Introduction to Creative Nonfiction

Catalog description

Course offers students the opportunity to develop an individual style as creative nonfiction writers. Students will learn how to translate personal experience and research into effective pieces of creative nonfiction. Course offers exposure to and practice in writing one or more subgenres of creative nonfiction such as personal essay, storytelling, travel writing, memoir, historical narrative, and narrative journalism. Content includes basic elements of creative nonfiction writing such as truth-telling, theme, structure, narrative voice, diction, characters, plot development, research, rhythm, setting, point of view, and description. The primary goal of this course is to provide students with a supportive workshop experience to experiment with different genres within creative nonfiction and build a portfolio of work, at least two pieces of which should be ready for submission to literary journals. Course may be repeated up to three times.