creative writing classes in madison wi

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Writing Classes & Workshops

Arts + Literature Laboratory is home to Madison's only independent literary arts center. Whether you're new at writing or a published writer or somewhere in between, we have a creative writing class that will help you become a better writer. Workshops in screenwriting, poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction enrolling now. We also have great art classes , including classes on book-making and letterpress!

We offer a low teacher-student ratio, affordable rates, and experienced instructors, so register today . If the registration fee poses a financial hardship, please reach out to [email protected] for scholarship information.

Interested in teaching a workshop for us? Send us a proposal !

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Arts + Literature Laboratory is located at 111 S. Livingston Street #100, Madison, Wisconsin, 53703.

Our galleries are open Tuesday through Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday noon to 5pm, and other programs take place throughout the week. Please check the events calendar and education section for details.

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(FULL) Creative Writing: Storytelling (Grades 7-8)

• All upcoming dates
• July 08, 2024

Upcoming dates (1)

Contact Lauren Oldenburg at [email protected] or 608-262-0002

Session 1: July 8–12, 2024

Register through: May 01, 2024

All times shown in central time.

Cancellation Policy

Badger Precollege reserves the right to cancel classes when necessary, including those for which enrollment numbers are not sufficient, or those for which a highly qualified instructor is unavailable. In the case of course cancellations, we will be happy to help you choose an alternative course. If no acceptable alternative is available, we will refund any tuition paid, minus any non-refundable application fees or deposits.

Precollege Academic Campus Experience (PACE)

Do you love a good story? Do you enjoy creating characters and setting them loose in a world of your imagination? If so, join us for a writing workshop where you can express your voice through the endless possibilities of fiction. We'll explore what it is that makes for great storytelling and enjoy sharing our ideas with each other.

Student profile

This course is designed as a challenging enrichment opportunity for students completing grades 7-8.

Important dates

Application deadlines.

Application opens: Nov. 28, 2023 Deadline: Apply by May 1, 2024

Tuition deadlines

The first half of tuition is due by May 15, 2024. The second half of tuition is due by June 1, 2024.

PACE (grades 5–8)

More PACE (grades 5–8) Offerings

• Medical Mysteries (Grades 7-8) More
• (Week 3 FULL) A Class of Characters (Grades 5-6) More
• (Week 2 FULL) Space Exploration Adventures (Grades 5-6) More
• (Week 2 FULL) Biotechnology: Engineering Life (Grades 7-8) More
• (FULL) Neuroscience (Grades 7-8) More
• (FULL) Introduction to Computer Science (Grades 5-6) More
• View All PACE (grades 5–8) Offerings

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Writing @ Madison Public Library

Ongoing events.

Madison Writing Assistance: General and Job-Related Writing Help

National Poetry Month (including writing workshops)

Wisconsin Book Festival

Chapters Teen Writing Club Thursdays, 6-8pm - Pinney Library Local author Carole Madrzak leads a writing club for teens.

First Monday, First Person First Monday of the month - Pinney Library Monthly writers' salon on the Monday of each month through December (excluding holidays)

Workshops and Programs

Have an idea for a writing workshop you’d like to see at the library? Email  [email protected]  to tell us about it. 

Local Resources for Writers

• Arts + Literature Laboratory
• Council for Wisconsin Writers
• Madison Writers’ Studio
• UW-Madison Writer’s Institute
• UW-Madison Writing Center
• Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets
• Wisconsin Writers Association
• Write-by-the-Lake Writer’s Workshop and Retreat
• Writing @ UW Madison Continuing Studies
• Writing Meetups in Madison

Books about Writing

• Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life  by Anne Lamott
• The Elements of Style  by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White
• Letters to a Young Writer: Some Practical and Philosophical Advice   by Colum McCann
• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft  by Stephen King
• On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction  by William Zinsser
• Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them  by Francine Prose
• Syllabus: Notes From an Accidental Professor  by Lynda Barry
• This Year You Write Your Novel  by Walter Mosley
• Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within  by Natalie Goldberg
• The Writing Life  by Annie Dillard
• Writer’s Market 2018  by Robert Lee Brewer

Also check  LINKcat  for Writer’s Market books for specific genres.

