Writing (WRI)

Basic writing skills are practiced in order to improve and enhance verbal and written communication for college work. Students learn a variety of strategies for composing, editing, and polishing of written papers through individual student attention and peer workshops. A portfolio with a self-reflective introduction is assembled, submitted, and evaluated for successful completion of the course's requirements. Students who have successfully completed WRI 1100 cannot register for WRI 1000.

The course guides students in the process of improving writing skills. Through individual work and peer groups. The course will offer instruction in writing as a revising and editing process for the creation of an effective thesis statement and cogent paragraphs in balanced written pieces ending in the completion of a required portfolio.

A writing portfolio-based course focusing the acquisition and practice of strategies a writer may use to predict a reader's response. The writing will be both academic and personal concentrating on expository pieces such as reports on research, persuasive essays for standard thesis papers, and informal writing as in journals and memoirs. Practice pieces will be revised, edited, and selected for the final presentation portfolio. Readings associated with stylistic development may be used.

Students will learn the art and craft of writing fiction in a workshop environment. Participants will read from master writers; they will write original pieces and revise them. The workshop process includes having student work discussed and critiqued by the instructor and by fellow students. Class participation is essential.

This course will provide instruction and practice in business writing and professionalism.

In this course, we will experiment with autobiographical writing exercises of our own as we read, listen to and view works of autobiographical writing-from memoir and autobiographical fiction to graphic memoir, podcasts and stand-up comedy. Students will become familiar with critical concepts, terms and approaches used to analyze life narratives, and with debates relating to authenticity, identity, truth, memory, culture and self-representation.

The introductory residency takes place over a ten day, onsite period, where lectures, classes, workshops, readings and conferences create a community among writers. Students will spend 3 hours per day meeting in workshop groups of 6-9 students under the direction of a faculty mentor. The first residency will introduce new students to workshop procedure and etiquette. The residency workshop is dedicated to the development of student creativity. Students become a part of a community where student writers refine their art through writing, reading, rewriting, talking, debating, listening, criticism and praise. On an individual level, each writer learns the discipline necessary to produce new work on a regular basis, as well as to develop a fastidious editorial aptitude about both their own work and the work of others. Students will spend 3 hours attending lectures and symposiums on genre and craft, taught by faculty and guest faculty. Introductory residency topics will include: the writing process, story structure, language and voice, characterization, time and place, plot, pacing, point of view, imagery, dialogue, and revision. Some lessons will be genre-specific. In the two weeks leading up to each residency period, students will complete a pre-residency bibliography assignment by assembling a list of 10 books according to the individual student's stylistic influences, inspirations and literary ambitions. The introductory residency will focus on an investigation of artistic goals. Students will be paired with faculty mentors who will guide them through the two-year program. Additional hours will be spent attending industry related readings, talks and panels.

The intermediate residency takes place over a ten day, onsite period, where lectures, classes, workshops, readings and conferences create a community among writers. Students will spend 3 hours per day meeting in workshop groups of 6-9 students under the direction of a faculty mentor. The middle two residencies will focus on development of a body of work for revision, exchange of ideas, and aesthetic approaches. The residency workshop is dedicated to the development of student creativity. Students become a part of a community where student writers refine their art through writing, reading, rewriting, talking, debating, listening, criticism and praise. On an individual level, each writer learns the discipline necessary to produce new work on a regular basis, as well as to develop a fastidious editorial aptitude about both their own work and the work of others. Students will spend 3 hours attending lectures and symposiums on genre and craft, taught by faculty and guest faculty. Introductory residency topics will include: the writing process, story structure, language and voice, characterization, time and place, plot, pacing, point of view, imagery, dialogue, and revision. Some lessons will be genre-specific. Additional hours will be spent attending industry related readings, talks and panels. In the two weeks leading up to each residency period, students will complete a pre-residency bibliography assignment by assembling a list of 10 books according to the individual student's stylistic influences, inspirations and literary ambitions.

The intermediate residency takes place over a ten day, onsite period, where lectures, classes, workshops, readings and conferences create a community among writers. Students will spend 3 hours per day meeting in workshop groups of 6-9 students under the direction of a faculty mentor. The middle two residencies will focus on development of a body of work for revision, exchange of ideas, and aesthetic approaches. The residency workshop is dedicated to the development of student creativity. Students become a part of a community where student writers refine their art through writing, reading, rewriting, talking, debating, listening, criticism and praise. On an individual level, each writer learns the discipline necessary to produce new work on a regular basis, as well as to develop a fastidious editorial aptitude about both their own work and the work of others. Students will spend 3 hours attending lectures and symposiums on genre and craft, taught by faculty and guest faculty. Introductory residency topics will include: the writing process, story structure, language and voice, characterization, time and place, plot, pacing, point of view, imagery, dialogue, and revision. Some lessons will be genre-specific. Additional hours will be spent attending industry related readings, talks and panels. In the two weeks leading up to each residency period, students will complete a pre-residency bibliography assignment by assembling a list of 10 books according to the individual student's stylistic influences, inspirations and literary ambitions.

The master residency takes place over a ten day, onsite period, where lectures, classes, workshops, readings and conferences create a community among writers. Students will spend 3 hours per day meeting in workshop groups of 6-9 students under the direction of a faculty mentor. The master residency will focus on advancing student's creative and professional goals in preparation for the thesis workshop and practicum. The residency workshop is dedicated to the development of student creativity. Students become a part of a community where student writers refine their art through writing, reading, rewriting, talking, debating, listening, criticism and praise. On an individual level, each writer learns the discipline necessary to produce new work on a regular basis, as well as to develop a fastidious editorial aptitude about both their own work and the work of others. Students will spend 3 hours attending lectures and symposiums on genre and craft, taught by faculty and guest faculty. Introductory residency topics will include: the writing process, story structure, language and voice, characterization, time and place, plot, pacing, point of view, imagery, dialogue, and revision. Some lessons will be genre-specific. Additional hours will be spent attending industry related readings, talks and panels. In the two weeks leading up to each residency period, students will complete a pre-residency bibliography assignment by assembling a list of 10 books according to the individual student's stylistic influences, inspirations and literary ambitions.

Students learn the art of writing fiction in a tutorial with an individual faculty member. Participants read from master writers, write original work and revise. Through steady interaction, this individualized method of study ensures that students maintain productivity in their daily lives. Students will produce, revise, and polish content, while analyzing and employing established literary and commercial techniques. Ongoing communication with faculty mentor assures students of the support and critique needed to advance their literary and personal goals. The Introductory Tutorial is distinguished by a focus on artistic process, an emphasis on writing exercises, and an exploration of a variety of forms and approaches.

Students learn the art of writing fiction in a tutorial with an individual faculty member. Participants read from master writers, write original work and revise. Through steady interaction, this individualized method of study ensures that students maintain productivity in their daily lives. Students will produce, revise, and polish content, while analyzing and employing established literary and commercial techniques. Ongoing communication with faculty mentor assures students of the support and critique needed to advance their literary and personal goals. The Intermediate Tutorial is distinguished by a focus on reading as a writer, an emphasis on revision and manuscript development, and an exploration of the various collaborative aspects of the writing process.

Students learn the art of writing fiction in a tutorial with an individual faculty member. Participants read from master writers, write original work and revise. Through steady interaction, this individualized method of study ensures that students maintain productivity in their daily lives. Students will produce, revise, and polish content, while analyzing and employing established literary and commercial techniques. Ongoing communication with faculty mentor assures students of the support and critique needed to advance their literary and personal goals. The Advanced Tutorial is distinguished by a focus on self-assessment skills, an emphasis on craft issues, and an exploration of the larger literary community.

Students learn the art of writing fiction in a tutorial with an individual faculty member. Participants read from master writers, write original work and revise. Through steady interaction, this individualized method of study ensures that students maintain productivity in their daily lives. Students will produce, revise, and polish content, while analyzing and employing established literary and commercial techniques. Ongoing communication with faculty mentor assures students of the support and critique needed to advance their literary and personal goals. The Thesis Tutorial is distinguished by a focus on the literary marketplace, an emphasis on completing a polished thesis-length manuscript, and an exploration of writing as a profession.

