Fundamentals of Creative Writing

Course Description

Summary

This course, intended for students who have not yet taken a Reading Writing course at Bennington, will serve as an intensive and rigorous introduction to the workshop method. We will experiment with various approaches to the craft of writing in three different genres: poetry, literary fiction, and creative nonfiction. Students will complete writing assignments every week, and will each have several poems, one short story, and one lyric or narrative essay discussed by the whole class. In addition, students will read poetry, fiction, and essays by a variety of contemporary authors. Corequisite: Students are required to be in attendance at all Literature Evenings and Poetry at Bennington events (typically alternating Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm). Please note: students may not enroll in this class if they are taking another Reading and Writing Class, Masters of Style, or Fiction from Fact.