Online Resources

Business and educational writing.

• Business Plans Handbook  Database containing actual business plans compiled by entrepreneurs seeking funding for small businesses throughout North America.
• LearningExpress Library  A comprehensive online database of practice tests and tutorial course series designed to help students and adult learners succeed. Includes tutorials on writing and grammar.
• Writer’s Handbook  Guidelines for academic and professional writing from the Writing Center at UW-Madison.
• Purdue Online Writing Lab  Writing resources and instructional material from the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University.

Creative Writing

• National Novel Writing Month  National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) believes in the transformational power of creativity. We provide the structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds—on and off the page.
• Poets & Writers  Resources for writers, including selected content from Poets & Writers Magazine.
• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Creative Writing Resources that will help you with the basics of creative writing, including resources on writing poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.
• Writer’s Digest  Online home of the popular magazine dedicated to helping writers with the craft and the business of writing.

Professional Associations

There are many professional associations for writers of any genre or style. Check out a few below, or find more lists  here ,  here , and  here .

• Academy of American Poets
• Horror Writers Association
• Mystery Writers of America
• Romance Writers of America
• Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America

Grant Writing

• Grant Writing 101: Resources for Grant Writers  Informative blog post with useful links from GuideStar.
• Agent Query  The internet's largest free database of literary agents.
• “ The Indie Author's Guide to Free Reviews ” Article from Publisher’s Weekly that includes a list of places indie authors can look to for free reviews of their books.
• Mad Poetry's Local Publications & Media list Madison area resource list
• Poets & Writers Literary Agents Database Includes agents and literary agencies that represent poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers, plus details about the kind of books they're interested in representing, their clients, and the best way to contact them.
• Query Shark  A blog dedicated to how to write query letters.
• Writer’s Digest  Online resources for writers, with a focus on writing and getting published.

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Writing Memoir

March 16, 2022

Wednesday s, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, may 4, 2022.

The things we love about engaging memoirs are also what make them challenging to write. The best memoirs do more than capture memories and experiences. They help put our lives in context, explore their meaning and reveal emotional truths. They tell the stories of our lives.

Whether you hope to publish a memoir or chronicle periods of your life as a personal project, this supportive workshop focuses on how to write about your experiences with clarity and style, specificity and substance. Participants might be contemplating a book-length memoir or looking to write shorter pieces. New York Times bestselling memoirist Marja Mills will offer instruction, share excerpts from a variety of compelling memoirs and personal essays, and lead discussions on how to overcome obstacles and dilemmas. These include where to start, how to organize material and what to include.

Each week, students will do short exercises, with guidance on writing and revising this material into polished passages.  A substantial portion of each class will be devoted to participants reading aloud their short passages for discussion and, along with the instructor, offering constructive comments and suggestions on one another’s work. 

SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE:  There is one (1) scholarship available for this course. Students of need are encouraged to apply through our  Scholarship Application page .

QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS COURSE?  Visit our  FAQ  page or e-mail Digital Services Manager  Matt Rezin .

DISCOUNT FOR ACADEMY MEMBERS : Members receive a 10% discount Member Rate on this course (discount applied during registration). Not an Academy member? Choose the "Member Rate + Membership" option during registration to receive your discount rate. Academy Members receive discounts on courses, contests, and ticketed events, as well as an annual subscription to  Wisconsin People & Ideas  magazine.

Marja Mills is a journalist and bestselling author. She teaches and consults on writing projects.

Contact Us [email protected]

Wisconsin Academy Offices  1922 University Avenue Madison, Wisconsin 53726 Phone: 608.733.6633

James Watrous Gallery  3rd Floor, Overture Center for the Arts 201 State Street Madison, WI 53703 Phone: 608.733.6633 x25

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• Creative Writing, MFA

The program in creative writing offers a two-year master of fine arts degree in creative writing in the areas of fiction and poetry. The MFA program is a small program within a large and vibrant writing community. The program typically admits six new students each year.

