Creative Writing Requirements

In the Department of English

Colby students may study the craft of imaginative writing in one of two ways—through a concentration within an English major or by electing a minor in creative writing if their major is a discipline other than English. A creative writing concentration within the English major is offered as another option for developing creative writing skills. The requirements for the concentration are specified in the “English” section of this catalogue.

The minor is designed to enhance existing major programs, add structure and a sense of purpose for students already committed to creative writing, and prepare students considering graduate programs in creative writing.

Director, Associate Professor Arisa White

Professors Adrian Blevins and Debra Spark; Associate Professors Sarah Braunstein and Arisa White; and Assistant Professor Onnesha Rouychoudhuri

The minor consists of seven courses in total: four writing workshops and three literature courses.

The four writing workshops should include creative writing courses at the 200 level or above. These courses currently include English 278, 279, 280, 378, 379, 380, and 386. Students may count Performance, Theater, and Dance 141 (Beginning Playwriting), EN297, and EN298  as one of their creative writing workshops with advisor’s approval. The program does not count January courses or courses taken at other institutions toward the minor.

The creative writing minor requires the student to complete three courses in English and American literature in addition to their writing workshops. When choosing literature courses, minors should work to develop their specific writing interests and aptitudes and to expose themselves to more unfamiliar styles and genres. Literature courses students might consider are Other Worlds: Speculative Fictions; Phillis Wheatley and her Literary Afterlives; Strange Natures: The Queer Landscapes of Early U.S. American Literature; Climate Fiction; Women, Science, and Politics in 17th-Century Poetry; and Staging Pirates and Captives. Students should consult with their minor advisor with any questions about these requirements.

First priority for admission to English 278, 279, and 280 is given to declared majors and minors, first-years, sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

No requirement for the minor may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory.