northeastern university creative writing

The Northeastern Writing Center is open to students, staff, faculty, and alumni of Northeastern and exists to help writers at any level, and from any academic discipline, in their written communication.

Our Mission

The Northeastern University Writing Center is open year-round to serve and assist the broader Northeastern community at any stage of the writing process. Consultants in the Writing Center are undergraduates, graduate students, and teachers of writing who are trained to work with any member of the Northeastern community on all aspects of writing across disciplines, from conceptualizing, to planning, researching, organizing, drafting, and revising.

Each consulting session is structured to reflect the philosophy that writing is a social activity, a form of knowledge-making, and that writers grow by becoming aware of their own writing choices. Consulting sessions last for about 45 minutes and are tailored to serve each individual writer’s goals and concerns, with the understanding that writing growth is a continual process which cannot be completed in a single day or session.

At the Writing Center, we affirm and value all languages and Englishes; we understand that writing serves multiple purposes and that effective writing takes many forms beyond the constraints of Standard American English.We recognize that language prejudice is unjustifiable. We recognize and practice intersectional ways of embracing, learning about, and engaging with multiple converging identities within writing and within our center. Consultants practice transformative listening in their sessions, acknowledging their own, as well as writers’, intersectionalities, subjectivities, and biases and allowing the session to shape itself according to those realities and needs.

• “To produce better writers, not better writing” as Stephen North states.
• To allow student writers to make their own decisions as they negotiate between their individual writing goals and audience expectations regarding genre, context, and situation.
• To prioritize critical thinking and higher-order organization over questions of grammar, punctuation, or standards of “correctness.”
• To support the collaborative process of writing as student and tutor continually teach and learn from one another, and build a community of writers.
• To critically engage with writing as a social process, with the understanding that student writers bring their own unique positionalities and perspectives to their writing.

An Anti-Racist and Decolonial Statement

A recognition: At the Writing Center, we recognize that we are situated within racism. Racism is pervasive and exists not only within the institution of higher education, but also in the ways writing has been traditionally taught. Traditional notions of “good writing” and “good academic English” are inherently racist, perpetuating the myth that any form of writing which deviates from this “good academic English” should be “corrected.” We recognize the pressures of conforming to this norm where individuals actively seek to acquire a “good academic English” to fit within the status quo. At the Writing Center, we commit ourselves to actively deconstructing these racist writing and teaching practices within the work we do.

An acknowledgement: Universities across the U.S. have been established on stolen lands. The Writing Center acknowledges that Northeastern University, in particular, has been established on the land of The Wampanoag and The Massachusett People. As a whole, writing curriculums are based on assimilatory, disciplinary, and exclusionary principles reinforcing language assimilation and erasure. Writing centers have often reinforced such ideological practices. This statement reflects our commitments to anti-racist and decolonial work, understanding that ideologies of writing and language continue to affect students, especially those historically oppressed and excluded by the American education system.

The role of the writing center and consultants: Consultants, with student writers, can recognize and acknowledge that there is no one-size-fits-all for writing approaches. The practice of enforcing monolingualism only maintains colonial educationist practices, and so at the Writing Center we actively work at dismantling the one-size-fits-all “standard English” approach to writing and language. By recognizing racist practices and committing ourselves to anti-racist and decolonial pedagogy, we can create a more inclusive, safe, and empowering space for all students.

Our Commitment

• We are committed to challenging and dismantling all forms of racism and discrimination that perpetuate traditional conventions of “good” writing and language
• We support all students, marginalized or dismissed, regardless of religious or spiritual identity, disability status, race or ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender identity, country of origin or immigration status (including but not limited to LGBTQ+, DACA, BIPOC individuals)
• We will continually self-reflect and adapt our ways of thinking and being to reflect an evolving sociocultural landscape
• We wholly and humbly respect and solicit feedback from all communities on practices that may unknowingly reflect ignorance to the oppressive realities that exist within our systems and services
• We consider our mission statements and goals as dynamic documents, continually evolving to reflect and respond to the Writing Center and its community’s practices, needs, and beliefs.

