Creative Writing
Stories Worth Sharing
Join a strong community of writers.
吃瓜网’s Creative Writing minor can help you deepen your engagement with your major, provide a creative outlet and develop your passion for writing poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction. With our small class sizes, you’ll get to know the works of the greats and the works of your peers. While you develop your own voice, you’ll gain practical skills in close reading, effective writing and engaging storytelling, skills that will serve you well in whatever career you choose. And you’ll hear from established and emerging writers firsthand through our Visiting Writers Reading Series. Whitman is the place to hone your craft and empower the writer inside you!
3 Reasons To Study Creative Writing at Whitman
Get Real-World Experience
The Creative Writing scene at Whitman extends beyond the classroom, with tons of opportunities to gain experience and grow your skills, including writing for the student newspaper, the ; student literary magazines like Azulejos, and ; and the .
Complement Your Major Studies
Whether you’re a Biology major with a passion for the outdoors, an English major interested in how stories are made, a Theater major discovering the fundamentals of playwriting, or a Politics major exploring your voice in the global conversation, the Creative Writing program can deepen your learning and help you speak your mind.
Be Part of a Creative Community
At Whitman, you’ll find a supportive community of writers all developing their unique voices. You’ll share feedback with friends and peers in small classes, pop into weekly Writer’s Colony events or even live with other wordsmiths in the Writing House. It’s collaborative, creative and fun!
Interested in Creative Writing?
We’d love to send you information, including more on academic programs and student life at our beautiful campus in Walla Walla, Washington.
“I don’t regret doing the Creative Writing minor or doing the creative thesis, because it really enlightened me on what I want to do with my life. I started doing my thesis, started writing my novel, and now I know I want to go to grad school for Creative Writing. I want to teach Creative Writing. And I think the minor, leading to the thesis, leading to grad school, has been a really good domino effect for me.”
Alexia F., English major, Creative Writing minor
Faculty
Katrina Roberts VanKouwenhoven
Mina Schwabacher Professor of English, Creative Writing and Humanities, Chair of English
Rob Schlegel
Senior Adjunct Assistant Professor of Rhetoric, Writing, and Public Discourse and General Studies
Courses in Creative Writing
See just a few of the fascinating courses you might take.
Introductory Creative Writing
This course is your gateway to the Creative Writing minor, spanning poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. You’ll read pieces by established writers and workshop your own writing with your classmates. From here, you can choose to continue on with any of the three genres, taking intermediate and advanced courses to deepen your understanding and experience.
What is 淣ature Writing�?
In this course, Environmental Studies meets Creative Writing in a celebration of nature. You’ll explore the outdoors on Whitman’s campus and beyond; read poetry, fiction and nonfiction nature writing; and workshop your own ideas with the class. This course is perfect for students who are passionate about the outdoors.
Intermediate Creative Writing擣iction
What are the essential techniques, structures and elements of fiction? By reading and discussing important works in the genre, you’ll expand your knowledge and proficiency in fiction writing. And peer workshops will support the analysis, constructive criticism and revisions of your own creative works.
Advanced Creative Writing擯oetry
In Advanced Poetry, you’ll learn about what defines your own poetic voice. You’ll read deeply from works by established writers and by their peers in order to develop your own proficiency in poetry writing. Weekly poem and journal exercises culminate in a final portfolio that showcases your unique style and interests.
Playwriting/Writing Performance
In this course, you’ll learn about the fundamentals of playwriting, including action, character, structure and dialogue. You’ll generate a portfolio of new work, including short plays, audio dramas, and a one-act play. At the end of the course, you can even submit your play to Whitman’s biennial One-Act Play Festival, featuring works written, directed and performed entirely by students.
Creative Thesis
Senior English majors who are passionate about developing their own work have the option of completing a creative thesis. You’ll work one-on-one with a professor to create a substantial collection of work in your chosen genre. You’ll graduate with a completed novel, poetry collection, creative essay collection or book of short stories!
Amazing Experiences You Can Pursue
Gain hands-on editorial experience. You can be part of the working staff of a publication, contributing your writing, editing, copyediting, design or leadership skills to a student-run newspaper, lit mag, journal or zine. Don’t see the kind of publication you’re looking for on campus? Start it, like the co-founders of the Whitman Outdoor Journal did.
Land your dream internship. With the Whitman Internship Grant, you can get paid while gaining real-world work experience. Write for a local newspaper. Read manuscripts for a publishing company. Write grants for a nonprofit. Or create marketing content for a local business. Whitman can make it possible for you.
Take your writing around the world. Whitman can connect you with over 80 study abroad programs in more than 40 countries. Want to write in your second language, blog about your experiences abroad, or experience the places your favorite writers were inspired by? Whitman is your gateway to the world.
Your Questions Answered
Creative writing can take almost any form: poetry, novels, short stories, creative essays and more. It’s a way to share your story, invite people into your world, and build your critical thinking skills. Creative writing is also an art form, a way to express yourself. At Whitman, each of our three Creative Writing tracks—poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction—will set you up to tell your story in your own words.
Through experience reading, discussing and revising creative works, Creative Writing minors develop their skills in close reading, textual analysis, writing and editing. They become experts in how writing can create meaning. Whitman graduates have gone on to launch careers in communications, journalism, publishing or education—as well as becoming award-winning authors, poets and short-story writers.
Creative Writing at Whitman
Students All Across Campus Find Their Voices in Whitman Creative Writing Scene
Poet, Fiction Writer & Essayist Alina Stefanescu To Read at Whitman
