University College | Washington University in St. Louis

University College offers short credit-bearing (1 to 1.5-credit) and noncredit workshops in creative writing and career development. Register for these courses online.

Creative Writing Workshops

Creative writing workshops in University College provide an opportunity to develop skill and style in a supportive group setting. Enrollment is limited. The workshops listed below are for eight weeks and one unit of credit. Three-credit fiction, poetry, and nonfiction writing courses are also available. Browse the online course listings under "English Composition" (for creative writing) or "Communications and Journalism" (for business and freelance writing).

Writing for Children
This four-week workshop focuses on strategies to help writers create marketable manuscripts for children. Our goal will be for each student to create a complete submission packet: one cover letter based on market research, one strong manuscript based on a guided study of the children's magazine market, and an SASE (self-addressed, stamped envelope). The instructor will share insider tips from editors at Highlights magazine and will bring her expertise as the current Regional Adviser for the Missouri Region of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
Lynnea Brumbaugh, Adjunct Faculty in Business and Women and Gender Studies
Mondays, January 25; February 1, 8, 15, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Noncredit Fee: $50. To register call (314) 935-6720.

Writing Your Family History
You want to write your family history but the project feels overwhelming. Where to begin? Who to include? What about family secrets? This course will help you decide on your format, scope, characters, themes, and structure. You also will learn techniques for conducting background research and interviews. Mostly, you will learn how to write a compelling story that others want to read. By the end of the class you’ll have a blueprint for the most effective way to tell your family history, as well as creative strategies for the storytelling. Cheryl Jarvis, journalist, essayist, and author, has published works in The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Reader’s Digest, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, More, and other publications. Her most recent book, The Necklace, co-authored with the Women of Jewelia, was a New York Times bestseller.
Mondays, March 1, 15, 22, 29, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Noncredit Fee: $50. To register call (314) 935-6720.

Fiction Workshop
Peter Leach
Saturdays, January 23 to March 13, 2010, 10:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.
Methods and techniques of writing fiction, including creating an environment, developing characters, and constructing a plot.
Fee: $515; One-Credit Course.
Register online at ucollege.wustl.edu. Course listed as EComp 217.

Nonfiction Writing Workshop
Richard Newman
Thursdays, January 21 to March 11, 2010; 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Analysis of and practice in writing creative non-fiction: essays, autobiography, travel, and nature writing.
Fee: $515; One-Credit Course.
Register online at ucollege.wustl.edu. Course listed as EComp 218.

Summer Writers Institute and Young Writers Institute
The annual Summer Writers Institute in creative writing will be held in June 2010. Institute participants may earn 3 units of credit. Join some of St. Louis’ best writers for two weeks of intensive workshops, personal conferences, readings, craft talks, and panel discussions on writing poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The Summer Writers Institute includes a new component, The Young Writers Institute, for talented high school juniors and seniors. The Institute may be taken on a credit or noncredit basis. For more information, call (314) 935-6759.

Three-credit, semester-length courses in fiction and nonfiction writing, poetry, journalism, and business communication are also offered in the evenings through University College. See the course listings under "English Composition" (for creative writing) and "Communication and Journalism" (for journalism and business writing). These courses may be taken for credit at the regular course fee. Find out about earning the 15-credit Certificate in Creative Writing in University College, or the Strategic Communications Certificate. Call (314) 935-6777.

Registration

• Online: You may register online for the credit-bearing workshops and courses. Click here to start and then click on the link "Courses and Registration" at upper left.
• In Person: You may register in person at the University College Office, January Hall, Room 20. Classroom location and parking regulations are mailed with registration confirmation.

Refunds: A full refund is granted if a course or workshop is canceled, or if notice of withdrawal is received prior to the beginning date of a course. Refunds are not granted on short courses after the first class meeting. To receive a refund, please submit a signed request in person or by mail.

See also Noncredit Short Courses and Arts and Sciences Day Audit Courses for more lower-cost learning opportunities.

For more information, call (314) 935-6700, or TOLL FREE 1-888-340-0723, or e-mail ucollege@artsci.wustl.edu.