Opening the Course

Welcome…

…to the Spring 2008 Intro to Creative Writing Blog (bg’s section)! This marks the sixth year I’ve used blogs in this course; every year they change a bit, as do the unit plans, the readings, the exercises, but with the exception of the first blog (which vanished into the netherworld when platforms were switched), the blogs from previous years, although separate from one another, are richly linked, back and forth to provide examples and inspiration. You have the privilege of standing on the shoulders of all the other writers who have passed through these blog-doors.

Take a swing around the blogs from 2003- 2006, if you like, to get acquainted with the rhythms of this course. And above all, take a look at the writing of the students:

Spring 2003 Spring 2004 Spring 2005 Spring 2006

Enjoy, too, the course blog from this past J-term: The Far Reaches of Contemporary Creative Nonfiction. We’re still posting to that blog, and are going to pull together an online ‘zine soon. Stay tuned.

This course is all about tapping into our deepest creative selves, learning to read as writers, taking risks with our writing that will lead to growth in our work and in ourselves. It is a course about exploration, about experimenting, about stretching our writing selves to their utmost. I will only ever post the assignments for the specific unit we’re in as it’s essential to grow the course in response to your needs as a writing community. What I can tell you is that we will spend three weeks in each of the following areas: multimedia experiments, creative nonfiction, fiction and poetry. The course title is “Introduction to Creative Writing,” and that means opening a lot of doors, peering inside, and trying out the tools lying about the place.  You’ll more about the course here, in the Course Overview.

Welcome aboard!