creative writing prose fiction

Creative Writing 101

You love to write and have been told you have a way with words. So you’ve decided to give writing a try—creative writing.

Problem is, you’re finding it tougher than it looks.

You may even have a great story idea , but you’re not sure how to turn it into something people will read.

Don’t be discouraged—writing a compelling story can be grueling, even for veterans. Conflicting advice online may confuse you and make you want to quit before you start.

But you know more than you think. Stories saturate our lives.

We tell and hear stories every day in music, on television, in video games, in books, in movies, even in relationships.

Most stories, regardless the genre, feature a main character who wants something.

There’s a need, a goal, some sort of effort to get that something.

The character begins an adventure, a journey, or a quest, faces obstacles, and is ultimately transformed.

The work of developing such a story will come. But first, let’s look at the basics.

• What is Creative Writing?

It’s prose (fiction or nonfiction) that tells a story.

Journalistic, academic, technical writing relays facts.

Creative writing can also educate, but it’s best when it also entertains and emotionally moves the reader.

It triggers the imagination and appeals to the heart.

• Elements of Creative Writing

Writing a story is much like building a house.

You may have all the right tools and design ideas, but if your foundation isn’t solid, even the most beautiful structure won’t stand.

Most storytelling experts agree, these 7 key elements must exist in a story.

Plot (more on that below) is what happens in a story. Theme is why it happens.

Before you begin writing, determine why you want to tell your story.

• What message do you wish to convey? 
• What will it teach the reader? 

Resist the urge to explicitly state your theme. Just tell the story, and let it make its own point.

Give your readers credit. Subtly weave your theme into the story and trust them to get it.

They may remember a great plot, but you want them thinking about your theme long after they’ve finished reading.

2. Characters

Every story needs believable characters who feel knowable.

In fiction, your main character is the protagonist, also known as the lead or hero/heroine.

The protagonist must have:

• redeemable flaws
• potentially heroic qualities that emerge in the climax
• a character arc (he must be different, better, stronger by the end)

Resist the temptation to create a perfect lead. Perfect is boring. (Even Indiana Jones suffered a snake phobia.)

You also need an antagonist, the villain , who should be every bit as formidable and compelling as your hero.

Don’t make your bad guy bad just because he’s the bad guy. Make him a worthy foe by giving him motives for his actions.

Villains don’t see themselves as bad. They think they’re right! A fully rounded bad guy is much more realistic and memorable.

Depending on the length of your story , you may also need important orbital cast members.

For each character, ask:

• What do they want?
• What or who is keeping them from getting it?
• What will they do about it?

The more challenges your characters face, the more relatable they are.

Much as in real life, the toughest challenges result in the most transformation.

Setting may include a location, time, or era, but it should also include how things look, smell, taste, feel, and sound.

Thoroughly research details about your setting so it informs your writing, but use those details as seasoning, not the main course. The main course is the story.

But, beware.

Agents and acquisitions editors tell me one of the biggest mistakes beginning writers make is feeling they must begin by describing the setting.

That’s important, don’t get me wrong. But a sure way to put readers to sleep is to promise a thrilling story on the cover—only to start with some variation of:

The house sat in a deep wood surrounded by…

Rather than describing your setting, subtly layer it into the story.

Show readers your setting. Don’t tell them. Description as a separate element slows your story to crawl.

By layering in what things look and feel and sound like you subtly register the setting in the theater of readers’ minds.

While they concentrating on the action, the dialogue , the tension , the drama, and conflict that keep them turning the pages, they’re also getting a look and feel for your setting.

4. Point of View

POV is more than which voice you choose to tell your story: First Person ( I, me ), Second Person ( you, your ), or Third Person ( he, she, or it ).

Determine your perspective (POV) character for each scene—the one who serves as your camera and recorder—by deciding who has the most at stake. Who’s story is this?

The cardinal rule is that you’re limited to one perspective character per scene, but I prefer only one per chapter, and ideally one per novel.

Readers experience everything in your story from this character’s perspective.

For a more in-depth explanation of Voice and POV, read A Writer’s Guide to Point of View .

This is the sequence of events that make up a story —in short, what happens. It either compels your reader to keep turning pages or set the book aside.

A successful story answers:

• What happens? (Plot)
• What does it mean? (Theme: see above)

Writing coaches call various story structures by different names, but they’re all largely similar. All such structures include some variation of:

• An Inciting Incident that changes everything
• A series of Crises that build tension
• A Resolution (or Conclusion)

How effectively you create drama, intrigue, conflict, and tension, determines whether you can grab readers from the start and keep them to the end.

6. Conflict

This is the engine of fiction and crucial to effective nonfiction as well.

Readers crave conflict and what results from it.

If everything in your plot is going well and everyone is agreeing, you’ll quickly bore your reader—the cardinal sin of writing.

If two characters are chatting amiably and the scene feels flat (which it will), inject conflict. Have one say something that makes the other storm out, revealing a deep-seated rift.

Readers will stay with you to find out what it’s all about.

7. Resolution

Whether you’re an Outliner or a Pantser like me (one who writes by the seat of your pants), you must have an idea where your story is going.

How you expect the story to end should inform every scene and chapter. It may change, evolve, and grow as you and your characters do, but never leave it to chance.

Keep your lead character center stage to the very end. Everything he learns through all the complications you plunged him into should, in the end, allow him to rise to the occasion and succeed.

If you get near the end and something’s missing, don’t rush it. Give your ending a few days, even a few weeks if necessary.

Read through everything you’ve written. Take a long walk. Think about it. Sleep on it. Jot notes. Let your subconscious work. Play what-if games. Reach for the heart, and deliver a satisfying ending that resonates .

Give your readers a payoff for their investment by making it unforgettable.

• Creative Writing Examples
• Short Story
• Narrative nonfiction
• Autobiography
• Song lyrics
• Screenwriting
• Playwriting
• Creative Writing Tips

In How to Write a Novel , I cover each step of the writing process:

• Come up with a great story idea .
• Determine whether you’re an Outliner or a Pantser.
• Create an unforgettable main character.
• Expand your idea into a plot.
• Do your research.
• Choose your Voice and Point of View.
• Start in medias res (in the midst of things).
• Intensify your main character’s problems.
• Make the predicament appear hopeless.
• Bring it all to a climax.
• Leave readers wholly satisfied.
• More to Think About

1. Carry a writing pad, electronic or otherwise. I like the famous Moleskine™ notebook . 

Ideas can come at any moment. Record ideas for:

• Anything that might expand your story

2. Start small. 

Take time to build your craft and hone your skills on smaller projects before you try to write a book .

Journal. Write a newsletter. Start a blog. Write short stories . Submit articles to magazines, newspapers, or e-zines.

Take a night school or online course in journalism or creative writing. Attend a writers conference.

3. Throw perfection to the wind. 

Separate your writing from your editing .

Anytime you’re writing a first draft, take off your perfectionist cap. You can return to editor mode to your heart’s content while revising, but for now, just write the story.

Separate these tasks and watch your daily production soar.

• Time to Get to Work

Few pleasures in life compare to getting lost in a great story.

Learn how to write creatively, and the characters you birth have the potential to live in hearts for years.

• 1. Carry a writing pad, electronic or otherwise. I like the famous Moleskine™ notebook. 

Are You Making This #1 Amateur Writing Mistake?

Faith-Based Words and Phrases

What You and I Can Learn From Patricia Raybon

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MA Creative Writing Prose Fiction

Key Details

Course Overview

Our course will help transform you as a writer, giving you a surer sense of the imaginative, artistic and intellectual challenges involved in any act of writing.

You’ll study the craft of prose fiction with an international cohort of other excellent writers, and you’ll be taught by an outstanding and committed faculty – which includes Jean McNeil, Naomi Wood and Tessa McWatt, to name a few – alongside internationally recognised visiting writers – recent examples include Tsitsi Dangarembga, Margaret Atwood, Ali Smith, Caryl Phillips and Preti Taneja.

We’ll challenge you to explore your notions about writing and being a writer, provoking you into play, experimentation and risk, with the intention of making you the best writer you can be.

After this intensive year, you’ll leave the course confident of technique and craft, as well as your own voice. It’s no wonder that our students’ success is unparalleled, with many of our graduates going on to publish their own work, and others moving into publishing, journalism or teaching.

The MA in Prose Fiction at UEA is the oldest and most prestigious Creative Writing programme in the UK. Solely focused on the writing of fiction, we take a rigorous and creative approach to enable you to develop your ideas, voice, technique and craft.

You’ll experience an intensive immersion in the study of writing prose fiction. You’ll take core creative modules but can also choose from a wide range of critical modules, and benefit from our proven strengths in modernism and creative-critical studies, among others.

Graduates of our MA Creative Writing Prose Fiction have enjoyed extraordinary success in terms of publications and prizes. Our alumni include Nobel Laureate Sir Kazuo Ishiguro, fellow Booker Prize winners Ian McEwan and Anne Enright, Costa First Book Award Winners Emma Healey and Christie Watson, and many other internationally renowned novelists including Ayobami Adebayo, Naomi Alderman, Tash Aw, Stephen Buoro, Tracy Chevalier, Joe Dunthorne, Diana Evans, Mohammed Hanif, Elizabeth Macneal and Catriona Ward. The continuing success of our graduates means we are fortunate in being able to attract the best writers from around the world – writers like you.

While you are at UEA, the focus will be on exploring your creative potential, in a highly supportive and well-resourced environment.

In 2011, UEA’s Creative Writing programme was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in recognition of our continuing excellence in delivering innovative courses at a world-class level.

Study and Modules

This MA is a one-year full-time course (you can also take it part-time over two years). The full-time course consists of two semesters of 12 weeks, followed by a dissertation period of six weeks. The autumn semester lasts from September to December, and the spring semester from January to April. The dissertation supervision period ends in June, and you’ll submit your final piece of work in September.

In each semester, you’ll study two modules. One of these – in both semesters – is the compulsory Prose Fiction workshop. This is a weekly three-hour session, during which your group will discuss your fellow students’ works-in-progress. You’ll get the chance to attend a follow-up tutorial with your class tutor each time your work is discussed in these workshops.

Each workshop is assigned a tutor for the autumn semester, and a different tutor for the spring semester. Groups are ‘shuffled’ in December so you can encounter the widest range of peer responses to your work during the course. Teaching styles vary, but typically three students each week will have their work discussed by the group. The work-in-progress is circulated a week in advance, and annotated copies are returned to the student at the end of the session. The emphasis is always on constructive criticism, and the expectation is that the group will gain as much from the discussion as will the individual whose work is being discussed. You can expect your writing to be workshopped multiple times over the course of the two semesters.

In each semester, you’ll choose a second module from the broad range of modules, both creative and critical, available in the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing .

In the summer dissertation period, you’ll be assigned a supervisor for individual tutorials in which you’ll discuss your dissertation. You’ll then write this independently over the summer.

Compulsory Modules

Creative writing workshop: prose 1, creative writing workshop: prose 2, creative writing research methodology conference, creative writing (prose) dissertation, optional a modules, the art of short fiction, fiction 'after' modernism: re-reading the 20th century, writing lives, the art of the novel, living modernism, optional b modules, digital storytelling, ludic literature, japanese literature, the non fiction novel, the poetics of place, creative encounters, theory and practice of fiction, critically queer: sex, gender and sexuality, creative-critical writing, environmental humanities: human cultures and the natural world, adaptation and interpretation.

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.

Teaching and Learning

You’ll be taught by an internationally renowned cohort of prize-winning authors, who have many years of experience in teaching Creative Writing. Current staff members who have taught on the MA include Trezza Azzopardi, Stephanie Bishop, Philip Langeskov, Giles Foden, Jean McNeil, Tessa McWatt, Julianne Pachico, and Naomi Wood. You’ll also be taught via one-to-one tutorials with your workshop leader to enrich your understanding of the key insights to come out of your workshop.

The one-to-one dissertation supervisions are intended to emulate the relationship that you may go on to have with an editor at a publishing house. Over the dissertation period, your tutor will be able to discuss your work and your ambitions for your project so that you will be best placed to draft and then finalise your work over the summer vacation.   Independent study

One of the great benefits of this year is that you’ll have ample time to read and write on your own. Some students use their independent study time to write a draft of a whole novel; others want to experiment over the course of the year with different projects and different styles.

You’ll submit 5,000 words of original fiction at the end of the autumn semester, and another 5,000 words at the end of the spring semester. You will also submit a 5,000-word piece of creative work or an essay (requirements vary) for each of your two optional modules.

For your dissertation, you’ll write 15,000 words of original fiction, to be submitted in September. All assessed work is marked and moderated by two members of the Creative Writing faculty, with the mark agreed between them.

Your work will be read and commented upon by faculty members around sixteen times over the course of the MA – this includes workshops, dissertation tutorials and the marking of assignments. Since this course and its tutors focus on prose fiction and the development of your abilities as a writer of prose fiction, we cannot workshop or assess other work you might produce, such as poetry or creative non-fiction. However, we would encourage you to circulate such work informally among your fellow students.

Entry Requirements

Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):   

IELTS: 7.0 overall (minimum 7.0 in writing and 6.0 in all other components)

Test dates should be within 2 years of the course start date.  

We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review  our English Language Equivalencies  for a list of qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.  

If you do not yet meet the English language requirements for this course, INTO UEA offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study:   

Pre-sessional English at INTO UEA    

Academic English at INTO UEA   

Promising candidates will be invited to one of our online interview days, which are scheduled across the academic year. Typically a candidate will be interviewed by two members of the Creative Writing faculty and we aim to inform candidates of the outcome within five working days. Unsuccessful candidates are welcome to re-apply, though not within the same academic year. Successful candidates will either be offered a place for the forthcoming academic year or a place for the following academic year (if it is felt that they need more time to develop as a writer). Once the forthcoming year is full candidates will be offered a place on our reserve list with the option of a place for the following academic year if a place does not become available. 

This course is open to UK and International applicants. The annual intake for this course is in September each year.

Please note that those candidates offered a place on the course will not be able to defer their offer to the next year if they are unable to take up the offer of a place, however they are welcome to reapply the next year.

Additional Information or Requirements

Candidates are required to submit a portfolio of writing for assessment of between 3000 and 5000 words with their application.  This could be part of a novel in progress or a piece or pieces of short fiction.

Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants. 

Fees and Funding

Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2024/25 are: 

UK Students: £11,000 (full time) 

International Students: £22, 450 (full time)

If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home students). 

We estimate living expenses at £1,023 per month. 

Further Information on tuition fees can be found  here . 

Scholarships and Bursaries 

The University of East Anglia offers a range of  Scholarships ; please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.

The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships . The following have the most relevance to the MA in Creative Writing:

Annabel Abbs Scholarship The Difference scholarship Global Voices Scholarships  Kowitz Scholarship  Maggie Humm Scholarship  Miles Morland Foundation African Writers' Scholarship Seth Donaldson Memorial Bursary  Sonny Mehta India Scholarship  Sonny Mehta Scholarship for Writers  UEA Booker Prize Foundation Scholarship  UEA Crowdfunded Writers' Scholarship 

To find out more, please go to the Scholarships Finder . Select the name of the scholarship, then select ‘view more’ to see if you meet the criteria, and ‘apply here’ to make an application.  

Course Related Costs

Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs.

How to Apply

Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University. 

To apply please use our   online application form . 

FURTHER INFORMATION 

If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us: 

Postgraduate Admissions Office 

Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515  Email:  [email protected]  

International candidates are also encouraged to access the  International Students  section of our website. 

Employability

After the course.

You’ll graduate as a better writer, reader and editor. You will graduate knowing how to best critique others’ work and your own. Many students go on to publish, others go on to a career in publishing, journalism, or teaching.

A degree at UEA will prepare you for a wide variety of careers. We've been ranked 1st for Job Prospects by StudentCrowd in 2022.

Example of careers that you could enter include:

    Writing

    Publishing

    Journalism

    Teaching

    Advertising

    Film and television

Discover more on our Careers webpages .

Creative Writing Prose Fiction starting September 2024 for 1 years

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Last updated on Feb 14, 2023

10 Types of Creative Writing (with Examples You’ll Love)

About the author.

Reedsy's editorial team is a diverse group of industry experts devoted to helping authors write and publish beautiful books.

About Savannah Cordova

Savannah is a senior editor with Reedsy and a published writer whose work has appeared on Slate, Kirkus, and BookTrib. Her short fiction has appeared in the Owl Canyon Press anthology, "No Bars and a Dead Battery". 

About Rebecca van Laer

Rebecca van Laer is a writer, editor, and the author of two books, including the novella How to Adjust to the Dark. Her work has been featured in literary magazines such as AGNI, Breadcrumbs, and TriQuarterly.

A lot falls under the term ‘creative writing’: poetry, short fiction, plays, novels, personal essays, and songs, to name just a few. By virtue of the creativity that characterizes it, creative writing is an extremely versatile art. So instead of defining what creative writing is , it may be easier to understand what it does by looking at examples that demonstrate the sheer range of styles and genres under its vast umbrella.

To that end, we’ve collected a non-exhaustive list of works across multiple formats that have inspired the writers here at Reedsy. With 20 different works to explore, we hope they will inspire you, too. 

People have been writing creatively for almost as long as we have been able to hold pens. Just think of long-form epic poems like The Odyssey or, later, the Cantar de Mio Cid — some of the earliest recorded writings of their kind. 

Poetry is also a great place to start if you want to dip your own pen into the inkwell of creative writing. It can be as short or long as you want (you don’t have to write an epic of Homeric proportions), encourages you to build your observation skills, and often speaks from a single point of view . 

Here are a few examples:

“Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.

This classic poem by Romantic poet Percy Shelley (also known as Mary Shelley’s husband) is all about legacy. What do we leave behind? How will we be remembered? The great king Ozymandias built himself a massive statue, proclaiming his might, but the irony is that his statue doesn’t survive the ravages of time. By framing this poem as told to him by a “traveller from an antique land,” Shelley effectively turns this into a story. Along with the careful use of juxtaposition to create irony, this poem accomplishes a lot in just a few lines. 

“Trying to Raise the Dead” by Dorianne Laux

 A direction. An object. My love, it needs a place to rest. Say anything. I’m listening. I’m ready to believe. Even lies, I don’t care.

Poetry is cherished for its ability to evoke strong emotions from the reader using very few words which is exactly what Dorianne Laux does in “ Trying to Raise the Dead .” With vivid imagery that underscores the painful yearning of the narrator, she transports us to a private nighttime scene as the narrator sneaks away from a party to pray to someone they’ve lost. We ache for their loss and how badly they want their lost loved one to acknowledge them in some way. It’s truly a masterclass on how writing can be used to portray emotions. 

If you find yourself inspired to try out some poetry — and maybe even get it published — check out these poetry layouts that can elevate your verse!

Song Lyrics

Poetry’s closely related cousin, song lyrics are another great way to flex your creative writing muscles. You not only have to find the perfect rhyme scheme but also match it to the rhythm of the music. This can be a great challenge for an experienced poet or the musically inclined. 

To see how music can add something extra to your poetry, check out these two examples:

“Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen

 You say I took the name in vain I don't even know the name But if I did, well, really, what's it to ya? There's a blaze of light in every word It doesn't matter which you heard The holy or the broken Hallelujah 

Metaphors are commonplace in almost every kind of creative writing, but will often take center stage in shorter works like poetry and songs. At the slightest mention, they invite the listener to bring their emotional or cultural experience to the piece, allowing the writer to express more with fewer words while also giving it a deeper meaning. If a whole song is couched in metaphor, you might even be able to find multiple meanings to it, like in Leonard Cohen’s “ Hallelujah .” While Cohen’s Biblical references create a song that, on the surface, seems like it’s about a struggle with religion, the ambiguity of the lyrics has allowed it to be seen as a song about a complicated romantic relationship. 

“I Will Follow You into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie

 ​​If Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks Then I'll follow you into the dark

You can think of song lyrics as poetry set to music. They manage to do many of the same things their literary counterparts do — including tugging on your heartstrings. Death Cab for Cutie’s incredibly popular indie rock ballad is about the singer’s deep devotion to his lover. While some might find the song a bit too dark and macabre, its melancholy tune and poignant lyrics remind us that love can endure beyond death.

Plays and Screenplays

From the short form of poetry, we move into the world of drama — also known as the play. This form is as old as the poem, stretching back to the works of ancient Greek playwrights like Sophocles, who adapted the myths of their day into dramatic form. The stage play (and the more modern screenplay) gives the words on the page a literal human voice, bringing life to a story and its characters entirely through dialogue. 

Interested to see what that looks like? Take a look at these examples:

All My Sons by Arthur Miller

“I know you're no worse than most men but I thought you were better. I never saw you as a man. I saw you as my father.” 

Arthur Miller acts as a bridge between the classic and the new, creating 20th century tragedies that take place in living rooms and backyard instead of royal courts, so we had to include his breakout hit on this list. Set in the backyard of an all-American family in the summer of 1946, this tragedy manages to communicate family tensions in an unimaginable scale, building up to an intense climax reminiscent of classical drama. 

💡 Read more about Arthur Miller and classical influences in our breakdown of Freytag’s pyramid . 

“Everything is Fine” by Michael Schur ( The Good Place )

“Well, then this system sucks. What...one in a million gets to live in paradise and everyone else is tortured for eternity? Come on! I mean, I wasn't freaking Gandhi, but I was okay. I was a medium person. I should get to spend eternity in a medium place! Like Cincinnati. Everyone who wasn't perfect but wasn't terrible should get to spend eternity in Cincinnati.” 

A screenplay, especially a TV pilot, is like a mini-play, but with the extra job of convincing an audience that they want to watch a hundred more episodes of the show. Blending moral philosophy with comedy, The Good Place is a fun hang-out show set in the afterlife that asks some big questions about what it means to be good. 

It follows Eleanor Shellstrop, an incredibly imperfect woman from Arizona who wakes up in ‘The Good Place’ and realizes that there’s been a cosmic mixup. Determined not to lose her place in paradise, she recruits her “soulmate,” a former ethics professor, to teach her philosophy with the hope that she can learn to be a good person and keep up her charade of being an upstanding citizen. The pilot does a superb job of setting up the stakes, the story, and the characters, while smuggling in deep philosophical ideas.

Personal essays

Our first foray into nonfiction on this list is the personal essay. As its name suggests, these stories are in some way autobiographical — concerned with the author’s life and experiences. But don’t be fooled by the realistic component. These essays can take any shape or form, from comics to diary entries to recipes and anything else you can imagine. Typically zeroing in on a single issue, they allow you to explore your life and prove that the personal can be universal.

Here are a couple of fantastic examples:

“On Selling Your First Novel After 11 Years” by Min Jin Lee (Literary Hub)

There was so much to learn and practice, but I began to see the prose in verse and the verse in prose. Patterns surfaced in poems, stories, and plays. There was music in sentences and paragraphs. I could hear the silences in a sentence. All this schooling was like getting x-ray vision and animal-like hearing. 

This deeply honest personal essay by Pachinko author Min Jin Lee is an account of her eleven-year struggle to publish her first novel . Like all good writing, it is intensely focused on personal emotional details. While grounded in the specifics of the author's personal journey, it embodies an experience that is absolutely universal: that of difficulty and adversity met by eventual success. 

“A Cyclist on the English Landscape” by Roff Smith (New York Times)

These images, though, aren’t meant to be about me. They’re meant to represent a cyclist on the landscape, anybody — you, perhaps. 

Roff Smith’s gorgeous photo essay for the NYT is a testament to the power of creatively combining visuals with text. Here, photographs of Smith atop a bike are far from simply ornamental. They’re integral to the ruminative mood of the essay, as essential as the writing. Though Smith places his work at the crosscurrents of various aesthetic influences (such as the painter Edward Hopper), what stands out the most in this taciturn, thoughtful piece of writing is his use of the second person to address the reader directly. Suddenly, the writer steps out of the body of the essay and makes eye contact with the reader. The reader is now part of the story as a second character, finally entering the picture.

Short Fiction

The short story is the happy medium of fiction writing. These bite-sized narratives can be devoured in a single sitting and still leave you reeling. Sometimes viewed as a stepping stone to novel writing, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Short story writing is an art all its own. The limited length means every word counts and there’s no better way to see that than with these two examples:

“An MFA Story” by Paul Dalla Rosa (Electric Literature)

At Starbucks, I remembered a reading Zhen had given, a reading organized by the program’s faculty. I had not wanted to go but did. In the bar, he read, "I wrote this in a Starbucks in Shanghai. On the bank of the Huangpu." It wasn’t an aside or introduction. It was two lines of the poem. I was in a Starbucks and I wasn’t writing any poems. I wasn’t writing anything. 

This short story is a delightfully metafictional tale about the struggles of being a writer in New York. From paying the bills to facing criticism in a writing workshop and envying more productive writers, Paul Dalla Rosa’s story is a clever satire of the tribulations involved in the writing profession, and all the contradictions embodied by systemic creativity (as famously laid out in Mark McGurl’s The Program Era ). What’s more, this story is an excellent example of something that often happens in creative writing: a writer casting light on the private thoughts or moments of doubt we don’t admit to or openly talk about. 

“Flowering Walrus” by Scott Skinner (Reedsy)

I tell him they’d been there a month at least, and he looks concerned. He has my tongue on a tissue paper and is gripping its sides with his pointer and thumb. My tongue has never spent much time outside of my mouth, and I imagine it as a walrus basking in the rays of the dental light. My walrus is not well. 

A winner of Reedsy’s weekly Prompts writing contest, ‘ Flowering Walrus ’ is a story that balances the trivial and the serious well. In the pauses between its excellent, natural dialogue , the story manages to scatter the fear and sadness of bad medical news, as the protagonist hides his worries from his wife and daughter. Rich in subtext, these silences grow and resonate with the readers.

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Perhaps the thing that first comes to mind when talking about creative writing, novels are a form of fiction that many people know and love but writers sometimes find intimidating. The good news is that novels are nothing but one word put after another, like any other piece of writing, but expanded and put into a flowing narrative. Piece of cake, right?

To get an idea of the format’s breadth of scope, take a look at these two (very different) satirical novels: 

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

I wished I was back in the convenience store where I was valued as a working member of staff and things weren’t as complicated as this. Once we donned our uniforms, we were all equals regardless of gender, age, or nationality — all simply store workers. 

Keiko, a thirty-six-year-old convenience store employee, finds comfort and happiness in the strict, uneventful routine of the shop’s daily operations. A funny, satirical, but simultaneously unnerving examination of the social structures we take for granted, Sayaka Murata’s Convenience Store Woman is deeply original and lingers with the reader long after they’ve put it down.

Erasure by Percival Everett

The hard, gritty truth of the matter is that I hardly ever think about race. Those times when I did think about it a lot I did so because of my guilt for not thinking about it.  

Erasure is a truly accomplished satire of the publishing industry’s tendency to essentialize African American authors and their writing. Everett’s protagonist is a writer whose work doesn’t fit with what publishers expect from him — work that describes the “African American experience” — so he writes a parody novel about life in the ghetto. The publishers go crazy for it and, to the protagonist’s horror, it becomes the next big thing. This sophisticated novel is both ironic and tender, leaving its readers with much food for thought.

Creative Nonfiction

Creative nonfiction is pretty broad: it applies to anything that does not claim to be fictional (although the rise of autofiction has definitely blurred the boundaries between fiction and nonfiction). It encompasses everything from personal essays and memoirs to humor writing, and they range in length from blog posts to full-length books. The defining characteristic of this massive genre is that it takes the world or the author’s experience and turns it into a narrative that a reader can follow along with.

Here, we want to focus on novel-length works that dig deep into their respective topics. While very different, these two examples truly show the breadth and depth of possibility of creative nonfiction:

Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward

Men’s bodies litter my family history. The pain of the women they left behind pulls them from the beyond, makes them appear as ghosts. In death, they transcend the circumstances of this place that I love and hate all at once and become supernatural. 

Writer Jesmyn Ward recounts the deaths of five men from her rural Mississippi community in as many years. In her award-winning memoir , she delves into the lives of the friends and family she lost and tries to find some sense among the tragedy. Working backwards across five years, she questions why this had to happen over and over again, and slowly unveils the long history of racism and poverty that rules rural Black communities. Moving and emotionally raw, Men We Reaped is an indictment of a cruel system and the story of a woman's grief and rage as she tries to navigate it.

Cork Dork by Bianca Bosker

He believed that wine could reshape someone’s life. That’s why he preferred buying bottles to splurging on sweaters. Sweaters were things. Bottles of wine, said Morgan, “are ways that my humanity will be changed.” 

In this work of immersive journalism , Bianca Bosker leaves behind her life as a tech journalist to explore the world of wine. Becoming a “cork dork” takes her everywhere from New York’s most refined restaurants to science labs while she learns what it takes to be a sommelier and a true wine obsessive. This funny and entertaining trip through the past and present of wine-making and tasting is sure to leave you better informed and wishing you, too, could leave your life behind for one devoted to wine. 

Illustrated Narratives (Comics, graphic novels)

Once relegated to the “funny pages”, the past forty years of comics history have proven it to be a serious medium. Comics have transformed from the early days of Jack Kirby’s superheroes into a medium where almost every genre is represented. Humorous one-shots in the Sunday papers stand alongside illustrated memoirs, horror, fantasy, and just about anything else you can imagine. This type of visual storytelling lets the writer and artist get creative with perspective, tone, and so much more. For two very different, though equally entertaining, examples, check these out:

Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson

"Life is like topography, Hobbes. There are summits of happiness and success, flat stretches of boring routine and valleys of frustration and failure." 

This beloved comic strip follows Calvin, a rambunctious six-year-old boy, and his stuffed tiger/imaginary friend, Hobbes. They get into all kinds of hijinks at school and at home, and muse on the world in the way only a six-year-old and an anthropomorphic tiger can. As laugh-out-loud funny as it is, Calvin & Hobbes ’ popularity persists as much for its whimsy as its use of humor to comment on life, childhood, adulthood, and everything in between. 

From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell 

"I shall tell you where we are. We're in the most extreme and utter region of the human mind. A dim, subconscious underworld. A radiant abyss where men meet themselves. Hell, Netley. We're in Hell." 

Comics aren't just the realm of superheroes and one-joke strips, as Alan Moore proves in this serialized graphic novel released between 1989 and 1998. A meticulously researched alternative history of Victorian London’s Ripper killings, this macabre story pulls no punches. Fact and fiction blend into a world where the Royal Family is involved in a dark conspiracy and Freemasons lurk on the sidelines. It’s a surreal mad-cap adventure that’s unsettling in the best way possible. 

Video Games and RPGs

Probably the least expected entry on this list, we thought that video games and RPGs also deserved a mention — and some well-earned recognition for the intricate storytelling that goes into creating them. 

Essentially gamified adventure stories, without attention to plot, characters, and a narrative arc, these games would lose a lot of their charm, so let’s look at two examples where the creative writing really shines through: 

80 Days by inkle studios

"It was a triumph of invention over nature, and will almost certainly disappear into the dust once more in the next fifty years." 

Named Time Magazine ’s game of the year in 2014, this narrative adventure is based on Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne. The player is cast as the novel’s narrator, Passpartout, and tasked with circumnavigating the globe in service of their employer, Phileas Fogg. Set in an alternate steampunk Victorian era, the game uses its globe-trotting to comment on the colonialist fantasies inherent in the original novel and its time period. On a storytelling level, the choose-your-own-adventure style means no two players’ journeys will be the same. This innovative approach to a classic novel shows the potential of video games as a storytelling medium, truly making the player part of the story. 

What Remains of Edith Finch by Giant Sparrow

"If we lived forever, maybe we'd have time to understand things. But as it is, I think the best we can do is try to open our eyes, and appreciate how strange and brief all of this is." 

This video game casts the player as 17-year-old Edith Finch. Returning to her family’s home on an island in the Pacific northwest, Edith explores the vast house and tries to figure out why she’s the only one of her family left alive. The story of each family member is revealed as you make your way through the house, slowly unpacking the tragic fate of the Finches. Eerie and immersive, this first-person exploration game uses the medium to tell a series of truly unique tales. 

Fun and breezy on the surface, humor is often recognized as one of the trickiest forms of creative writing. After all, while you can see the artistic value in a piece of prose that you don’t necessarily enjoy, if a joke isn’t funny, you could say that it’s objectively failed.

With that said, it’s far from an impossible task, and many have succeeded in bringing smiles to their readers’ faces through their writing. Here are two examples:

‘How You Hope Your Extended Family Will React When You Explain Your Job to Them’ by Mike Lacher (McSweeney’s Internet Tendency)

“Is it true you don’t have desks?” your grandmother will ask. You will nod again and crack open a can of Country Time Lemonade. “My stars,” she will say, “it must be so wonderful to not have a traditional office and instead share a bistro-esque coworking space.” 

Satire and parody make up a whole subgenre of creative writing, and websites like McSweeney’s Internet Tendency and The Onion consistently hit the mark with their parodies of magazine publishing and news media. This particular example finds humor in the divide between traditional family expectations and contemporary, ‘trendy’ work cultures. Playing on the inherent silliness of today’s tech-forward middle-class jobs, this witty piece imagines a scenario where the writer’s family fully understands what they do — and are enthralled to hear more. “‘Now is it true,’ your uncle will whisper, ‘that you’ve got a potential investment from one of the founders of I Can Haz Cheezburger?’”

‘Not a Foodie’ by Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell (Electric Literature)

I’m not a foodie, I never have been, and I know, in my heart, I never will be. 

Highlighting what she sees as an unbearable social obsession with food , in this comic Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell takes a hilarious stand against the importance of food. From the writer’s courageous thesis (“I think there are more exciting things to talk about, and focus on in life, than what’s for dinner”) to the amusing appearance of family members and the narrator’s partner, ‘Not a Foodie’ demonstrates that even a seemingly mundane pet peeve can be approached creatively — and even reveal something profound about life.

We hope this list inspires you with your own writing. If there’s one thing you take away from this post, let it be that there is no limit to what you can write about or how you can write about it. 

In the next part of this guide, we'll drill down into the fascinating world of creative nonfiction.

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Prose Type: What are 10 Different Prose Types in Creative Writing?

1. biography, 2. autobiography, 3. folktale.

• 6. Fable

9. Short Story

When discussing the eminent components of  literature , we do take into consideration the mode through which a piece of work is presented. While doing so, one gets introduced to terms like Prose and  Poetry  which later become the center of the talk. These are two such forms through which almost all of the literature encompass.

To elucidate and encounter the difference between the two, one can easily understand Prose as being the  writing  that we see in our daily lives that does not follow any metrical structure and is written in the form of sentences and paragraphs. Poetry, on the other hand, can be seen as a literary work that caters to aesthetics, follows a certain style and  rhythm , and is expressed in stanzas.

Continue reading this article to develop a deeper understanding of the 10 Prose type with  examples .

What is a Prose?

Prose can simply be defined as the form of writing which is specifically of pragmatic  nature , following a proper grammatical structure. Unlike Poetry it does not follow any fixed metrical parameters and is expressed in the form of sentences and paragraphs in a lucid manner. It often aims at conveying the message by following a  narrative  structure. Prose can be of various  types  like biography, folktale, autobiography,  fables , and many more. 10 of its types are discussed below.

A thorough description of a person’s life is referred to as his/her Biography.

It is a kind of prose that is full of basic information about all the highs and lows in a person’s life, including anecdotes and memoirs. A biography tells the tale of the person’s personal experiences with life,  relationships , work, and all other things. You are the major lead of your biography and it tells your truth to the world. Biographies fall under the category of non- fiction . When written in-depth, we know it as legacy writing.

A biography can also be portrayed or presented in various forms of media, from literature to film. An accredited biography can only be written with the permission, cooperation, and participation of the person or the person’s  family  or successors. It is the story of a person’s life narrated and drafted by him or her but perfected and written by another person.       

Biography Example:  The Life of Samuel Johnson (By James Boswell)

This is a perfect example of the  English   language . Boswell was well acquainted with Samuel Johnson and has created a masterpiece of biography for the late  writer  and the readers.

Autobiography is also a kind of prose and as the term suggests, it is the self-written account of one’s life.

It is very similar to a biography, except it is written by the same person whose story it is about. For example, if I write the story of my life by myself completely, then it will be referred to as an autobiography. The person can also seek guidance or help from another writer or hire a  ghostwriter  if required.

Autobiography Example:  The Story of My Life by Helen Keller is the best example of an autobiography as it captures it all and that too perfectly.

Folktale is a popular or legendary story, familiar to a specific group or culture reflecting their values and ideas. They are usually passed down verbally from one generation to another. These stories carry a moral or lesson to be absorbed by the audience. Folktales have many types like fables, tall tales, ghost stories, or religious tales.

Folktale Example:  The Pied Piper and The Frog King are popular folktales both impart valuable lessons. The Frog King is one of the oldest German folk tales. In the story, a princess promises a frog that she will make him her companion if he retrieves her favourite toy from the bottom of the deep  spring . The moral of The Frog King is that one should honour their promises and will be rewarded. The frog honoured his promise to retrieve the ball and the princess (unwillingly) honoured her promise to the frog. His curse was broken, and she got a fancy new husband.

Myth is a traditional story or tale full of symbols. These superficially relate to reality or actual events and are especially associated with religious beliefs and traditions. The key figures in myths are gods, demigods, or supernatural humans with unrealistic powers and talents entangled in extraordinary events or circumstances in an unknown period.

Myth Example:  Pandora’s Box is an artifact in  Greek mythology  connected with the myth of Pandora in Hesiod’s Works and Days.

Legend stories are a subgenre of folktales. The legend may be a traditional story or a group of stories with a sound message for the audience. Also, legends are about a person or a place. Earlier, the term Legend was used for telling a tale about a saint. These are quite similar to folktales in content. They may include supernatural beings, elements of mythology, or explanations of natural phenomena, but they are linked with a particular locality or person and are told as a matter of antiquity.

Legend Example:  Some well-known legends are

• The tales of Odysseus from Ancient Greece,
• Beowulf from the Norse lands,
• King Arthur from Old England,
• The famous Robin Hood,
• The  Bigfoot .

6 .  Fable

A fictional work of literature featuring inanimate objects or forces of nature,  animals ,  plants , or legendary creatures having humanlike attributes. A fable is written in prose or verse, to highlight human foolishness and flaws or mistakes. These have a moral or lesson weaved into the story and are often explicitly planned at the end as a concise maxim or saying.

Fable Example:  A splendid example is The Panchatantra, a Sanskrit compilation of beast fables. Animal Farm by George Orwell is an excellent novel depicting the situation of Russia post-war through animals in a satirical form.

A parable is a brief, educational story, written in the form of prose or verse, that explains one or more informative lessons or teachings. It differs from a fable as fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as key figures, whereas parables have human characters. A parable is a kind of metaphorical analogy. Parables in literature impart a moral lesson to the readers. It is excellent for teaching because stories are easier to recall with clarity and interest.

Prose Type Parable Example: “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” warns against lying because of its impending consequences.

A novel is a long literary fictional work, usually written in the form of prose. A novel is a book telling a single tale penned creatively with human experience and exposure. The novel has several chapters, each chapter is connected or linked to the other through a sequence of events and has a specific setting and tone. We have a large number of genres of novels available which have encompassed various styles and types, some of them are picaresque,  comedy ,  drama , romance, gothic, epistolary, and many more.

Prose Type Novel Example:  The  Harry Potter series  by J.K. Rowling.

As the name suggests, a short story is a fictional prose narrative that is shorter than a novel. A short story has only one or few events and passages, has few characters and few to no chapters. The form encourages conservation of setting, concise narrative, and the omission of a complex  plot ; character is disclosed in action and dramatic encounters but is seldom fully developed.

Prose Type Short Story Example:  “ A Christmas Carol ” by Charles Dickens and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson.

A piece of writing that lets the author present his/her ideas and feelings or argument. An essay doesn’t necessarily have to be formal or have a system to follow, it usually deals with its topic in a more personal manner, putting out its  point of view .

Some of the popular essays are :

• David Sedaris
• Kookaburra, 
• Zadie Smith – Fail Better
• Virginia Woolf – Death of the Moth.

Hope you enjoyed knowing about these prose types. Check out  9 genres of Poetry  to learn about different  poetry genres .

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What Is Prose In Writing? Find A Definition And Examples

As a creative writing teacher, a common question I get asked is “what is prose?” The term prose simply refers to spoken or written language. In the context of writing books, it describes a style of written words, distinct from poetry, numbers and metrics.

One of the biggest tasks many writers face is improving their ability to write prose. This guide offers the quickest and easiest solutions.

Below, we take a look at the different styles of writing prose, examples of each one, and advice from expert writers on getting better.

You can jump to the section you’re most interested in below:

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What is prose writing an easy definition, what are the main styles of prose, orwellian prose: the clear pane of glass, florid prose: the stained glass window, can you use a hybrid approach, examples of different styles of prose, 13 tips to help you write clear prose, learn more about writing prose, frequently asked questions (faq), join an online writing community.

So what is prose ?

It’s spoken or written language that does not rhyme or contain numbers. How we think, speak and write would be described as prose. When we write prose, we often apply a grammatical structure.

How Are Prose And Poetry Different?

Prose and poetry are different because poetry applies a rhythmic structure whereas prose follows a more standard mode of written language that follows natural speech patterns—an example being this very article you’re reading now.

Prose and poetry are therefore considered opposites.

What Is Purple Prose In Writing?

Purple prose is when a writer uses too many fancy words or describes things in a flowery, exaggerated way. It’s like adding too much frosting on a cupcake; it might look pretty, but it’s too much and can make it hard to enjoy.

There are a few main styles of writing prose. They are:

• Clear, concise prose, referred to as ‘Orwellian’, or the ‘clear pane of glass’, and;
• Florid, literary prose, referred to as the ‘stained glass window’.
• A hybrid of the two, which is an approach I favour. 

First, we’ll have a look at each, before looking at some examples.

If you’ve ever heard the phrase “good prose is like a window pane” and wanted to know the meaning behind it, here it is.

George Orwell in his essay, Politics and the English Language , set out what he thinks good prose writing ought to consist of, all the while attacking the British political system for the destruction of good writing practices.