The MFA program is the only program of its kind to have an "alternating genre" admissions policy. The program admits fiction writers in even-numbered years and poets in odd-numbered years. This alternating admissions schedule allows the program to provide a 2-to-1 student/teacher ratio and lets fiction instructors focus entirely on one group of fiction writers, and poetry instructors on one group of poets for the two-year instructional period.

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online .

Details about the admissions process can be found  here .

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid.  Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Resources

Prospective students should see the program website for funding information.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Major requirements.

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements , in addition to the program requirements listed below.

MODE OF INSTRUCTION

Mode of instruction definitions.

Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.

Evening/Weekend: ​Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules.  Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.

Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.

Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats.  Contact the program for more specific information.

Online: These programs are offered 100% online.  Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.

CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS

Required courses.

Students take 3 credits in each of the first, second and third semesters, then 6 thesis credits in the fourth semester. These are not courses—rather, they're the means by which the University gives MFAs credit for their independent writing.

15 credits of electives drawn from appropriate courses across the curriculum. While students are expected to focus on and produce book-length theses by the end of their two years here, they are also encouraged to pursue other intellectual interests via these electives. In the past, MFA students have fulfilled their elective requirements by enrolling in literature courses, studying foreign languages, pursuing other artistic interests such as dance, book-making, and classical guitar, augmenting research for historical novels by taking appropriate history classes. MFA students may also hone their writing skills in other genres by taking intermediate and advanced undergraduate workshops and graduate level workshops in genres outside the one for which they were admitted, as electives with the permission of the instructor. Students may also take up to 6 elective credits in the form of additional thesis hours in the second and third semesters.

Graduate School Policies

The  Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures  provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.

Major-Specific Policies

Prior coursework, graduate work from other institutions.

With program approval, students are allowed to count no more than 12 credits of graduate coursework from other institutions. coursework earned five or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

UW–Madison Undergraduate

No credits from a UW–Madison undergraduate degree are allowed to count toward the degree.

UW–Madison University Special

With program approval, students are allowed to count no more than 10 credits of coursework numbered 300 or above taken as a UW–Madison University Special student. coursework earned five or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

The MFA advisor (sometimes referred to as the MFA program director) will review student academic performance and conduct in all coursework to determine that students are making satisfactory progress toward the degree. If at any time the MFA advisor determines that a student’s academic performance and/or conduct has not been satisfactory, the MFA advisor, with the input and concurrence of the voting members of the Creative Writing Steering Committee, may place the student on probation or may dismiss the student from the program. The period of probation will be one semester in duration. Prior to the end of the probationary period the MFA advisor will review the student’s performance and conduct and decide, with the input and concurrence of the voting members of the Creative Writing Steering Committee, to reinstate or dismiss the student.

ADVISOR / COMMITTEE

The current MFA advisor (sometimes referred to as the MFA program director) advises all MFA students.

CREDITS PER TERM ALLOWED

Time constraints.

It is expected that the MFA thesis be completed in May of the second year in the program.

Master’s degree students who have been absent for five or more consecutive years lose all credits that they have earned before their absence. Individual programs may count the coursework students completed prior to their absence for meeting program requirements; that coursework may not count toward Graduate School credit requirements.

Grievances and appeals

These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:

• Bias or Hate Reporting  
• Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
• Office of the Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs
• Dean of Students Office (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
• Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
• Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
• Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
• Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
• Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
• Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
• Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)

Students should contact the department chair or program director with questions about grievances. They may also contact the L&S Academic Divisional Associate Deans, the L&S Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning Administration, or the L&S Director of Human Resources.

Each student receives financial aid in the form of teaching assistantships, scholarships, tuition remission, and health benefits. Students may also receive prizes or fellowships.

Take advantage of the Graduate School's  professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career. 

• Develop the creative and technical skills necessary to conceive, execute, and revise original literary work in a student's chosen genre (fiction or poetry).
• Demonstrate sensitivity to language and style on both the artistic and technical levels.
• Develop the critical, analytical, and editing skills necessary to evaluate literary works in progress, both in the student’s own work-in-progress, and in that of the student’s peers.
• Develop the ability to read literary works not only for their social, historical, intellectual, formal, and interpretive value, but for their capacity to inspire and generate new work, and to see in a finished work the process of its being made.
• Develop through study and practice the pedagogical skills necessary to teach creative writing courses to undergraduate students.
• Demonstrate understanding of professional and pedagogical practices and opportunities within and related to the field of creative writing.
• Recognize and apply principles of ethical conduct with respect to one's work.
• Engage with local communities of creative writers.

