Meredith College to Offer Creative Writing Minor

Meredith College has approved a new creative writing minor coordinated by the English department. Students may begin enrolling in the new courses in Fall 2020.

The English department currently offers several creative writing electives to fulfill the writing requirement of the English major or minor in professional writing and presentation media. The success of these courses prompted the English Department to launch the new creative writing minor to provide a way for Meredith students to hone their creative writing skills in a workshop environment through the completion of an official program.

“This program will allow students who have a particular interest in creative writing to continue past our already very popular foundational courses in creative writing and give them a chance to experience workshop-focused courses, where they will move from instruction on the fundamentals of creative writing to a more intensive writing and revision experience,” said English faculty member Ashley Hogan.

Graduates of the program will bring a variety of valuable skills to the workplace. Creative writing skills are highly sought after in jobs that rely on narrative and storytelling, such as marketing, advertising, and entertainment.  

 “A creative writing minor demonstrates to employers a mastery of creative skills and highlights a student’s ability to think creatively, write effectively, work collaboratively, and receive and apply helpful criticism,” said Hogan. “Sustained revision of a major project is solid preparation for many workplace environments.” 

Through the program, students will learn to give and receive feedback on their work in a community of writers, which Hogan believes to be a valuable experience for students who hope to go on to write outside of college. Students will also have the opportunity to learn how to submit and publish their work.

Other benefits of the minor include improved critical thinking skills, graduate school preparation, portfolio building, and healthy self-expression for students. 

For students who aren’t majoring in English, the creative writing minor will offer time and space to pursue creative interests that may not otherwise fit into their graduation plan.

“It is common for English majors to write fiction or poetry in high school or independently and to view writing and the study of literature as complementary pursuits,” said Hogan, “but the minor is open to any student who wishes to pursue creative interests.”

If a minor in creative writing sounds interesting to you, learn more about the program.