college handbook of creative writing

Cengage Advantage Books: The College Handbook of Creative Writing | 4th Edition

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This fourth edition of THE COLLEGE HANDBOOK OF CREATIVE WRITING, ideal for all levels of writing from introductory to advanced, covers all the necessary fundamentals for creative writing in the genres of fiction, poetry, and drama. Exploring such across-the-genres subjects as theme, setting, characters, plot, point of view, tone, style, description, dialogue, thoughts, time, images, and sounds, this best-selling handbook includes contemporary and classic selections that illustrate discussions and serve as writing models. End-of-chapter exercises and writing suggestions help readers practice writing fundamentals, while a glossary of literary terms helps them master writing vocabulary. Providing the maximum of information in a portable little book, the new edition includes updated selections, more examples, revised exercises, and a revised Chapter 14, "Writing as a Career."

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The College Handbook of Creative Writing Paperback – 1 January 2013

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• ISBN-10 0840030797
• ISBN-13 978-0840030795
• Edition 4th ed.
• Publisher Cengage Learning
• Publication date 1 January 2013
• Language English
• Dimensions 12.7 x 1.27 x 17.78 cm
• Print length 400 pages
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cengage Learning; 4th ed. edition (1 January 2013)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0840030797
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0840030795
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.7 x 1.27 x 17.78 cm

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Robert demaria.

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The College Handbook of Creative Writing Paperback – 1 Jan. 1980

There is a newer edition of this item:.

• ISBN-10 0155053019
• ISBN-13 978-0155053014
• Edition 3rd
• Publisher Cengage Learning
• Publication date 1 Jan. 1980
• Language English
• Dimensions 12.7 x 1.91 x 18.42 cm
• Print length 400 pages
• See all details

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cengage Learning; 3rd edition (1 Jan. 1980)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0155053019
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0155053014
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.7 x 1.91 x 18.42 cm

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Robert demaria.

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College Handbook of Creative Writing Paperback – March 1 1991

There is a newer edition of this item:.

• ISBN-10 0155090402
• ISBN-13 978-0155090408
• Publisher Harcourt College Pub
• Publication date March 1 1991
• Language English
• Dimensions 13.34 x 1.91 x 18.42 cm
• See all details

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harcourt College Pub (March 1 1991)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0155090402
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0155090408
• Item weight ‏ : ‎ 290 g
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.34 x 1.91 x 18.42 cm
• #629 in Writing Skills
• #4,976 in Writing Skills Writing Guides (Books)
• #52,509 in American Literature (Books)

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Creative Writing Graduate Programs

About the Program and Placement Record

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Creative Writing M.A.

• Admission Requirements
• Degree and Graduation Requirements
• Master's Essay
• Master's Thesis

Creative Writing Ph.D.

• Doctoral Dissertation
• Foreign Language Requirement
• Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination

One of the first universities in the country to offer a Ph.D. in Creative Writing, Ohio University continues as home to a thriving, widely respected graduate program with concentrations in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Small by design, our graduate program offers a comprehensive curriculum, an award-winning faculty and the intimacy of small classes.

Placement Record

Over the past three years, seven of our nine graduating creative writing Ph.D. students have landed tenure-track jobs, post-doctorates, or prestigious visiting writer posts. Our MA graduates go on to study in the top MFA and Ph.D. programs.

• English M.A. Placements
• English Ph.D. Placements

Students in the Creative Writing M.A. and Ph.D. programs enjoy:

• Graduate stipends, up to $15,000 per year, with opportunities to teach a wide range of courses, including creative writing workshops
• Generous graduate student travel funding
• Editorial fellowships on New Ohio Review , Quarter after Eight , and Brevity
• Opportunities to interact with distinguished visiting writers

M.A. candidates complete two years of study and write a thesis of creative work in their genre. Doctoral candidates complete five years of study, comprehensive exams, a major critical essay, and a creative dissertation.

Literary Journals

The department and its students publish three literary journals:

• New Ohio Review , a national literary journal
• Quarter After Eight , a prose journal edited by graduate students
• Sphere , an undergraduate journal

Annual Events

The department hosts several annual events including an ambitious Spring Literary Festival that brings five nationally distinguished writers to campus for three-days of readings, craft talks, and student discussion. Recent visitors have included Tony Hoagland, Kathryn Harrison, Barry Lopez, Francine Prose, Peter Ho Davies, Kim Addonizio, David Shields, Robert Hass, Charles Simic, Yusef Komunyakaa, and Marilynne Robinson.

Visiting writers engage with our program year-round as well, appearing in both undergraduate and graduate classes, meeting one-on-one with select students, and offering evening readings in the intimate Galbreath Chapel.

