft loads of new material. 

Mastering the Manuscript: Completing a Full-Length Poetry Manuscript (from Start to Finish)

In this generative course, you'll write the bulk of the poems you'll use in your full-length manuscript, and learn how to structure them into a collection.

Poetry and Performance: Slam Poetry 101

In these workshops, master the elements of poetry and performance, and learn to take your poems from the page to the stage.

Poetry as Sacred Attention

Poetry asks us to slow down, listen, and pay attention. In this meditative workshop, we'll open ourselves to the beauty and mystery of poetry.

Poetry Workshop: Bring Your Poems to Life

Simple winter sanity-saving writing circles.

Write your way to the finish line of 2023: let go of and say goodbye to a momentous year, honor the changes in yourself and the world, and set your intentions for a new chapter.

Sing the Body Electric: Poetry of the Body

With andrea jurjević.

The human body is a continuous source of inspiration for poetry. Embody the poetic in this electric workshop. 

Techwashed!: Writing with AI, Data, and Surveillance

Raise a mirror against society's relationship to technology in this two part workshop series where we will learn how to write about tech.

Creative Nonfiction , Fiction , Live Workshop , Memoir , Novel , Personal Essay , Poetry , Short Story

Telling Truth: A Poetry Workshop

Learn how to tell your story and write a mini chapbook of poems in this truth-driven poetry workshop.

The Chronology of Mind: From Journal to Poem or Prose

Gather material through writing and experimenting with journaling, researching and taking notes to develop into poems or prose works.

Creative Nonfiction , Fiction , Memoir , Personal Essay , Poetry , Short Story

The Craft of Poetry

The only submission workshop you will ever need.

How do you get your poems in literary journals? This two part webinar shows you the ropes for getting your work published, read, and celebrated.

The Poetry of Play

Get playful in your poetry in this fun-focused workshop, where we'll experiment our ways into new and delightful poems. 

The Surprising Sentence: Honing Your Prose Style

With jessie roy.

Great sentences stack up into great stories. Learn how to hone your style and voice at the most basic unit of writing, the sentence, in this workshop.

Twoness Poems

With e. ethelbert miller , miho kinnas.

Twoness poems are poems written collaboratively with another poet. Learn something new about yourself, your writing partner, and poetry in this collaborative Valentine's Day workshop.

Using Bullet Journaling to Achieve Writing Goals

Creative Nonfiction , Fiction , Lifestyle and Wellness , Poetry

Using Your Poetry Skills to Write Memoir

With freesia mckee.

How do poets tell their stories in prose? Take the leap from poetry to memoir in this hybrid writing workshop.

Creative Nonfiction , Live Workshop , Memoir , Poetry

What’s So Funny? Writing Poetic Humor

Can a poem make the audience laugh out loud? Learn how to harness poetic humor in this class about knocking the reader's socks off.

Word Flashes & Eye Snapshots: Sketching Your Life Awake

For any writer wanting to root writing in vision and vision in the body: for poetry, fiction, essay, memoir & pleasure.

Write from the Untamed Mind: Find Your Voice

Join Susan in two writing circles each week: intimate spaces for writers to free-write together, saying yes to whatever shows up, followed by group read-arounds. These writing sessions are spontaneous, intimate, freeing, and transformative.

Writing Circle Workshop: A Focus on Eight Contemporary Poets (Section 2)

By studying the poems of Billy Collins, Ellen Bass, Natalie Diaz, and more, write stunning poetry in this generative writing circle workshop.

Writing Circle Workshop: A Focus on Nine Contemporary Poets

Write freely and expressively in this 8-week poetry workshop. Along the way, we'll explore the transformative work of 9 contemporary poets.

Writing Circle Workshop: A Focus on Six Contemporary Poets –Mon./Fri.

By studying the poems of Maya Stein, Sharon Olds, Alberto Rios, and more, write stunning poetry in this generative writing circle workshop.

Writing Circle Workshop: A Focus on Six Contemporary Poets –Tues./Sat.

Only 1 seat left!

Writing Circle Workshop: Finding Community and Creativity in a Challenging Time

Write out the storm: Join supportive, friendly faces in twice-weekly virtual community writing circles.

Writing Circle Workshop: Moving Toward Creativity & Light

Connect with other writers, spark your creativity, and write light-filled poems in this writing circle workshop. 

Writing Circle Workshop: Writing for Happiness, Healing, and Health (Monday/Friday)

Expressive writing can be a powerful elixir for what ails you. Learn and practice tools for writing expressively, including two virtual writing circles each week, turn raw writing into poetry or prose, and come away with a better understanding of how writing can lead toward wellness.

Creative Nonfiction , Fiction , Lifestyle and Wellness , Memoir , Personal Essay , Poetry , Short Story

Writing Circle Workshop: Writing for Happiness, Healing, and Health (Tuesday/Saturday)

Writing circles & exercises to spark new poems (mondays and fridays).

Looking for inspiration? Write, vent, laugh, and honor your writing practice in these generative writing circle workshops.

Writing Circles & Exercises to Spark New Poems (Tuesdays and Saturdays)

Writing circles: finding community, clarity, poetry, and prose.

Join our writing circle to form a writing community, find clarity in your words, and turn your untamed free-writes into poetry and/or prose.

Lifestyle and Wellness , Poetry , Short Story

Writing Poetry About Family Histories

To write about our families means reconciling past and present, our origins and our futures. Put these contradictions to verse in this two part webinar.

You Are Drinker and You Are Wine: Writing with the South Asian Sufis

Through the traditions of Sufi poetry, learn how to write poems that access the divine and stand the test of time.

You Yourself Are the Beloved: Writing with South Asian Ghazals

The ghazal poem has a rich history with a tricky form to master. Learn the ropes in this inspiring and electrifying workshop.

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72 Best Poetry Creative Writing Classes in 2024

Showing 72 courses that match your search.

The Poetry of Play

Writers.com

In this class, we’ll enjoy a rollicking good time by responding to poetry’s call to do just that. Students will read a wide variety of playful poetry, then experiment with in-class writing prompts designed to awaken freedom and enjoyment.

Website: https://writers.com/course/the-poetry-of-play

Categories: Poetry

Start date:

January, 2025

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

The Spirituality of Poetry

In this course, you’ll explore many poets whose work radiate with broad definitions of spirituality. Our weekly readings are designed to help center and balance you, as well as help you explore your own beliefs and approaches to a spiritual life.

Website: https://writers.com/course/the-spirituality-of-poetry

October, 2024

Revolutionary Poetics

Because poetry, by definition, is political, even the choice to write apolitical poetry is a political one. In this workshop, we will develop our writing craft while engaging in revolutionary political education, specifically as it relates to the Black Power and Black Arts Movements.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/workshop/revolutionary-poetics-su24

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Teen Summer: August Week of Creative Writing

Whether you’re working towards a novel or writing short stories, poetry, plays or genre-fluid experiments, this is an opportunity to improve your skills and learn about different literary techniques to help your big ideas come to life.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/workshop/teen-summer-august-week-o...

August, 2024

Online Advanced Poetry (Bellamy)

The Writers Studio

Students at this level are writing poetry with an increased focus on creating an individual voice and an emotional atmosphere. Exercises using free verse and traditional, received forms (i.e. sonnet, villanelle, sestina, and pantoum) as well as meter and syllabics are suggested in order to strengthen a student’s technical skills.

Website: https://courses.writerstudio.com/courses/online-advanced-...

Teen Summer: Food for Thought & Character Development

Through craft lessons and writing prompts, students will have fun fleshing out their character and story ideas using food as inspiration and leave with delicious new drafts.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/workshop/teen-summer-food-for-thou...

Explorations of Asian American Poetry

We will study the craft in poems by Jennifer Chang, Victoria Chang, Franny Choi, Li-Young Lee, Ocean Vuong and others. Our aim will be to learn from their work, as well as generate the beginnings of our own poems.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/seminar/explorations-of-asian-amer...

Prerequisites: Students must have begun at least 3 chapters of a full-length memoir or 3 personal essays.

Jumpstart Your Writing

Through a series of engaging writing exercises, we will mine our experiences and imagination for material and bring what we find to life on the page, constructing characters and settings, shaping vivid dialogue, creating imagery, and exploring the nuances of voice.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/workshop/jumpstart-your-writing-su...

Prerequisites: For writers age 13 - 18 ONLY.

Poetry Revision Workshop

This online class is meant for poets who have written a few drafts of poems and want a supportive environment and concrete set of tools to polish them. In this class, we will focus on sharpening your editing and revision skills.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/seminar/poetry-revision-workshop-u...

Over-50 Memoir Workshop (McElwain)

This six-week online workshop is open to all writers over the age of 50 who are interested in writing their memoir. Each week we’ll do close readings of memoirs written by writers over 50, spanning a wide range of narrators and narrative approaches.

Website: https://courses.writerstudio.com/courses/online-over-50-m...

Poetic Memoir

The Writer's Center

Poems can capture the most meaningful moments of your life and evoke their essence in a reader. In this course you’ll begin to learn how to focus on such moments and present them so they illustrate you in your life and imply its arc.

Website: https://writer.org/event/poetic-memoir/

Marketing Your Poetry

With small presses a popular choice for publishing, more writers are looking for ways to market their books when their publishers don’t have the resources. This workshop will show you easy hacks for promoting your book.

Website: https://writer.org/event/marketing-your-poetry/

How to choose a poetry writing class

Looking to build your writing skillset, learn more about your genre, or finally finish that poem you’ve been working on? You’re in the right place. That’s why we built this directory of the best writing courses.

However, creative writing classes aren’t one size fit all. If you’re planning to join a poetry writing class in particular, you’ll want to make sure that it matches what you’re seeking to learn about poetry writing.

So make sure to consider the following questions when you’re researching poetry writing courses:

• Who is the instructor? How many years of experience do they have in poetry writing?
• Is there something in particular you’d like to learn about poetry writing? Does this course include it?
• How long is the course, and where is it taught?
• How much does the poetry writing course cost? Does it fit into your budget?

More poetry writing resources

Whether you’re a new or established author, there are always evergreen resources out there to how to get a headstart on poetry writing. 

Free online materials

• How to Write a Poem (blog post)
• How to Publish a Poem (blog post)
• Places to Submit Your Poetry (blog post)
• 72 Top Poetry Book Publishers (resource)
• 13 Top Poetry Literary Agents (resource)

Recommended books

• For writers in the UK:  Writers' & Artists' Yearbook  
• For writers in the US:  Writer’s Market 2020

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• Ready to send your novel out into the world? Have your submission documents reviewed to make sure everything's in the best possible shape to impress an agent.
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• Ready to submit your poems to magazines, journals or websites? Get feedback on a selection of four to six of them to check you're on the right track.
• Pamphlet Review
• Designed for poets preparing a pamphlet for possible publication, this report will offer constructive feedback on a group of up to twenty poems.
• Collection Review
• Put your poems through their paces with an in-depth evaluation of your entire collection.
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Poetry Writing Courses

Whether you're just starting out or preparing your first collection, our poetry writing courses offer the technical knowledge, the practical support and the creative encouragement you'll need. With courses available online and in London, take the next step on your writing journey at the home of British poetry.

Our poetry writing courses: an overview

From a one-day workshop for those starting out to an advanced six-month course for those hoping to publish a first collection, we offer a full range of courses for aspiring poets at every step of the journey

Some of our poetry writing courses are selective, meaning you’ll need to apply.

Our online poetry writing courses are held live via Zoom, so that you can join from wherever you are in the world.

Who are these courses for?

Aspiring poets.

Always wanted to write poetry but don't know where to start? Some of our poetry courses are suitable for complete beginners and offer an introduction to the craft as well as feedback on your writing.

Poets developing their craft

Broaden your techniques, deepen your knowledge and meet a close-knit group of likeminded writers. Some of our intermediate courses are also suitable for writers moving over from another genre.

Poets ready to take the next step

If you've been writing poetry for a while and are hoping to begin publishing your work, our advanced courses are uniquely placed to help you achieve those goals.

• Level Starting out Improving Advanced
• Location Online London Newcastle
• Length 1-5 days 12 weeks 6 month +
• Featured Featured Upcoming Lowest Price A-Z Z-A

Our advanced courses in fiction and poetry offer the next step for the committed writer – serious writing time, industry advice and expert guidance, along with a close-knit group of fellow writers to keep you on track.

Poetry Writing Courses ( 6 )

Start to Write Poetry

What do these levels mean?

Victoria Adukwei Bulley

Saturday 29 Jun 2024

Places available

Richard Scott

Saturday 31 Aug 2024

Last few places available

Writing Poems

Pippa Little, John Challis

Monday 23 Sep 2024

Richard Scott, Rachel Long

Thursday 26 Sep 2024

Saturday 28 Sep 2024

Saturday 30 Nov 2024

Poetry Tutors

Our poetry tutors are all published poets, from Faber and beyond, as well as being experienced teachers.

Daljit Nagra

Daljit Nagra has published four poetry collections with Faber & Faber. He has won the Forward Prize for Best Individual Poem...

Maurice Riordan

Maurice Riordan was born in Co. Cork. His first book, A Word from the Loki (1995), was nominated for the T. S. Eliot Prize...

Rachael Allen

Rachael Allen’s first collection of poems, KINGDOMLAND , is published by Faber & Faber. She is the co-author of a number of collaborative...

Richard Scott was born in London in 1981. His pamphlet Wound (Rialto) won the Michael Marks Poetry Award 2016 and his poem...

This course has genuinely helped shape my perspective, given me a lot of insight into what goes into writing poetry, and just the process of writing in general.

Beyond amazing. The quality of the teaching was outstanding.

Poetry Salon

Daljit and Rachael were both wonderful. Nicely complementary, too, with Rachael offering a slightly more academic angle, and Daljit more practical, though both fully rounded! Mostly, I loved the fact that they were so open and warm and genuinely seemed delighted to engage with the group and our work.

Advanced Poetry (Online)

Richard was excellent. He was engaging, knowledgeable, clearly passionate about poetry, and had an excellent presentation style. Even online, everything worked really smoothly and all the tasks were interesting.

Start to Write Poetry (Online)

The tutors were both wonderful, knowledgeable and encouraging. I liked that they had different styles and were at different points in their careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i bring poems i've already written to these courses.

Yes, on some of them – although on others (including our one-day Start to Write Poetry course), you’ll only be able to get feedback on the work you do in response to the exercises set in class. Get in touch if you have specific requirements – it might be that a manuscript assessment will work best for you if you have a body of existing work you’d like feedback on.

Is it possible to teach poetry?

There isn’t a single ‘right way’ of writing a poem. But neither is there a single ‘right way’ of making a chair – it doesn’t mean that craft isn’t involved. By exploring different forms, fostering creative community and developing editorial instincts we’ll progress your poetry – without being proscriptive.

Can't find the right course?

Get comprehensive editorial feedback on your manuscript from our experienced readers – whether it’s still a work-in-progress or you’re preparing to submit to literary agents.

We offer a range of mentoring options if you’d prefer to work one-on-one with an established writer to help you shape your project and realise your writing ambitions.

Browse the Reading Room

From author interviews and writing tips to creative writing exercises and reading lists, we've got everything you need to get started – and to keep going.