Orwell was very much against the over-complication of language, which at the time (1946), was the direction politics was taking, and unfortunately still takes today.

Orwell believed prose should be like looking through a clear pane of glass at the story unfolding on the other side. It should be clear to understand. The writing should be invisible, drawing as little attention to itself as possible. The reader shouldn’t have to stop to re-read a sentence due to poor construction or stumble over a word used in the wrong way.

Words should be chosen because of their meaning, and to make them clearer, images or idioms, such as metaphors and similes, should be conjured. He encouraged the use of ‘newly invented metaphors’ which “assists thought by evoking a visual image”. Orwell encouraged writers to use the fewest and shortest words that will express the meaning you want.

“ Let the meaning choose the word.” 

If you can’t explain something in short, simple terms, you don’t understand it, was his argument. 

A change in the language used by politicians provoked Orwell to write his essay. Pretentious diction, as he called it—words such as phenomenon, element, objective, eliminate and liquidate—is used to dress up simple statements. He blamed politics for this, and how politicians adopt hollow words and phrases, mechanically repeating them over and over until they become meaningless.

I’m sure we can all agree we’re fed up of hearing such phrases. Orwell used ‘stand shoulder to shoulder’ as an example, and more recently we’ve seen Theresa May butcher the phrase ‘strong and stable’. These phrases are vague and bland and do not evoke any imagery, and if you’re a writer, they’re things you ought to avoid, Orwell argued.

Orwell’s Six Rules For Achieving Clear Prose

Orwell provided six rules to remember when writing prose. In following them, he argued, you could achieve clear prose that could be understood and enjoyed by all readers:

• Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print;
• Never use a long word where a short one will do;
• If it is possible to cut out a word, always cut it out;
• Never use the passive [voice] where you can use the active;
• Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent;
• Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

So in summary, Orwellian prose is writing which is short, simple and understandable. And if you’re looking for a simple and effective method of how to write good prose, this is it.

They’re great guidelines to test out with short stories. With that type of narrative writing you need to make every word count, so they’re a great way to get used to them. It’s also a more preferred prose form among many literary agents, publishers , and editors.  

A Video Explainer On Orwellian Prose

If you’d like a more visual explainer on writing Orwellian prose, check out this brilliant video from bestselling author, Brandon Sanderson.

When we explore answers to the question, what is prose writing, one approach we inevitably turn to is the stained glass window—the antithesis to Orwell’s clear pane method.

With a stained glass window approach, you can still see the story on the other side, but the stained glass is colouring it in interesting ways. Language and structure are therefore florid and more creative. And it also tends to lean more heavily on the side of descriptive writing.

It’s used more in literary fiction and requires a mastery of language to pull off well. Brandon Sanderson refers to it as the artist’s style of prose, whereas Orwellian prose he regards as the craftsman’s style.

Above we mentioned the phrase ‘purple prose’. This is an attempt at creating a stained glass window, but the description and structure are poor , rendering the prose incomprehensible.

A blend of the clear pane and stained pane can work well. JRR Tolkien often adopted this, particularly with his descriptions, and other writers, Sanderson and David Gemmell to name but two, like to start chapters in a florid way before transitioning into the clear pane. Sometimes it can depend on the scene.

In fight scenes , for example, simple language is best adopted so the reader’s flow isn’t disrupted. When describing places, people or settings colourful language works well to liven up what would otherwise be quite mundane passages.

My personal preference is toward Orwellian prose writing. Writing should be clear and accessible to all. As writers, that’s what we want—to have our stories read and enjoyed by as many people as possible.

Having spent years working as a lawyer I know it’s not the case, and Orwell’s fears back in 1946 continue to materialise. In the end, I regarded my role as a lawyer as more of a translator of legal jargon. Writing shouldn’t be this way.

So we’ve taken a look at the different styles of prose writing. Now let’s take a look at some examples to better illustrate the different approaches. 

Examples Of A Clear Prose Style

One of my favourite writers of clear prose is Ernest Hemingway. His stories are immersive and gripping because they’re simple to follow. A clear pane of glass approach if ever there was one. 

Here’s an extract from Old Man And The Sea:

“He was happy feeling the gentle pulling and then he felt something hard and unbelievably heavy. It was the weight of the fish and he let the line slip down, down, down, unrolling off the first of the two reserve coils. As it went down, slipping lightly through the old man’s fingers, he still could feel the great weight, though the pressure of his thumb and finger were almost imperceptible.”

You can see here how clear the language is. “Imperceptible” may be the most difficult word used, but it almost doesn’t matter because what has come before it is so clear and vivid, we can picture the scene in our minds. 

Examples Of Flowery Prose

On the other side of the coin, we have flowery prose. One of my favourite writers of florid prose is JRR Tolkien. Some people find The Lord Of The Rings quite challenging to read when they first begin, and I was one of them, and it’s down to Tolkien’s unqiue voice. But once you grow accustomed to it, there’s something quite enchanting about it.

So to illustrate this style, here’s an extract from The Lord of The Rings (Book One):

So far in this guide on how to write prose, we’ve looked at the different approaches. Now we’re looking at the practical side of things—how we actually write great prose. Here are a few writing tips to help you achieve a clear style :

• Resist the temptation to get fancy . We all do it. Only the other day I was going through a story of mine with a friend. I’d written the phrase “after thrice repeating the words,” and he pulled me up on it, and rightly so. “Why not just say ‘after the third time’?” he asked. Simpler, more effective.
• Make good use of nouns and verbs, and refrain from indulging in adjectives and adverb s. Check out my 7 nifty editing tips which look at the impact too many adjectives and adverbs can have on your writing.
• Show don’t tell . This has cropped up a few times on the blog over the past few weeks, and for good reason. Telling the reader how a character feels is boring! Show it! 
• Behead the passive voice . Seek to use active verbs. But this can be harder than it looks. Check out my full guide to passive voice here.
• Use effective dialogue. You can find dialogue writing examples here 
• Try poetry and flash fiction . These facets of the craft will teach you the importance of each and every word. You’ll learn the power a single word can have, how it can provoke images, emotions or memories in the reader’s mind.
• Try using deliberate line breaks . Not only does this break up the wall of text to make it easier on the eye for the reader, it can help you emphasise key points as well as a structural device to build tension and suspense.
• Varying line lengths and sentence structure . This is a good one to help you build rhythm to your writing. Go back through your written prose and see how long each sentence is. If your sentences have similar strcutures, it can help to mix them up. Shorter sentences can help build suspense, longer sentences are useful for explanations and description. Keep this in mind as you go back through and edit, breaking up longer sentences into shorter ones or joining others together.  
• Cut out extraneous words. Remove unnecessary words that balloon sentences. Let’s look at some prose writing examples:

He quickly crossed to the opposite side of the road.

He crossed the road.

Remember Orwell’s rule: if you can cut out a word, do it. When it comes to writing clear prose, less is more . That’s a good guideline to remember.

• Be specific and concrete . Seek to conjure vivid images and avoid vague phrases. Orwell provides a wonderful example from the book Ecclesiastes of how specificity can create vivid images:

“… The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet the bread to the wise, nor yet the riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill …”

• Pay attention to sentence structure, a.k.a. syntax. Sentences of a similar structure disrupt the flow and creates an awful rhythm. Short sentences increase the pace as well as tension, are effective at hitting home points, or signalling a change in tone. A short sentence I’d say is one less than half a line. Be warned: do not overuse them. A short sentence packs a punch, and you don’t want to bludgeon your reader. For an example of short sentences used well, check out Anna Smith Spark’s debut novel The Court of Broken Knives . Then come the medium-length sentences—one to two lines—which keeps the pace at a steady level. Anything over two lines and I’d say that’s a pretty long sentence. Long sentences are useful for pieces of description, slowing the pace or reducing tension. You can even be clever and use them to throw the reader off-guard. Watch out for your use of commas too and keep an eye on syllables. Read your work aloud to reveal these problems.
• Trust your reader . At some stage, we’ve all been guilty of holding the reader’s hand. Seek to create intrigue by withholding details.
• Avoid clichés and be mindful of tropes . It cheapens your writing and gives the reader the impression of laziness.
• What am I trying to say?
• What words will express it?
• What image or idiom (a group of words that establish a meaning that a single word cannot) will make it clearer?
• Is the image/idiom fresh enough to have an effect?
• Could I put it more shortly?
• Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly?

I’ve included a few other materials for you to further your reading.

Check out this English literature writing guide by the University of Edinburgh

If you’d like to study creative writing , check out this writing course offered by the University of East Anglia. If you’d like more resources like this, you can also check out my online writing classes .

To learn more about using the 5 senses in writing , which is a vital part of prose, check out this guide.

For some of the best tips around on writing a book for the first time , head here. You can find lots of brilliant advice for first time authors. 

A great way to improve your prose is by writing short stories . Head here for a complete guide

Learn about sensory language examples here which can immensely improve your prose.

And head here for advice on when to rewrite your story .

And for more on character development and how to write a plot , head here.

Prose relates to ordinary everyday speech, so it’s arguably easier to write than poetry. However, many writers fall into the trap of writing ‘purple prose’, which is easy to write but not very good to read.

Prose carries with it no formal or set structure. It does, however, apply the general principles of grammar. It often reflects common or conversational speech.

Prose means the ordinary, everyday language that’s spoken or written. It is often distinguished from poetry due to its lack of a rhythmic structure.

In writing, prose relates to any form of written work in which the general rules of grammar and structure are followed. This is distinct from poetry, which follows a more rhythmic structure.

In the context of writing, prose refers to words assembled in a way that we wouldn’t otherwise describe as poetry or non-rthymic.

Written in prose simply means that a piece of text has been written down in a non-rhythmic way.

There are two main types of prose style—George Orwell’s the clear pane of glass, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, the stained glass window. Orwell believed in clear and simple, plain language. The stained glass window, on the other hand, opts for a more florid style.

Thank you for reading this guide on how to write prose. Hopefully, this post has shed light on the mysteries of prose and how you can achieve that clear, readable style.

If you’d like more help with your writing or would like to connect with like-minded writers, why not join my online writing community. There are hundreds of us all sharing advice, tips, calls for submissions, and helping each other out with our stories.  We congregate on Facebook and Discord. To join, just click below. 

If you need any more help with your prose writing, get in contact .

• Recent Posts

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richiebilling

About author, related posts, adjectives that start with 'r', adjectives that start with a - mega list with definitions, adjectives that start with f - with definitions, 14 comments.

Reblogged this on Richie Billing and commented:

For my 50th post I thought I’d take a look back at the past 5 or so months at what I’ve thrown out into the world for your enjoyment. I was going to share the most popular post to date, but instead I’ve decided to share my personal favourite—the one that’s helped me the most in researching and writing it. So here it is, my guide to writing Orwellian prose.

Thank you to everyone who’s so far subscribed to this blog. It means a hell of a lot. In the months to come I’ll be looking to giveaway more free content and of course keep the articles coming. Here’s to the next 50!

Guess I”m more George Orwel than John Milton … 🙂 Just one thing (from a Jesuit-trained Old Xav with penchant for Latin grammar) The Passive voice gets a lot of ‘bad press’ which IMHO is often undeserved. You use an Active verb when you’re doing somehing. But you still need a Passive verb when someone is DOInG SOMETHING to you! Also: it’s almost impossible to write a grammatical French sentence without using a Reflexive verb. The Reflexive (s’asseoir, ‘to sit’ OR se plaire, ‘to please’) is a variation on Passive. They also use what in English grammar is called the subjunctive Mood, particularly in speech and even when Grammar insists that an Active verb is required … you can’t trust the French! LOL

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Home › Study Tips › Creative Writing Resources For Secondary School Students

Creative Writing Examples: 9 Types Of Creative Writing

• Published July 28, 2022

Creative writing takes a lot of brainpower. You want to improve your creative writing skills, but you feel stuck. And nothing’s worse than feeling dry and wrung out of ideas! 

But don’t worry. When our creative writing summer school students feel they’re in a rut, they expand their horizons. Because sometimes, all you need is to try something new . 

And this article will give you a glimpse into what you need to thrive at creative writing.

Here you’ll find creative writing examples to help give you the creative boost you’re looking for. Are you dreaming of writing a novel but can’t quite get there yet? 

No worries! Maybe you’d want to try your hand writing short stories first, or maybe flash fiction. You’ll know more about these in the coming sections.

9 Scintillating Creative Writing Examples

Let’s go through the 9 examples of creative writing and some of their famous pieces penned under each type.

There is hardly a 21st-century teenager who hasn’t laid their hands on a novel or two. A novel is one of the most well-loved examples of creative writing.

It’s a fictional story in prose form found in various genres, including romance, horror, Sci-Fi, Fantasy and contemporary. Novels revolve around characters whose perspectives in life change as they grow through the story. They contain an average of 50,000 to 70,000 words. 

Here are some of the most famous novels:

• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
• Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

2. Flash Fiction

Flash Fiction is similar to a novel in that it offers plot development and characters. But unlike novels, it’s less than 1000 words. Some even contain fewer than 100 words! Legend has it that the shortest story ever told was Ernest Hemmingway’s six-word story, which goes like this, “For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn.”

Do you know that there are sub-categories of Flash Fiction? There’s the “Sudden Fiction” with a maximum of 750 words. “Microfiction” has 100 words at most. And the “six-word story” contains a single-digit word count. 

Remarkable Flash Fiction include: 

• The Long and Short of It by Michael A. Arnzen
• Chapter V Ernest Hemingway
• Gasp by Michael A. Arnzen
• Angels and Blueberries by Tara Campbell
• Curriculum by Sejal Shah

3. Short Story

What’s shorter than a novel but longer than flash fiction? Short story. It’s a brief work of fiction that contains anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 words. Whereas a novel includes a complex plot, often with several characters interacting with each other, a short story focuses on a single significant event or mood. It also has fewer characters. 

The best short stories are memorable and evoke strong emotions. They also contain a twist or some type of unexpected resolution.

Check out these famous short stories:

• The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
• The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe
• The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
• The Sniper by Liam OFlaherty
• A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor

4. Personal Essay

In a personal essay, you write about your personal experience. What lesson did the experience teach you? And how does it relate to the overarching theme of the essay? Themes can be about anything! From philosophical questions, political realizations, historical discussions, you name it.

Since writing a personal essay involves talking about actual personal events, it’s often called “autobiographical nonfiction.” Its tone is informal and conversational.

Have you observed that applications at universities and companies usually involve submitting personal essays? That’s because having the capability to write clear essays displays your communication and critical thinking skills.

Some of the most famous personal essays include:

• Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Once More To The Lake by E.B. White
• What I Think and Feel at 25 by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Ticket to the Fair by David Foster Wallace

Memoirs and personal essays are autobiographical. But while you use your experiences in a personal essay to share your thoughts about a given theme, a memoir focuses on your life story. What past events do you want to share? And how has your life changed?

In a word, a memoir is all about self-exploration. 

Here are among the most famous memoirs:

• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• West with the Night by Beryl Markham
• Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant by Ulysses Grant
• Night By Elie Wiesel
• A Long Way Gone By Ishmael Beah

6. Poetry 

Poetry is one of the oldest examples and types of creative writing . Did you know that the oldest poem in the world is the Epic of Gilgamesh, which is known to be 4,000 years old? Poetry is a type of literature that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language—such as sound, imagery, and metaphor—to evoke meaning. 

There are 5 types of rhythmic feet common in poetry: trochee, anapest, dactyl, iamb, and anapest.

The most beloved poems include:

• No Man Is An Island by John Donne
• Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
• Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats
• If You Forget Me by Pablo Neruda
• Fire And Ice by Robert Frost

7. Script (Screenplay)

A script is a type of creative writing (a.k.a. screenwriting) that contains instructions for movies. Instructions indicate the characters’ movements, expressions, and dialogues. In essence, the writer is giving a visual representation of the story.

When a novel says , “Lucy aches for the love she lost,” a script must show . What is the actress of Lucy doing? How can she portray that she is aching for her lost love? All these must be included in screenwriting.

The following are some of the most brilliant scripts:

• Citizen Kane by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles
• The Godfather by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola
• Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino
• The Silence of the Lambs by Ted Tally
• Taxi Driver by Paul Schrader

8. Play (Stageplay) 

If screenplay is for movies, stageplay is for live theatre. Here’s another distinction. A screenplay tells a story through pictures and dialogues, whereas a stageplay relies on the actors’ performances to bring the story to life.

That’s why dialogue is THE centre of live performance. A play doesn’t have the benefit of using camera angles and special effects to “show, don’t tell.”

Some of the most renowned plays are:

• Hamlet by William Shakespeare
• The Crucible by Arthur Miller
• A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
• Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
• The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

What was the best speech you heard that moved you to action? Speeches are among the most powerful examples of creative writing. It’s meant to stir the audience and persuade them to think and feel as you do about a particular topic.

When you write a speech, you intend to present it orally. So not only do you have to consider the words you choose and the phrasing. But you also have to think about how you’ll deliver it.

Will the sentences flow smoothly onto each other so as to roll off the tongue? Do the words give you the confidence and conviction you need to express your thoughts and beliefs?

Here are some of the most stirring speeches in history:

• I Have A Dream by Martin Luther King Jr.
• The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln
• First Inaugural Address by Franklin D. Roosevelt
• I Choose To Live by Sabine Herold
• Address to the Nation on the Challenger by Ronald Reagan

What Are The Elements of Creative Writing?

You’re now familiar with the various examples of creative writing. Notice how creative writing examples fall under different categories. Can you guess what they are? That’s right! Poetry and Prose .

The Prose section can be broken down further into Prose Fiction and Prose Nonfiction.

Where do the Elements of Creative Writing come in? For Prose fiction . If there’s one word that can describe all forms of prose fiction, it’s STORY. So what are the Elements of a Story (Creative Writing?)

The character is a being (person, animal, thing) through which the reader experiences the story. They speak, act, and interact with the environment and other characters.

• Elizabeth Bennet in Pride & Prejudice
• Simba in Lion King
• Woody in Toy Story

The two most essential types of characters are the Protagonist and Antagonist. Who is the Protagonist? They’re the main character, and the story revolves around them. Elizabeth, Simba, and Woody are the protagonists in their stories. 

And who is the Antagonist? The one who causes conflict for the protagonist.

The setting answers the question, “when and where does the story set place?” It’s the story’s time and location. Providing context that helps the reader visualise the events in clearer detail. 

What is the Plot? It’s the sequence of events in the story. If you break it down, the plot looks like this:

Exposition – you can also call this the introduction. Where you first catch a glimpse of the characters and setting. In the Lion King (Part 1), this is where Simba is introduced to all the animals on top of Pride Rock as the future King. 

Rising Action – the story gets complicated. The tension builds, and you see the conflict arise. It’s a time of crisis for the main characters. So what’s the Rising Action for Lion King? It would be when Simba’s uncle Scar murders his father and tells him to “Run away and NEVER return.” 

Climax – you’re at the edge of your seat as the story reaches its crescendo. The most defining (and intense) moment arrives when the protagonist faces the conflict (enemy/challenge) head-on. Simba finally goes back to Pride Rock to confront his wicked uncle Scar. And an epic fight begins. Simba even almost falls off a cliff! *gasp

Falling Action – here you catch your breath as the story starts to calm down. The characters unwind and work towards their respective conclusions. Simba didn’t fall off the cliff. Instead, he won the fight. And he roars atop Pride Rock to reclaim his rightful place as King. The lionesses proclaim their joyful acceptance by roaring back. 

Resolution – remaining conflict concludes, and the story ends. In Lion King, Pride Land is once again lush and peaceful. And Simba looks on with pride as he introduces his daughter Kiara on top of Pride Rock.

You can think of the theme as the main idea. What meaning is the writer trying to express in the story? The other elements, such as setting, plot, and characters, work together to convey the theme.

Point of View

Through what lens or “eye” does the narrating voice tell the story? There are three points of view common in writing stories:

First Person

In the first person point of view, the narrating voice is the main character. Much of the lines talk of “I” and “me.” Everything you know about the other characters, places, and dialogues in the story comes from the main character’s perspective. 

Third Person 

From the third person point of view, the narrating voice is separate from the main character. Meaning the narrator uses “he/she/they” when following the main character in the story. There are generally two types of third-person points of view. 

Limited. In a third-person limited point of view, the narrator only knows about the main character’s inner world – their thoughts and feelings. But they have no idea about the thoughts and feelings of other characters. 

Omniscient. What does “omniscient” mean? All-knowing. So in the Third Person Omniscient point of view, the narrator knows about the feelings and thoughts of all the characters. Not just that of the main character. 

In a story that uses a third-person omniscient point of view, the all-knowing narrator sometimes follows the story from multiple characters’ perspectives. 

There you have it! By now, you’ve learned about creative writing examples, plus creative elements should you want to write a story. Browse our creative writing tips if you’re looking for a bit of help to engage your audience.

Still feel like you need more heavy-lifting? If it’s a talented Oxford, Cambridge, or Ivy League tutor you need to help you master creative writing, check out these creative writing online courses .

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Creative Writing (Novels & Novellas)

• Introduction
• Generating Ideas
• Developing Characters
• Crafting Settings
• Plotting Narratives

Sharpening Prose

• Getting Published
• Miscellaneous

"What you say is often less important than how you say it. You can put together a gripping story, full of drama and intrigue, but if it reads like the terms and conditions to your new phone, it'll still bore your audience to tears. There's a reason why some stories can get away with shallow plots or formulaic characters. Their authors made them fun to read .

