Return to Creative Writing | Courses Index
Creative Writing courses used the WRTG subject prefix through summer 2017.
[1] Graduate Courses in Creative Writing (CRWR)
5320 TEACHING CREATIVE WRITING: HISTORY, THEORY AND PRACTICE This course is designed for students who may be teaching creative writing or including creative writing in their curriculum at the K-University levels. Areas to be covered include the history of creative writing pedagogy, up to and including modern pedagogical approaches to the field. In addition to discussion and lectures, students will observe and describe creative writing classes at levels pertinent to their teaching interests and develop an integrated practice lesson. This course will be a more rigorous study of teaching creative writing than the undergraduate course in that it requires semester-long research for a major paper and more in depth readings on the complex issues involved.
5324 ADVANCED SPECIAL TOPICS IN CREATIVE WRITING This required course for the MFA in Creative Writing offers an in-depth investigation of a significant figure, historical period, issue, trend, group, school, movement, genre or subgenre of Creative Writing. Possible topics include: eco-writing, screenplay writing, literary translation, illustrated narrative, genre writing, writing for children, travel writing, writing for new media, etc. Content varies. Course may be repeated for credit. Lecture, discussion, research, with a possible workshop component. Students gain an advanced knowledge of subject matter, including key criticism. May be repeated for credit with a change in topic.
5371 ADVANCED NOVEL WRITING WORKSHOP This course is designed for graduate fiction writers who are already practiced in the composition of short fiction and wish to take on a longer, more ambitious project. Students will plan and then compose a complete draft of a short novel. They will share their developing novels in small group workshops, giving and receiving feedback. Students will read and discuss model short novels written by established writers. They will also read a book about the craft of novel writing and discuss their own strategies for, difficulties with, and discoveries about novel writing. Students will also learn how to integrate the work of novel writing into one’s larger life.
5372 ADVANCED NOVEL REVISION WORKSHOP This course affords students who took CRWR 5371 Advanced Novel Writing Workshop the opportunity to expand, revise, and line-edit the novels they drafted in that class, with an eye toward bringing their novels significantly closer to publication worthiness. Students will read a craft textbook on revising novels, and conduct research on the revision strategies of successful novelists. They will read multiple versions of at least two classic novels, to compare the published versions with the earlier ones. They will carry out a variety of revision activities on their novels, and they will receive feedback about their revising efforts from small group workshop sessions and from their instructor in one-on-one conferences. At semester’s end they will write an essay reflecting on the value of what they have learned and enacted over the course of the semester. Prerequisite: CRWR 5371.
6V80 ADVANCED DIRECTED STUDY IN CREATIVE WRITING (Variable credit: 1–3 credit hours.) This course provides opportunities for advanced study of specific topics in Creative Writing. It is designed for students who have completed 18 hours of graduate courses in the MFA program wanting to study specific topics not offered in the curriculum. The student and professor design the course of study together, establish goals and a timeline, and agree on a reading list and guidelines for research and the final project. Students gain an advanced knowledge of an approach, school, method of research, specific writer, or subject matter. May be repeated for credit with a change in topic.
6V85 ADVANCED INTERNSHIP IN CREATIVE WRITING (Variable credit: 1–3 credit hours.) This course emphasizes professional writing experience from work sites either within or outside the university. Interns are supervised by Writing Department graduate faculty and/or work site managers. The internship is designed for students seeking on-the-job experience and college credit, but students may also work for pay if the position offers compensation. The student and advisor establish goals and a timeline and create a learning contract. Research and a reading list may be required. Students gain practical experience, master technical aspects of various positions, and become familiar with career opportunities. Offered for 1 to 3 credit hours with consent of Department Chair and in collaboration with the Department Internship Coordinator. May be repeated for credit with a change in internship responsibilities.
6300 THE MFA EXPERIENCE: A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR This foundational required course in the MFA program in Creative Writing provides insight into how MFA candidates can best develop professionally. Taught through a series of discussions and in-depth analyses of relevant issues and texts, it introduces students to resources that will augment research and increase productivity. The course will cover approaches to building a career as a literary artist, and will include discussions of ethics, invention techniques and creativity theory. The professional development elements of the course will include: networking, exploring arts opportunities and grants, submitting for publication, preparing CVs and cover letters, and exploring other dynamics in the job search. Discussion, lecture, with a workshop component.
6325 ADVANCED FORMS AND THEORY OF POETRY This is a comprehensive examination of formal, contemporary and emerging elements of the literary art of writing poetry, with an emphasis on the study of poetics and theory, prosody, traditional and contemporary styles and techniques, cross-genre applications, craft, and other technical aspects of the art. Upon completion of the course, students will be familiar with and adept at composing verse in multiple forms and generating hybrid styles of poetic articulation. Students will also be prepared to authoritatively evaluate and engage in sophisticated discussions on contemporary authors and issues in the genre. Discussion, lecture, with a workshop component. May be repeated for credit with a change in topic and approval from the department chair and advisor.