Recommendations from Faber

Sally Rooney

Normal People

An exclusive edition of Sally Rooney's modern classic, designed for Faber Members.

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A Members' edition of Sally Rooney's celebrated debut and international bestseller.

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The Whitsun Weddings

A centenary edition of Philip Larkin’s much-loved first collection.

Founded in 1929 in London, Faber is one of the world's great publishing houses. Our list of authors includes thirteen Nobel Laureates and six Booker Prize-winners.

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Course Level Guide

There’s something for everyone at the Faber Academy, whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned writer or somewhere in between. To help you select the right course for you, this guide breaks down what the different levels mean.

These courses are ideal for those who are curious about writing and have little to no prior experience in the field. There are no pre-requisite for these courses – all we ask is that you come with an open mind and a keenness to learn. That’s not to say they aren’t suitable for someone with more experience, though – if you’re looking to refresh your skills or experiment with a new area of writing, you’re also welcome to enrol.

These courses are ideal for those who have some experience in writing – as a hobby, or perhaps through academic or professional work – and are looking for challenging courses to hone their skills further. These courses are also a good next step if you’ve already taken a beginners’ class but don’t feel ready to commit to an advanced course yet.

These courses are ideal for seasoned writers who are serious about getting published. Entry to most of these courses is on an application basis and writers will usually be asked to submit samples of their work-in-progress or a past project.

The Writers Studio

The Original School of Creative Writing and Thinking, est. 1987

The Writers Studio New York

IN-PERSON CLASSES

NYC Level 1, 2, and Advanced Poetry classes will be held in person at the Village Community School at 272 West 10th Street in the West Village. Proof of vaccination and masks are required to attend in-person classes.

VIRTUAL CLASSES

For those NYC Level 1 students who prefer a virtual class, there will be a Thursday class held via Google Meet. NYC Level 3/4 and NYC Memoir classes will continue to meet at their scheduled times via Google Meet.

Any NYC classes that meet remotely are open to students from outside of the New York City area.

The Writers Studio, founded in 1987 by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Philip Schultz, offers ongoing writing workshops — both on site and online — designed to help students discover and nurture their own voices. We welcome students at all stages, from those who have only dreamed of writing fiction or poetry to those with MFAs hungry for additional serious, ongoing instruction. Students provide the desire to write and the willingness to learn, and we provide the structure, the technical know-how, the professional feedback and the friendly community to enable them to reach their full potential.

Our in-person New York City classes take place in an informal classroom setting in lower Manhattan. We understand how vulnerable students can feel sharing their words with a room full of strangers, so we take care to make everyone feel at home. In just a couple of weeks, a remarkable degree of solidarity and trust tend to develop in each workshop.

In Level 1, the emphasis is on building a solid foundation in craft as students do exercises designed to introduce them to a wide array of new narrative approaches. We also teach students to give constructive, supportive feedback. We work to assure that critiques build on each other, so that students never leave the class with a head full of conflicting reactions and suggestions. As students move up through the levels, the basic structure of the workshops remains the same, but the level of sophistication grows across the board. Assignments become more challenging to meet the increasing skill and understanding of the students. In the upper levels students are generally working on longer pieces, but they continue to do exercises, always honing their skills and deepening their understanding.

All students new to The Writers Studio in New York City start at Level 1. Since we approach teaching with our own method and vocabulary, even experienced writers with publications and/or MFAs will find plenty that is new and challenging in Level 1.

We also encourage our New York City students to take advantage of our other local events: the Craft Class and our ongoing reading series. Each year we showcase the work of favorite literary journals, new and established published authors, and the work of our own students and teachers. Students invite their families and friends to these events, which helps us introduce The Writers Studio to the larger community.

For more information, please call us at (212) 255-7075 or visit us on Facebook .

Available NYC Courses

The writers studio, online and local communities.

New to The Writers Studio? Start here .

San Francisco

Hudson river towns, craft class, tutorial program, all memoir courses.

Course details

• Mon 20 Jan 2025 to 04 Apr 2025
• Mon 12 May 2025 to 25 Jul 2025

Writing Poetry (Online)

UThere are no time-tabled sessions on this course. Using a specially designed virtual learning environment this online course guides students through weekly pathways of directed readings and learning activities. Students interact with their tutor and the other course participants through tutor-guided, text-based forum discussions. There are no ‘live-time’ video meetings meaning you can study flexibly in your own time under the direct tuition of an expert. For further information please click here

How can poetic form help me to turn the passion and intensity of life into memorable expressions? How can an appreciation of the techniques used by past and living poets help me to improve as a poet? Take this course and find out.

Poetry can seem like a members-only club. Even the names of poetic forms such as 'sonnet', 'villanelle', and 'sestina' can be as intimidating as the list of writers associated with them, from Shakespeare to Shelley to Sean O'Brien. This course is designed to demystify poetic composition, and to help students to gain the confidence to produce poems of their own. It introduces students to a wide range of poems and poetic techniques with the aim of enabling them to gain a deeper appreciation of how poetry works, an understanding of the forms best suited to the kind of statements that they are interested in making, and confidence in deploying such devices as metre, rhyme, figurative language. This course is for anyone who would like to start to write - or to write better - poetry.

For information on how the courses work, please click here .

Programme details

1. Rhyme, Rhythm and Metre 2. Figurative Language 3. Divisions 4. Blank Verse 5. Syllabic verse and free verse 6. Free Verse II 7. Lyric Poetry 8. The Sonnet 9. Pastoral 10. What More and What Next We strongly recommend that you try to find a little time each week to engage in the online conversations (at times that are convenient to you) as the forums are an integral, and very rewarding, part of the course and the online learning experience.

Recommended reading

To participate in the course you will need to have regular access to the Internet and you will need to buy the following books:

• Strand, Mark, and Eavan Boland, The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms (New York: W. W. Norton & Co. Ltd, 2001)
• Hollander, John, Rhymes Reason: A Guide to English Verse (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001)

Certification

Credit Application Transfer Scheme (CATS) points 

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee for each course you enrol on. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. If you do not register when you enrol, you have up until the course start date to register and pay the £30 fee. 

See more information on CATS point

Coursework is an integral part of all online courses and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework, but only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education, you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee. 

Digital credentials

All students who pass their final assignment, whether registered for credit or not, will be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so. 

Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail. 

Dr Simon Pomery

Dr Simon Pomery is a sonic artist, drummer, guitarist and poet. He has performed his poetry at Xing the Line; Ikletik; European Poetry Festival; Clinic; A Year in Literature Festival, Magdalen College, University of Cambridge; CB1; BroadCast; The Book Club Boutique; Modern Poetry Day, in honour of T.S. Eliot, at Naishe Priory, East Coker; Post-Projects, New Cross, with a “poster-poems‟ installation from my Steve Reich Variations; Camaradefest at Rich Mix; Interrobang at the Betsey Trotwood; Writers At Risk for the Enemies Project and English Pen. In 2022 he founded the label/publisher/event series ‘Sonic Poetics’ in London: the name comes from his doctoral thesis which was completed in 2022: ‘ Sonic Poetics: Sound and Listening in the Work of M. NourbeSe Philip and Sean Bonney ’. His first pamphlet of poems , 'The Stream', was published in 2010 by tall-lighthouse. FLUF published his first collection of poetry, ‘FOUR PINTS OF GUINNESS FOR TONY CONRAD’, on Bloomsday in 2019., Popular Songs (Sonic Poetics) appeared in 2022. His poetry has been widely published in journals including The Times Literary Supplement, 3am Magazine, P.N. Review, and Sure Hope.

Course aims

This course aims to introduce participants to a wide variety of poetic technique and form.

