Overview
Creative Writing Workshop I develops foundational practice in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and hybrid forms through sustained writing, close reading, workshop discussion, and revision. Students examine imagery, sensory detail, voice, point of view, characterization, dialogue, scene, setting, structure, pacing, metaphor, rhythm, line, paragraph, compression, experimentation, and the relationship between form and meaning.
The course engages diverse contemporary and historical writers as models for craft analysis and considers cultural context, representation, appropriation, and the ethical responsibilities of writing about lived experience. Students establish constructive peer-review practices, develop methods for substantial revision and careful editing, articulate creative choices, and assemble a portfolio demonstrating developing range, voice, and awareness of audience.
Learning Outcomes
- Generate original creative work in at least two literary forms, applying appropriate formal and stylistic principles.
- Identify and analyze craft techniques in a diverse range of contemporary and historical writing.
- Evaluate creative work using specific, respectful, and constructive critical language.
- Revise creative work substantially in response to workshop feedback and independent reflection.
- Articulate the relationship between creative choices, form, meaning, cultural context, and intended audience.
- Edit creative work for clarity, precision, coherence, rhythm, and intentionality.
- Synthesize selected creative works and reflective commentary into a portfolio that demonstrates developing range and voice.
Timetable
| Type | Length | Frequency | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workshop | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Lecture | 1 hour | Weekly | All semester |
| Tutorial | 1 hour | Fortnightly | All semester |
Assessment Schedule
| Type | Description | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Weekly writing exercises and reading responses (8 × 2.5%) | 20.00% |
| Attendance | Workshop participation and peer feedback | 15.00% |
| Assignment | Craft analysis assignment | 15.00% |
| Deliverable | Mid-semester portfolio and reflective commentary | 20.00% |
| Capstone | Revised final portfolio with critical commentary | 30.00% |
Teaching Staff & Programs
This course is delivered jointly by faculty from the participating programs listed below. In line with the Douchewater Way, the University of Sexology tailors core instruction directly to each cohort's specific discipline — adapting curriculum to program needs rather than forcing students into a one-size-fits-all model. Learn more about our approach at The Douchewater Way.
