Creative Writing/Publishing Curriculum

Wake up the Writer in You!

You have a lot of stories to tell. Some are about you. Some are about characters you've created. Others are about characters you've known--in your family, your neighborhood, your work--or places you've been. You want your stories to touch others, to explain who you are and what you've seen, but you're not quite sure how to make this happen.

Small Classes, Friendly People, Individual Attention

Creative Writing at Columbus State is a Community Affair

Join the Columbus State Creative Writing Community. For information, contact Steve Abbott

ENGL 210 Creative Writing

ENGL 215 Magazine Publication: Literary Criticism, Editing, and Design

(W) - 3 credits

Prerequisites: ENGL 101 or 111 with a grade of “C” or higher and instructor’s permission.

Through hands-on practice with Spring Street, students learn the processes and techniques involved in the production of a literary magazine.

Lecture: 1 hour – Lab: 4 hours. Lab fee: $3.00

ENGL 280 Publishing Practicum

(SP) - 2 credits. This practicum may be repeated once and normally taken immediately after completing ENGL 215

Prerequisites: ENGL 215 or instructor’s permission

Students who have satisfactorily completed ENGL 215 or who have comparable training and experience from another context learn magazine production techniques using Springstreet or another college publication as a production laboratory.

Lecture: 0 hours – Lab: 4 hours. Lab fee: $3.00

ENGL 281 Writing Fiction

(A) - 5 credits. Course is repeatable to 10 credits.

Prerequisites: ENGL 210 with a grade of “B” or better or permission of the instructor

This course introduces students to the art and craft of writing fiction. Emphasis is on the student’s own work; however, students will also be required to study the works and writing processes of established writers, male and female, traditional and nontraditional, ancient and modern, and from diverse cultures. Students will keep a writer’s journal, respond critically to the works of other students, create and revise a final long work (or combination of shorter works) of at least 4,000 words by the end of the quarter. In addition, students will be required to participate in a public reading of their work at least once during the quarter.

Lecture: 5 hours – Lab: 0 hours. Lab fee: $5.00

ENGL 282 Writing Poetry

(W) - 5 credits. Course is repeatable to 10 credits.

Prerequisites: ENGL 210 with a grade of “B” or better or permission of the instructor

This course introduces students to the art and craft of writing poetry. Emphasis is on the student’s own work; however, students will also be required to study the works, writing processes, critical commentary on, and oral delivery of established poets, male and female, traditional and nontraditional, ancient and modern, and from diverse cultures.
Students will keep a writer’s journal, respond critically to me works of other students, create and revise a chapbook of 8-10 finished poems (12-20) pages by the end of the quarter. Students will present selected poems from the book at a public reading.

Lecture: 5 hours – Lab: 0 hours. Lab fee: $5.00

ENGL 283 Writing Plays

ENGL 284 Writing Creative Nonfiction

This course introduces students to the art and craft of writing creative nonfiction (feature writing, travel writing, memoirs, personal profiles, biographies, public relations, etc.). Emphasis is on the student’s own work; however, students will also be required to study the works, writing processes, critical commentary on, and oral delivery of established nonfiction writers, male and female, traditional and nontraditional, ancient and modern, and from diverse cultures. Students will keep a writer’s journal, respond critically to the works of other students, create and revise a complete longer work (or a combination of shorter pieces) of at least 3,000-4,000 words by the end of the quarter. Students will present a public reading of their work during the quarter.

ENGL 285 Writing to Publish

(SP) - 5 credits. Course is repeatable to 15 credits.

Prequisites: ENGL 281, 282, 283, or 284 with a “B” or better or permission of the instructor

This course introduces students to procedures for preparing a manuscript for marketing and publication. Students select a work or works for publication from a genre (fiction, poetry, drama, literary nonfiction), submit manuscripts for peer review at least three times during the quarter, and revise and edit their work throughout the quarter. Students research a market for their work, write the appropriate query or cover letter, and prepare the manuscript for submission. Since length requirements for manuscripts vary according to genre and target market, the instructor will determine the length requirement for successful completion of the course. The final exam for the course is a completed and corrected manuscript package ready for mailing. Students will also have the opportunity to give a public performance of their work.

Lecture: 5 hours – Lab: 0 hours. Lab fee: $5.00