Faculty: Professors Amy Quan Barry, Amaud Jamaul Johnson, Beth Nguyen, and Porter Shreve

Staff: Faculty Associates Sean Bishop and Ron Kuka, Mendota Lecturers Leila Chatti and Dantiel W. Moniz

• Requirements
• Professional Development
• Learning Outcomes

Contact Information

English College of Letters & Science creativewriting.wisc.edu

Sean Bishop, MFA Program Administrator [email protected] 206-491-1505

Professor Martin Foys, Director of Graduate Studies [email protected]

Graduate School grad.wisc.edu

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Creative Writing: Home

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Welcome to the Creative Writing Library Research Guide

• Next: Fiction >>
• Last Updated: Apr 1, 2024 10:33 AM
• URL: https://libguides.madisoncollege.edu/creativewrite

1701 Wright Street | Madison, Wisconsin 53704 | Libraries: 608.246.6640 | Student Achievement Centers: 608.246.6125 | College Info: 608.246.6100

Center for Teaching and Research on Writing

Working together, sharing, and collaborating

The Center for Teaching and Research in Writing (CTRW) was founded to coordinate the English Department’s writing programs and to serve as a research engine on the subject of writing for the university and beyond. While CTRW constituent programs are already mature and well-functioning units, their coordination allows its professionals – faculty, instructional staff, and graduate students – to better flourish and engage in research, drawing additional expertise from around the campus and around the world.  Read more about us .

Teaching Support

CTRW is centered on the teaching of writing, and UW-Madison offers a full spectrum of writing support and opportunities at every level for:

• Students (college/university, but also K-12 programs via GWMP)
• Teachers (focusing on graduate teaching assistants, as well as PT/FT instructional faculty)
• Program/unit directors (who are interested in writing research opportunities and becoming an affiliated program)
• Community members (writing events of all types for writers in the community)

Research Support

At the CTRW, we harness the intellectual and research power of the center’s core programs and open up the programs as research sites to other researchers and teachers on the UW-Madison campus with an interest in writing and writing pedagogy. The center serves as a research home base to faculty, instructional staff, and graduate students who wish to affiliate with the center and/or conduct research using the intellectual resources found in its constituent units.

• Visit our research overview for more information on research opportunities for faculty, staff, and graduate students interested in research on writing and research that supports writing instruction.
• Find grants & opportunities on our blog.

Upcoming Events

CWPA: Wisconsin Affiliate Summer Event July 29, 2024 St. Norbert College Registration - $50

Announcements

Sophie boes, undergraduate writing fellow, publishes in xchanges, humanities now: public universities, legislatures, and academic freedom, ctrw @ 2024 cccc annual convention, a public affair interview: michael bernard-donals on the vulnerability of higher education, ctrw outreach surveys.

• More announcements More

Grants & Opportunitites

Uw-madison: research on generative ai in technical communication program, racial justice grants – nathan cummings foundation, russell sage foundation (rsf) , seeking wisconsin idea conference proposals, muir elementary school classroom support.

• More grants & opportunities More

WAC Program

Contact the Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) for ways to incorporate writing into your courses

ESL Program

The English as a Second Language (ESL) Program provides a wide range of support international students and ESL instructors.

English 100 Program

English 100 is an introductory college composition course that helps students prepare for the demands of writing at UW.

English 201 Program

English 201 is an intermediate composition course that helps students prepare for writing after and outside undergraduate life.

Undergrad Writing Fellows

The Undergrad Writing Fellows brings talented undergraduate and committed faculty together to improve student writing.

The Greater Madison Writing Project (GWMP) offers support for K-12 educators, as well as young writers.

Writing Center

Helping teachers and tens of thousands of students since 1969.

CTRW News and Events

Find more on research events and news.