"So, sharpen your prose to a fine edge! Punctuate precisely. Alliterate when appropriate. Tell your story like you really, truly, believe in it, and your audience will start to believe in it too. You'll probably break some rules somewhere along the way, but that's the secret... you only learn the rules so you'll know when to break them in the first place.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is this: if your audience is invested in your story, they will forgive any number of flaws-- but if you bore them, they will never forgive you."

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Prose Fiction: An Introduction to the Semiotics of Narrative

(6 reviews)

Ignasi Ribó

Copyright Year: 2020

Publisher: Open Book Publishers

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by William Pendergast, Adjunct Professor/Coordinator, Bunker Hill Community College on 1/31/21

The book is a through account of the structure of narrative stories. It outlines all the elements that make a narrative successful in a critical writing sense. It defines the subject and breaks down the classic sense of drama throughout the ages... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The book is a through account of the structure of narrative stories. It outlines all the elements that make a narrative successful in a critical writing sense. It defines the subject and breaks down the classic sense of drama throughout the ages of writing. It shows the narrative in a historical context and outlines the techincal construction process. It does an excellent job looking at the science of the writing process as it pertains to the narrative. It looks at beginnings, endings, genre's, literary devices and dialogue just to name a few. The difference between Prose vs. verse, Narrative vs. drama ;Novel, novella, or short story ;Adventure, fantasy, romance, humor, science-fiction, crime, etc.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I found the books principles to be quite sound and presented in a very palatable manner. It starts with a useful definition of terms then goes into great depths to explain them. "For the purpose of this book, we will define narrative as the semiotic representation of a sequence of events, meaningfully connected by time and cause." This type of definition is a very dry and advanced level of learning as is much of the text.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

This text would be ideal for MFA creative writing program. Its explanation of the narrative is done in a way that would be more helpful to students who are becoming writers as opposed to readers. It is somewhat pedantic and really designed for an advanced student with excellent critical thinking skills. This text is not for a community college level student or even to be used with a college writing course in a typical university. This is a much more advanced text looking at the mechanics of the narrative as opposed to being a collection of stories.

Clarity rating: 4

I found the text to be very clear about the manner in which it presents its material. I feel that some students would have a difficult time with some of the concepts because they would be so unfamiliar with many of the terms used. I enjoyed all the graphs and flow charts showing dramatic arcs and structure. I also enjoyed the pictures that illustrations at marked the different moments in the history of the narrative.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is absolutely consistent in the manner in which it builds the formulation of the narrative. It starts defining it, then explaining the structure, and giving different examples of narratives in various genres. Then looking at significant works throughout history then looking at all the other literary devices that make a great piece of writing to a particular genre.

Modularity rating: 3

The text works in a commutative way. You could break up some of the later chapters if you were doing a workshop on things like dialogue, symbolism, foreshadowing and building characters.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

As a text for a student studying creative writing this is organized in a wonderful manner. It builds from a technical foundation about structure and drama then looks at more of the difference between the craft of writing and the art of it. It starts with Intro which is the definition and explanation of the narrative then plot, setting, characterization, and Language, et.

Interface rating: 5

I didn't find any interface issues. I thought the text reads nicely with the right amount of graphs and charts and pictures, that I thought enhanced the lessons in the text. Many of them were graphs I will use in class today to help students understand the dramatic arc in stories. The pictures showing historical moments help give context and break up the text from reading very dry.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

I didn't notice very many errors. Some American students might be put off by the use of British English in a lot of the spelling in the text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

The text has reference to many of the classics that will be unfamiliar to community college students and no current references really. Students who have studied writing will be familiar with the greek tragedies to the more "modern" classic examples in the text.

This is a fantastic text for a Creative Writing Student or an advanced student that is interested in becoming a writer. For the community college level student or comp student only certain chapters would be helpful to students. This is a text that an instructor could purchase and reframe the material and present to a class that isn't as advanced. I would absolutely buy this text and incorporate it into various levels of my instruction. I would take lessons and repurpose them for my developmental class and present the material as is for my creative writing students.

Reviewed by Luke Brown, Lecturer, Howard University on 1/21/21

The text approaches the question and possibilities of narrative from seven entry points (e.g., setting, language), including a general overview of major threshold concepts, terms, and approaches to narrative in the first chapter. read more

The text approaches the question and possibilities of narrative from seven entry points (e.g., setting, language), including a general overview of major threshold concepts, terms, and approaches to narrative in the first chapter.

I noticed no major issues with the quality of analysis.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The insights of the text will likely remain viable as long as we continue to have narratives; however, it does tend towards older, Euro-centric examples (e.g., Decameron, Oedipus Rex) and would benefit from more contemporary, multicultural exemplars.

Clarity rating: 3

The text does tend towards theoretical argot in its elaborations of core ideas (e.g., real vs. implied vs. ideal reader). While still legible, students may have difficulty following the nuances of the argument without corresponding classroom discussions of the material.

Consistency rating: 4

The text offers a wide range of possible theoretical entry points and frameworks. While none are mutually exclusive, there are more than a single course could likely apply.

Modularity rating: 5

The text approaches the question and possibilities of narrative from seven entry points (e.g., setting, language), including a general overview of major threshold concepts, terms, and approaches to narrative in the first chapter. The thoughtful arrangement of the chapters and subchapters allow instructors to select small excerpts for class instruction which can be taken out of context without an overall loss in meaning.

The overall organization of the text is a clear strength. It both builds on itself over the course of its seven major divisions and each of these divisions could be engaged with independently of the others.

I had no interface issues with this text.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I noticed no major grammatical oversights.

This text could be improved by moving away from centuries-old, Eurocentric examples and incorporating a wider range of classical and contemporary texts by writers of color and other marginalized groups.

I would recommend this book as a useful supplement to introductory courses focused on creative writing or literary analysis.

Reviewed by Kathryn Evans, Professor, Bridgewater State University on 6/30/20

The book is comprehensive in that it is broad, covering the bases of narrative; however, chapters tend to be brief (students will likely appreciate this, although we might wish for more examples in the form of actual quotations). The glossary... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The book is comprehensive in that it is broad, covering the bases of narrative; however, chapters tend to be brief (students will likely appreciate this, although we might wish for more examples in the form of actual quotations). The glossary definitions are underdeveloped and do not necessarily illuminate the purposes of literary techniques discussed.

Content Accuracy rating: 2

Much of the book is accurate, although there are glaring omissions (e.g., Janet Burroway's co-authors are not listed, nor is the edition of the book noted; direct and indirect characterization are inaccurately described, as mentioned by other reviewers; the concept of genre is oversimplified; and interior monologue is not synonymous with stream of consciousness).

Many students will appreciate the references to Harry Potter throughout (a nice complement to the more historical and canonical works used to illustrate concepts and terms).

I found the book to be clearly written in general; sentences tend to be short, which many students may appreciate.

More examples in the form of quotations are used in later chapters compared to earlier chapters; it would be good to make this consistent throughout.

Most chapters, in my opinion, could be assigned out of sequence.

The book is well organized into chapters and clearly indicated sections.

The interface is impressively smooth; I found it easy to navigate. In addition, the author used a variety of images that were clear and useful (and clearly labelled).

The editing for grammar was excellent.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

The examples used in the book do not represent a broad diversity of cultures / genders, but the author acknowledges that this lack of representation can be seen as an artifact of historical marginalization.

I would personally consider assigning some chapters; the author has clearly put significant time and thought into developing this book, and it is an impressive accomplishment. (On a more minor note, I would recommend that the author omit the section of the book that quotes Wikipedia, as that source is not generally regarded as being credible.)

Reviewed by Adam Mooney, Associate Lecturer, University of Massachusetts Boston on 6/30/20

The text offers tools for students to read and engage in critical discussion through a comprehensive discussion of narrative theory and narrative elements, including plot, characterization, language, theme, setting, and narration. The introduction... read more

The text offers tools for students to read and engage in critical discussion through a comprehensive discussion of narrative theory and narrative elements, including plot, characterization, language, theme, setting, and narration. The introduction serves as a succinct but expansive introduction to narrative theory, and the text is appropriate in terms of its scope. The text is admirable for its attention to concepts that get overlooked in narrative theory textbooks, including language and theme, and for its accessible and introductory-level approach, which is particularly suitable for early-level college students who may be unfamiliar with rhetorical concepts and terms for literary analysis. The text concludes with a comprehensive and effective glossary that is easy to use. Although the text lacks an index, which could have been helpful, the glossary alone was helpful as a reference tool.

The text relies well on seminal thinkers within narratology and narrative theory, and it provides accurate and objective terms for literary analysis. The text contains no notable errors.

In general, the text is relevant and up-to-date. It makes good use and offers a nice blend of seminal texts in narratology and literary theory (like Barthes and Abbott) and more recent publications on narratology and prose fiction. The text also uses 21st-century references to film and television (like Harry Potter and Game of Thrones), making it relevant and appropriate for young readers but risking potentially quick obsoletion. Indeed, the text relies almost exhaustively on Harry Potter as its "contemporary" example, despite that Harry Potter at this point is no longer relevant for many young students.

Clarity rating: 5

The text has a complex framework but approaches that framework with clarity and accessibility in mind as its primary goals. It explains complicated concepts in a clear and accessible manner. The text is especially successful in its essentialization—without risking the loss of integrity / depth of knowledge—of concepts like semiotic models of narratives. Indeed, one key benefit of the text, as an introduction for early-level college students, is its (self-admitted) avoidance of "overtly technical debates" within literary theory. Instead, the text prefers to streamline different key elements of narratological theory into a clear and simple framework.

The text aims to offer a "bare-bones presentation of narrative theory," and it is consistently successful in its goal to provide an easy-to-follow introduction for students without burdening them with excessive historical or theoretical details.

Modularity rating: 4

The text is designed to supplement a course but not dictate a course. It allows teachers the freedom to choose texts that they feel best reflect each chapter's main topic. Though the lack of examples for direct instruction can be seen as one drawback, the chapters are perfect for breaking into smaller sections in a course. The short length of chapters could also make for productive collaborative reading among students, where groups of students are assigned chapters and co-compose summaries or co-teach lessons based on the chapters.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The text is well-devised in its scope and structure. After a comprehensive introduction, the text moves to think about six different elements of narrative theory: plot, setting, characterization, narration, language, and theme. The first four or five chapters are meant to be the most accessible, and the final two are meant to respond to a gap in textbooks on narrative, which tend not to cover language and theme. Overall, the organization of the text is clear and helpful, and the development of chapters is logical. Within chapters, though, the progression between section--and especially the relationship between sections--is sometimes underexplained. In the introduction, for instance, the sections progress logically from “What Is Narrative?” to “Genres,” but the text fails to explain why the sections progress in this way, leaving the section on “Genres” to be under-contextualized for student readers.

Interface rating: 4

In terms of quality and clarity, the interface of this text is solid. Ribó’s own diagrams and charts are excellent—they are very helpful in explaining intricate and complex concepts, like the semiotic model of narrative. The external images used in the text are clear and attractive on the page, though the use of images and figures is somewhat disconnected from the text itself in that the images only offer superfluous perspectives that go unaddressed and underexplained in the prose. The least effective diagrams are the word clouds that begin each chapter. While these offer a succinct visualization of key terms, it is unclear where the word clouds come from, so words end up being more confusing than helpful, and they tend to capture unnecessary terms. For instance, the word "Fig" (presumably referring to "Figure") appears in the word cloud that accompanies the introduction. Elsewhere, there seems to be a mismatch between the word cloud and the chapter it accompanies. For instance, prior to Chapter 7, on theme, the word “narrative” appears at the center of the word cloud.

There are no glaring grammatical issues in the text. There may be minor grammatical errors, specifically in the use of commas, but my attention to this issue may be highlighted by my closer familiarity with grammar in U.S.-American English.

According to Ribó, this text is designed specifically for Asian students who don't have high familiarity with Western literature and literary theories in their high school education. In this sense, Ribó acknowledges in the preface the book's European focus and influence. He writes, "I have tried my best to expand the cultural range of examples in order to reflect the rich diversity of world literature. However, I am not entirely sure if I have succeeded in this effort, and most likely my explanations and examples are too heavily determined by the European tradition, which is, after all, my own." While this blind spot is acknowledged in the text, it is glaring when the text relies so heavily on a white Western canon, and it verges on cultural insensitivity in its reference to ethnicity as a “theme” in modern narrative, especially when it is only given one or two paragraphs’ worth of attention. Moreover, the text’s only substantial discussion of gender, sexuality, and ethnicity in literary theory is reduced to a few paragraphs at the end of the final chapter. Indeed, the text accounts mostly for a normative perspective; its list of "Examples of Short Stories and Novels" contains almost exclusively works by Western, and usually white, authors. Despite this book's many benefits, its lack of cultural, ethnic, racial, gender, and sexuality diversity is a glaring issue.

The text’s dedication to being a “bare-bones presentation of narrative theory”—that is, to not imposing on instructors’ choice of accompanying texts—at times makes for missed opportunities in terms of giving students accessible examples. For example, in Chapter 2, Ribó describes seven kinds of plots found often in novels and short stories. While Ribó offers specific examples—for instance, Hansel and Gretel as an example of the “overcoming the monster” plot—he misses a good opportunity to offer a modern example of the plot type as well, which would enable students to see narrative plot in older, traditional texts as aligned with plot devices that they may be more interested in or familiar with. Nonetheless, Prose Fiction is noteworthy and successful for its brief, accessible overview of important elements of narrative theory. I can very, very easily imagine this being adapted in literature classrooms smoothly and productively.

Reviewed by Thea Prieto, Adjunct Professor, Portland Community College on 6/24/20

Ribó sets out to create “a conceptual skeleton” of fiction writing, one that allows teachers to decide what readings to use in their classrooms. For a creative writing class, this means the textbook discusses various theories and craft elements of... read more

Ribó sets out to create “a conceptual skeleton” of fiction writing, one that allows teachers to decide what readings to use in their classrooms. For a creative writing class, this means the textbook discusses various theories and craft elements of fiction, as well as provides brief overviews of literary history. The textbook purposefully leaves out specific text samples, while at the same time referencing canonized or mainstream texts, so this textbook would work best as a teaching supplement. I believe introductory students would engage with the chapters regarding plot, setting, and characterization, and intermediate students would engage with the chapters regarding narration, language, and theme, as well as the glossary. Some of the terminology, concepts, and theories may be better discussed in advanced courses.

Content Accuracy rating: 3

The text is informed by an impressive number of craft anthologies and essays, though a majority of the works are by white, male writers (which Ribó acknowledges in the preface). Also, the definitions of story and discourse (Chapter 1), and the definitions of direct and indirect characterization (Chapter 4) differ from my understanding of the craft elements. This may be confusing to students, and students should be made aware of alternate definitions and/or applications.

Ribó references many canonized books, essays, and works of fiction, as well as a number of modern texts. The Harry Potter references will be hard to update, since they permeate the textbook, but the other modern references could be easily swapped out for more timely references, as well as with works by more diverse writers.

Most of the more complex concepts or terms were clearly defined in the text or in the glossary. However, there was some niche language that might ostracize beginning writers.

Consistency rating: 3

Ribó shares in the preface that he purposefully left out specific text samples and readings so the book would be a framework for teachers. The author is consistent in this way, though there are plenty of text references that still contextualize the framework.

Each chapter is broken into sections, and each section is short enough that they can be discussed in class. If the teacher is prepared to contextualize the textbook content, then the sections can be presented out of order.

Each chapter begins with theoretical knowledge, then shifts to practical applications or specific examples or topics, and concludes with a helpful summary and references page.

The eBook version was easy to navigate, and I appreciated the clickable table of contents. I would have liked specific terms to be linked to the glossary entries, and the exampled short stories/novels could be linked to their brief descriptions.

I did not notice any typos or errors.

In the preface, Ribó summarizes the dominance of white, male voices in the Western literary cannon, and he goes more in depth regarding postcolonialism and feminism in Chapter 7, particularly in terms of identity, ideology, morality, and art and politics. Early on he also explains that his examples are heavily determined by the European tradition, but considering the text’s overview of literary history and the importance of perspective in fiction writing, I would have liked to see more writers of color and writers from the LGBTQIA communities represented in the references.

The glossary of terms would be a useful Week 1 resource in my intermediate fiction courses.

Reviewed by Justina Salassi, Coordinator of General and Developmental Education/English Faculty, Central Louisiana Technical Community College on 4/29/20

The text covers its topic very well, giving relevant and easy to understand examples appropriate to second year students. As writing about literature is generally required in literature courses, it would have been helpful to provide some guidance... read more

The text covers its topic very well, giving relevant and easy to understand examples appropriate to second year students. As writing about literature is generally required in literature courses, it would have been helpful to provide some guidance on how students can apply the information provided in the text to writing topics, and how they are to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate literature through these lenses. Additionally, some of the terms and concepts (Classical poet, sign/signifier, etc.) I would not expect second year students to be familiar with were not immediately defined and are not included in the glossary.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The text is informed by seminal studies in narrative theory and related theories, as shown by the cited works. I found no inconsistencies in theory. However, the text presents direct and indirect characterization in the reverse of what is commonly taught. (In this book, indirect characterization is the explicit attribution of characteristics as told by the narrator and direct characterization is when characteristics are revealed through speech, thoughts, and actions of the character.) If this is a common misconception (of which I am not aware), the author should alert the reader of the misconception to fend off confusion between what is presented and what they might have been taught in the past.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The text uses both current and seminal sources and relevant, up to date examples.

In terms of clarity, the diction and style is accessible by students and most jargon is defined, with the exception of a few concepts and words that I feel could be more clearly defined in the text, or be included in the glossary (sign, signifier, alterity, etc.).

The framework is the theory of narratology, which is consistent throughout the text.

The text is divided logically into smaller sections, which are easily digestible. However, it would be difficult to present the chapters in a different order to students, as the chapters build on information found in previous chapters.

The organization is logical and presents concepts that build on each other. The end of chapter summaries are very useful. It would have been useful to indicate words that can be found in the glossary, or even provide links between the word and it's entry in the glossary since it is an ebook.

There were no interface issues that I noticed.

I noticed no grammatical issues. The text is very well written.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text is very sensitive to cultural difference and is inclusive in its use of examples. The author provides an acknowledgment at the beginning of the predominance of Western Literature and the English language in literary tradition, but attempts to present it in a global context. The text includes the discussion of ideologies, oppression, and themes of identity and alterity.

This book would provide a good foundation for an introduction to fiction course.

Table of Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 4. Characterisation
• 5. Narration
• 6. Language

Ancillary Material

About the book, about the contributors.

Ignasi Ribó (Ph.D. in Modern European Literature and Thought, University of Sussex) is a Catalan writer and scholar. He has been teaching Literary Theory and Semiotics at university level for more than ten years and currently works as a Lecturer in the School of Liberal Arts at Mae Fah Luang University (Chiang Rai, Thailand). Ignasi is the author of several novels, as well as academic essays on literary theory, comparative literature, ecocriticism, biosemiotics, cultural ecology, and environmental philosophy.

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University of east anglia uea: creative writing prose fiction.

Full-Time, 1 years starts Sep 2025

**Overview**

The MA in Creative Writing Prose Fiction at UEA is the oldest and most prestigious Creative Writing programme in the UK. Our course will help transform you as a writer, giving you a surer sense of the imaginative, artistic and intellectual challenges involved in writing fiction.

You’ll study the craft of prose fiction with an international cohort of other excellent writers, and you’ll be taught by an outstanding and committed faculty alongside internationally recognised visiting writers. Recent examples include Tsitsi Dangarembga, Margaret Atwood, Ali Smith, Eleanor Catton and Preti Taneja.

Our Masters in Creative Writing will challenge you to explore your notions about writing and being a writer, provoking you into play, experimentation and risk, to make you the best writer you can be. You’ll take core creative modules but can also choose from a wide range of critical modules.

You’ll be based in Norwich, a beautiful historic city and England’s first UNESCO City of Literature. You’ll also be part of Norwich’s vibrant literary culture, from regular readings and events to the well-established programme at the National Centre for Writing. You'll benefit from UEA’s connections in the publishing industry and may pitch ideas for books to visiting publishers and literary agents. At the end of each year, we publish an anthology of our students’ writing and distribute it to a key list of editors, agents and critics. In 2011, UEA’s Creative Writing programme was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in recognition of our continuing excellence in delivering innovative courses at a world-class level.

After this intensive year, you’ll leave the course confident of technique and craft, as well as your own voice. It’s no wonder that our students’ success is unparalleled, with many of our graduates going on to publish their own work and others moving into publishing, journalism or teaching. Our alumni include Nobel Laureate Sir Kazuo Ishiguro, Booker Prize winners Ian McEwan and Anne Enright, and many other internationally renowned novelists including Ayobami Adebayo, Naomi Alderman, Tash Aw, Stephen Buoro, and Tracy Chevalier, to name but a few. The continuing success of our graduates means we’re fortunate in being able to attract the best writers from around the world. Are you ready to join them?