Disability and Inclusion Policy

The Writing Center is committed to providing the best possible service to every member of the Northeastern community. If you identify as having a disability, you can contact the Writing Center to book two consecutive appointments per day as needed. If you need any specific or particular accommodations, please contact the Director or Assistant Director of the Writing Center or reach out to the Disability Resource Center or the University Health and Counseling Services. The Writing Center’s commitment to transformative listening depends upon constructive feedback from the community, so for any comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] .

Disability Resource Center 20 Dodge Hall 617-373-2675 University Health and Counseling Services Forsyth Building 1st Floor, 70 Forsyth Street 617-373-2772 [email protected]

Acknowledgments

The current mission was developed by a committee made up of Writing Center consultants and administrators: Brianna Zaragoza, Caroline Grand, Nina Mouawad, and Nwabisi Chikwendu with comments and guidance from Professor Romeo Garcia, the Writing Center Director Isabel Sobral Campos, the Writing Program Directors and last but not least, the Writing Center Summer 2021 staff.

Academic Catalog 2023-2024

English, ba.

Students in the English major study the diverse historical, cultural, and aesthetic contexts of English, American, and other Anglophone literatures. They analyze writing practices and related media from the Middle Ages through the present, from the quill pen to code. They practice a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of language, rhetoric, writing, and literature.

Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.

Universitywide Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements .

BA Language Requirements

All BA students are required to complete the BA degree language requirements, for a total of 12 semester hours of language study or demonstrated equivalent proficiency, as described in  Additional Requirements for BA students . Successful demonstration of proficiency does not reduce total minimum semester hours of study required to earn the BA degree.

NUpath Requirements

All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements .

English Major Requirements

Experiential learning requirement.

Complete one course in experiential learning from the list below or any Dialogues of Civilization experience. (Other study-abroad programs may not be used.) This course can also count toward another requirement in the major.

English Major Credit Requirement

Complete 64 semester hours in the major.

Experiential Liberal Arts

All students in this College of Social Sciences and Humanities program are required to complete the Experiential Liberal Arts Requirement .

Program Requirement

128 total semester hours required

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College of Social Sciences & Humanities

The Master of Arts in English launches students into the study of literature, writing, and rhetoric at the graduate level. The program offers two years of intensive study in the major fields of British and American literature, covering the debates and approaches that animate the discipline of English. Our MA graduates are fully prepared to proceed to study at the doctoral level, and their training in critical thinking, language skills, and cultural history has also proven to be fruitful preparation for a range of careers outside of academia.

The Master of Arts program gives students broad exposure to the current state of literary studies—its history, its methodologies, its ever-changing canon, and its production of new knowledge. The program offers study in all areas of English and American literature, and in rhetorical criticism, the teaching of writing, and the role of rhetorical practices in shaping disciplinary, institutional, and cultural knowledges and identities. The graduate program in English encompasses a spectrum of traditional literary fields from the medieval period to postmodernism, as well as rhetoric and composition, linguistics, and digital humanities. Research and teaching in interdisciplinary areas, including American studies, African-American studies, gender studies, and cultural studies, are also well represented within the program. At Northeastern University, graduate students in English may take full advantage of the opportunities that the greater Boston area affords as the site of rich cultural and educational resources.

Learn more about the Master of Arts in English from the College of Social Sciences and Humanities .

More Details

Unique features.