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The University Writing Center and WC Satellites

Since its start as the Writing Laboratory in 1969, the Writing Center at Madison has helped literally tens of thousands of University of Wisconsin students, both undergraduate and graduate, learn more about writing and has helped them successfully complete course papers, theses, dissertations, and articles for publication — in all sorts of academic disciplines. To provide this help, we offer an extensive range of  individual instruction ,  non-credit workshops ,  curricular-based writing tutors (Undergraduate Writing Fellows) , and  instructional materials .

Writing Across the Curriculum Program

The Writing Across the Curriculum Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is eager to help you think about creative and effective ways to incorporate writing and speaking assignments into your courses at all levels and in all disciplines. The hundreds of pages of materials on this site offer a good place to start.

If you teach at UW-Madison, we would be happy to consult with you about ways to customize these materials and the pedagogical strategies they suggest. Click on “About Us” above to see some of the many ways we can help with your teaching. And please do not hesitate to request a consultation or contact us if you would like additional support.

English as a Second Language Program

The UW-Madison’s English as a Second Language Program mission is to support the University’s international students. We provide a wide range of ESL courses for undergraduate and graduate students. We train international teaching assistants to become more effective teachers and prospective ESL teachers who desire TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification. Our program supports the University’s community and international outreach goals. We look forward to meeting you and answering any questions you may have.

English-100 (Communications-A) Program

English 100 is an introduction to college composition that helps students prepare for the demands of writing at UW-Madison and also helps them think about writing beyond the classroom. The course satisfies the Communication A general education requirement for undergraduates.

Students  in English 100 build rhetorical awareness in both written and oral communication. Assignments engage questions of audience, purpose, genre, discourse conventions, and research methods. Students use narrative strategies to explore abstract concepts; summarize and synthesize information; engage in conversations with the ideas of others; and construct arguments through original research. The course views writing as an act of inquiry, a means of communication, and a process. With this in mind, instructors emphasize drafting, revising, and editing as critical practices.

Instructors  for English 100 are part of a dynamic intellectual community, centered in the English department. In this community you will find doctoral students in literary studies, composition and rhetoric, English Language and Linguistics, and Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies, as well as Creative Writing MFA students. Additionally, instructional staff often includes experienced doctoral students from the School of Education, Linguistics, and other areas of the university.

English-201 (Communications-B) Program

English 201 is a 3-credit, intermediate level, general education writing course that satisfies the university’s Communications B requirement for enhancing students’ literacy skills. Enrollment in English 201 assumes that a student has successfully completed or been exempted from the “Communication A” requirement.

English 201 is a low-enrollment course that depends on student participation, so each section is capped at 19 students. It is designed to develop skills in the four modes of literacy: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. This course places special attention on writing, requiring numerous assignments of multiple pages, each developed through extensive planning, drafting, revising, and editing. Most classes employ a workshop approach, meaning that students work in peer writing groups, reading and commenting on one another’s work in constructive ways that are taught to students early in the semester.

The Greater Madison Writing Project (GMWP)

The Greater Madison Writing Project (GMWP) at  University of Wisconsin – Madison  (UW) is an affiliate of  National Writing Project  (NWP) network, a nationally acclaimed professional learning community that puts educators’ knowledge, experience and voices at its center.  GMWP offers both professional development for educators as well as enrichment opportunities for children and young adult writers.  The Greater Madison Writing Project was founded as a joint effort at between the  College of Letters & Science  and the  School of Education  and is now a member of the  Center for the Teaching and Research on Writing  in the  UW-Madison English Department . Find GMWP teacher-writers and their stories on our  Medium Blog

How to Become a Writer in Wisconsin with a BFA, MFA or Similar Creative Writing Degree

Written by Catherine Dorian

Writers thrive when they have the freedom to discover and explore their inner voice. But writers also need community; we find inspiration and novelty in comradery with other storytellers, poets, and thinkers.

It’s no surprise that the Midwest has long been a region for creatives. Its sprawling fields, scattered lakes, wild woodlands, and combination of eclectic rural communities along with its vibrant cities meet the unique needs of the artistic mind. And in the state of Wisconsin, the pioneering writer has long been an integral contributor to the area’s culture.