In addition to a regular Dogwood Bloom reading series for our graduate students, the creative writing program hosts an annual Writers' Harvest benefit reading for the Southeastern Ohio Food Bank?s Second Harvest, a food distribution program serving Athens, Hocking, Perry, Vinton, Jackson, Gallia, Meigs, Morgan and Washington counties.

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

List of All U.S. Colleges with a Creative Writing Major

Writing has been my passion practically since I learned to read in kindergarten. I would write stories about princesses and my family dog, Gansett. When it came time to look at colleges, I was set on attending one with a strong creative writing program. Ultimately, I graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in Writing Seminars.

Today, colleges across the country offer creative writing as a major. Because writing skills are essential for a wide range of careers, and because most curricula emphasize broad liberal arts competencies, a degree in creative writing can set you up for success in numerous fields, whether you want to be an editor or a lawyer.

Interested in majoring in creative writing? Learn which schools offer the major and what to look for in a program.

Overview of the Creative Writing Major

Creative writing is about more than spinning tales. For your major, you’ll generally need to pursue a curriculum grounded in literature, history, foreign language, and other humanities courses, along with distribution courses, if the college requires them.

Most creative writing majors must participate in workshops, in which students present their work and listen to peer critiques, usually with a certain number of advanced courses in the mix. In some cases, colleges will ask you to specialize in a particular genre, such as fiction, poetry, or playwriting. 

To succeed in creative writing, you’ll need to have a tough spine, in order to open yourself up to feedback from your classmates and instructors. You may need to give readings in public — if not as an undergraduate, certainly during your career. Of course, a passion for creating is essential, too, as is a willingness to revise your work and learn from the greats and your peers.

A creative writing major opens up doors to many careers, including journalism, content marketing, copywriting, teaching, and others. Even careers that don’t center around writing often have a strong writing component: you’ll need to write reports, deliver presentations, and so on.

Some writers go on to earn an MFA, which will help you hone your craft. It’s also often a prerequisite for teaching creative writing at the college level.

What to Look for in a College as a Creative Writing Major

Published authors on faculty.

Many world-renowned authors have another claim to fame: professorships. Writers who have taught their craft include (among many others):

• Maya Angelou (Wake Forest University)
• Colson Whitehead (many colleges, including Vassar College and Columbia University)
• Stephen Dixon (Johns Hopkins University)
• Viet Thanh Nguyen (University of Southern California)
• Eula Biss (Northwestern University)
• Toni Morrison (Princeton University)

Be aware that as an undergraduate, you may not be able to learn from the greats. That’s why it’s important to look into which courses these faculty teach before you have dreams of being mentored by Salman Rushdie — who is a Distinguished Writer in Residence at NYU.

Genres Offered

While many schools that have creative writing majors offer fiction and poetry courses and tracks, there are some niche genres that could be more difficult to find. If you’re interested in playwriting, for example, you won’t find that at every school. Before you decide on a program, be sure it includes the genres you’d like to explore further, whether that’s flash fiction, creative nonfiction, or something else.

Workshopping Opportunities

The core of most quality creative writing curriculum is workshopping. This means sharing your work in your classes and listening to your peers discuss and critique it. While this may sound intimidating, it can do a lot to help you hone your work and become a better writer. Look for colleges that make this the bedrock of their curriculum.

Showcasing Opportunities

Are there opportunities to present your work, such as college-sponsored readings where undergraduates can participate? Or, perhaps the school has a great literary journal. At my school, students could submit their plays and have them performed by fellow students. 

List of All U.S. Colleges With a Creative Writing Major

What are your chances of acceptance.

No matter what major you’re considering, the first step is ensuring you’re academically comparable to students who were previously accepted to the college or university. Most selective schools use the Academic Index to filter out applicants who aren’t up to their standards.

You’ll also want to demonstrate your fit with the school and specific major with the qualitative components of your application, like your extracurriculars and essays. For a prospective creative writing major, the essay is particularly important because this is a way to demonstrate your writing prowess. Activities might include editing your school’s newspaper or literary journal, publishing your work, and participating in pre-college writing workshops.

Want to know your chances of being accepted to top creative writing schools? Try our Chancing Engine (it’s free). Unlike other calculators, it takes your individual profile into account, including academic stats and qualitative components like your activities. Give it a try and get a jumpstart on your journey as a creative writing major!

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The Writing Center is dedicated to providing writing support to all members of the Vandal community, including students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Through one-on-one appointments, workshops, online resources, and group writing events, writers can receive help at all stages of their writing process, from brainstorming to revision of drafted papers. Writing Center tutors assist with any kind of writing, from research papers, to presentations, to personal statements for applications. We prioritize the goals of each writer and are committed to ensuring a safe space for all people to take risks, encounter and process new ideas, and express themselves.

View the Writing Center's current schedule for peer-consultations and graduate writing support  through the Make an Appointment page.

The Writing Center offers appointments from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and 6-8 p.m. on Sundays during fall and spring semesters. 

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