**Disclaimer**

Course details are subject to change. You should always confirm the details on the provider's website: **www.uea.ac.uk**

Part-Time, 2 years starts Sep 2025

Full-Time, 1 years starts Sep 2024

Our course will help transform you as a writer, giving you a surer sense of the imaginative, artistic and intellectual challenges involved in any act of writing.

You’ll study the craft of prose fiction with an international cohort of other excellent writers, and you’ll be taught by an outstanding and committed faculty – which includes Andrew Cowan, Naomi Wood and Tessa McWatt, to name a few – alongside internationally recognised visiting writers – recent examples include Tsitsi Dangarembga, Margaret Atwood, Ali Smith, Caryl Phillips and Preti Taneja.

We’ll challenge you to explore your notions about writing and being a writer, provoking you into play, experimentation and risk, with the intention of making you the best writer you can be.

After this intensive year, you’ll leave the course confident of technique and craft, as well as your own voice. It’s no wonder that our students’ success is unparalleled, with many of our graduates going on to publish their own work, and others moving into publishing, journalism or teaching.

**About This Course**

The MA in Prose Fiction at UEA is the oldest and most prestigious Creative Writing programme in the UK. Solely focused on the writing of fiction, we take a rigorous and creative approach to enable you to develop your ideas, voice, technique and craft.

You’ll experience an intensive immersion in the study of writing prose fiction. You’ll take core creative modules but can also choose from a wide range of critical modules, and benefit from our proven strengths in modernism and creative-critical studies, among others.

Graduates of our MA Creative Writing Prose Fiction have enjoyed extraordinary success in terms of publications and prizes. Our alumni include Nobel Laureate Sir Kazuo Ishiguro, fellow Booker Prize winners Ian McEwan and Anne Enright, Costa First Book Award Winners Emma Healey and Christie Watson, and many other internationally renowned novelists including Ayobami Adebayo, Naomi Alderman, Tash Aw, Stephen Buoro, Tracy Chevalier, Joe Dunthorne, Diana Evans, Mohammed Hanif, Elizabeth Macneal and Catriona Ward. The continuing success of our graduates means we are fortunate in being able to attract the best writers from around the world – writers like you.

While you are at UEA, the focus will be on exploring your creative potential, in a highly supportive and well-resourced environment.

In 2011, UEA’s Creative Writing programme was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in recognition of our continuing excellence in delivering innovative courses at a world-class level.

Part-Time, 2 years starts Sep 2024

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Definition of Prose

What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.

Common Examples of First Prose Lines in Well-Known Novels

The first prose line of a novel is significant for the writer and reader. This opening allows the writer to grab the attention of the reader, set the tone and style of the work, and establish elements of setting , character, point of view , and/or plot . For the reader, the first prose line of a novel can be memorable and inspire them to continue reading. Here are some common examples of first prose lines in well-known novels:

Examples of Famous Lines of Prose

Prose is a powerful literary device in that certain lines in literary works can have a great effect on readers in revealing human truths or resonating as art through language. Well-crafted, memorable prose evokes thought and feeling in readers. Here are some examples of famous lines of prose:

Types of Prose

Difference between prose and poetry.

Many people consider prose and poetry to be opposites as literary devices . While that’s not quite the case, there are significant differences between them. Prose typically features natural patterns of speech and communication with grammatical structure in the form of sentences and paragraphs that continue across the lines of a page rather than breaking. In most instances, prose features everyday language.

Writing a Prose Poem

Prose edda vs. poetic edda, examples of prose in literature, example 1: the grapes of wrath by john steinbeck.

A large drop of sun lingered on the horizon and then dripped over and was gone, and the sky was brilliant over the spot where it had gone, and a torn cloud, like a bloody rag, hung over the spot of its going. And dusk crept over the sky from the eastern horizon, and darkness crept over the land from the east.

Example 2: This Is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams

I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox and which you were probably saving for breakfast Forgive me they were delicious so sweet and so cold

Example 3: Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren’t only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General.

Synonyms of Prose

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The vital presence of creative writing in the English Department is reflected by our many distinguished authors who teach our workshops. We offer courses each term in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, screenwriting, playwriting, and television writing. Our workshops are small, usually no more than twelve students, and offer writers an opportunity to focus intensively on one genre. 

Apply to Creative Writing Workshops

Workshops are open by application to Harvard College undergraduates, graduate students, staff, and students from other institutions eligible for cross registration. Submission guidelines for workshops can be found under individual course listings; please do not query instructors.  Review all departmental rules and application instructions before applying.  

Fall 2024 First Application Deadline: 11:59 pm ET on Sunday, April 7

Fall 2024 Second Application Deadline: 11:59 pm ET on Thursday, August 22 (Not all workshops will be reopen to applications. First-year students, incoming transfer students, and incoming graduate students - who could not participate in April registration processes - will be given priority during the August application review cycle. Returning students who did not submit workshop applications in April may apply in August. Students who applied in April and were not offered a seat in a workshop will automatically be reconsidered and need not submit a new application.) Spring 2025 Application Deadline: October-November 2024, TBA

Please visit our course listings for all the Fall 2024 workshops.

Our online submission manager (link below) will open for Fall 2024 applications on Thursday, August 15 .  

Students who have questions about the creative writing workshop application process should contact Case Q. Kerns at [email protected] .

Featured Faculty

Teju Cole  is a novelist, critic, and essayist, and is the first Gore Vidal Professor of the Practice. "Among other works, the boundary-crossing author is known for his debut novel “Open City” (2011), whose early admirers included Harvard professor and New Yorker critic James Wood." 

Faculty Bookshelf

A state of freedom by neel mukherjee (2012).

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (2008)

Blind Spot by Teju Cole (2017)

No Planets Strike by Josh Bell (2008)

Creative Writing Workshops

• Spring 2024

English CACD. The Art of Criticism

Instructor: Maggie Doherty Wednesday, 12:00-2:45pm | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site

This course will consider critical writing about art–literary, visual, cinematic, musical, etc.—as an art in its own right. We will read and discuss criticism from a wide variety of publications, paying attention to the ways outlets and audience shape critical work. The majority of our readings will be from the last few years and will include pieces by Joan Acocella, Andrea Long Chu, Jason Farago, and Carina del Valle Schorske. Students will write several short writing assignments (500-1000 words), including a straight review, during the first half of the semester and share them with peers. During the second half of the semester, each student will write and workshop a longer piece of criticism about a work of art or an artist of their choosing. Students will be expected to read and provide detailed feedback on the work of their peers. Students will revise their longer pieces based on workshop feedback and submit them for the final assignment of the class. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Thursday, August 22) Supplemental Application Information:  Please write a letter of introduction (1-2 pages) giving a sense of who you are, your writing experience, and your current goals for your writing. Please also describe your relationship to the art forms and/or genres you're interested in engaging in the course. You may also list any writers or publications whose criticism you enjoy reading. Please also include a 3-5-page writing sample of any kind of prose writing. This could be an academic paper or it could be creative fiction or nonfiction.

English CACW. Advanced Fiction Workshop

Instructor: Paul Yoon TBD | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Advanced fiction workshop for students who have already taken a workshop at Harvard or elsewhere. The goal of the class is to continue your journey as a writer. You will be responsible for participating in discussions on the assigned texts, the workshop, engaging with the work of your colleagues, and revising your work. Supplemental Application Information:   * Please note: previous creative writing workshop experience required. * Please submit ONLY a cover letter telling me your previous creative writing workshop experience, either at Harvard or elsewhere; then tell me something you are passionate about and something you want to be better at; and, lastly, tell me why of all classes you want to take this one this semester. Again, please no writing samples.

English CBBR. Intermediate Poetry: Workshop

Instructor:  Josh Bell   Monday, 12:00-2:45pm | Location: Barker 018 Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site

Initially, students can expect to read, discuss, and imitate the strategies of a wide range of poets writing in English; to investigate and reproduce prescribed forms and poetic structures; and to engage in writing exercises meant to expand the conception of what a poem is and can be. As the course progresses, reading assignments will be tailored on an individual basis, and an increasing amount of time will be spent in discussion of student work. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Thursday, August 22)

Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit a portfolio including a letter of interest, ten poems, and a list of classes (taken at Harvard or elsewhere) that seem to have bearing on your enterprise.

English CCEP. Ekphrastic Poetry: Workshop

Instructor: Tracy K. Smith Wednesday, 3:00-5:45 pm | Location: Lamont 401 Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site What can a poem achieve when it contemplates or even emulates a work of art in another medium? In this workshop, we'll read and write poems that engage with other art forms--and we'll test out what a foray into another artistic practice allows us to carry back over into the formal methods and behaviors of poetry. With poems by Keats, Rilke, Auden, Hughes, and Brooks, as well as Kevin Young, Evie Shockley, Ama Codjoe and other contemporary voices. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Saturday, August 26) Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit a writing sample of 5-10 poems and an application letter explaining your interest in this course.

English CCFC. Poetry Workshop: Form & Content

Instructor: Tracy K. Smith Tuesday, 12:00-2:45pm | Location: Sever 112 Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site

In this workshop, we’ll look closely at the craft-based choices poets make, and track the effects they have upon what we as readers are made to think and feel. How can implementing similar strategies better prepare us to engage the questions making up our own poetic material? We’ll also talk about content. What can poetry reveal about the ways our interior selves are shaped by public realities like race, class, sexuality, injustice and more? Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Saturday, August 26)   

Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit a writing sample of 5-10 poems and an application letter explaining your interest in this course.

English CCIJ. Intermediate Fiction Workshop

Instructor: Jesse McCarthy Thursday, 3:00-5:45 pm | Location: Barker 269 Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site This is an intermediate course in the art of writing literary fiction. Previous experience with workshopping writing is encouraged but not required. The emphasis of the course will be learning how to read literature as a writer, with special attention given to the short story, novella, or short novel. We will read these works from the perspective of the writer as craftsperson and of the critic seeking in good faith to understand and describe a new aesthetic experience. We will be concerned foremost with how literary language works, with describing the effects of different kinds of sentences, different uses of genre, tone, and other rhetorical strategies. Together, we will explore our responses to examples of literature from around the world and from all periods, as well as to the writing you will produce and share with the class. As a member of a writing community, you should be prepared to respectfully read and respond to the work of others—both the work of your peers and that of the published writers that we will explore together. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Saturday, August 26) Supplemental Application Information:  This course is by application only but there are no prerequisites for this course and previous experience in a writing workshop is not required . In your application please submit a short letter explaining why you are interested in this class. You might tell me a bit about your relationship to literature, your encounter with a specific author, book, or even a scene or character from a story or novel. Please also include a writing sample of 2-5 pages (5 pages max!) of narrative prose fiction.

English CCFS. Fiction Workshop

Instructor: Teju Cole Spring 2024: Tuesday, 6:00-8:45pm | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site Spring 2025: TBD This reading and writing intensive workshop is for students who want to learn to write literary fiction. The goal of the course would be for each student to produce two polished short stories. Authors on the syllabus will probably include James Joyce, Eudora Welty, Toni Morrison, Alice Munro, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Diane Williams.

Supplemental Application Information:   Please submit a cover letter saying what you hope to get out of the workshop. In the cover letter, mention three works of fiction that matter to you and why. In addition, submit a 400–500 word sample of your fiction; the sample can be self-contained or a section of a longer work.

English CLPG. Art of Sportswriting

Instructor: Louisa Thomas Spring 2024: Tuesday, 9:00-11:45am | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site Spring 2025: TBD

In newsrooms, the sports section is sometimes referred to as the “toy department” -- frivolous and unserious, unlike the stuff of politics, business, and war. In this course, we will take the toys seriously. After all, for millions of people, sports and other so-called trivial pursuits (video games, chess, children’s games, and so on) are a source of endless fascination. For us, they will be a source of stories about human achievements and frustrations. These stories can involve economic, social, and political issues. They can draw upon history, statistics, psychology, and philosophy. They can be reported or ruminative, formally experimental or straightforward, richly descriptive or tense and spare. They can be fun. Over the course of the semester, students will read and discuss exemplary profiles, essays, articles, and blog posts, while also writing and discussing their own. While much (but not all) of the reading will come from the world of sports, no interest in or knowledge about sports is required; our focus will be on writing for a broad audience.  Supplemental Application Information:  To apply, please write a letter describing why you want to take the course and what you hope to get out of it. Include a few examples of websites or magazines you like to read, and tell me briefly about one pursuit -- football, chess, basketball, ballet, Othello, crosswords, soccer, whatever -- that interests you and why.

English CALR. Advanced Screenwriting: Workshop

Instructor: Musa Syeed Spring 2024: Wednesday, 12:00-2:45pm | Location: TBA Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site Spring 2025: TBD

The feature-length script is an opportunity to tell a story on a larger scale, and, therefore, requires additional preparation. In this class, we will move from writing a pitch, to a synopsis, to a treatment/outline, to the first 10 pages, to the first act of a feature screenplay. We will analyze produced scripts and discuss various elements of craft, including research, writing layered dialogue, world-building, creating an engaging cast of characters. As an advanced class, we will also look at ways both mainstream and independent films attempt to subvert genre and structure. Students will end the semester with a first act (20-30 pages) of their feature, an outline, and strategy to complete the full script.

Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit a 3-5 page writing sample. Screenplays are preferred, but fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and plays are acceptable as well. Also, please write a short note to introduce yourself. Include a couple films/filmmakers that have inspired you, your goals for the class, as well as any themes/subject matter/ideas you might be interested in exploring in your writing for film.

English CNFR. Creative Nonfiction: Workshop

Instructor: Darcy Frey Fall 2024: Wednesday, 3:00-5:45 pm | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students. Course Site Spring 2025: TBD

Whether it takes the form of literary journalism, essay, memoir, or environmental writing, creative nonfiction is a powerful genre that allows writers to break free from the constraints commonly associated with nonfiction prose and reach for the breadth of thought and feeling usually accomplished only in fiction: the narration of a vivid story, the probing of a complex character, the argument of an idea, or the evocation of a place. Students will work on several short assignments to hone their mastery of the craft, then write a longer piece that will be workshopped in class and revised at the end of the term. We will take instruction and inspiration from published authors such as Joan Didion, James Baldwin, Ariel Levy, Alexander Chee, and Virginia Woolf. This is a workshop-style class intended for undergraduate and graduate students at all levels of experience. No previous experience in English Department courses is required. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm ET on Thursday, August 22)

Supplemental Application Information:   Please write a substantive letter of introduction describing who you are as writer at the moment and where you hope to take your writing; what experience you may have had with creative/literary nonfiction; what excites you about nonfiction in particular; and what you consider to be your strengths and weaknesses as a writer. Additionally, please submit 3-5 pages of creative/literary nonfiction (essay, memoir, narrative journalism, etc, but NOT academic writing) or, if you have not yet written much nonfiction, an equal number of pages of narrative fiction.

English CLAR. Getting the Words Right: The Art of Revision

Instructor: Laura van den Berg TBD | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students A promising draft is of little use to us as writers if we have no idea what to do next, of how to begin again. This course aims to illuminate how revision can be every bit as creative and exhilarating as getting the first draft down—and how time spent re-imagining our early drafts is the ultimate show of faith in our work. We will explore the art of revision—of realizing the promise of that first draft—through reading, craft discussion, exercises, and workshop. Students can expect to leave the semester with two polished short stories (or 40-50 polished novel pages), a keener understanding of their own writing process, and a plan for where to take their work next. Texts will include  How to Write an Autobiographical Novel  by Alexander Chee,  Refuse to by Done  by Matt Bell, and  Craft in the Real World  by Matthew Salesses. It will be helpful to enter into the semester with some pre-existing material that you wish to revise (a short story, several chapters of a novel). Previous experience with workshopping writing is encouraged but not required. Supplemental Application Information:   Please submit a brief letter—1-2 pages—that discusses your interest in the course and in writing more broadly. What are you interested in working on and learning more about, at this point in your practice? Please also submit a short—2-3 page—writing sample (the first 2 pages of a short story or novel, for example).

English CACF. Get Real: The Art of Community-Based Film

Instructor: Musa Syeed Wednesday, 12:00-2:45pm | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 student Course Site

“I’ve often noticed that we are not able to look at what we have in front of us,” the Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami said, “unless it’s inside a frame.” For our communities confronting invisibility and erasure, there’s an urgent need for new frames. In this workshop, we’ll explore a community-engaged approach to documentary and fiction filmmaking, as we seek to see our world more deeply. We’ll begin with screenings, craft exercises, and discussions around authorship and social impact. Then we each will write, develop, and shoot a short film over the rest of the semester, building off of intentional community engagement. Students will end the class with written and recorded materials for a rough cut. Basic equipment and technical training will be provided.

Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Thursday, August 22)

Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit a brief letter explaining why you're interested to take this class. Please also discuss what participants/communities you might be interested in engaging with for your filmmaking projects. For your writing sample, please submit 3-5 pages of your creative work from any genre (screenwriting, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, etc.)

English CAFR. Advanced Fiction Workshop: Writing this Present Life

Instructor: Claire Messud Thursday, 3:00-5:45 pm | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site Intended for students with prior fiction-writing and workshop experience, this course will concentrate on structure, execution and revision. Exploring various strands of contemporary and recent literary fiction – writers such as Karl Ove Knausgaard, Rachel Cusk, Chimamanda Adichie, Douglas Stuart, Ocean Vuong, etc – we will consider how fiction works in our present moment, with emphasis on a craft perspective. Each student will present to the class a published fiction that has influenced them. The course is primarily focused on the discussion of original student work, with the aim of improving both writerly skills and critical analysis. Revision is an important component of this class: students will workshop two stories and a revision of one of these. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm ET on Thursday, August 22)

Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit 3-5 pages of prose fiction, along with a substantive letter of introduction. I’d like to know why you’re interested in the course; what experience you’ve had writing, both in previous workshops and independently; what your literary goals and ambitions are. Please tell me about some of your favorite narratives – fiction, non-fiction, film, etc: why they move you, and what you learn from them.

English CAKV. Fiction Workshop: Writing from the First-Person Point of View

Instructor:  Andrew Krivak Tuesday, 9:00-11:45 1m | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site This course is a workshop intended for students who are interested in writing longer form narratives from the first-person point of view. The “I” at the center of any novel poses a perspective that is all at once imaginatively powerful and narratively problematic, uniquely insightful and necessarily unreliable. We will read from roughly twelve novels written in the first-person, from Marilynne Robinson and W.G. Sebald, to Valeria Luiselli and Teju Cole, and ask questions (among others) of why this form, why this style? And, as a result, what is lost and what is realized in the telling? Primarily, however, students will write. Our goal will be to have a student’s work read and discussed twice in class during the semester. I am hoping to see at least 35-40 pages of a project —at any level of completion—at the end of term.  Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Thursday, August 22) Supplemental Application Information:  Please write a substantive letter telling me why you’re interested in taking this class, what writers (classical and contemporary) you admire and why, and if there’s a book you have read more than once, a movie you have seen more than once, a piece of music you listen to over and over, not because you have to but because you want to. Students of creative nonfiction are also welcome to apply.

English CCSS. Fiction Workshop: The Art of the Short Story

Instructor: Laura van den Berg Tuesday, 12:00-2:45 pm | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site This course will serve as an introduction to the fundamentals of writing fiction, with an emphasis on the contemporary short story. How can we set about creating “big” worlds in compact spaces? What unique doors can the form of the short story open? The initial weeks will focus on exploratory exercises and the study of published short stories and craft essays. Later, student work will become the primary text as the focus shifts to workshop discussion. Authors on the syllabus will likely include Ted Chiang, Lauren Groff, Carmen Maria Machado, and Octavia Butler. This workshop welcomes writers of all levels of experience. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Thursday, August 22) Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit a letter of introduction. I’d like to know a little about why you are drawn to studying fiction; what you hope to get out of the workshop and what you hope to contribute; and one thing you are passionate about outside writing / school. Please also include a very brief writing sample (2-3 pages). The sample can be in any genre (it does not have to be from a work of fiction). 

Write an Honors Creative Thesis

Students may apply to write a senior thesis or senior project in creative writing, although only English concentrators can be considered. Students submit applications in early March of their junior year, including first-term juniors who are out of phase. The creative writing faculty considers the proposal, along with the student's overall performance in creative writing and other English courses, and notifies students about its decision in early mid-late March. Those applications are due, this coming year, on TBA . 

Students applying for a creative writing thesis or project must have completed at least one course in creative writing at Harvard before they apply. No student is guaranteed acceptance. It is strongly suggested that students acquaint themselves with the requirements and guidelines well before the thesis application is due. The creative writing director must approve any exceptions to the requirements, which must be made in writing by Monday, February 7, 2022. Since the creative writing thesis and project are part of the English honors program, acceptance to write a creative thesis is conditional upon the student continuing to maintain a 3.40 concentration GPA. If a student’s concentration GPA drops below 3.40 after the spring of the junior year, the student may not be permitted to continue in the honors program.

Joint concentrators may apply to write creative theses, but we suggest students discuss the feasibility of the project well before applications are due. Not all departments are open to joint creative theses.

Students who have questions about the creative writing thesis should contact the program’s Director, Sam Marks .