Modern Literary Greats that Left Their Mark on Wisconsin

Modern writer of literary fiction Jane Hamilton, a recipient of the PEN/Hemingway Foundation Award for her novel The Book of Ruth, also started her career in Wisconsin. But Wisconsin doesn’t only cultivate nature-writers and small-town stories. Screenwriter, TV series writer, novelist, and social commentator John Ridley IV ( 12 Years a Slave, American Crime) spent most of his childhood outside Milwaukee.

Due to its longstanding community of writers, Wisconsin boasts a robust literary heritage. Though humble in spirit, the state embraces its culture for storytelling, thinking, and learning. Several English Departments across the University of Wisconsin system have developed their own literary publications and publishing houses, which offer a platform for the state’s diverse talent. The Sheepshead Review of the University of Wisconsin Green Bay and the Midwest Review have both featured some of America’s premier short story and nonfiction essay authors, including Dennis Day and Pardeep Toor.

Between its workshops, literary publications, and indie publishing houses, Wisconsin proves itself to be a space for writers to learn and to grow, whether you’re an aspiring undergrad looking for a BA or BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) or are well on your way with your sights set on an MA or Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing. And as a writer, you know that learning and growth are at the heart of our craft.

Wisconsin’s Creative Writing Classes, Courses, and Workshops Can Prepare You for a Creative Writing Degree

Any writer will tell you that success comes from consistency and your own hunger for challenge. Enter contests, submit your work for publishing, subject your prose to scrutiny—it’s all part of the process for building your portfolio of work.

Wisconsin’s writers and writing teachers already offer several workshops, conferences, and classes that will give you the formative experience that can help you succeed when you’re enrolled in an intensive residency or bachelor’s degree.

Wisconsinites are eager to support the state’s writers and build a vibrant community to sustain its literary legacy. Jodie Mortag, Assistant Professor of Writing at Lakeland University, hosts the annual Great Lakes Writers Festival, where writers across all genres, ages, and regions of the Midwest gather for free workshops and networking events. You read that right: free. Jodie even provides a special event for high school writers. The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters also offers a robust catalogue of workshops taught by local writers, including the intensive “Write Your Novel in Eight Weeks” and courses specifically for naturalists, nonfiction writers, and poets.

When it comes to writing, Wisconsinites are also good at finding their people. Red Oak Writing offers retreats and roundtables for young, emerging writers who benefit from building a support network. Wisconsin has its own chapter of Romance Writers of America, and they offer workshops in various areas around the state. The aspiring crime novelist or murder mystery fanatic can even attend the Writer’s Police Academy, a training on true crime, done by law enforcement officers and forensic scientists who know their genre in real life.

Getting involved in the writing community is also about getting involved in the literary community. The Wisconsin Book Festival, offered through the Madison Public Library Foundation, hosts free events that feature public authors and conversations year-round—and the conference has featured an impressive catalogue of prize-winning authors (Jane Smiley, Stacey Abrams, and Mark Bittman, just to name a few!).

Besides attending workshops and conferences, Wisconsin writers are also dedicated to grassroots efforts that build communities of writers. If you’re looking for a writing group in your area of the state, check out the Wisconsin Writers Association. On their website, you can make your own profile and look for one of their registered writing groups—or you can start your own. They also keep an updated list of all the state’s workshops and conferences. You can consider them your database for writing in the state, especially if you’re just getting started.

Between its opportunities for publication and for learning from and with writers across all levels of experience, Wisconsin proves itself to be a hub of inspiration and vibrant culture for writers. You can amass a plethora of skills and tips by immersing yourself in the writing community.

If attending workshops and taking courses helps you find other writers and practice your skill, you’ll find a special sense of intimacy and support in any of the rigorous creative writing programs offered at Wisconsin’s colleges and universities.

Writing Colleges in Wisconsin Offering Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Creative Writing Provide a Path to Becoming a Writer

Of course, earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree in creative writing can help you hone your skills and join a community of fellow artists. If you’re in Wisconsin, you have several options for college-level programs, all of which will challenge you with instruction on narrative technique and workshops where you’ll learn to improve your work based on feedback.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Other Bachelor’s Degrees in Creative Writing in Wisconsin

Beloit college.

