Creative Writing

Creative Writing at MCLA embraces the entire spectrum of writing modes -- from fiction and poetry through essays, advanced journalism and magazine writing to scriptwriting. All the classes are small; they are taught as workshops, so students may enter them at whatever level of proficiency they have and expect to advance.

Once you have taken a course in a particular mode of writing, you may continue in that area through independent study, meeting one-on-one with members of the writing faculty or participating in a writing workshop with other students.

You will be encouraged to submit your work to the literary and arts magazine, Spires, the literary and arts magazine which serves as a forum for creative work. It is published by students, and you may join its editorial board to learn the details of editing creative work.

You will also be invited to read your work at the public reading where MCLA students read the fruits of the labors in a springtime event open to the college and community. Students also organize occasional readings in the coffee house, at Inkberry and in professor's homes throughout the year.

Foundation Courses - 24 credits
Department Electives - 6 credits
Six writing electives 200-level and above in either the Creative Writing or Professional Writing Sequence - 18 credits

Creative Writing Sequence
Choose six writing courses from the following list:

ENGL202 The Personal Essay
ENGL208 Experiments in Creative Writing
ENGL231 The Power of Words
ENGL231 The Power of Words
ENGL300 Creative Writing: Fiction
ENGL301 Creative Writing: Poetry
ENGL302 Creative Writing: Scripts
ENGL303 Writing Prose
ENGL304 Creative Writing: Playwriting
ENGL305 Magazine Writing and Editing
ENGL430 Advanced Poetry Workshop
ENGL435 Advanced Fiction Workshop
ENGL500 Independent Study

Professional Writing Sequence
Choose one writing course at the 200 level
Choose three writing courses at the 300 level.
Choose two additional electives from the following list:

ENGL202 The Personal Essay
ENGL225 Writing for Print News Media
ENGL302 Creative Writing: Scripts
ENGL305 Magazine Writing and Editing
ENGL308 Composition, Theory, and Practice
ENGL309 Technical Writing
ENGL321 News Editing Practicum
ENGL396 Public Relations
ENGL427 Senior News Editing Practicum
ENGL500 Independent Study
ENGL 540 Internship