Teaching methods

• guided reading;
• guided writing tasks;
• guided use of relevant websites;
• use of tutor notes and handouts;
• close critical analyses of selected extracts from the texts studied and participants own writing.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course participants will be expected to understand:

• a wide range of verse forms and structures;
• notable examples of poetic forms from the history of literature in English;
• the relative advantages and challenges of one verse form over another;
• which forms and techniques are best suited to one's own emerging voice.

By the end of this course participants will be expected to have gained the following skills:

• competence and confidence in writing in a wide range of verse forms;
• an ability to recognise and experiment with different poetic structures and techniques;
• an ability to articulate their intentions and achievement in engaging with poetic form.

Assessment methods

You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. Assignment 1 is up to 500 words about a drafted poem, as well as the drafted poem.  This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work due at the end of the course. Your assessed work, Assignment 2, is more drafts of that same first poem as well as 3 other poems, no fewer than 10 and no more than 45 lines. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.

English Language Requirements

We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements please follow this link: https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/about/english-language-requirements

Application

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment form for short courses | Oxford University Department for Continuing Education

Level and demands

FHEQ level 4, 10 weeks, approx 10 hours per week, therefore a total of about 100 study hours.

IT requirements

This course is delivered online; to participate you must to be familiar with using a computer for purposes such as sending email and searching the Internet. You will also need regular access to the Internet and a computer meeting our recommended minimum computer specification.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support

Creative Writing Courses

Introductory Creative Writing Courses are open to all; no application required. Advanced classes require departmental permission to enroll. Please see the Creative Writing Course Enrollment Information page for specific guidelines for each course.

Introduction to Art Making

Lca 101 · fall 2024.

C01 · Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM

Instructors: Morgan Jerkins · Ruth Ochs · Shariffa Ali · Stacy Wolf · Olivier Tarpaga · Tess James · Tim Szetela

How do artists make art? How do we evaluate it? In this course, students of all levels get to experience firsthand the particular challenges and rewards of art making through practical engagement with five fields — creative writing, visual art, theater, dance, and music — under the guidance of professionals.

Introductory Poetry

Cwr 201 · fall 2024.

Multiple sections offered

Instructors: Ilya Kaminsky · Katie Farris · Lynn Melnick · Michael Dickman · Monica Youn · Patricia Smith

Practice in the original composition of poetry supplemented by the reading and analysis of standard works. Criticism by practicing writers and talented peers encourages the student’s growth as both creator and reader of literature.

Introductory Fiction

Cwr 203 · fall 2024.

Instructors: Aleksandar Hemon · Joyce Carol Oates · Jack Livings · Kirstin Valdez Quade · Lynn Steger Strong

The curriculum allows the student to develop writing skills, provides an introduction to the possibilities of contemporary literature and offers a perspective on the place of literature among the liberal arts. Criticism by practicing writers and talented peers encourages the student's growth as both creator and reader of literature.

Introductory Playwriting

Thr 205 / cwr 210 · fall 2024.

C01 · Tuesdays, 1:30-4:20 PM

Instructors: Lloyd Suh

This is a workshop in the fundamentals of writing plays. Through writing prompts, exercises, study and reflection, students will be guided in the creation of original dramatic material. Attention will be given to character, structure, dramatic action, monologue, dialogue, language and behavior.

Literary Translation

Cwr 205 / tra 204 / com 249 · fall 2024.

C01 · Fridays, 2:30-4:20 PM

Instructors: Jenny McPhee

Students will choose, early in the semester, one author to focus on in fiction, poetry, or drama, with the goal of arriving at a 20-25 page sample of the author's work. All work will be translated into English and discussed in a workshop format.

Writing Speculative Fiction

Cwr 213 · fall 2024.

C01 · Thursdays, 1:30-3:20 PM

Instructors: Ed Park

Speculative fiction is where the impossible happens. Though this expansive genre is often tagged as escapism, it connects to a deep part of our nature. Our foundation myths and fables are speculative fiction, and their current of fear and wonder runs straight through to contemporary science fiction, fantasy, and horror. In this class, we'll learn about some fascinating genre traditions, embrace experimentation, and try to build universes that won't (per Philip K. Dick) fall apart two days later.

Graphic Design: Typography

Vis 215 / cwr 215 · fall 2024.

U01 · Mondays, 1:30-4:20 PM

Instructors: David Reinfurt

This studio course introduces students to graphic design with a particular emphasis on typography. Students learn typographic history through lectures that highlight major shifts in print technologies.

Middle Eastern Artist Master Class: Creative Writing

Nes 249 / cwr 249 · fall 2024.

S01 · Fridays, 1:30-4:20 PM

Instructors: Alaa Al Aswany

This creative writing course, guided by Professor Alaa Al Aswany, focuses on mastering fiction's essential elements and techniques, such as story sketching, dialogue, character creation, structure, and plot development. It emphasizes learning from the rich diversity of Middle Eastern writers, including those in the diaspora, living in exile, and revolutionary voices, to enhance students' writing practices.

Advanced Poetry

Cwr 301 · fall 2024.

Instructors: Ilya Kaminsky · Katie Farris

Advanced practice in the original composition of poetry for discussion in regularly scheduled workshop meetings. The curriculum allows the student to develop writing skills, provides an introduction to the possibilities of contemporary literature and offers perspective on the places of literature among the liberal arts.

Advanced Fiction

Cwr 303 · fall 2024.

Instructors: Aleksandar Hemon · Yiyun Li

Advanced practice in the original composition of fiction for discussion in regularly scheduled workshop meetings. The curriculum allows the student to develop writing skills, provides an introduction to the possibilities of contemporary literature and offers perspective on the place of literature among the liberal arts.

Advanced Literary Translation

Cwr 305 / tra 305 / com 355 · fall 2024.

Writing from Life

Cwr 310 · fall 2024.

C01 · Mondays, 1:30-3:20 PM

Instructors: Zoe K. Heller

What motivates us to write about our own lives? What is the relationship between the "I' who experiences and the "I" who writes? How scrupulous must we be about telling the truth? What are our moral obligations to the people we write about? In this workshop, we will consider different approaches to the people, places and things that have formed us.

Seeing is Believing: Drafting the Lasting Image

Cwr 313 · fall 2024.

Instructors: Nicole Sealey

After mining our imaginations and memories, how do we deepen a reader's experience with the poem via the image? How does one draft an image readers will remember? This workshop-focused course will explore the image, its implications, as more than mere scenery, and seeks to focus the image at the poem's center.

Special Topics in Creative Writing: Writing Political Fiction

Cwr 345 / ams 345 / gss 383 · fall 2024.

C01 · Tuesdays, 1:30-3:20 PM

Instructors: A.M. Homes

In traditional workshops content and context come second to craft. Here we will explore writing political fiction, the politics of fiction and writing as political engagement.

Introduction to Screenwriting: Writing the Short Film

Cwr 348 / vis 348 · fall 2024.

C01 · Tuessdays, 1:30-3:20 PM

This course will introduce students to core screenwriting principles and techniques.

Opera without the Singing: Fables, Fairy Tales and Narrated Musical Theater

Mus 400 / thr 407 / mtd 407 / cwr 407 · fall 2024.

S01 · Mondays, 1:30-4:20 PM

Instructors: Steve Mackey

The course will lead students toward the creation of a work of musical theater (for lack of a better term) which will run parallel to the collaboration of the two instructors of the course, Adam Gidwitz and Steven Mackey. Instrumental musical performers of any instrument, composers, writers, actors and others who feel they can contribute to a theatrical presentation are needed. The course will include introducing existing relevant works, the progress and process of the ongoing work of the instructors collaboration and of course facilitation of the student creations.

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Creative Writing: Poetry

Course description.