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

Accreditation: HLC

Degree: Bachelor – BA

Private School

• English-Creative Writing

Cardinal Stritch University

HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT

• Creative Writing (Writing, Cultural Studies)

Lakeland University

SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND FINE ARTS

Degree: Bachelor – BFA

• Creative Writing

Northland College

St. Norbert College

DIVISION OF HUMANITIES

• English-Creative Writing emphasis

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

Degree: Bachelor – BFA, BA

Public School

• BFA - Writing and Applied Arts
• BA - English-Creative Writing emphasis

University of Wisconsin-Madison

COLLEGE OF LETTERS AND SCIENCE

• English-Creative Writing track

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and Other Master’s Degrees in Creative Writing in Wisconsin

Degree:  Master – MFA

Coordinator:  Erica Cavanagh Phone : 540-568-3761        Email : [email protected] Website: http://www.jmu.edu/english/undergraduate/minors.shtml

The cross disciplinary minor in creative writing is designed to encourage students to develop their writing talents across a number of literary forms and communication contexts.

Course offerings in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, scriptwriting, screen and playwriting give students the opportunity to shape the minor to suit a variety of artistic interests and professional objectives. With the choice of at least one course from a group involving advanced topics, narrative and poetic forms, media criticism and film analysis, students will gain informed perspectives on current issues affecting readers, viewers, writers and their creative works. These courses support the core workshop courses and are vital to competence in the field.

The minimum requirement for a minor in creative writing is 18 hours. Two courses may be double-counted between the minor and the major. Students electing this minor may acquire more information from the creative writing advisor of the Department of English   , the School of Media Arts and Design    or the School of Theatre and Dance   .

Required Courses

Select four or five core courses from two or more departments: 12-15 credit hours.

• ENG 391. Introduction to Creative Writing – Nonfiction Credits: 3.00
• ENG 392. Introduction to Creative Writing – Poetry Credits: 3.00
• ENG 393. Introduction to Creative Writing – Fiction Credits: 3.00
• ENG 493. Advanced Creative Nonfiction Credits: 3.00
• ENG 494. Advanced Poetry Writing Credits: 3.00
• ENG 495. Advanced Fiction Writing Credits: 3.00
• SMAD 250. Scriptwriting Credits: 3.00
• SMAD 251. Screenplay Writing Credits: 3.00
• SMAD 311. Feature Writing Credits: 3.00
• SMAD 340. Advanced Screenplay Writing Credits: 3.00
• SMAD 498. Senior Seminar in Media Arts and Design Credits: 3.00 (when topic is appropriate) 1
• THEA 347. Playwriting Credits: 3.00
• THEA 441. Senior Seminar in Theatre Credits: 3.00 (when topic is appropriate) 1
• THEA 447. Advanced Playwriting Credits: 3.00

Select one or two support courses from the following: 3-6 Credit Hours

• ENG 390. The Environmental Imagination Credits: 3.00
• ENG 483. Narrative Form Credits: 3.00
• ENG 484. Poetic Craft and Creativity Credits: 3.00
• ENG 496. Advanced Topics in Creative Writing Credits: 3.00
• SMAD 373. Media Analysis and Criticism Credits: 3.00
• SMAD 463. Film Adaptations Credits: 3.00
• THEA 481. Theory and Performance Studies Credits: 3.00

Total: 18 Credit Hours

1 Students must check with the professor or creative writing coordinator to see if these courses are appropriate for this minor.

Information for Enrolled MFAs in Creative Writing

Financial support.

If you do not hold a Kemper-Knapp Fellowship, an Advanced Opportunity Fellowship (AOF), or a Martha Meier Renk Distinguished Graduate Fellowship, then your total annual funding will be $25,000 and will come in two forms: (1) a TAship (delivered bi-weekly through payroll, with taxes taken out), and (2) three annual scholarships delivered in September, February, and May, through the bursar and e-refund system. Though the total funding will always be $25,000, exact TAship and scholarship amounts vary from year to year. In 2022-23, MFAs will receive a 40% TAship totaling $16,400, a $3,000 scholarship in September, another $3,000 scholarship in February, and a $2,600 scholarship in May.