• Master’s students may be nominated for scholarships
• Opportunities for involvement in cutting-edge research in centers including the NULab for Texts, Maps, and Networks; the Writing Center; the Digital Scholarship Group; and the Humanities Center as well as with individual faculty
• The department has strong graduate faculty in the fields of American literature; transatlantic and Caribbean studies; digital humanities; writing and rhetoric

Graduates of our MA program are able to:

• Employ primary and secondary materials to analyze critical debates within subfields of English studies
• Demonstrate expertise in the history, theories, and methods of three chosen subfields of English studies pertinent to the student’s plan of research and teaching
• Formulate and defend original and critically significant arguments, communicating them effectively in genres relevant to English studies (e.g., research papers, conference presentations, digital projects)
• Design and conduct sustained, sophisticated, independent research using primary and secondary sources in order to make a critical contribution to subfields within English studies

Career Outlook

Many successful MA English graduates have been accepted to well-regarded PhD programs throughout the country, including Cornell, Loyola University Chicago, Notre Dame, Princeton, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the State University of New York at Buffalo, the University of California-Davis, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, University of Minnesota, and the University of Washington. Others have found the program valuable for enhancing their credentials and opening opportunities for advancement in a variety of fields, including teaching, publishing, writing, law, and business.

Looking for something different?

A graduate degree or certificate from Northeastern—a top-ranked university—can accelerate your career through rigorous academic coursework and hands-on professional experience in the area of your interest. Apply now—and take your career to the next level.

Program Costs

Finance Your Education We offer a variety of resources, including scholarships and assistantships.

How to Apply Learn more about the application process and requirements.

Requirements

• Application
• Application fee
• Personal statement
• Three letters of recommendation
• Unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended
• English proficiency for international applicants
• Writing sample

Are You an International Student? Find out what additional documents are required to apply.

Admissions Details Learn more about the College of Social Sciences and Humanities admissions process, policies, and required materials.

Admissions Dates

Industry-aligned courses for in-demand careers..

For 100+ years, we’ve designed our programs with one thing in mind—your success. Explore the current program requirements and course descriptions, all designed to meet today’s industry needs and must-have skills.

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Northeastern's signature experience-powered learning model has been at the heart of the university for more than a century. It combines world-class academics with professional practice, allowing you to acquire relevant, real-world skills you can immediately put into action in your current workplace. This makes a Northeastern education a dynamic, transformative experience, giving you countless opportunities to grow as a professional and person.

Our Faculty

Northeastern University faculty represents a broad cross-section of professional practices and fields, including finance, education, biomedical science, management, and the U.S. military. They serve as mentors and advisors and collaborate alongside you to solve the most pressing global challenges facing established and emerging markets.

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Neal Lerner

Erika Boeckeler

Elizabeth Maddock Dillon

By enrolling in Northeastern, you’ll gain access to students at 13 campus locations, 300,000+ alumni, and 3,000 employer partners worldwide. Our global university system provides students unique opportunities to think locally and act globally while serving as a platform for scaling ideas, talent, and solutions.

Below is a look at where our Humanities & Social Sciences alumni work, the positions they hold, and the skills they bring to their organization.

Where They Work

• Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• City of Boston
• Liberty Mutual Insurance
• Fidelity Investments
• State Street

What They Do

• Business Development
• Community and Social Services
• Media and Communication

What They're Skilled At

• Public Speaking
• Social Media

Learn more about Northeastern Alumni on  Linkedin .

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MA Contemporary Creative Writing

The Master of Arts in Contemporary Creative Writing at Northeastern University London equips students with the knowledge, craft skills and discipline needed to be a creative writer now.

• Entry Requirements

Why Choose Our MA Contemporary Creative Writing?

Our Inaugural Cohort Scholarship : to celebrate the launch of the MA, all successful applicants for our first cohorts will receive a £2,250 scholarship towards the cost reducing the tuition fee of the MA Contemporary Creative Writing to £6,750.*

• To be part of a new kind of MA, focused on contemporary creative writing. Who is being published now, why, and how can you join them?
• Our innovative online experience: work in a way that suits your lifestyle, with full- or part-time study, weekly synchronous and asynchronous learning activities, and plenty of live interaction with tutors and peers.
• To be inspired by writers from all over the world, working as part of a diverse writing community.
• To work with lecturers who are also authors, and who will offer bespoke feedback on your writing.
• For the option to participate in our annual in-person Summer Writing Series, where you can meet tutors, peers and industry professionals, and take part in live classes, talks and workshops.