In this series of classes, students will be working with received forms (e.g. sonnet, villanelle, sestina). There will be a strong reading component with work by both classical and contemporary poets who wrote using poetic forms; students will be encouraged to write in response to, and sometimes in imitation of, the poems they read as a way to enrich their understanding of meter and rhyme. Prompts may be specific as to subject matter and form, or may merely tell students which form to use. Writing in received forms helps lay the groundwork for learning the art and science of poetic practices; adding the reading component allows students to experience some of the ways in which poetry is a dialogue between poets both past and present. While some class time will be devoted to discussing the poems students have read, the bulk of the time will be spent on workshopping poems written by students. The instructor will model good critical and analytical practices at first, helping guide students to where they will take over much of the workshopping of their own works. By helping others look objectively at their work, each student will begin to develop her own methods for evaluating her work.

In this series of classes, students will be working with received forms (e.g. sonnet, villanelle, sestina). There will be a strong reading component with work by both classical and contemporary poets who wrote using poetic forms; students will be encouraged to write in response to, and sometimes in imitation of, the poems they read as a way to enrich their understanding of meter and rhyme. Prompts may be specific as to subject matter and form, or may merely tell students which form to use. Writing in received forms helps lay the groundwork for learning the art and science of poetic practices; adding the reading component allows students to experience some of the ways in which poetry is a dialogue between poets both past and present. This series of classes will build upon what students experienced in Workshop 1 by continuing with a strong reading component. While some of the poems students read may be in received forms, many of them will not; this will help students continue to expand their understanding of meter and rhyme by demonstrating how these components are used in poems which do not follow traditional forms. As with Workshop 1, students will be writing in response to the poetry they read. Prompts will be focused on topics (e.g. nature, the body) and/or may require students to imitate or even confront a poem they have read. Much of the class time will be spent on workshopping student writing.

In this series of classes, students will be working with received forms (e.g. sonnet, villanelle, sestina). There will be a strong reading component with work by both classical and contemporary poets who wrote using poetic forms; students will be encouraged to write in response to, and sometimes in imitation of, the poems they read as a way to enrich their understanding of meter and rhyme. Prompts may be specific as to subject matter and form, or may merely tell students which form to use. Writing in received forms helps lay the groundwork for learning the art and science of poetic practices; adding the reading component allows students to experience some of the ways in which poetry is a dialogue between poets both past and present. While there may be a small reading component to this workshop series, most of each class will be spent workshopping student poetry. The focus here will be on beginning to prepare the thesis (a chapbook-length manuscript), and students may work on both poems from previous workshops and new ones. In addition to workshop sessions, there will be a number of meetings dedicated to discussing publishing procedures and opportunities. Instructors are encouraged to bring in editors and publishers who can speak directly to industry practices. By the end of this workshop, students should have a minimum of 15 poems they believe will be the basis for their thesis.

In this series of classes, students will be working with received forms (e.g. sonnet, villanelle, sestina). There will be a strong reading component with work by both classical and contemporary poets who wrote using poetic forms; students will be encouraged to write in response to, and sometimes in imitation of, the poems they read as a way to enrich their understanding of meter and rhyme. Prompts may be specific as to subject matter and form, or may merely tell students which form to use. Writing in received forms helps lay the groundwork for learning the art and science of poetic practices; adding the reading component allows students to experience some of the ways in which poetry is a dialogue between poets both past and present. While there may be a small reading component to this workshop series, most of each class will be spent workshopping student poetry. The focus here will be on beginning to prepare the thesis (a chapbook-length manuscript), and students may work on both poems from previous workshops and new ones. In addition to workshop sessions, there will be a number of meetings dedicated to discussing publishing procedures and opportunities. Instructors are encouraged to bring in editors and publishers who can speak directly to industry practices. By the end of this workshop, students should have a minimum of 15 poems they believe will be the basis for their thesis.

Students learn the art of writing for stage and screen in a tutorial with an individual faculty member. Participants read from master play writers, write original work and revise, focusing on dramatic staging, dialogue, and direction. Through steady interaction, this individualized method of study ensures that students maintain productivity in their daily lives. Students will produce, revise, and polish content, while analyzing and employing established performance techniques. Ongoing communication with faculty mentor assures students of the support and critique needed to advance their literary and personal goals. The Introductory Tutorial is distinguished by a focus on artistic process, an emphasis on writing exercises, and an exploration of a variety of forms and approaches.