Kemper-Knapp, AOF, and Renk fellows should refer to their offer letters for more detailed information about funding, but these fellows will not receive less than $25,000 in total support. Typically these fellows receive reduced scholarship disbursements because their fellowship funding surpasses TA funding.

Satisfactory Progress

The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s MFA in Creative Writing is designed to enable students to develop professional excellence in their chosen genre of creative writing, through substantial literary study and concentrated training and practice in various types of literary expression, over a two-year period devoted to the writing, reading, and teaching of contemporary literature.  Reflecting the English Department’s mission statement, the MFA will enable the most talented new writers in the country to explore, with complexity and intensity, the production and interpretation of literature and culture.

To qualify for the MFA degree, a student must complete 42 credits of course work over four consecutive semesters in residence at Madison, culminating in the completion of a book-length thesis. Up to six credits of graduate work done elsewhere may be counted toward the elective requirement for the degree, subject to the approval of the Creative Writing Steering Committee. The three workshop courses, and the pedagogy course, must be completed in residence.

The MFA degree is awarded on the basis of the student’s total performance in graduate work, as outlined below.

Grade-Point Expectations

As representatives of UW’s Department of English, MFA candidates in creative writing are expected to maintain a GPA of 3.5 or above. In addition to coursework, each candidate is also expected to pursue an independent schedule of reading and writing in consultation with their professors and thesis advisors. Any MFA who receives a grade lower than a B in any course (whether workshop, pedagogy, or elective) will be placed on informal academic probation by the MFA Director, in consultation with the Creative Writing Steering Committee. A cumulative GPA that dips below 3.5 will be brought to the attention of the Director of Graduate Studies, and may be determined to constitute “unsatisfactory progress” toward the degree, which may in turn result in a student’s scholarships, tuition remission, and/or TAship being revoked. A GPA of 3.0 or below, however, will certainly be considered “unsatisfactory progress” and disciplinary measures will be taken accordingly.

An MFA candidate may not have more than two incompletes on his or her record at any one time. Incompletes will be allowed only in extraordinary circumstances, and they must be removed within eight weeks of the following semester of registration.  If an incomplete is not removed within that time, the grade will revert to a failure unless special dispensation is granted by the Director of the MFA Program.

Credit Requirements

Each MFA must complete 42 credit-hours to graduate, and cannot take more than 6 thesis hours per semester.

• 9 credit-hours of workshop in the candidate’s primary genre (fiction or poetry, ENGL 781 or 782) during the first, second and third semesters.
• 3 credit-hours of Creative Writing Pedagogy (ENGL 783) during the first semester, or the third semester for Kemper Knapp Fellows.
• At least 15 credit-hours of thesis work (3 in each of the first, second, and third semesters, and 6 in the final semester), through course number ENGL 785.
• At least 9 credit-hours of electives (usually divided evenly among the second, third, and fourth semesters). Electives must be approved by the MFA Director. They should be graduate-level courses, or undergraduate courses numbered 300 or above.
• 6 additional credit-hours of electives or thesis hours.

Teaching Requirements

In addition to the course work, MFA students (with the exception of AOF Fellows, Kemper Knapp Fellows, or Martha Meier Renk Fellows) will teach one course in creative writing or composition in each of their four semesters in residence. AOF, Kemper Knapp, and Renk fellows will teach one course in each of two semesters during their first or second year, as indicated in the offer letter.  Successful teaching, as determined by student and faculty evaluations of classes, is a requirement for satisfactory progress toward the MFA degree.

Thesis Requirements

The capstone project for the MFA degree is the completion of a thesis, a book-length manuscript of poetry or fiction. The thesis is the single most important requirement of the MFA, and will be an outgrowth of work done for the writing workshops and in conjunction with individual conferences. There is no oral or written examination per se, but each candidate will confer periodically with a thesis advisor during each of the semesters in residence, and will discuss the thesis with the advisor and a second reader (the advisor and said reader constituting the student’s thesis committee) before the end of the fourth semester in residence. The committee will affirm that the successful thesis represents an ambitious project of publishable quality.