Introduction

The Master of Arts in Contemporary Creative Writing at Northeastern University London equips students with the knowledge, craft skills and discipline needed to be a creative writer now. There are more routes to publication available than ever before. However, navigating the twenty-first century literary marketplace requires specialist skills and knowledge alongside artistic prowess. Read more

From the moment they join our MA programme, our students are considered writers and supported in achieving their personal and professional creative goals. Diverse contemporary authors and publication platforms are foregrounded, contextualised by the study of significant shifts in the literary landscape over the last 25 years. This enables students to situate their creative practice in today’s marketplace, develop awareness of avenues for artistic expression and gain professional skills suitable for the creative industries. All courses are led by published authors who are also experienced academics at the forefront of Creative Writing as a discipline.

This fully online MA aims to be flexible and inclusive, with full- and part-time study options. Writers evolve their creative practice in a supportive and structured online learning environment, suitable for a writing community including recent graduates, lifelong learners, returners to education, and writers with wellbeing or access needs.

Students will take courses which explore fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, scripts and screenplays alongside each other, and others which enable them to specialise in favoured forms. A combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning tasks means writers can work in a way which accommodates their individual lifestyles. These include lively online forums, interactive learning activities, creative writing workshops, face-to-face webinars and regular bespoke feedback from tutors on works-in-progress. Community is central: although working at distance, students work closely with peers and tutors on developing craft, critical and editing skills, preparing them to work professionally with editors, producers, agents, publishers and publicists.

Writers can choose to enrich their online experience by attending Northeastern University London’s annual in-person Summer Writing Series at an additional cost. This option is open to all MA students but is not a required element of the programme. Participants will be able to meet peers and tutors, write together and attend a series of live literary events curated by the Creative Writing Faculty. Events may include author talks, creative industry Q&As, guest lectures, professional role plays and live workshops.

Our MA in Contemporary Creative Writing is an innovative, flexible programme which aims to draw together writers from across the world. This enables diverse experiences, encounters and perspectives to inform a truly global outlook on being a creative writer today.

Questions about the Master of Arts in Contemporary Creative Writing? Email the programme founder Dr Claire Griffiths at [email protected] to enquire or set up a Zoom chat. Alternatively, ask the Creative Writing team via Twitter: @WritingNULondon .

Scholarship

Inaugural Cohort Scholarship: To celebrate the launch of our new Master of Arts in Contemporary Creative Writing, all students starting the MA in September 2024 will receive a £2,250 scholarship towards the cost of the programme. Read more

Inaugural Cohort Scholarship Terms and Conditions:

Inaugural Cohort Scholarship   applies for MA Contemporary Creative Writing starters in September 2024.

Inaugural Cohort Scholarship   acknowledges certain recruitment-dependent optional and enrichment courses may not run due to low student uptake.

The MA Contemporary Creative Writing programme is a remote 180-credit programme. Read more

Students will complete two compulsory courses (a total of 60 credits), two ‘Masterclass’ courses (a total of 60 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits).

The MA Contemporary Creative Writing programme also offers the option of an in-person Summer Writing Series enrichment course of 2-5 days (non-credit bearing) at an additional cost.

Teaching & learning

The MA Contemporary Creative Writing programme will be delivered remotely online via live webinars, workshops, peer-editing and dedicated discussion forums.

Part-time study

The MA programme can be taken part-time over two years. Part-time students attend the same remote classes as their full-time colleagues. The classes are not run separately in the evening for part-time students. Read more

While we try to make the part-time study as flexible as possible, our Masters programmes are demanding and we advise students that, if they intend to work alongside the course, their work should be flexible.

Career Opportunities

The MA programme will equip writers with the necessary skills to enter a variety of positions within the creative industries and to work towards the publication and/or production of their own work. Students will learn the professional skills required to approach film and television producers, agents, publishers, and journals and publications (both in print and online) in order to sell and commission their work. They will also emerge prepared for further study in academia should they wish to pursue this route. Read more

Potential career paths for students include published writers of poetry, fiction and nonfiction; writers in Writers’ Rooms for TV; dramaturgs; radio writers; editors; publishers; agents; journalists; reviewers; development executives; screen industry workers; copywriters; advertisers; media and publicity specialists; academia.