Students learn the art of writing for stage and screen in a tutorial with an individual faculty member. Participants read from master play writers, write original work and revise, focusing on dramatic staging, dialogue, and direction. Through steady interaction, this individualized method of study ensures that students maintain productivity in their daily lives. Students will produce, revise, and polish content, while analyzing and employing established performance techniques. Ongoing communication with faculty mentor assures students of the support and critique needed to advance their literary and personal goals. Intermediate Tutorial is distinguished by a focus on writing from the perspective of the audience, an emphasis on revision and manuscript development, and an exploration of the various collaborative aspects of the writing process.

Students learn the art of writing for stage and screen in a tutorial with an individual faculty member. Participants read from master play writers, write original work and revise, focusing on dramatic staging, dialogue, and direction. Through steady interaction, this individualized method of study ensures that students maintain productivity in their daily lives. Students will produce, revise, and polish content, while analyzing and employing established performance techniques. Ongoing communication with faculty mentor assures students of the support and critique needed to advance their literary and personal goals. Advanced Tutorial is distinguished by a focus on self-assessment skills, an emphasis on craft issues, and an exploration of the larger theater community.

Students learn the art of writing for stage and screen in a tutorial with an individual faculty member. Participants read from master play writers, write original work and revise, focusing on dramatic staging, dialogue, and direction. Through steady interaction, this individualized method of study ensures that students maintain productivity in their daily lives. Students will produce, revise, and polish content, while analyzing and employing established performance techniques. Ongoing communication with faculty mentor assures students of the support and critique needed to advance their literary and personal goals. The Thesis Tutorial is distinguished by a focus on the theater marketplace, an emphasis on completing a three-act play or equivalent, and an exploration of writing as a profession.

In this one-on-one tutorial with a faculty member, students create and revise original nonfiction through the analysis and use of established literary and commercial techniques. To inform their own work, students read from master practitioners and learn the techniques of research and reporting through real-world practice. The individualized method of study introduces students to the editor-writer relationship and assures students of the support and critique needed to advance their literary and personal goals.

In this one-on-one tutorial with a faculty member, students create and revise original nonfiction through the analysis and use of established literary and commercial techniques. To inform their own work, students read from master practitioners and learn the techniques of research and reporting through real-world practice. The individualized method of study introduces students to the editor-writer relationship and assures students of the support and critique needed to advance their literary and personal goals. Emphasis is placed on revision and manuscript development, the crafting of narrative, and the various collaborative aspects of the writing process.

In this one-on-one tutorial with a faculty member, students create and revise original nonfiction through the analysis and use of established literary and commercial techniques. To inform their own work, students read from master practitioners and learn the techniques of research and reporting through real-world practice. The individualized method of study introduces students to the editor-writer relationship and assures students of the support and critique needed to advance their literary and personal goals. Emphasis is placed on self-assessment skills, craft issues across nonfiction practices, and an exploration of the larger literary community.

In this one-on-one tutorial with a faculty member, students create and revise original nonfiction through the analysis and use of established literary and commercial techniques. To inform their own work, students read from master practitioners and learn the techniques of research and reporting through real-world practice. The individualized method of study introduces students to the editor-writer relationship and assures students of the support and critique needed to advance their literary and personal goals. Emphasis is placed on the literary and media marketplace, completing a polished thesis-length manuscript, and writing as a profession.

In this one-on-one tutorial with a faculty member, students create original scripts for graphic novels, focusing on structure, visual storytelling, dynamic artists' instructions, pacing, and the differences between graphic storytelling and other types of writing. Students have a choice of writing an original comic book script, or writing a spec script based on existing characters, including iconic superheroes. To inform their work, students read from key writers in the genre and assigned chapters of key texts on creating graphic novels. Emphasis is placed on writing exercises, the revision process, and helping students develop a voice and style that best suits their chosen approach.

In this one-on-one tutorial with a faculty member, students produce and revise an original comic book of 20-22 pages, an original series of comics, or an original longer form graphic novel, with an emphasis on revision and manuscript development, and an exploration of the collaborative aspects of the comics creation process. To inform their own work, students read from master comics writers. Emphasis is placed on moving stories forward with images/artistic instructions, as well as with dialogue and action.