Introductory practice and instruction in a poetry workshop setting. Includes focus on free verse; traditional forms and formal experiment; supported and independent generative writing; and written and oral critiques of assignments. Prerequisites: ENG 1 and 2 or completion of the College Writing Requirement.

Basic Enrollment Requirements: 

Academic Year (Fall/Spring): Unofficial Transcript – High School Diploma or current high school transcript (for high school students only in applicable classes), Bachelor’s Degree, or progress towards a Bachelor’s Degree + 3.0 GPA.

Summer: None.

Refund Policy: The refund policy for Courses at Tufts offerings is dependent on the course length. Please refer to the section details to confirm any exceptions to the standard refund policy. The refund policies are viewable here: https://universitycollege.tufts.edu/policies#Refunds  

Remission Eligible: Yes; first day of term; all university policies apply.

Affiliated With:

• School of Arts and Sciences

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Creative Writing

One of the nation's most prestigious open-enrollment creative writing programs..

Whether you're looking to improve your writing for personal fulfillment, want to be published, or are preparing to apply to an MFA program, the Writers' Program can help you achieve your goals. You will find a supportive community of instructors, academic counselors and fellow students to help you on your journey.

We offer a wide range of open-enrollment courses, all of which may be taken individually. A guide on where to get started is provided below.

We also offer a fully customizable 21-unit Certificate in Creative Writing  where you can develop professional creative writing skills in the genre of your choice.

What do you want to create?

See All Courses

Creative Writing Certificate

Develop your skills in the genre of your choice, including fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and more.

This customizable program culminates in a capstone project where you will make significant progress on a polished collection of work.

Taught by a prestigious roster of instructors who are published writers and active professionals, courses can be taken onsite, online, or a combination of both.

Annual Writers Studio

4-day in-person, intensive workshops in Creative Writing & Screenwriting.

Perfect for both aspiring and experienced writers looking for new inspiration.

August 1-4, 2024 Registration opens Monday, February 5

Writers' Program Consultations

If you have a completed draft of a manuscript and need feedback for your work, you may consider a one-on-one consultation with a Writers’ Program instructor.

Consultations give you a full cover-to-cover read of your work, a written evaluation, and a follow-up conversation in person, via phone, or web chat.

Expect more from your education.

MFA, fiction writer, author of the story collection Once Removed (UGA Press) and winner of the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction. 

BUILD COMMUNITY

Writers' Program Network of Writers (WP NOW)

Stay immersed in the Writers' Program community. Our optional membership program offers exclusive access to a range of discounts and benefits, including members-only networking, professional development opportunities, and course discounts. 

L earn More

My UCLA Extension coursework, teachers, and colleagues have shaped my writing life, fueled the creation of my novel, and provided continual inspiration.

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Poetry Courses

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Creative Writing: Poetry

Poetry has existed across cultures for thousands of years. Poetry is everywhere in music, in plays, and in numerous different forms and styles. Many people enjoy reading and writing poetry, but analyzing poetry and improving your poetic vocabulary will help you write more effectively and better engage with the poetry you read.

Learning Outcomes

• Distinguish between formal verse and free verse and recognize the various genres and types of poetry
• Identify the components of a poem, including lines and stanzas
• Hear a poem's rhythm and formally investigate its meter using scansion
• Use various rhyme schemes
• Recognize and apply different poetic devices, including metaphor and alliteration
• Write your own poetry with confidence, starting with the various writing opportunities and prompts in the course

Upon registering, you have ninety (90) days to complete the program.

Course Dates and Times

Course Hours: 1.5 Hours

This workshop is offered through our continuing education online partner.

Register for Creative Writing: Poetry

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Unlock Creativity: 5 Best Online Creative Writing Classes

Eager to become a better writer but not sure where to start? With a plethora of stories waiting to be told, mastering creative writing can seem daunting. But fear not! Online creative writing classes are here to help. Imagine you’re itching to write a captivating children’s book or explore the realms of speculative fiction, but you’re unsure how to begin. That’s where creative writing classes online come in. These courses are tailored to your needs, offering expert guidance and support. Get ready to unlock your potential and embark on a journey of self-discovery with the top 5 creative writing classes online.

1. WuKong’s English Writing Program : Elevate Your Skills

Are you ready to embark on a transformative journey to enhance your creative writing skills? Look no further than WuKong’s Advanced English Reading and Writing Program. Geared towards students in grades 2-6, this innovative course offers a comprehensive approach to mastering the art of storytelling.

• Tailor-Made Courses: Each course is customized to suit the individual needs of students, ensuring optimal learning experiences.
• Printable Reading Resources Provided : WuKong English ELA provides Online English ELA Reading Worksheets for WuKong Students.
• Cultural Enrichment: Through trial and defense thinking, students develop critical thinking and creativity skills.
• Student-Led Inquiry-Based Learning: Engage in project-based tasks that encourage independent thinking and problem-solving.
• Six-Dimensional Reading Guidance: Learn to analyze and evaluate reading materials effectively across various dimensions.
• Seven-Step Method for Innovative Writing: From organizing thoughts to editing, students are guided through each step of the writing process.
• Expert Instructors: Led by experienced European and American teachers, students receive authentic language instruction tailored to conquer English learning challenges.

Recommended Age:

• Geared towards students in grades 2-6, ensuring age-appropriate content and challenges.
• Custom-tailored courses cater to individual learning needs.
• Emphasis on critical thinking and creativity fosters holistic skill development.
• Project-based tasks encourage independent problem-solving.
• Comprehensive guidance through the entire writing process ensures mastery.
• Experienced instructors provide authentic language instruction.
• It doesn’t have any cons; it’s an all-encompassing program designed to maximize learning potential.

2. Bookfox – Two Weeks to Your Best Children’s Book: Crafting Stories for Young Readers

Ready to bring your children’s book ideas to life? Bookfox’s “Two Weeks to Your Best Children’s Book” course is your ticket to becoming a published author. Whether you’re a novice or seasoned writer, this comprehensive program will guide you through every step of the writing and publishing process.

• Comprehensive Curriculum: Covering the entire editorial and publishing process, from generating ideas to successful book launch.
• Instructor Access: Direct access to John Matthew Fox, a seasoned writer, editor, and educator, for personalized guidance.
• Flexible Schedule: Self-paced learning with 14 lessons, accommodating various learning speeds and schedules.
• Additional Resources: Includes downloadable materials and recommended reading lists to enhance learning experience.
• Money-Back Guarantee: Provides assurance for course satisfaction, ensuring confidence in your investment.
• Suitable for aspiring writers seeking to create engaging stories for children aged 2-12.
• Comprehensive curriculum covers all aspects of children’s book creation.
• Direct access to experienced instructor for personalized guidance.
• Flexibility in schedule allows for self-paced learning.
• Additional resources enhance learning experience.
• Money-back guarantee ensures confidence in course quality.
• Limited course duration may not suit all learning styles.
• Requires self-discipline to complete within the two-week timeframe.
• Limited interaction with peers compared to live classes.

3. Grammar Lion – A Grammar Refresher for All Writers & Editors: Polish Your Prose

Are you ready to refine your writing skills and master the intricacies of grammar? Look no further than Grammar Lion’s “A Grammar Refresher for All Writers & Editors” course. Whether you’re a budding writer or an experienced editor, this comprehensive writing program will equip you with the tools you need to elevate your writing to the next level.

• Fundamental Learning: Covers essential grammar rules and principles for effective writing.
• Experienced Instructor: Taught by Ellen Feld, an author, editor, and educator with extensive experience in teaching grammar.
• Instructor Engagement: Provides opportunities for peer review and one-on-one interaction, enhancing the learning experience.
• ESL-Friendly: Suitable for English learners seeking to refine their language skills and improve their writing abilities.