6335 ADVANCED FORMS AND THEORY OF FICTION This course will provide an in-depth consideration of the theory and practice of the many forms of fiction writing, which may include flash fiction, magical realism, episodic fiction, experimental fiction, metafiction, and genre writing. Subjects will be determined by instructor interest and expertise. Upon completion of the course, students will be familiar with and adept at composing and analyzing various forms of fiction. Students will also be prepared to engage in sophisticated discussions on contemporary authors and issues in the genre. Discussion, lecture, with a workshop component. May be repeated for credit with a change in topic and approval from the department chair and advisor.
6345 ADVANCED FORMS AND THEORY OF NONFICTION This course will provide an in-depth consideration of the theory and practice of various forms of creative nonfiction, which may include memoir, reviews, travel writing, the lyric essay, literary journalism, environmental writing, and literary hybridization. Subjects will be determined by instructor interest and expertise. Upon completion of the course, students will be familiar with and adept at composing literary nonfiction in multiple forms. Students will also be prepared to authoritatively evaluate and engage in sophisticated discussions on contemporary authors and issues in the genre. Discussion, lecture, with a workshop component. May be repeated for credit with a change in topic and approval from the department chair and advisor.
6370 ADVANCED POETRY WORKSHOP This is a graduate workshop course focusing on the writing of original poetry. Students will present drafts of work for peer review and discussion and will submit a portfolio of rigorously revised material at the end of the course. Class time will be devoted to critical analysis, discussion of poetics and technique, innovative exercises, and publishing strategies. Students will gain extensive experience in the workshop process and arrive at a voice, style and/or artistic approach that employs creative and critical faculties to create unique works of literature. May be repeated for credit with a change in topic and approval from the department chair and advisor.
6371 ADVANCED FICTION WORKSHOP This is a graduate workshop course focusing on the writing of original fiction. Students will present drafts for peer review and discussion and submit a portfolio of rigorously revised material at the end of the course. Class time will be devoted to critical analysis, innovative exercises, and publishing strategies. Students may workshop novels, novellas, short stories, and literary hybrids. Students will gain extensive experience in the workshop process and arrive at a voice, style and/or artistic approach that employs creative and critical faculties to create unique works of literature. May be repeated for credit with a change in topic and approval from the department chair and advisor.
6372 ADVANCED CREATIVE NONFICTION WORKSHOP This is a graduate workshop course focusing on the writing of original creative nonfiction. Students will present drafts for peer review and discussion and will submit a portfolio of rigorously revised material at the end of the course. Class time will be devoted to critical analysis, innovative exercises, ethics and trends in the discipline, and publishing strategies. Students will gain extensive experience in the workshop process and arrive at a voice, style and/or artistic approach that employs creative and critical faculties to create unique works of literature. May be repeated for credit with a change in topic and approval from the department chair and advisor.
6373 NOVELLA WORKSHOP The Novella Workshop is a course designed to increase the understanding of the novella form, help develop a critical awareness of how novellas work, and enable the student to write one of their own. Students will study at least ten novella-length works from different cultural traditions, learn to analyze and critique them, and write their own novellas, which will be extensively workshopped in class. May be repeated for credit with a change in topic and approval from the department chair and advisor. Prerequisite: CRWR 6335.
6390 EDITING AND PUBLISHING This required course for the MFA in Creative Writing is designed to provide practical and applicable experience in editing and publishing for creative writers in the MFA program. Students will work with innovative technology and state-of-the-art design software to edit, lay out, and ultimately publish a professionally produced anthology of their own work in order to promote themselves, their peers, and the program. Students will study the dynamics and trends of the publishing world as well as marketing and submission strategies and meet with experienced editors and publishers. Learning outcomes include becoming adept at the collaborative process of publishing a book and arriving at a sophisticated knowledge of the publishing industry from the perspective of both editor and writer. Lecture, discussion, workshop.
6395 ADVANCED PRACTICUM IN EDITING AND PUBLISHING This is an advanced practicum in editing and publishing designed for students interested in developing the leadership and practical skills necessary to obtain employment in the publishing industry. Students will take a prominent role in the running of Arkana, the online literary magazine of the Arkansas Writers’ MFA Program. They will be responsible for reading a number of manuscripts per week and for contributing to the ongoing business of the magazine in the realms of editing, production, marketing, research, and design. In addition, students will plan and implement individual projects that contribute to Arkana’s ongoing development and demonstrate their understanding of the publishing industry’s history and needs. The course is student-centered, and class sessions will combine seminar discussions with experiential learning. Prerequisite: CRWR 6390.
7V80 THESIS RESEARCH (Variable credit: 1–9 credit hours.) (Variable credit: 1–9 credit hours.) This is the culminating required course for candidates for the Creative Writing MFA degree. Each student will be responsible for researching, writing and ultimately creating a creative book-length manuscript appropriate to the genre of choice, with a critical introduction. Students will work independently while periodically seeking the assistance and approval of members of their thesis committee. Enrollment is contingent upon the successful completion of 36 credits of course work and pre-approval of the thesis committee. MFA candidates are expected to enroll for a total of 9 hours minimum and must enroll for thesis research credit each term until they successfully defend their theses, typically in their final semester. Grades in Thesis Research are as follows: PR – Progress (student has made progress on the thesis), NC – No Credit (student has not made any progress on the thesis), and CR – Credit (thesis is completely finished). The learning outcome of thesis research is naturally and literally a mastery of the fine arts in Creative Writing.