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Ask a student questions about their experience

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Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies at The University of Texas at Austin

Grad Program: MA in Creative Writing in Russian (Moscow)

Application opens February 2019

For fiction/non-fiction writers in Russian.

MA “Creative Writing”  is:

• Practical and theoretical/historical courses, such as  Creative Writing Workshop ,  Storytelling in Different Media ,  Literary Editing , Poetics of Novel and Screenwriting ;
• Unique professors and teachers, among them famous Russian writers, screenwriters and critics –  Marina Stepnova ,  Lyudmila Ulitskaya ,  Lev Danilkin ,  Sergey Gandlevsky  and  Maya Kucherskaya  as well as prominent philologists, authors of academic and non-fiction books  Oleg Lekmanov ,  Ekaterina Lyamina  and  Alexey Vdovin ;
• Participation in open readings, discussions and  literary expeditions ,  publications in students’ projects ;
• International exchange  – lectures and workshops of the leading specialists in Creative Writing, students’ exchange in the best world universities;
•  Help and support in the process of  employment  in various publishing houses, editorials, Mass Media, high schools and universities and PR;
• Creation and participation in  cultural projects ;
• Flexible timetable  enabling students to work while studying.

Our graduates already work in the best publishing houses, universities and schools in Moscow. Their writing is published in the authoritative literary magazines. Their projects (such as prize  “_Litblog”  for the best literary blogger and first Creative Writing Internet resource in Russian  “Mnogobukv” and collections of prose) have gained much attention.

Language of instruction: Russian

You can apply to non-paid place as a foreign student in February. Looking forward to seeing you at Higher School of Economics!

More information about the programme:  https://www.hse.ru/en/ma/litmaster

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Apr. 22, 2024

Empowering voices: the future of creative writing at rice university.

Creative writing transcends conventional academic boundaries, serving as both a discipline and a practice that invites diverse perspectives and influences. According to Ian Schimmel, associate teaching professor of English at Rice University, creative writing is characterized by its openness to exploration and expression.

“It does not define the scope of what a thought project should be,” Schimmel said, adding that creative writing encompasses a wide range of forms and styles, from traditional genres like fiction, poetry, nonfiction and drama to emerging mediums that shape contemporary discourse. “It’s very permeable to other parts of the university that want to participate in it.”

Extending beyond mere poetic imagery or storytelling, creative writing delves into the depths of human experience, capturing the rhythm, themes and pauses that define individual narratives.

“We’re all an amalgamation of stories,” said Kiese Laymon, the Libbie Shearn Moody Professor of English. “The rigor of having to explore your imagination and memory with these tools we have is hard work. We try to make it enjoyable work, but it’s definitely hard work.”

Creative writing plays a pivotal role in understanding and interpreting societal narratives, Schimmel pointed out, highlighting the significance of studying hybrid forms that blend elements of journalism, memoir and personal reflection, reflecting the multifaceted nature of contemporary storytelling.

“I prefer the term ‘imaginative writing’ or ‘public writing,’” said Justin Cronin, writer-in-residence in English. “‘Creative writing’ pays less attention to the idea that this is a discipline. It really is a very particular kind of discipline that you need to learn to do.”

At its core, creative writing is about having something to say — a point of view or an urgency that compels expression.

“We are equipping students with the tools to say what they feel is most important and urgent,” Schimmel said. “That’s where the fulfillment comes from.”

For Cronin, teaching creative writing is a dynamic process of self-discovery and exploration.

“Anyone who teaches creative writing is teaching themselves, full stop,” Cronin said. “We are doing both all the time.”

He emphasized the interdisciplinary nature of the discipline, drawing connections between literature, film and societal trends. Cronin’s spring 2024 course titled “The End of the World as We Know It: Writing (and Reading) Apocalypse” exemplifies this interdisciplinary approach, blending literary analysis with creative expression to explore existential themes.