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Creative Nonfiction: An Overview

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The Creative Nonfiction (CNF) genre can be rather elusive. It is focused on story, meaning it has a narrative plot with an inciting moment, rising action, climax and denoument, just like fiction. However, nonfiction only works if the story is based in truth, an accurate retelling of the author’s life experiences. The pieces can vary greatly in length, just as fiction can; anything from a book-length autobiography to a 500-word food blog post can fall within the genre.

Additionally, the genre borrows some aspects, in terms of voice, from poetry; poets generally look for truth and write about the realities they see. While there are many exceptions to this, such as the persona poem, the nonfiction genre depends on the writer’s ability to render their voice in a realistic fashion, just as poetry so often does. Writer Richard Terrill, in comparing the two forms, writes that the voice in creative nonfiction aims “to engage the empathy” of the reader; that, much like a poet, the writer uses “personal candor” to draw the reader in.

Creative Nonfiction encompasses many different forms of prose. As an emerging form, CNF is closely entwined with fiction. Many fiction writers make the cross-over to nonfiction occasionally, if only to write essays on the craft of fiction. This can be done fairly easily, since the ability to write good prose—beautiful description, realistic characters, musical sentences—is required in both genres.

So what, then, makes the literary nonfiction genre unique?

The first key element of nonfiction—perhaps the most crucial thing— is that the genre relies on the author’s ability to retell events that actually happened. The talented CNF writer will certainly use imagination and craft to relay what has happened and tell a story, but the story must be true. You may have heard the idiom that “truth is stranger than fiction;” this is an essential part of the genre. Events—coincidences, love stories, stories of loss—that may be expected or feel clichéd in fiction can be respected when they occur in real life .

A writer of Creative Nonfiction should always be on the lookout for material that can yield an essay; the world at-large is their subject matter. Additionally, because Creative Nonfiction is focused on reality, it relies on research to render events as accurately as possible. While it’s certainly true that fiction writers also research their subjects (especially in the case of historical fiction), CNF writers must be scrupulous in their attention to detail. Their work is somewhat akin to that of a journalist, and in fact, some journalism can fall under the umbrella of CNF as well. Writer Christopher Cokinos claims, “done correctly, lived well, delivered elegantly, such research uncovers not only facts of the world, but reveals and shapes the world of the writer” (93). In addition to traditional research methods, such as interviewing subjects or conducting database searches, he relays Kate Bernheimer’s claim that “A lifetime of reading is research:” any lived experience, even one that is read, can become material for the writer.

The other key element, the thing present in all successful nonfiction, is reflection. A person could have lived the most interesting life and had experiences completely unique to them, but without context—without reflection on how this life of experiences affected the writer—the reader is left with the feeling that the writer hasn’t learned anything, that the writer hasn’t grown. We need to see how the writer has grown because a large part of nonfiction’s appeal is the lessons it offers us, the models for ways of living: that the writer can survive a difficult or strange experience and learn from it. Sean Ironman writes that while “[r]eflection, or the second ‘I,’ is taught in every nonfiction course” (43), writers often find it incredibly hard to actually include reflection in their work. He expresses his frustration that “Students are stuck on the idea—an idea that’s not entirely wrong—that readers need to think” (43), that reflecting in their work would over-explain the ideas to the reader. Not so. Instead, reflection offers “the crucial scene of the writer writing the memoir” (44), of the present-day writer who is looking back on and retelling the past. In a moment of reflection, the author steps out of the story to show a different kind of scene, in which they are sitting at their computer or with their notebook in some quiet place, looking at where they are now, versus where they were then; thinking critically about what they’ve learned. This should ideally happen in small moments, maybe single sentences, interspersed throughout the piece. Without reflection, you have a collection of scenes open for interpretation—though they might add up to nothing.

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Course Offerings

Creative writing (2022 - 2024).

In addition to the on-campus creative writing courses offered throughout the year, special January term and summer programs offer students a chance to study intensively and generate new writing in Florence, New York, and Paris.

Creative Writing: Introduction to Prose and Poetry CRWRI-UA 815  Formerly Creative Writing: Introduction to Fiction and Poetry. Identical to CRWRI-UA 9815. Not repeatable for credit. Workshop. Offered in fall, winter, spring, and summer. 4 points. An exciting introduction to the basic elements of poetry and prose, with in-class writing, take-home reading and writing assignments, and substantive discussions of craft. Structured as a workshop: students receive feedback from their instructor and their fellow writers in a roundtable setting and should be prepared to offer their classmates responses to their work.

Intermediate Workshops in Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction CRWRI-UA 816   (Intermediate Fiction Workshop), CRWRI-UA 817 (Intermediate Poetry Workshop), CRWRI-UA 825 (Intermediate Creative Nonfiction Workshop) Prerequisite for Fiction : Creative Writing: Introduction to Prose and Poetry (CRWRI-UA 815), or Creative Writing (CRWRI-UA 9815), or Writers in New York: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 818), or Writers in New York: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 819), or Writers in New York: Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 835), or Writers in Paris: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9818), or Writers in Paris: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9819), or Writers in Florence: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9828), or Writers in Florence: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9829), or Intensive Seminar in Fiction (CRWRI-UA 861; formerly Master Class in Fiction, CRWRI-UA 860), or equivalent. Workshop. Offered in fall, winter, spring, and summer. 4 points. Prerequisite for Poetry : Creative Writing: Introduction to Prose and Poetry (CRWRI-UA 815), or Creative Writing (CRWRI-UA 9815), or Writers in New York: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 818), or Writers in New York: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 819), or Writers in New York: Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 835), or Writers in Paris: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9818), or Writers in Paris: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9819), or Writers in Florence: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9828), or Writers in Florence: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9829), or Intensive Seminar in Poetry (CRWRI-UA 862; formerly Master Class in Poetry, CRWRI-UA 870), or equivalent. Workshop. Offered in fall, spring, and summer. 4 points. Prerequisite for Creative Nonfiction : Creative Writing: Introduction to Prose and Poetry (CRWRI-UA 815), or Creative Writing (CRWRI-UA 9815), or Writers in New York: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 818), or Writers in New York: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 819), or Writers in New York: Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 835), or Writers in Paris: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9818), or Writers in Paris: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9819), or Writers in Florence: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9828), or Writers in Florence: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9829), or Intensive Seminar in Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 863; formerly Master Class in Creative Nonfiction, CRWRI-UA 880), or equivalent. Workshop. Offered in fall and spring. 4 points. Offer an opportunity to continue the pursuit of writing at the intermediate level. Integrate in-depth craft discussions and extensive outside reading to deepen students' understanding of their chosen genre and broaden their knowledge of the evolution of literary forms and techniques. Each may be repeated three times for credit.

Writers in New York: Fiction, Poetry, or Creative Nonfiction CRWRI-UA 818   (Writers in New York: Fiction), CRWRI-UA 819 (Writers in New York: Poetry), CRWRI-UA 835 (Writers in New York: Creative Nonfiction) Application required. Workshop. Offered in the summer. 8 points per course. Offer poets and fiction writers an opportunity to develop their craft while living the writer's life in Greenwich Village. Students participate in daily workshops and craft classes, are mentored by accomplished professional writers, and attend readings, lectures, panel discussions, and seminars led by New York-based writers and editors. Assignments encourage immersion in the city. Students work intensively to generate new writing and also attend a lively series of readings, lectures, literary walking tours, and special events. May be repeated once for credit.

Advanced Workshops in Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction CRWRI-UA 820 (Advanced Fiction Workshop), CRWRI-UA 830 (Advanced Poetry Workshop), CRWRI-UA 850 (Advanced Creative Nonfiction Workshop) Prerequisite for Fiction : Intermediate Fiction Workshop (CRWRI-UA 816), or Writers in New York: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 818), or Writers in Paris: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9818), or Writers in Florence: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9828), or Intensive Seminar in Fiction (CRWRI-UA 861; formerly Master Class in Fiction, CRWRI-UA 860), or equivalent. Workshop. Offered in fall and spring. 4 points. Prerequisite for Poetry : Intermediate Poetry Workshop (CRWRI-UA 817), or Writers in New York: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 819), or Writers in Paris: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9819), or Writers in Florence: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9829), or Intensive Seminar in Poetry (CRWRI-UA 862; formerly Master Class in Poetry, CRWRI-UA 870), or equivalent. Workshop. Offered in fall and spring. 4 points. Prerequisite for Creative Nonfiction : Intermediate Creative Nonfiction Workshop (CRWRI-UA 825), or Writers in New York: Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 835), or Intensive Seminar in Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 863; formerly Master Class in Creative Nonfiction, CRWRI-UA 880), or equivalent. Workshop. Offered in fall and spring. 4 points. Provide students with the opportunity to hone their individual voices and experiment with different aesthetic strategies in genre-specific workshops taught by eminent writers in the field. Focus on revision techniques, the development of sustainable writing processes, and the broadening of students' knowledge of classical and contemporary masters. Each workshop has a distinct emphasis and area of exploration; course descriptions are available online prior to registration. Each may be repeated three times for credit.

Intensive Seminars in Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction CRWRI-UA 861 Intensive Seminar in Fiction, CRWRI-UA 862 Intensive Seminar in Poetry, CRWRI-UA 863 Intensive Seminar in Creative Nonfiction Prerequisite for Fiction : Creative Writing: Introduction to Prose and Poetry (CRWRI-UA 815), or Creative Writing (CRWRI-UA 9815), or Intermediate Fiction Workshop (CRWRI-UA 816), or Writers in New York: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 818), or Writers in New York: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 819), or Writers in New York: Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 835) or Writers in Paris: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9818), or Writers in Paris: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9819), or Writers in Florence: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9828), or Writers in Florence: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9829), or Advanced Fiction Workshop (CRWRI-UA 820), or equivalent. Recommended prerequisite: Advanced Fiction (CRWRI-UA 820). Application required. Workshop. Offered in fall and spring. 4 points. Prerequisite for Poetry : Creative Writing: Introduction to Prose and Poetry (CRWRI-UA 815), or Creative Writing (CRWRI-UA 9815), or Intermediate Poetry Workshop (CRWRI-UA 817), or Writers in New York: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 818), or Writers in New York: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 819), or Writers in New York: Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 835), or Writers in Paris: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9818), or Writers in Paris: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9819), or Writers in Florence: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9828), or Writers in Florence: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9829), or Advanced Poetry Workshop (CRWRI-UA 830), or equivalent. Recommended prerequisite: Advanced Poetry (CRWRI-UA 830). Application required. Workshop. Offered in fall and spring. 4 points. Prerequisite for Creative Nonfiction : Creative Writing: Introduction to Prose and Poetry (CRWRI-UA 815), or Creative Writing (CRWRI-UA 9815), or Writers in New York: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 818), or Writers in New York: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 819), or Writers in New York: Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 835), or Writers in Paris: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9818), or Writers in Paris: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9819), or Writers in Florence: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9828), or Writers in Florence: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9829), or Intermediate Creative Nonfiction Workshop (CRWRI-UA 825), or Advanced Creative Nonfiction Workshop (CRWRI-UA 850), or equivalent. Recommended prerequisite: Advanced Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 850). Application required. Workshop. Offered in fall and spring. 4 points. Taught by acclaimed poets and prose writers to select NYU undergraduates. Application is required for admission. Each is limited to 12 students and provides intensive mentoring and guidance for serious and talented undergraduate writers. Full details of these courses and their applications are shared on the program’s undergraduate listserv; students are added to the listserv when they enroll in Creative Writing: Introduction to Prose and Poetry (CRWRI-UA 815). They may also contact [email protected] for information.

Creative Writing Internship CRWRI-UA 980 Prerequisites: a declared minor in creative writing, two CRWRI-UA courses or the equivalent, and approval of the program. An internship may not be used to fulfill the minimum requirements of the minor. For full policies, registration procedures, and the application form, please visit the program's website. Offered in fall, spring, and summer. 2 points. Requires 8 to 12 hours of work per week. Must be with an external (non-NYU) organization related to creative writing (e.g., a literary agency, magazine, publisher, or outreach program) and should involve some substantive aspect of writerly work. Requires a final five- to seven-page report, and an evaluation is solicited from the intern's supervisor. Grading is pass/fail. Students are responsible for finding the internship and receiving program approval before the end of the Albert add/drop period each term.

Writers in Paris: Fiction or Poetry CRWRI-UA 9818   (Writers in Paris: Fiction), CRWRI-UA 9819 (Writers in Paris: Poetry) Application required. Workshop. Offered in the summer. 8 points per course. Offer poets and fiction writers an opportunity to experience the writer's life in Paris. Students participate in daily workshops and craft classes, are mentored by accomplished professional writers, and attend readings and special seminars led by Paris-based writers and editors. Assignments encourage immersion in the city. Students work intensively to generate new writing and also attend a lively series of readings, lectures, literary walking tours, and special events. May be repeated once for credit.

Writers in Florence: Fiction or Poetry CRWRI-UA 9828   (Writers in Florence: Fiction), CRWRI-UA 9829 (Writers in Florence: Poetry) Application required. Workshop. Offered in the summer. 8 points per course. A literary retreat in Florence for poets and fiction writers. Students participate in daily workshops and craft classes, are mentored by acclaimed writers, and attend readings and special seminars on all aspects of the writer's life. Assignments are designed to encourage serious literary study, as well as immersion in the local landscape, and students are expected to work intensively to generate new writing. May be repeated once for credit.

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✨ Fall Vol. I is open for member registration! Become a member now! General registration opens Tuesday, Aug 20! 🌟

Make Sentence Go: Writing Juicy, Thrilling Prose

With rachel sobel, genres: fiction, young adult/children's lit, novel, short story, open to all levels.

This class meets IN PERSON at Hugo House in Capitol Hill. 

Sick of shivers spider-walking down your characters’ spines? Rolled your eyes so hard at the main character who “let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding” that they almost fell out of your head? Learning to effectively wield words is the centerpiece of every fiction writer’s craft, so how do you write sharp, enchanting prose that directs your reader without falling back on the banal and cliché?  

In this six-week intensive, we'll examine the most difficult problems of writing prose in fiction, from description and dialogue to point of view and pacing. We’ll study action scenes, sex writing, extravagant writing, and more, learning strategies to craft sentences that are juicy, lush, and thrilling, but also clear, specific, and stylish. Leave with a toolkit for making your sentences GO.  

What to expect: 

• Generative Writing: Students create new work during class or from assignments. 
• Craft discussion: Teachers and students explore essential elements of craft. 
• Feedback from peers and instructor. 
• 1-2 hours of writing and/or reading outside of class. 

Students say… 

“Rachel was a delight and I felt that the skills and ideas covered in each class challenged me and could be applied to my personal work without being prescriptive.”  

“Rachel was fantastic and I'd absolutely take another class with her!”  

“Rachel is style.” 

Registration Dates:  

• August 13: Member registration opens at 10:30 am PT  
• August 20: General registration opens at 10:30 am PT 
• September 1: Last day of Early Bird discount 

Rachel Sobel

Rachel Sobel is a writer of speculative and literary fiction about dykes and other queer people. A graduate of the Hunter MFA in Fiction, she has lived in NYC and Seattle.

Describe your teaching st yle.

My classes are expansive and specific, aimed at giving concrete tools to address the writing pitfalls students face. I'm big on asking questions, interrogating your own process, and recognizing that what works for someone else might not work for you. I endorse reading absolutely everything, from silly fluff to pretentious works of enormous philosophical seriousness, and from poetry to nonfiction.

Each class description includes a breakdown of what you can expect in terms of in-class activity, feedback, and homework (if any). 

Generative means you’ll be generating new writing, either in class or at home between classes.

Workshop means you’ll be sharing work to be read and critiqued by your instructor and classmates and that you will also be critiquing the work of your peers. 

Reading means you’ll be doing close reading of a work with an eye toward craft. 

Craft discussion means you’ll be looking at the tools writers use to do that thing they do so well and then trying it out yourself.

Class levels are designed for various stages of the writing journey. Simply self-select the level that sounds best for where you’re at. 

Introductory: This is your first creative writing workshop, first writing class since high school, or first foray into a new genre or form. You’re looking to try something new, kickstart your writing, and/or establish yourself in the fundamentals.

Intermediate: You have a strong understanding of writing fundamentals and are eager to deep dive into craft. You’re honing your writerly identity and voice through independent projects. In workshop, you look for constructive feedback and are ready to do writing and reading outside of class.

Advanced: You’ve written a significant body of work and have taken it through several stages of revision. You’re getting ready to publish or are in the early stage of publishing, and you’re interested in refining the skills that will take you to the next level in the literary industry.

All Levels: You are any of the above and are looking to play with new possibilities.

You’ll get your class information, including Zoom link if applicable, three days before the first day of class.

Write With Hugo House is our free monthly write-in program, operated in partnership with the Seattle Public Library. Two take place onsite at SPL locations, one takes place online. 

Sliding-scale classes are offered every quarter. Find them in our Class Catalog .

We announce flash sales, early bird periods, and special deals through our e-newsletter; sign up at the bottom of this page.

At this time, we offer payment plans on classes 8 sessions and up. Email [email protected] with the name of the class you’re interested in to set up a payment plan.

• We charge a 5% nonrefundable administrative fee for all payment plans. 
• Extended payment plans up to 8 monthly installments and 16 semi-monthly installments are available upon request.
• We are unable to hold seats for prospective payment plan students. Students will be enrolled once their first installment has been paid. 
• If you need to cancel, Hugo House will issue refunds according to its cancellation and transfer policies. Your 5% nonrefundable admin fee will not be refunded. 
• If you withdraw from a class after it begins, you will not receive a refund and are still responsible for paying the full course tuition.

Asynchronous classes are perfect for students that need flexibility!

During an asynchronous class, instructors release new lessons once per week. Students then have one week to complete that lesson and any accompanying coursework. You’ll learn as much as you would in a traditional class but with the flexibility to work at the best times for your schedule!

While there are no live sessions, asynchronous classes are still a lively and rigorous experience. Async classes are not static lessons but an adaptable and energetic community space. Be ready to work in a collaborative environment, giving and receiving feedback on your writing, participating in discussions, and growing your writing practice in a way that works best for you.

Asynchronous classes take place through the website  Wet Ink . Students receive an invitation to the class and to set up a Wet Ink account on the start date of the class. Each week of the class, a new lesson will be available through the Wet Ink portal. Classes close two weeks after the end date, and students receive an email containing their content from the class when it closes.

Hugo House will only process refund requests that are submitted 5 business days or more before the class start date. To request a refund, log in to your account, go to “My Account,” select the “Orders” tab on the left-hand side, click the appropriate order, and request a refund for your specific class. Administrative fees apply. Please see our full refund policy  here .

In general, we do not record classes. However, an exception if a student has specific access needs.

We encourage students to only sign up for classes that fit with their schedule.   

We do not tolerate racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, transphobic or any other oppressive behaviors, regardless of who commits them. Please check out our full community guidelines by clicking  here . If an instance of community guidelines are violated and not resolved within the classroom, students may let us know by filling out the student incident report.

If Hugo House needs to cancel a class for any reason, you’ll receive a full refund.

Membership and Support

Hugo House members get to register early for classes – a full week before they open to the general public!, receive a 10% discount on events and classes, and more. See the full list of membership benefits here !

Donations of all sizes allow us to provide access to quality writing classes, events, and experiences for all. Please consider making a donation to Hugo House today.

If you’re interested in contributing your skills, Hugo House accepts volunteer applications for a variety of roles, including event support, administrative tasks, and more.  Learn more on our Volunteer page.

Learn about all the ways to support Hugo House here.

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English - Creative Writing Emphasis

Focus on the craft of writing with the support and instruction of an array of well-published, award-winning faculty.

Tell Your Story

This growing major is an excellent choice for those who love to read and write, and are passionate about expressing themselves through language. Classes include multi-genre writing workshops, as well as those that focus on specific types of writing such as playwriting, novel writing and creation of essays, short stories, and poetry. Through unique projects and class discussions, you'll foster creativity, insight and empathy — skills that are highly sought after by writers. A variety of electives and course topics throughout the emphasis allow you to study the areas that interest you and best align with your career goals.

While pursuing your degree, you'll experience the incredible benefits of small class sizes. Our courses allow for personalized learning, individualized mentoring, and the formation of meaningful, lasting connections. Your professors and classmates will know you by name and do all they can to help you achieve your personal and professional goals.

Graduates of the program leave with the knowledge and skills to create original and effective poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction works.

Whether you dream of publishing a novel, sharing your poetry, crafting blogs or writing a play, a bachelor's degree in creative writing from UW-Eau Claire can help make anything possible. 

Program Details

As a creative writing major or minor, you'll have the unique opportunity to work as an academic apprentice. Facilitate class discussions, assist teams with group work, answer questions, provide input for class activities, and assignments and teach part of a class session. Or tutor other students outside of the English department by becoming a Center for Writing Excellence writing assistant. These experiences provide a chance for you to build skills in leadership, interpersonal communication, and problem-solving, while also enhancing your writing abilities.

Endless undergraduate research opportunities are available to students at UWEC. Some of the exciting projects taken on by students and faculty in English involve conducting research and interviewing research subjects. Your work could lead to presentations at local and national research conferences, providing you with even more learning and networking opportunities.