In this one-on-one tutorial with a faculty member, students produce and revise original work through the application of established techniques. To inform their own work, students read from masters of the genre, focusing on moving stories forward with descriptions of graphics, dialogue, and action. Ongoing communication with a faculty mentor assures students of the support and critique needed to advance their literary and personal goals. Emphasis is placed on self-assessment skills, craft issues, structural issues, career preparation, and strategies related to creating a long-form comics series or graphic novel.

In a one-on-one tutorial with a faculty member, students produce and revise an original comics series or graphic novel through the application of established production techniques. To inform their own work, students read from masters of the genre, focusing on voice, styles, dialogue, graphics descriptions, action, and suspense. Ongoing communication with faculty assures students of the support and critique needed to advance their literary and personal goals. Emphasis is placed on the comics marketplace and an exploration of careers in comics.

The thesis residency takes place over a ten day, onsite period, where lectures, classes, workshops, readings and conferences create a community among writers. Students will spend 3 hours per day meeting in workshop groups of 6-9 students under the direction of a faculty mentor. The thesis residency will focus on advancing student's creative and professional goals. The residency workshop is dedicated to the development of student creativity. Students become a part of a community where student writers refine their art through writing, reading, rewriting, talking, debating, listening, criticism and praise. On an individual level, each writer learns the discipline necessary to produce new work on a regular basis, as well as to develop a fastidious editorial aptitude about both their own work and the work of others. Students will spend 3 hours attending lectures and symposiums on genre and craft, taught by faculty and guest faculty. Introductory residency topics will include: the writing process, story structure, language and voice, characterization, time and place, plot, pacing, point of view, imagery, dialogue, and revision. Some lessons will be genre-specific. Additional hours will be spent attending industry related readings, talks and panels. In the two weeks leading up to each residency period, students will complete a pre-residency bibliography assignment by assembling a list of 10 books according to the individual student's stylistic influences, inspirations and literary ambitions. Thesis students will undergo workshop leader/teacher training, and each thesis student will give a lecture on craft, as well as a public reading. The submission of a creative thesis-a novella, a chapbook of poetry, a short story collection, a full script for a play or film-is to be finished and presented during the student's final semester. The aim is to produce work of literary merit that is worthy of publication or performance. The project must be approved the thesis adviser and the director of the Creative Writing Program. A second reader is agreed upon by the mentor and director of the Program. MFA candidates complete theses which must meet the following guidelines: Poetry: minimum 30 poems for a chapbook Fiction: 5 short stories or at least 150 pages of a novel Screenwriting/Playwriting/Writing for Performance: full script. 80-120 pages in length

The thesis residency takes place over a ten day, onsite period, where lectures, classes, workshops, readings and conferences create a community among writers. Students will spend 3 hours per day meeting in workshop groups of 6-9 students under the direction of a faculty mentor. The thesis residency will focus on advancing student's creative and professional goals. The residency workshop is dedicated to the development of student creativity. Students become a part of a community where student writers refine their art through writing, reading, rewriting, talking, debating, listening, criticism and praise. On an individual level, each writer learns the discipline necessary to produce new work on a regular basis, as well as to develop a fastidious editorial aptitude about both their own work and the work of others. Students will spend 3 hours attending lectures and symposiums on genre and craft, taught by faculty and guest faculty. Introductory residency topics will include: the writing process, story structure, language and voice, characterization, time and place, plot, pacing, point of view, imagery, dialogue, and revision. Some lessons will be genre-specific. Additional hours will be spent attending industry related readings, talks and panels. In the two weeks leading up to each residency period, students will complete a pre-residency bibliography assignment by assembling a list of 10 books according to the individual student's stylistic influences, inspirations and literary ambitions. Thesis students will undergo workshop leader/teacher training, and each thesis student will give a lecture on craft, as well as a public reading. The submission of a creative thesis-a novella, a chapbook of poetry, a short story collection, a full script for a play or film-is to be finished and presented during the student's final semester. The aim is to produce work of literary merit that is worthy of publication or performance. The project must be approved the thesis adviser and the director of the Creative Writing Program. A second reader is agreed upon by the mentor and director of the Program. MFA candidates complete theses which must meet the following guidelines: Poetry: minimum 30 poems for a chapbook Fiction: 5 short stories or at least 150 pages of a novel Screenwriting/Playwriting/Writing for Performance: full script. 80-120 pages in length