“There is a lot to learn about craft, about how to make a good sentence, how essays really work, how stories or novels work,” Cronin said. “But then there are also the broader questions: Why do we do this? Where does it come from, and where does it go?”

‘It feels like home’

It’s worth reflecting on the latter question in relation to Rice’s creative writing program. Of the current faculty, Cronin has the longest institutional knowledge. He came to Rice in 2003, effectively doubling the program’s full-time faculty.

“It was just me teaching fiction and one poetry professor,” Cronin said. “That was creative writing in 2003.”

A couple of years later when he sold a partial manuscript of what evolved into his trilogy “The Passage,” Cronin stepped down from his full-time teaching role to focus on the series.

Schimmel later joined Rice during a two-year fellowship starting in 2011. After his first year, the two other creative writing faculty members retired.

“I was one of only one or two other people teaching creative writing at Rice in 2012,” Schimmel said.

Associate professor Amber Dermont joined the faculty followed by assistant professor Paul Otremba then Lacy Johnson in 2016, which is when Cronin returned to teach at Rice.

“We made a strategic plan that involved investing in creative writing, trying to make Rice the best undergraduate creative writing program in the country,” said Lacy Johnson, associate professor of creative writing and director of undergraduate studies in English. “We proposed hiring a few more writers so that we could continue to grow.”

And they did, adding Laymon, professor in the practice Andrea Bajani, assistant professor Bryan Washington and associate professor Tomás Q. Morín.

“When I saw the job posting at Rice, every writer I knew was applying for the job,” Morín said. “Every writer I knew wanted to work at Rice because it was a dream job.”

Morin said his desire to join the faculty only grew after visiting the campus during the interview process when he got to meet the people he’d be working with and the students he’d be teaching.

“I felt like this job could be my last stop in terms of my academic career,” Morín said. “This is a place where I could retire. Once I actually did start teaching here, all of that was affirmed. I don’t want to ever teach anywhere else again. This doesn’t feel like a job. It feels like home.”

“With Lacy Johnson, Ian Schimmel, Kiese Laymon, Bryan Washington, Tomás Morín, Amber Dermont, Andrea Bajani and Justin Cronin, Rice boasts some of the most significant writers in the United States,” said Kathleen Canning, dean of the School of Humanities, in sharing her assessment of the creative writing faculty she calls “amazing.”

“Spectacular” is the word Cronin choses to describe his colleagues.

“The amount of raw achievement in so many areas is unparalleled,” Cronin said, pointing to Laymon’s selection as a MacArthur Fellow and Johnson’s creation of the Houston Flood Museum. “We have short story writers, essayists, novelists, poets, screenwriters. We have it all.”

Laymon, who started teaching at Rice in January 2022, expressed that he’s been impressed by how dynamic and thoughtful his colleagues are.

“Our ability to work together is one of the reasons why the creative writing program is growing at such an incredible rate,” Laymon said.

"The learning and the doing"

The program’s not growing just in terms of faculty; the academic powerhouse has captured the imagination and enthusiasm of students, sparking a surge of interest that far exceeds available capacity. Most creative writing classes have waitlists at least 20 students deep, while the waitlists for intro workshops are closer to 75.

“I’ve never worked anywhere where there was such a tremendous curiosity, passion and interest in creative writing at the undergraduate level,” Morín said.

“The desire on the part of these students to use creativity to explore critically and intellectually, I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” Laymon said, adding that he believes the interest is connected to the strength of the faculty. “You don’t find creative writing programs with any sort of growth unless the students are being taught well.”

Laymon suggested the program’s success also lies in its ability to attract students from diverse disciplines, including computer science, biology and engineering.

“There is such a hunger on our campus to make things and to take what you learned in the classroom and apply it,” Schimmel said. “There’s often a gulf between the theoretical and the practical in an education setting. What’s powerful about creative writing, and the arts in general, is the connectivity between the learning and the doing.”

Faculty members say they appreciate the diverse perspectives and interdisciplinary collaborations that emerge from such a dynamic student body.