Joining a student organization at UWEC builds your skill set — and your resume. You may mentor current and potential students, organize events, or give back to the community. You'll also meet students who, like you, are interested in English and all that it offers. A popular student org for creative writing majors is NOTA, or None of the Above, which is a campus literary magazine — entirely student-run — that publishes a biannual collection of the top student submissions in the categories of art, poetry, and prose.

Writing in a new and different environment can lead to some pretty incredible work. Find inspiration while studying abroad in places like England, France, Italy, Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Ireland, Scotland, South Korea, South Africa, or Japan. Or join faculty on a cultural immersion program to renowned places right here in the U.S. These enriching academic experiences are exactly the kind of high-impact practices that set UW-Eau Claire apart from other institutions, making UWEC an excellent place to pursue your creative writing degree. 

Blugold Stories

Some people might stay away from English classes because they think they're bad writers. I would say no one is a bad writer. Writing, like art, is very subjective, and I promise you there is someone out there who will share your story and see the light in your writing. If you're interested in expressing yourself or just have feelings you need to work through, creative writing is something that you should try.

I had no idea how much I would be welcomed and how much all of my professors genuinely care about me. They are so willing to just have a chat or I can come to their office hours. It's just something that is so nice and I didn't know I was going to have that.

Just the facts

100% Employed or Continuing Education Every 2022-2023 graduate from this major is currently employed or continuing their education.

5 Majors, 4 Minors, 3 Certificates Our personalized curriculum builds your skillset and talent for the future you want.

Where can the english - creative writing emphasis program lead me after graduation?

Graduates of UW-Eau Claire's English - creative writing emphasis degree leave with the knowledge, tools, skills, and passion to become successful, published authors. 

Example Careers

• Content manager
• Content writer
• Technical writer
• Social media director
• Freelance writer

The English - creative writing emphasis bachelor's degree includes countless opportunities to create and evaluate forms of verbal art, including poetry, fiction and nonfiction. Coursework throughout the program will help you to become a better reader and writer of imaginative literature. Pair your studies with a minor or another major in areas like history, marketing, journalism, public relations, communication studies, political science or graphic design for even more career opportunities. 

Here are a few courses in English - Creative Writing Emphasis at UW-Eau Claire.

Introduction to Creative Writing

Introduction to creative writing with opportunities for the student to create and evaluate several forms of verbal art (poetry, fiction and/or nonfiction).

Creative Writing Workshop - Fiction

Special emphasis on class discussion and personal conferences for advanced writers of fiction.

Creative and Narrative Nonfiction

Survey of nonfiction works (reportage, autobiography, travel, and nature writing) which combines factual reporting with literary techniques to reveal American society.

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Related Programs

Thinking about studying english - creative writing emphasis? You might also be interested in exploring these related programs.

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University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

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63 Canadian fiction books to read in fall 2024

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Here are the new Canadian novels and short story collections we are excited about this fall.

The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Seventh Veil of Salome is set in 1950s Hollywood and centres around a big-budget movie about the legendary character of Salome. When Vera Larios, an unknown Mexican actor is cast in the lead role, she starts to turn heads, particularly that of Nancy Hartley, another actor who thinks she deserves a chance in the spotlight. As the two attempt to dodge scandal and gossip, the novel also explores the story of Salome herself.

When you can read it: Aug. 6, 2024

• Gothic horror on Canada Reads? Breaking boundaries is the norm for Mexican Gothic author Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a Canadian author who was born and raised in Mexico. She is also the author of the novels Mexican Gothic , which was on Canada Reads 2023, Signal to Noise , Gods of Jade and Shadow , The Beautiful Ones , Velvet Was The Night , Untamed Shore , and The Daughter of Doctor Moreau .

However Far Away by Rajinderpal S. Pal

At his nephew's wedding, Devinder Gill will be in the same room as his wife and the mother of his two kids, Kuldip, and his first love Emily who he's been secretly having an affair with. However Far Away details what happens when a secret threatens to unravel and how the three main characters found themselves in this situation.

Love, music and culture collide in new novel set in Vancouver

Rajinderpal S. Pal is a writer and stage performer based in Toronto. He has written the poetry collections pappaji wrote poetry in a language i cannot read and pulse.

The Plus One by S.C. Lalli

When a successful couple is murdered in their villa the day before their lavish wedding, unwanted plus one Shaylee "Shay" Kapoor is unconvinced by the police's theory of a drug cartel hit. She must unravel the true reason of their murder before her own secret agenda comes to light. 

• Sonya Lalli reflects on the 'good Indian girl' trope and the joy of writing in different genres

S.C. Lalli is the author of  Are You Sara? which was a bestseller and named one of NPR and Apple's Best Books of the Year. She has also written five romance novels under her full name Sonya Lalli, including Jasmine and Jake Rock the Boat , A Holly Jolly Diwali , Grown-Up Pose and The Matchmaker's List . She lives in Vancouver.

Peggy by Rebecca Godfrey, with Leslie Jamison

Peggy  tells the story of Peggy Guggenheim and her rise to making her name synonymous with art and genius. From her early beginnings in New York as the daughter of two Jewish dynasties to her adventures in the European art worlds, she is forced to balance her loyalty to her family and her desire to break free from conventions and live her own original life. 

When you can read it: Aug. 13, 2024

Rebecca Godfrey was an author and journalist known for her books The Torn Skirt , which was a finalist for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, and the award-winning true crime story Under the Bridge , which was adapted into a Disney+ series. She grew up in Canada but lived in upstate New York. Peggy is her final novel, completed by Leslie Jamison after she died. 

Jamison is the Brooklyn-based author of The Empathy Exams , The Recovering , the novel The Gin Closet and the memoir Splinters.

Layman's Report by Eugene Marten

Layman's Report is a fictionalization of the story of Fred A. Leuchner, an inventor who improved the efficiency and humanity of the electric chair. Because he's the best in his field and feeling under-appreciated, the neo-Nazi movement capitalizes on his expertise and asks him to help a Holocaust denier who's on trial in Toronto and prove the gas chambers never existed. As media coverage picks up, Fred becomes disgraced and discredited, but he doesn't stop working. First published in 2013, this is Layman's Report 's reissue with a major publisher. 

Eugene Marten is a writer born in Winnipeg who grew up in Cleveland and is currently living in Albuquerque. In 2014, Marten won a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for an excerpt of Layman's Report .

Hair for Men by Michelle Winters 

Struggling with trauma from her teenage years, Louise lives a life of punk violence until she gets a job at a men's hair salon. There, she builds relationships with her clients and begins to feel more settled. But when that sense of calm is destroyed, she runs away to the East Coast to escape her past, which she does successfully until a man from the Bay of Fundy arrives and gives her the opportunity to right her wrongs. 

When you can read it: Aug. 20, 2024

Enjoying the ride: Michelle Winters on the roller coaster that is being a Scotiabank Giller Prize finalist

Michelle Winters is a writer, painter and translator from Saint John currently living in Toronto. Her novel debut novel I Am a Truck was shortlisted for the 2017 Scotiabank Giller Prize . She also translated Kiss the Undertow and Daniil and Vanya by Marie-Hélène Larochelle.

Oil People by David Huebert

Oil People weaves together two narratives and timelines to unravel family secrets and the toxic yet powerful nature of oil. The first narrative is the story of 13-year-old Jade Armbruster in 1987, who is living on the family's oil farm, a deteriorating property built by an ancestor, as her parents decide what to do about the land and their business. The other story is that of Clyde Armbruster in 1862 who built the oil farm and the rivalry he fell into with his neighbours — the reverberations of which are still felt by Jade and her family. 

Past winner David Huebert shares 5 reasons to enter the CBC Short Story Prize

David Huebert is a Halifax-based writer who has won the 2016 CBC Short Story Prize and The Walrus Poetry Prize . He is the author of short story collections Peninsula Sinking , which won a Dartmouth Book Award and was a runner-up for the Danuta Gleed Literary Award , and Chemical Valley , which won the Alistair MacLeod Short Fiction Prize.

Blackheart Man by Nalo Hopkinson

Blackheart Man is a fantasy novel about the magical island of Chynchin. It follows Veycosi who is training as a griot (historian and musician) and is hoping to score a spot on Chynchin's Colloquium of scholars. But when a turn of events prevents him from going to check out the rare Alamat Book of Light, he finds himself in over his head as he offers to help when fifteen Ymisen galleons show up hoping to force a trade agreement. When children start disappearing and tar statues come to life, it's clear that sinister forces are at play — the demon called the Blackheart Man is causing trouble. 

Being a leading Black voice in sci-fi writing is a 'joyful' responsibility: Nalo Hopkinson

Nalo Hopkinson is the author of many novels and short stories including Brown Girl in the Ring , which won the Warner Aspect First Novel Contest and was defended on Canada Reads in 2008 by Jemeni. Her other books include Sister Mine , Midnight Robber , The Chaos , The New Moon's Arms and Skin Folk . In 2021, she won the Damon Knight Grand Master award, a lifetime achievement award for science fiction. 

In Winter I Get Up at Night by Jane Urquhart

In Winter I Get Up at Night tells the story of music teacher Emer McConnell who lives in rural Saskatchewan. One day, as she heads to work in the early morning, she takes a trip down memory lane, taking us on her life's journey, from the prairie storm that left her in a children's ward when she was 11 to family secrets and distant love affairs. 

When you can read it: Aug. 27, 2024

• Jane Urquhart: 8 books that changed my life

Jane Urquhart is a novelist and poet. In 2005, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. Urquhart has written seven critically acclaimed novels. In 1994, she received the Marian Engel Award, now known as Writers' Trust Engel/Findley Award. Her debut The Whirlpool received Le prix du meilleur livre étranger (Best Foreign Book Award) in France. The 1993 speculative fiction novel Away won the Trillium Award, was a finalist for the prestigious International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and a contender on Canada Reads   2013, when it was defended by Charlotte Gray. 

Moon Road by Sarah Leipciger

In Moon Road , estranged divorcees Kathleen and Yannick come together after news from the other side of the country sends them on a road trip from small-town Ontario to B.C. After 19 years of not speaking since something happened to their daughter, their history and bond are revealed and an unexpected future calls. 

Sarah Leipciger is lecturer and writer, whose other novels include The Mountain Can Wait and Coming Up for Air. Her short fiction has been shortlisted for the Asham Award, the Fish Prize and the Bridport Prize. Originally from Toronto, she now lives in London, U.K.

Monster by Jowita Bydlowska

In this work of autofiction, Yoveeta is a woman struggling with her quiet rage, which she calls "Monster" that festers deep inside. Her fury started when she left her home country and dealt with sexual and romantic trauma and begins to resurface on the night she's about to launch her memoir when she meets an interesting man. 

When you can read it: Sept. 1, 2024

Jowita Bydlowska on avoiding books with long descriptions of water

Jowita Bydlowska is a writer and journalist based in Toronto. A professor at the Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University, she's known for her memoir, Drunk Mom and novels Guy and Possessed . Bydlowska has written columns on popular culture and mental health for the National Post, the Globe and Mail and CBC.

Bad Land by Corinna Chong 

When Regina's brother shows up on her doorstep with his 6-year-old daughter after seven years, her quiet loner life is never the same. The longer they stay, the clearer it becomes to Regina that something terrible has happened — and once the secret is revealed, they're sent on a fraught journey from Alberta to the coast of B.C. 

When you can read it: Sept. 3, 2024

How Corinna Chong wrote the story that won the 2021 CBC Short Story Prize

Originally from Calgary, Corinna Chong lives in Kelowna, B.C. and teaches English and fine arts at Okanagan College. She published her first novel, Belinda's Rings , in 2013. In 2023, she published the short story collection The Whole Animal which includes Kids in Kindergarten , the winner of the 2021 CBC Short Story Prize . 

May Our Joy Endure by Kevin Lambert, translated by Donald Winkler

In May Our Joy Endure , Céline is a celebrated architect and icon. When her first megaproject in her home of Montreal is met with harsh criticism for bringing on gentrification, she is fired as CEO from her firm. She must try to understand what exactly she is being accused of and figure out what to tell herself so that she can continue to justify her world of privilege. 

• Kevin Lambert's novel Querelle of Roberval is an erotically tragic look at class struggle and sexual politics

Kevin Lambert is a Montreal-based author who grew up in Chicoutimi, Que.  May Our Joy Endure  won the Prix Médicis, Prix Décembre and Prix Ringuet. His novel Querelle de Roberval was a finalist for numerous prizes in Quebec, Canada and France. His first novel, You Will Love What You Have Killed , won a prize for the best novel from the Saguenay region.

Donald Winkler is a Montreal-based translator. He has won three Governor General's Literary Awards for French-to-English translation.

Every Night I Dream I'm a Monk, Every Night I Dream I'm a Monster by Damian Tarnopolsky

Every Night I Dream I'm a Monk, Every Night I Dream I'm a Monster is a short story collection that transports readers through time and place, from 1980s England to Renaissance France and current Canada. While each story stands alone, connections can be found in the most unexpected ways. 

• Books by past CBC Poetry Prize winners and finalists being published in 2024

Damian Tarnopolsky is a Toronto-based writer, editor, and teacher. His novel Goya's Dog was shortlisted for the Amazon First Novel Award and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book (Canada/Caribbean). His short fiction has appeared in The Puritan, The Antigonish Review, Prairie Fire, subTerrain, Audeamus, among others. Tarnopolsky has twice been nominated for the Journey Prize.

In 2007, his story You Guys , featured in Every Night I Dream I'm a Monk, Every Night I Dream I'm a Monster ,   was shortlisted for the CBC Short Story Prize .  

This Bright Dust by Nina Berkhout

This Bright Dust takes place in 1939 in the small prairie town of Grayley. With the Great Depression still affecting the community, Abel Dodds is desperately searching for the gold his late father buried. When his neighbour leaves and asks him to take care of his sister, her son and grandfather, he reluctantly agrees. Tensions rise when the king and queen announce that they're coming to visit to boost morale. 

Nina Berkhout is a poet and novelist who currently lives in Ottawa. She is also the author of the novels The Gallery of Lost Species and Why Birds Sing and five poetry collections . Her young adult novel, The Mosaic, was nominated for the White Pine Award and the Ottawa Book Awards.

real ones by katherena vermette

Following two Michif sisters, lyn and June, real ones examines what happens when their estranged and white mother gets called out as a pretendian. Going by the name Raven Bearclaw, she's seen success for her art that draws on Indigenous style. As the media hones in on the story, the sisters, whose childhood trauma manifests in different ways, are pulled into their mother's web of lies and the painful past resurfaces. 

katherena vermette's next novel examines ownership of identity and family bonds, will be released in fall 2024

vermette is a Métis writer from Winnipeg. Her books include the poetry collections North End Love Songs and river woman and the four-book graphic novel series A Girl Called Echo . Her novels are The Break , The Strangers , The Circle .  North End Love Songs won the Governor General's Literary Award for poetry. The Break was a finalist for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction. It was defended by Candy Palmater on Canada Reads 2017. The Strangers won the 2021 Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and was longlisted for the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize .

All Hookers Go To Heaven by Angel B.H.

In All Hookers Go To Heaven , Mag falls for a girl while training to become an evangelical missionary. Ashamed and regretful, she leaves the Church and becomes a sex worker, hoping to break free from her repressed past and change her life. The novel details all the challenges and danger she faces as she tries to come to terms with herself, her sexuality and her faith all while trying to make a living.

Angel B.H. is a writer from Nova Scotia currently living in Europe. All Hookers Go To Heaven is her first novel. 

Thyme Travellers: An Anthology of Palestinian Speculative Fiction edited by Sonia Sulaiman

Thyme Travellers is an anthology of speculative fiction that brings together voices from the Palestinian diaspora, both new and veteran, from all around the world, to tell stories that venture into history and folklore.

When you can read it: Sept. 7, 2024

Sonia Sulaiman is a writer and editor based in Ontario. Her writing has been published in Arab Lit Quarterly, Beladi, FANTASY, FIYAH Magazine, Xenocultivars: Stories of Queer Growth, Seize the Press, Lackington's Magazine and Ask the Night for a Dream. Her stories have been nominated for Pushcart, Lammy and Best New Weird awards. She also edited the collection Muneera and the Moon: Stories Inspired by Palestinian Folklore.

The Wedding by Gurjinder Basran

In a Bollywood-inspired family drama, The Wedding transports readers to Surrey and Vancouver, B.C. in the lead-up to the lavish Sikh wedding between Devi and Baby. Offering glimpses into the lives of the wedding party, guests and the event staff making it all happen, the novel is all about community, tradition and the union of two people. 

'It wasn't a joyful process.' — Gurjinder Basran discusses writing her sophomore novel

Gurjinder Basran is a writer living in Delta, B.C. Her novels include Everything Was Good-bye , the winner of the BC Book Prize and the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, Help! I'm Alive and Someone You Love is Gone . 

A Way to Be Happy by Caroline Adderson

A Way to Be Happy is a short story collection that follows various characters as they try to find happiness. Ranging from mundane to extraordinary, the stories feature everything from a pair of addicts robbing parties to fund their sobriety to a Russian hitman dealing with an illness and reliving his past. 

When you can read it: Sept. 10, 2024

Three-time CBC Literary Prize winner Caroline Adderson shares how to write a great short story

Caroline Adderson is the Vancouver-based author of five novels, including The Sky is Falling , Ellen in Pieces and A Russian Sister . She has also published two short story collections, including the 1993 Governor General's Literary Award finalist Bad Imaginings . 

Adderson's awards include three B.C. Book Prizes, a National Magazine Award Gold Medal for Fiction. She has received the 2006 Marian Engel Award for mid-career achievement. She is also a three-time winner of the CBC Literary Prizes .

Countess by Suzan Palumbo

In Countess , Virika Sameroo is the first lieutenant on an interstellar cargo vessel serving the Æerbot Empire. When her captain dies, she is charged for murder and treason even though she's always been loyal. This sets her on a quest for revenge against the empire. 

Suzan Palumbo is a Trinidadian-Canadian author based in Brampton, Ont. She is also the author of short story collection Skin Thief. Her stories have been nominated for the Nebula, Aurora and World Fantasy Awards.

Songs for the Brokenhearted by Ayelet Tsabari

In Songs for the Brokenhearted , Zohara is a thirty-something Yemeni Israeli woman living in New York City, a life that feels much simpler than her childhood growing up in Israel. When her sister calls to let her know of their mother's death, she gets on a plane with no return ticket and begins the journey of unravelling lost family stories.

Ayelet Tsabari is always leaving things behind. So she wrote a book about it

Ayelet Tsabari is the author of The Art of Leaving , which won the Canadian Jewish Literary Award for Memoir and was a finalist for the Writer's Trust Hilary Weston Prize, and The Best Place on Earth , which won the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature and the Edward Lewis Wallant Award. Her short story Green  was shortlisted for the 2018 CBC Short Story Prize . She teaches in the MFA creative writing program at the University of Guelph, the MFA in Fiction program at the University of King's College and the Shaindy Rudoff Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Bar-Ilan University. She lived in Toronto for a number of years and currently resides in Tel Aviv. 

The Unweaving by Cheryl Parisien

The Unweaving tells the story of one Métis family in 1869 as surveyors arrive in Red River to negotiate joining Confederation. Each member of the family reacts in their own way, but all are hoping to protect their way of life. 

Cheryl Parisien is a Winnipeg-based Red River Métis writer. The Unweaving is her first novel, which is loosely based on her own family's history. 

Other Maps by Rebecca Morris

In Other Maps , Anna can't wait to leave her hometown after visiting for her dad's retirement party. When she runs into her ex-best friends, she's forced to confront her past and figure out if there was truth behind the rumours about the New Year's party back in high school — and only then, can she move forward into a better future. 

When you can read it: Sept. 14, 2024

Rebecca (Atkinson) Morris is a Montreal-based writer whose short stories have won the Malahat Review Open Season Award and the Humber Literary Review Emerging Writers Fiction contest. She is an alumna of the Banff Centre, winner of a Canada Council Arts grant and an active member of the Quebec Writers' Federation.

Juiceboxers by Benjamin Hertwig

In Juiceboxers , Plinko is a 16-year-old undergoing basic training before finishing high school. When he moves in with an older soldier, he and the other roommates, people from all different backgrounds, build an unlikely friendship. After 9/11, the military plans to go to war in Afghanistan so the young men are sent to the battlefields of Kandahar and are forever changed. 

When you can read it: Sept. 17, 2024

Why Benjamin Hertwig sees parallels between pottery and poetry

Benjamin Hertwig is a writer, painter and ceramist who spent time as a soldier. His book Slow War was shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award for poetry. Based in Edmonton, he owns Paper Birch Books, a second hand bookstore, with his partner. 

The Pages of the Sea by Anne Hawk

The Pages of the Sea tells the story of Wheeler and her older sisters on a Caribbean island after their mother moves to England to find work. As she waits for her mother to send for her, Wheeler feels alone and must navigate the tensions between her aunts who took her and her sisters in. 

Anne Hawk is a writer who grew up in the Caribbean, the U.K. and Canada. The Pages of the Sea is her first novel.   She previously worked as a journalist, paralegal and school teacher. She is currently based in London, U.K.

Dry Your Tears to Perfect Your Aim by Jacob Wren

When a depressed writer visits a war zone, he finds a small feminist collective living on a small strip of land. The more he learns about the society they've created, the more he grapples with the idea of writing about it and the ethical concerns that would come up if he did. 