Suitable for writers and editors of all ages and skill levels who wish to strengthen their grasp of grammar and improve their writing.

• Comprehensive coverage of grammar fundamentals essential for effective writing.
• Engaging instruction from an experienced educator with a knack for simplifying complex concepts.
• Structured program allows for systematic learning and practice over 12 weeks.
• Opportunities for peer review and one-on-one interaction enhance learning and skill development.
• Limited access: The 12-week duration may feel restrictive for some learners who prefer a more flexible learning schedule.
• No verified certificate: While the course offers valuable knowledge and skills, it does not provide a verified certificate upon completion, which may be important for some individuals seeking formal recognition of their achievements.

4. CreativeLive – Writing Your Story: Craft Your Narrative

Unleash your creativity and embark on a journey of self-expression with CreativeLive’s “Writing Your Story” course. Led by celebrated novelist and memoirist Joyce Maynard, this immersive program will guide you through the process of crafting compelling narratives that resonate with readers.

• Expert Instruction: Taught by Joyce Maynard, a renowned author with extensive experience in memoir writing.
• Engaging Content: I ncorporates personal anecdotes and practical writing advice to inspire and motivate learners.
• Fast Track Option: Offers a fast track option for motivated individuals who wish to accelerate their learning.
• Variety of Topics: Covers a range of topics including determining what to write, handling criticism, and navigating the publishing process.
• Suitable for writers of all ages and skill levels who are interested in memoir writing and storytelling.
• Lifetime access to course materials allows for continuous learning and reference.
• Fast track option available for motivated individuals seeking to accelerate their learning.
• Comprehensive coverage of topics relevant to memoir writing and storytelling.
• Idiosyncratic teaching style may not appeal to all learners.
• Few supplementary materials provided beyond the course content.
• No verified certificate of completion offered.

5. Udemy – Secret Sauce of Great Writing: Unlock Your Potential

Discover the secrets to captivating writing with Udemy’s “Secret Sauce of Great Writing” course. Led by former Wall Street Journal editor Shani Raja, this engaging program will teach you the essential ingredients of powerful writing that captivates and inspires.

• Expert Instruction: Taught by Shani Raja, a former Wall Street Journal editor with extensive experience in writing and editing.
• Minimal Time Commitment: Short duration course that runs less than an hour, making it perfect for busy individuals.
• Practical Exercises: Includes actionable tips and exercises to apply learning immediately and enhance writing skills.
• Affordability: Available for free, making it accessible to all aspiring writers.
• Suitable for writers of all ages and skill levels who wish to improve their writing skills and learn the secrets of great writing.
• Focused content that emphasizes key ingredients of great writing.
• Short duration course that fits into any schedule.
• Practical exercises to apply learning and enhance writing skills.
• No interaction with the instructor for clarifications or questions.
• Limited course options beyond the Secret Sauce of Great Writing.

FAQs for Creative Writing Classes Online:

Q1. what are the benefits of taking creative writing classes online.

Online creative writing classes offer flexibility, allowing you to learn at your own pace from anywhere. They provide access to expert instructors and a diverse community of writers for feedback and support.

Q2. How do I choose the right online creative writing class?

Consider factors such as course content, instructor credentials, student reviews, and class format. Look for classes that align with your goals and interests, whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or screenwriting.

Q3. Can online creative writing classes help improve my writing skills?

Absolutely. These classes provide structured guidance, exercises, and critiques to help you develop your craft, whether you’re a beginner or seasoned writer. Plus, the online format offers convenience without sacrificing quality instruction.

Conclusion:

In this article, we’ve explored the world of online creative writing classes, offering valuable insights for aspiring writers. From mastering grammar to crafting captivating stories, these courses provide essential skills for literary success. Among the top picks, WuKong’s Advanced English Reading and Writing Program shines bright. With personalized instruction and a focus on creativity, it’s the ideal choice for writers of all levels. Investing in creative writing classes online can unlock your potential and help you become a better writer. So why wait? Start your journey with WuKong’s program today and watch your writing skills flourish!

Elaina Zetts, a teacher from League City, Texas, majoring in Elementary Education, has a master’s degree in K-12 Literacy. Serves as an ELA teacher in a public school in Friendswood, Texas. Has taught ELA for 15 years and is good at teaching elementary aged students how to read, write and spell. Teh teaching profession is her heart and soul and wat brings her the most joy in life. She hopes dat her love for Literacy shines through and that children grow in their love for reading and writing while in her classes.

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Elaina Zetts, a teacher from League City, Texas, majoring in Elementary Education, has a master's degree in K-12 Literacy. Serves as an ELA teacher in a public school in Friendswood, Texas. Has taught ELA for 15 years and is good at teaching elementary aged students how to read, write and spell. Teh teaching profession is her heart and soul and wat brings her the most joy in life. She hopes dat her love for Literacy shines through and that children grow in their love for reading and writing while in her classes.

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The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at BGSU is widely recognized as one of the country’s most prestigious. For more than fifty years, graduates of BGSU’s Program in Creative Writing have contributed to contemporary literary culture and published hundreds of books.

The MFA in Creative Writing program gives a comprehensive and rigorous education in the professional writing, editing, and marketing of poetry and fiction. Artistic development, craft knowledge, and professional presentation are guiding principles. 

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the MFA degree, students in the Creative Writing with a specialization in Fiction or Poetry program are expected to be able to:

• Develop individual, original approaches to writing fiction and/or poetry
• Produce a book-length thesis comparable in quality to the published work of contemporary poets and fiction writers
• Develop an understanding of their work’s place within the context of contemporary literature 
• Collaboratively assess literary work for publication 
• Apply craft knowledge to produce and distribute a literary journal through relevant technologies 
• Develop pedagogical skills sufficient to design and teach courses at the college level 

Admission Requirements

Application deadline is January 15 for Fall Semester.  Since application reviews may begin immediately after the deadline, we recommend submitting your application and providing all required documents before the deadline. Documents required:

• Applicants below a 3.00 GPA must submit a GRE score unless they have already completed a master’s degree.  Enter your GPA and GPA Scale with your undergraduate degree under the Academic History tab.
• Three Letters of Recommendation
• Statement of Purpose  (1-2 pages)
• A fiction or poetry sample (20 - 30 double-spaced pages of fiction, or 10 - 15 pages of poetry with poems single- or double-spaced)
• An academic or professional writing sample (8 - 15 pages, double-spaced)

Please do not submit screenplays, children’s stories, fantasy or science fiction.

International applicants are required to submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTEA). Successful completion of ELS 112 will also be accepted for this requirement.  Additionally, Duolingo test scores will be accepted for applications through Summer 2025. Applicants of the Graduate College who have completed a previous degree (associate, bachelor’s master’s or doctorate) from a U.S. college/university or are from a country (click  here  for a complete list) in which instruction was delivered in English (and attended the university for at least two years) are exempt from providing these test scores. Please review the Creative Writing MFA program’s Application page at  http://www.bgsu.edu/arts-and-sciences/english/creative-writing/apply-online.html  for detailed information about application materials.

Application Requirements

Admissions Categories and Grade Point Average Requirements

International Application Information

Degree Requirements

Curriculum requirements, required courses (24 credits).

ENG 6320 taken during the summer semester may not be used to satisfy workshop requirements. 

• ENG 6320 - Graduate Writers Workshop (12 credits)
• ENG 6300 - Technique of Poetry
• ENG 6330 - Creative Writing and Desktop Publishing
• ENG 6370 - Pedagogy of Creative Writing
• ENG 7820 - Topics in English Studies

Electives (6 credits)

Select 2 courses.