“There are so many different kinds of expertise for students to use Rice and Houston as a laboratory to think about the issues that are facing us today,” Johnson said. “Thinking about climate, about science, about community, about culture, where better than Houston to come to learn to write about those things?”

"Experimenting with words"

The creative writing program is a catalyst for that exploration and discovery, empowering students to engage with a myriad of topics and formats while honing their skills as storytellers.

For example, on the nonfiction side, Laymon’s spring 2024 course titled "Verses/Versus: Miseducation of Lauryn Hill v. good kid m.A.A.d. city (or 1998 vs. 2012)” allows students to reflect on how music influences their lives, whether through personal experiences or the albums discussed in class. “Nonfiction Nature Writing,” taught by Johnson, merges writing and environmental philosophy.

“We’re giving consideration to the ways that we think about and talk about the environment as well as practicing writing about our relationship to the environment,” Johnson said. “Students often come to that class from the sciences. I have a lot of students from environmental sciences, geology, physics, ecology and evolutionary biology.”

The class is a different application of science, Johnson added, explaining that it provides students an opportunity to apply and translate what they’ve learned in their other classes in creative ways.

Schimmel, meanwhile, teaches podcasting courses, challenging students to report on stories beyond the hedges of Rice. By interviewing real-life characters and crafting compelling narratives, students gain valuable storytelling skills while exploring the power of audio storytelling.

“We deconstruct the narrative structures of radio storytelling to understand how a large amount of material can be condensed into something that is manageable, enjoyable and informative for an audience,” Schimmel said.

Central to the creative writing experience at Rice is the workshop. Through peer critique and experimentation, students refine their writing and gain insights into audience engagement and narrative structure.

“A workshop environment helps you compare your intentions with the realities of your audience,” Schimmel said. “It pulls you out of yourself. It makes you conscious of how form and technique affect your reader’s desire to interact with your work.”

Laymon underscored the importance of experimentation in creative writing. By encouraging students to explore literary traditions and experiment with language, the program fosters a culture of innovation and self-expression.

“We all have these 26 letters. How do we create a story with them?” Laymon said. “We need young people out there experimenting with words and to be encouraged to do that.”

"A unique opportunity"

As Rice’s creative writing program has evolved, its faculty have remained dedicated to fostering a culture of creativity, expression and intellectual inquiry, shaping the next generation of writers and thinkers.

“One of our goals is to broaden the public’s understanding of what creative writing is and how it can serve as a public utility for all,” Schimmel said.

The next step for the program, according to Cronin, is to elevate from a strong program to a national leader in undergraduate creative writing education.

“We want to be the best undergraduate creative writing program in the country, which means students come to Rice specifically for that,” Cronin said. “We want to build the kind of program that people deliberately seek out. Students apply to a university for a thing, and we want to be that thing.”

Faculty members are exploring the possibility of establishing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing, which reflects the program’s commitment to furthering its impact and engaging with a broader community of writers.

“There’s a lot of interest,” Johnson said. “We have a really unique opportunity at Rice to build something from scratch.”

“That feels incredibly exciting to me,” Morín said, explaining that the goal is to create a program that addresses the shortcomings of the traditional MFA model while offering a fresh and dynamic approach. “It gives me a lot of energy, because as a group, we can offer the kind of experience that a graduate student in creative writing can’t find anywhere else.”

For more information about Rice’s creative writing program, click here .

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Simon Proekt

Boston, ma..

I am co-founder and CEO of Flocktory, a leading enterprise social referral marketing platform with over $1.5M in venture financing. My focus is leading the continued product development of a suite of tools that increases our client's ecommerce conversion rates while increasing customer lifetime value through word of mouth campaigns.

Prior to Flocktory, I headed the business development of Brightstar Russia, a $12 billion revenue multi national mobile distribution and service provider. Before coming to Brightstar, I was part of GreenFuel Technologies Corporation, which was a pioneer in developing algae-to-biofuel technology with some of the largest energy companies in the US.

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