Culminating Experience (6 credits)

• ENG 6990 - Thesis Research

Minimum Total Credits (36 credits)

Additional requirements.

• Minimum of 3 credits of 6990 required for Plan I master’s students.  Maximum of 6 credits may be applied toward degree requirements. 
• Minimum 3.0 graduate cumulative grade point average
• Minimum of 18 credits must be at the 6000-level or higher
• Minimum of  24 credits must be earned at BGSU
• All requirements must be completed within six years from the end of the earliest course used to fulfill degree requirements.

Requirements for the Minor (12 credits)

A. introductory course (3 credits).

Grade of B- or better required.

• ENGL 20500 - Introduction To Creative Writing Credits: 3.00

B. Writing Courses (9 credits)

• ENGL 31600 - Craft Of Fiction From A Writer’s Perspective Credits: 3.00
• ENGL 31700 - Craft Of Poetry From A Writer’s Perspective Credits: 3.00
• ENGL 40700 - Intermediate Poetry Writing Credits: 3.00
• ENGL 40900 - Intermediate Fiction Writing Credits: 3.00
• ENGL 50700 - Advanced Poetry Writing Credits: 3.00
• ENGL 50900 - Advanced Fiction Writing Credits: 3.00
• ENGL 58900 - Directed Writing Credits: 1.00 to 3.00
• 50% of credits for CLA minors must come from Purdue University.
• All Creative Writing courses except 20500, 31600, 31700 may be repeated once for credit.
• The courses must be taken in order, the 40000 level taken before the 50000 level in any given genre.

College of Liberal Arts Pass/No Pass Option Policy

• P/NP cannot be used to satisfy Liberal Arts Core, Liberal Arts major, minor, or certificate requirements.

The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student. The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.

The Creative Writing Minor in the English Department is designed for students who have an interest in developing their skills as writers and readers of creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry but need to fulfill the requirements of other majors.  Students will take a series of six creative writing classes in order to learn to think as writers do, to understand the aesthetic and moral choices writers confront as they write, and become familiar with contemporary writing practices.  Through a mix of workshop, imitation classes and a topics course, students will have ample opportunity for frequent and extensive writing and rewriting under the guidance of the distinguished faculty of the nationally ranked MFA in Creative Writing.

Minor Requirements

The Creative Writing minor requires 18 credit hours of coursework (generally, six courses) distributed in the manner below.

3 credit hours must be from one of the following 100-level courses:

• ENG 105 - Introduction to Creative Writing
• ENG 121 - Introduction to Shakespeare
• ENG 122 - Introduction to the Novel
• ENG 151 - Interpretation of Poetry
• ENG 155 - Interpretation of Nonfiction
• ENG 174 - World Literature, Beginnings to 1000
• ENG 175 - World Literature, 1000 to Present

3 credit hours must be from one of the following introductory workshops:

• ENG 215 - Introductory Poetry Workshop
• ENG 216 - Introductory Literary Nonfiction Workshop
• ENG 217 - Introductory Fiction Workshop

Twelve credits (four courses) must be in courses numbered 300 or above (upper division).

3 credits must be from a “Reading and Writing” course:

• ENG 301 - Practicum in Reading and Writing Prose
• ENG 303 - Practicum in Reading and Writing Fiction
• ENG 304 - Practicum in Reading and Writing Poetry

All minors are required to take the following 3 credit course:

Selected Topics: Creative Writing: ENG 300

Students must take two advanced workshops for a total of six credits.  Each workshop must be in a different genre and have a different numerical designation: ENG 401 Poetry/ 402 Nonfiction/ 403 Fiction.  Prerequisite: Introductory Workshop ENG 215 Poetry/ 216 Nonfiction/ 217 Fiction.

Note: WRT 422 may be substituted for ENG 402.

Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate credits do NOT count toward the lower division credit requirements Creative Writing minor. In addition, students must attain a grade of C- or better in order to count a course toward their minor credits.

Kate McCarthy-Gilmore, Ph.D., Associate Dean

The English program offers majors in Writing and Literature   , and many students choose to double major in both. The program also offers minors in  English    and in Rhetoric and Public Writing   .

Requirements for the Major in English: Writing (B.A.):

The English: Writing major at Loras College offers extraordinary depth and range, together with the kind of close, sustained faculty mentoring which is only possible at a small college. Students choose from courses in Fiction (including Screenwriting), Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, and Professional Writing. Students write and defen a senior creative writing thesis.

English: Writing majors also take a number of Literature courses to develop critical reading and analytical skills, to increase awareness of authors and movements within literary traditions, and to deepen cultural understanding.

Student Learning Outcomes - English: Writing

• Demonstrate critical reading skills required to articulate a persuasive and insightful close reading, and a persuasive and insightful formal or structural analysis of a literary text (Goal #1 is common to all Literature and Writing majors).
• Demonstrate the rhetorical skills required to make a persuasive and insightful written argument using evidence from a literary text. (Goal #2 is common to all Literature and Writing majors).
• Demonstrate the ability to write aesthetically interesting original works of creative writing.
• Demonstrate, through their writings, a clear understanding of genre conventions and literary techniques, such as structure, plot, character, setting, point of view, dialogue, imagery, metaphor, symbolism, rhetoric, or prosody;
• Demonstrate control of structure and form (unity, coherence, balance, emphasis)
• Effectively revise and edit their own work for technical, stylistic, and grammatical effectiveness;
• Orally articulate their composition and revision processes, and explain how the study of literature and individual authors provides them with models and an understanding of literary conventions and traditions which informs their own writing.

General Education Requirements

General Education Requirements     

Requirements for the major in English: Writing (B.A.):

• L.ENG 135 - Intro to Creative Writing-EC Credits: 3
• L.ENG 145 - Literature and Public Life-EI Credits: 3
• L.ENG 245 - Critics and Creators Credits: 3
• L.ENG 492 - English Senior Seminar-IN Credits: 3

Select one Fiction writing course

(Excludes General Education Courses)

• L.ENG 237 - Fiction Writing Credits: 3
• L.ENG 271 - Screenwriting Credits: 3
• L.ENG 370 - Fantastic Fiction Credits: 3
• L.ENG 384 - Fiction Genre Workshop Credits: 3

Select one Poetry writing course

• L.ENG 238 - Poetry Writing Credits: 3
• L.ENG 385 - Poetry Genre Workshop Credits: 3

Select one Creative Nonfiction writing or Professional writing course

• L.ENG 278 - Grant and Proposal Writing Credits: 3
• L.ENG 279 - Writing for New Media Credits: 3
• L.ENG 380 - Nature Writing Credits: 3
• L.ENG 383 - Nonfiction Genre Workshop Credits: 3

Select three Literature electives

Must be level 300+; (Excludes General Education Courses)

• L.ENG 325 - American Literature: 1820-1860 Credits: 3
• L.ENG 326 - American Literature: 1861-1900 Credits: 3
• L.ENG 328 - American Literature: Modern & Contemporary Poetry Credits: 3
• L.ENG 329 - American Literature: Modern & Contemporary Drama Credits: 3
• L.ENG 330 - American Literature: Modern Prose, 1900-1945 Credits: 3
• L.ENG 331 - American Literature: Contemporary Prose, 1945-Present Credits: 3
• L.ENG 332 - Major American Authors Credits: 3
• L.ENG 333 - Shakespeare Before 1600 Credits: 3
• L.ENG 334 - Shakespeare After 1600 Credits: 3
• L.ENG 337 - Medieval & Renaissance British Literature Credits: 3
• L.ENG 340 - Romantic Age: 1798-1832 Credits: 3
• L.ENG 341 - Victorian Age: 1832-1901 Credits: 3
• L.ENG 342 - Victorian Age Novel Credits: 3
• L.ENG 343 - British/Irish Poetry 1900-Present Credits: 3
• L.ENG 344 - British Fiction 1900-Present Credits: 3
• L.ENG 345 - British Drama 1890-Present Credits: 3
• L.ENG 351 - Milton & 17th Century Literature Credits: 3
• L.ENG 352 - 18th Century British Literature Credits: 3
• L.ENG 355 - English Novel: 1800-1840 Credits: 3

Select two Writing electives

• L.ENG 389 - Revision, Editing & Publishing Credits: 3

Double Major in Literature & Writing (B.A.):

Students must complete 12 core credits ( L.ENG 135   ,  L.ENG 145   , L.ENG 245   , L.ENG 492   ); 18 additional Literature credits, 18 additional Writing credits.

Reading and writing are acts of love and survival pursued for the intense pleasures of creativity and imagination, and for the human need to communicate. The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Belmont University calls students to explore the written word as practitioners in order to better understand the means by which we know ourselves, our communities, and our empathy for others. Our faculty members, all working writers themselves, through teaching, mentoring, and collaboration, seek to expand students’ knowledge and understanding of writing and literature by aiding their developing abilities in the formal, structural, historical, and aesthetic ideals of effective creative writing for the reading public.

In the MFA in Creative Writing at Belmont, courses are designed to build on strengths and knowledge from students’ undergraduate experiences, to broaden their awareness of literature and writing, and to prepare them for the life of a writer. The graduate faculty is committed to fostering the skills of critical reading as well as creative writing, and to increasing student expertise in their chosen genre of study: fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction. The program engages students in studying the craft of each creative writing genre, in reading literature from different cultural traditions, and in participating in intensive writing workshops to hone their imaginations and aesthetics. The program encourages students to develop professionally through sharing their work repeatedly with their peers, compiling reflective portfolios, and submitting their work for publication at leading literary journals. The MFA in Creative Writing at Belmont prepares students for Ph.D. programs in creative writing, but it will also prepare them to teach writing at the post-secondary level and to live their lives as working writers.

The Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing :

1. promotes effective, creative, and reflective reading, writing, and imaginative thinking; 2. presents literature and the craft of writing within historical and cultural contexts; 3. introduces students to diverse strategies for interpreting literature of others and of their own; 4. explores with students the structures, complexities, and development of creative writing genres; 5. integrates local and global learning experiences into the curriculum taught by working writers; 6. requires students to develop the skills necessary to be a working writer by employing current professional standards and emerging technologies-and to think critically about these resources and tools; 7. engages students in independent research and long-term writing projects, such as a thesis.

Core Foundational Requirements (9 hours)

• ENG 5000 Graduate Research, Theory and Pedagogy Seminar 3 Hours

6 hours from the following*:

• ENG 5400 Craft of Fiction 3 Hours
• ENG 5500 Craft of Poetry 3 Hours
• ENG 5600 Craft of Creative Nonfiction 3 Hours

*one must be in the intended thesis writing genre

Workshop Requirements (9 hours)**

Two workshops in the student’s primary genre and one outside that genre.

• ENG 5450 Fiction Workshop 3 Hours
• ENG 5550 Poetry Workshop 3 Hours
• ENG 5650 Creative Nonfiction Workshop 3 Hours
• ** Workshops are repeatable for up to 6 hours of credit.

Elective Requirements (12 hours)

6 hours in any ENG 5000 level or above course AND 6 hours drawn from the following:

• ENG 5040 History of the English Language 3 Hours
• ENG 5720 Practicum in Pedagogy 1-3 Hours
• ENG 5730 Pedagogical Studies 3 Hours
• ENG 5800 Readings in World Literature I 3 Hours
• ENG 5810 Readings in British Literature I 3 Hours
• ENG 5820 Readings in British Literature II 3 Hours
• ENG 5830 Readings in American Literature I 3 Hours
• ENG 5840 Readings in World Literature II 3 Hours
• ENG 5850 Readings in British Literature III 3 Hours
• ENG 5860 Readings in American Literature II 3 Hours
• ENG 5950 Study Abroad 1-6 Hours
• ENG 6000 Single / Double Author Seminar 3 Hours
• ENG 6100 Genre Seminar 3 Hours
• ENG 6300 Special Topics in Writing 3 Hours
• ENG 6340 Gender Studies 3 Hours
• ENG 6400 Special Topics in Literature 3 Hours
• ENG 6420 Composition Theories 3 Hours
• ENG 6500 Special Topics in English Grammar and Linguistics 3 Hours

Thesis Requirements (6 hours)

The thesis is two semesters of the following:

• ENG 6900 MFA Thesis 3 Hours

Total Required for the Program: 36 Hours

Fall (15.5 Credits)

• ASC 101 - Thinking Through 3 Credit(s)
• ENGL 101 - Reading, Thinking and Writing 3 Credit(s)
• CRWR 153 - Introduction to Creative Writing I 3 Credit(s)
• Math Requirement 3 Credit(s)
• Social Science Requirement 3 Credit(s)
• Physical Education Elective .5 credit

Spring (15.5-16.5 Credits)

• ENGL 102 - Literature and Critical Writing (W) 3 Credit(s)
• CRWR 154 - Introduction to Creative Writing II 3 Credit(s)
• ENGL 131 - Literature of the Western World I 3 Credit(s)
• ENGL 132 - Literature of the Western World II 3 Credit(s)
• ENGL 133 - British Literature I 3 Credit(s)
• ENGL 134 - British Literature II 3 Credit(s)
• ENGL 135 - American Literature 3 Credit(s)
• Science Requirement 3-4 Credit(s)

Fall (15 Credits)

• Humanities Requirement 3 Credit(s)
• Science Requirement 3 Credit(s)
• Two Electives 6 Credit(s)

Spring (15 Credits)

• CRWR 305 - Creative Nonfiction 3 Credit(s)
• CRWR 306 - Advanced Fiction Writing (W) 3 Credit(s)
• CRWR 307 - Advanced Poetry Writing (W) 3 Credit(s)
• Advanced English Course 3 Credit(s)
• Flex Course 3 Credit(s)
• Two Advanced English Courses 6 Credit(s)
• Advanced Creative Writing Course 3 Credit(s)
• ASC 401 - Transformations Capstone 3 Credit(s)
• CRWR 409 - Senior Seminar (For Creative Writing Majors Only) (W) 3 Credit(s)

Total Credits: 121-122

A minimum of 18 credits of advanced English should be in period-based courses (i.e., ENGL 335   – ENGL 380   ).

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Poetry Near You

Find poetry readings, workshops, festivals, conferences, literary organizations, and poetry-friendly bookstores, and learn more about poets laureate, in your area.

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• literary seminars
• materials for teachers
• poetry near you

To find virtual and in-person poetry events and resources near you, enter your state or an event title in the search field below. You can also Explore Your State to find more information about your local poets laureate, festivals, conferences, writing programs, literary organizations, landmarks, and more. See a list of all state poets laureate .

To help ensure accessibility of your virtual events and poetry readings for people with disabilities, please visit our  Best Practices for Virtual Events and Readings resource page.

If you would like to have your event be considered for the calendar, or if you are having difficulties accessing our event listings, please contact Michelle Dashevsky, Advertising & Marketing Assistant: [email protected] .

If you are interested in advertising your event, please contact Michelle Campagna, Advertising & Marketing Director, about the #PoetryNearYou Pick of the Week promotional feature: [email protected] . 

Miracle Ice Cream

Aurelius & furius, true comrades (11).

Jacqueline Johnson

Carolyn Forché

Carolyn Forché received the Academy of American Poets Fellowship, given for distinguished poetic achievement, in 2013.

Christina Olivares

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