Jacob Wren is a writer, artist and performer based in Montreal. His books include Revenge Fantasies of the Politically Dispossessed , Polyamorous Love Song, Rich and Poor, which was a finalist for the Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction and Authenticity is a Feeling . He is the artistic co-director of PME-ART, an interdisciplinary group. 

I Never Said That I Was Brave by Tasneem Jamal

I Never Said That I Was Brave recounts the lifelong friendship of two women who immigrated from Uganda to Canada as children. As adults, their dynamics are constantly shifting as they grow yet feel stifled by expectations of their South Asian community. 

She ditched it all to follow her dreams, then reality came crashing in

Tasneem Jamal is a Kitchener, Ont.-based writer who was born in Uganda. She also is the author of Where the Air is Sweet and was named one of CBC's writers to watch in 2014 . Her work has appeared in Chatelaine, Saturday Night magazine and the Literary Review of Canada. Jamal is The X Page Storytelling Workshop's writing coach and an editor at The New Quarterly. 

Hi, It's Me by Fawn Parker

In Hi, It's Me , Fawn returns to her mother's farmhouse after her death — one that is also inhabited by four other women with interesting and strange beliefs. As she lives in her mother's room and tries to figure out what to do with her possessions, she becomes obsessed with archiving her mother's writing and documents, teaching her more and more about the woman she thought she knew so well. 

Lisa Alward and Fawn Parker among winners of the 2024 New Brunswick Book Awards

Fawn Parker is an author and current PhD student at the University of New Brunswick. Her novel What We Both Know was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2022 . Her poetry collection Soft Inheritance won the Fiddlehead Poetry Book Prize.

Bringer of Dust by J. M. Miro

The second book in the Talents Trilogy, Bringer of Dust follows Charlie and the Talents as they discover a body covered in the corrupted dust of the drughr — and realize that a new drughr has arisen. They must work together to stave off the world of the dead and save their friend. 

• 12 Canadian sci-fi and fantasy novels to escape into this summer

J.M. Miro is a Canadian author based in British Columbia. His book Ordinary Monsters was an international bestseller and the first book of the Talents Trilogy. 

Proof by Beverley McLachlin

Criminal defense lawyer Jilly Truitt is taking some well-deserved and needed time off with her new baby when she's asked to take on the case of Katie, a high-profile mother accused of kidnapping her own child. Katie's prospects aren't looking good and police begin to suspect that her daughter, Tess, is dead — and she's one the responsible. Jilly must quickly solve the case to save both Katie and Tess. 

Beverley McLachlin wins $25K Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing for memoir Truth Be Told

Beverley McLachlin was the first female chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. She held the position for nearly 20 years. After McLachlin retired from the court, she became a writer, publishing the memoir Truth Be Told , which won the Writers' Trust Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing and the Ottawa Book Award for Nonfiction, and the thrillers Full Disclosure  and Denial .

The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley

In The Lightning Bottles , an unlikely duo of fallen rock star Jane Pyre and sullen teenage superfan Hen take a road trip to find out what happened to Elijah, Jane's bandmate and soulmate. A love letter to music and female artists who deserve the same powerful legacies as their male counterparts, Stapley wrote The Lightning Bottles to give a voice to both them and the teenagers listening to music, waiting for their lives to begin. 

Marissa Stapley's latest takes readers on a road trip to solve a rock 'n' roll mystery — read an excerpt now  

Marissa Stapley is a Toronto writer, journalist and author of romance, thrillers and romantic comedies. Her books include Mating for Life , Things To Do When It's Raining , The Last Resort , Lucky and The Holiday Swap , which was co-written with Karma Brown under the pen-name Maggie Knox.

I Left You Behind by Nazneen Sheikh

I Left You Behind is a striking short story collection that spans decades and countries, largely drawing on the author's own experience. They explore dislocation, relocation and the highs and lows of lives lived. 

Nazneen Sheikh on the power of bedtime stories

Nazneen Sheikh was born in Kashmir and studied in Pakistan and Texas. She has written three young adult books as well as several books of nonfiction and fiction including Moon Over Marrakech , The Place of Shining Light and Tea and Pomegranates: A Memoir of Food, Family and Kashmir , which won second prize in the English and French special interest food and beverage book category from Cuisine Canada and the University of Guelph. She lives in Toronto. 

What I Know About You by Éric Chacour, translated by Pablo Strauss

In What I Know About You , Tarek is on the right path: he'll be a doctor like his father, marry and have children. But when he falls for his patient's son, Ali, his life is turned upside-down as he realizes his sexuality against a backdrop of political turmoil in 1960s Cairo. In the 2000s, Tarek is now a doctor in Montreal. When someone begins to write to him and about him, the past that he's been trying to forget comes back to haunt him. 

When you can read it: Sept. 24, 2024

Éric Chacour is a Montreal-based writer who was born to Egyptian parents and grew up between France and Quebec. In addition to writing, he works in the financial sector. What I Know About You is his first book and was a bestseller in its French edition, winning many awards including the Prix Femina. 

Pablo Strauss has translated 12 works of fiction, several graphic novels and one screenplay. He was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award for translation for The Country Will Bring Us No Peace , Synapses and The Longest Year . His translation of Le plongeur by Stephane Larue called The Dishwasher won the 2020 Amazon First Novel Award. He lives in Quebec City. 

The Nowhere Places by Susan LeBlanc

The Nowhere Places is a novel set in 1979 North End Halifax that revolves around two women, June and Lulu, and the chaos that transpires when Gerald, a developmentally disabled adult, goes missing. June is his mother, who raised him alone and unwed, and Lulu is a teenager who works at the pharmacy with him. The novel brings them together and shares stories of girlhood and womanhood as they both try and figure out what they are capable of. 

Susan LeBlanc is a Dartmouth, N.S-based writer. She worked as a newspaper and magazine journalist for 20 years and taught journalism at the University of King's College. She was shortlisted for the Budge Wilson Short Fiction Prize in 2018 and was selected for the 2022 Alistair MacLeod Mentorship Program. 

Celestina's House by Clarissa Trinidad Gonzalez

In Celestina's House , Celestina is desperate to get out of her family's house after a shocking betrayal made the atmosphere too tense to bear. When her Lolo gifts her a property in Manila's bohemian district, she feels at home, even though there are ghosts lurking. As time goes on, she gets a real chance at happiness, but voices from the past threaten to take it all away.

Clarissa Trinidad Gonzalez is a Filipina author based in Toronto. Celestina's House is her first book.

The Tapestry of Time by Kate Heartfield

The Tapestry of Time is a historical fantasy novel that tells the story of the Sharp sisters and their extraordinary psychic powers during the Second World War. Kit lives in Paris and is endlessly fascinated with the Bayeux tapestry that is said to predict the future. The Nazis are also obsessed with the tapestry and believe it will help them continue their conquest of Europe. Ivy joins the Special Operations Executive and is sent to France on a special mission — and the two sisters must use their courage and special gifts to keep the Nazis from using the tapestry and beating the Allied Forces.

When you can read it: Sept. 26, 2024

Kate Heartfield and Fonda Lee win Aurora Awards for Canadian sci-fi and fantasy writing

Kate Heartfield is a former journalist and the author of The Embroidered Book, Alice Payne Arrives, which was shortlisted for a Nebula Award, and The Valkyrie . Her debut novel, Armed in Her Fashion, won the 2019 Aurora Award for Best Novel.

White World by Saad T. Farooqi

White World  imagines Pakistan in 2083 A.D. when a civil war is happening and Avaan finds himself alone with only a gun in his hand. He's living without citizenship and his whole family, including Doua, his one true love, was stolen from him in a military raid. When he finds out that Doua might be alive, he becomes committed to finding her and takes a stand against the army and the mob. 

When you can read it: Sept. 28, 2024

Saad T. Farooqi is a London, Ont.-based writer who spent most of his life as a Pakistani expat in Dubai. His writing has appeared in many magazines and he holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Kingston University London. White World is his first book. 

False Bodies by J.R. McConvey

False Bodies tells the story of monster hunter Eddie "The Yeti" Gesner as he travels to Newfoundland to make sense of a mass death on an offshore oil rig. People are saying that it could be the work of a kraken and Eddie is determined to get to the bottom of it. When he discovers an antique diary, his grasp of reality is called into question and he must face an undersea power that he could have never even imagined. 

When you can read it: Oct. 1, 2024

J.R. McConvey is a writer and documentary producer from Toronto. His debut short story collection Different Beasts was published in 2019 and  won the 2020 Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for speculative fiction. CBC Books named him a writer to watch in 2020 . In 2016, McConvey made the longlist for the CBC Poetry Prize . 

An Astonishment of Stars by Kirti Bhadresa

An Astonishment of Stars is a short story collection that focuses on racialized women navigating all the hardships of everyday life. From a wife who uses the name of her white husband in public to the teen girl who watches her rebellious older sister slip away, the stories shed light on those who often remain unseen. 

Kirti Bhadresa is a Calgary-based fiction and nonfiction writer whose work has appeared in The Fiddlehead, Prairie Fire, The Quarantine Review, The Sprawl and Room. She was a finalist for the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association Award in the Feature Writing category. 

Keep by Jenny Haysom

The novel  Keep is a meditation on all the stuff in our lives. Having been recently diagnosed with dementia, Harriet must sell her beloved house. Enter home stagers Eleanor and Jacob who are hired to remove the clutter, but soon find themselves immersed in Harriet's mysterious world while their own lives are unravelling.

Jenny Haysom is a writer from Nova Scotia. Her debut poetry collection, Dividing the Wayside , won the Archibald Lampman Award and was shortlisted for the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award . She has published her writing in magazines across Canada. Haysom was longlisted for the 2013 CBC Poetry Prize .

The Diapause by Andrew Forbes

The Diapause is a novel that follows 10-year-old Gabriel and his parents who retreat to an old family cabin to ride out a pandemic. As time passes, tensions between the family members rise and Gabriel will reel with the consequences for years to come. 

• Here are 75 Canadian short stories available free online

Andrew Forbes's first short story collection What You Need was a finalist for the Danuta Gleed Literary Award and Trillium Book Award. His stories have been published widely, appearing in publications like The Feathertale Review, Little Fiction, PRISM International, New Quarterly and Maisonneuve Magazine. He is based in Peterborough, Ont. His novella McCurdle's Arm: A Fiction was released this summer.

Remember Me Tomorrow by Farah Heron

In  Remember Me Tomorrow , aspiring investigative journalist Aleeza is drawn to East House, the worst dorm on campus, because of Jay Hoque's mysterious disappearance five months earlier. When she starts receiving texts from him, from the past, before he disappeared, they decide to work together to try and prevent his disappearance — no matter the consequences. But the more Aleeza discovers about Jay, the more she finds herself catching feelings for him, despite not knowing on which plane of the world he exists. 

10 sizzling Canadian romance novels to read this summer

Farah Heron is a writer from Toronto. She is also the author of the romantic comedies Just Playing House , Jana Goes Wild , The Chai Factor , Accidentally Engaged , Kamila Knows Best and the YA novel Tahira in Bloom.

I'll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong

When Nicola's husband dies in a terrible car crash, he leaves her with one final message, "I'll be waiting for you." Their final moment was leaked to the press and the person who shared it claimed it was his ghost who actually said those words. Now Nicola is fighting off spiritualists who are promising closure and her friends and family find her a reputable medium with whom to conduct a séance. Almost immediately, strange things start happening and Nicola is haunted by her past as her secrets are revealed.

4 books that influenced YA author Kelley Armstrong

Kelley Armstrong is the New York Times bestselling author of the Darkest Powers, Darkness Rising and Age of Legends trilogies for teens. She is also the author of numerous thriller and fantasy series for adults, three YA thrillers and the Royal Guide to Monster Slaying series. 

Subterrane by Valérie Bah

In Subterrane , Zeynab is working on a documentary on the margins of New Stockholm, a North American city. Cipher Falls is a polluted, industrial wasteland where artists and anti-capitalists are forced to work dead-end jobs to survive. Zeynab focuses her documentary on Doudou Laguerre, an activist who mysteriously died — and the potential that his death had something to do with his dissent against a construction project. 

Valérie Bah is an artist, filmmaker, documentarian, photographer and writer based in Quebec. Their collection The Rage Letters was translated from French by Kama La Mackerel. Subterrane  is their first novel in English. 

The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose

The Mistletoe Mystery is a holiday novella featuring Molly the Maid from Nita Prose's earlier books. When Molly and her boyfriend are part of a secret Santa exchange that makes her question her relationship, she's thrown into solving her most personal mystery yet. 

• Toronto author's bestselling novel The Maid started as an idea on a napkin

Nita Prose is a Toronto author and editor. She was formerly the Canadian vice president and editorial director for publishing company Simon & Schuster. Her books include The Maid and The Mystery Guest .

Sugaring Off by Fanny Britt, translated by Susan Ouriou

Sugaring Off follows married couple Adam and Marion who seem to have it all figured out. When Adam causes a surfing accident that leaves a young woman injured, Adam and Marion must face the reality that they've been ignoring their problems.

When you can read it: Oct. 8, 2024

Why Fanny Britt wields her fiction writing as an instrument for conquering real world anxiety

Fanny Britt is a Montreal-based writer, translator, and playwright. She has won multiple Governor General's Literary Awards including the 2013 Award in Drama for her play Bienveillance . Sugaring Off won the 2021 Governor General's Literary Award for French Language Fiction. 

Susan Ouriou is a French and Spanish to English translator, a fiction writer and a playwright. She has previously won the Governor General's Literary Award for translation for her work.

Ouriou also translated The Future  by Catherine Leroux, the winner of Canada Reads 2024 . 

We're Not Rich by Sue Murtagh

We're Not Rich is a short story collection following the lives of neighbours living on one street. Exploring the idea of the North American dream, it highlights the realities of modern life and daily challenges of the housing market, marriage, and illness. The 13 different stories weave through each other, following a married couple's experience at a golf tournament, a grandmother's generational trauma and the impacts of wildfire. We're Not Rich mixes hope and connection with the harsh reality of everyday life and shows that community exists even in the most unexpected places. 

Sue Murtagh is a Halifax-based writer. Her work has been featured in publications including the Humber Literary Review, the New Quarterly, The Nashwaak Review, carte blanche, and Grain. We're Not Rich is her first book. 

The Black Hunger by Nicholas Pullen

The Black Hunger is a horror novel that explores human impulses, desires, and history. It follows John Sackville who is stuck in a London cell and knows he's about to die. Reeling from the death of his secret lover and desperate to tell their story before it's too late, John sets out to write his last testament. Journeying from mystic ruins in Scotland to the soaring mountains of Mongolia and Tibet, John reveals his own story, and the ancient horrors that haunt it. 

Call of the North : Author Nick Pullen is making his way in his new home of the Yukon

Nicholas Pullen is a writer based in the Yukon. His short stories have appeared in publications including the Toronto Star, Anti-Heroin Chic, and the Copperfield Review Quarterly. The Black Hunger is his first novel. 

The Reeds by Arjun Basu

The Reeds follows one family as they navigate a summer of change. Set in Montreal, the novel sees the Reed family each experiencing their own trials and tribulations. Mimi is seeing success with her business while her husband Bobby has just lost his job. Their son Abbie is trying to turn his online fame into a career while daughter Dee attempts to discover who she really is. Reflecting the realities of the modern environmental and political climates, The Reeds depicts a family struggling to find their place in the world and the hope people find in the face of challenge. 

When you can read it: Oct. 15, 2024

Arjun Basu is a Montreal-based author and podcast host. His novel Waiting for the Man was longlisted for the 2014 Giller Prize. 

This Is It by Matthew Fox

This Is It is a collection of linked short stories exploring love, grief and family through the eyes of Giovanni Zappacosta-O'Hara. Used to his parents' version of their family history, Gio suspects they aren't telling the whole truth. When his boyfriend is diagnosed with cancer, Gio flees to New York to avoid dealing with his reality. Determined to uncover the real story of his own history, Gio unearths secrets that force him to confront his shame over leaving his boyfriend behind and question his own sense of identity. 

Matthew Fox's first short story collection Cities of Weather was nominated for the Quebec Writers' Federation's McAuslan First Book Prize. His work has appeared in publications including Toronto Life, Maisonneuve and the New Quarterly. Fox grew up in Ontario and now lives in Berlin. 

The Elevator by Priya Ramsingh

The Elevator is a romance novel following Aria and Rob as they struggle through the pitfalls of modern dating while living in the same apartment building. Aria, recovering from a toxic relationship with both food and her ex-boyfriend, has had a crush on Rob for years. When she matches with Rob on a dating app she sends him a message, hoping that this might be her chance. Recently divorced Rob has suspended his account and doesn't see her message at first, making things tense when they run into each other. When Rob finally tries the dating app again he sees Aria's message and decides to take a chance. 

Priya Ramsingh is a Toronto-based author. She was formerly a writer for Metroland Media and the Toronto Star. She is also the author of the novel  Brown Girl in the Room .

The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan

The Treasure Hunters Club is a mystery novel that follows three strangers visiting the coastal town of Maple Bay where tourists believe a pirate treasure is hidden and locals know something more sinister lurks. Peter, Dandy and Cass are all drawn to Maple Bay for different reasons. Peter receives a suspicious letter inviting him to his estranged family's mansion, Dandy is trying to solve the mystery her grandfather dedicated his life to, and Cass is an author searching for inspiration. As the three band together to unravel the secrets of Maple Bay, what they discover will shock them and bring tragedy to the town. 

On telling diverse teen stories, with young adult fiction writer Tom Ryan

Tom Ryan is the author of several books for young readers including I Hope You're Listening , a YA novel that won the 2021 Lambda Award for best LGBTQ mystery. His novel Keep This to Yourself is being turned into a TV show at Peacock . He spends his time living between Ontario and Nova Scotia.

[non]disclosure by Renée D. Bondy

[non]disclosure  is a novel set in the 1980s exploring the trauma of sexual abuse by the Catholic Church and what it means to keep quiet. After a young girl is abused by her priest she keeps it a secret, pretending to be the perfect girl her parents expect. It's only years later, when he is on trial for his crimes, that she realizes she was not his only victim. Feeling overcome with the realities of her life, she discovers a sense of belonging while working in a secret hospice caring for men with HIV-AIDS. The love and determination she finds there sets her on a path towards finally healing from her past. 

When you can read it: Oct. 17, 2024

Renée D. Brody is a writer and professor living in Chatham, Ont. She has taught courses in Women's and Gender Studies at the University of Windsor. Her writing has appeared in publications including Bitch, Herizons, the Humber Literary Review and Bearings Online. [non]disclosure is her first novel. 

The Queen by Nick Cutter

The Queen is a horror mystery novel that follows lifelong friends Margaret and Charity. Charity Atwater has been missing for more than a month and is presumed dead when Margaret discovers an iPhone on her doorstep containing a text message from her best friend. Set over the course of one impossible day, Margaret must unravel the real story of what happened. As tragedy and disaster follow her pursuit of the truth, secrets are revealed that paint Charity in a whole new light and show Margaret that she never really knew her best friend after all. 

When you can read it: Oct. 29, 2024

Horror master Nick Cutter on his stomach-turning superpower

Craig Davidson writes horror under the pen name Nick Cutter. He has written several novels, including Cataract City , which was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2013, Rust and Bone , which was adapted into an Oscar-nominated feature film, The Fighter and Sarah Court . His memoir Precious Cargo was defended by Greg Johnson on Canada Reads 2018.

The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny

In the 19th installment of the Inspector Armand Gamache series, The Grey Wolf follows Chief Inspector Gamache and his allies as they pursue a deadly threat from Three Pines, Quebec across the province and beyond. What starts as one murder evolves into a desperate mission to track a creature that has the potential to devastate cities and towns including Three Pines. Dealing with betrayal, suspicion and loyalty, Gamache must rely on his instincts to unravel the mystery before it's too late. 

Louise Penny shares 5 books that inspired her to write the Armand Gamache mystery series

Louise Penny is a former CBC broadcaster and journalist. She is now the author of the Inspector Armand Gamache mystery series and  recipient of the 2020 Agatha Award for best contemporary novel for the 16th installment in the series, All the Devils are Here . She collaborated with former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton to write the political thriller State of Terror . Penny was named to the Order of Canada in 2013 .  

Blessed Nowhere by Catherine Black

Blessed Nowhere explores grief and loss in the late nineties, following Abby as she turns her life upside down after the sudden death of her son. Buying a car, she embarks on a road trip with only one destination in mind: south. Finding herself in a small Mexican town filled with other outcasts, Abby must work through her pain while searching for belonging. 

When you can read it: Oct. 31, 2024

Catherine Black is a Toronto-based author and Associate Professor at OCAD University. Her collection of prose poetry, Bewilderness , was nominated for the 2020 Pat Lowther Award. Blessed Nowhere is her first novel and was the 2023 winner of the Guernica Prize. 

Johnny Delivers by Wayne Ng

Johnny Delivers is the standalone follow up to 2021's novella,  Letters from Johnny . Set in 1970s Toronto, it follows teenage Johnny as he attempts to hold his family and their restaurant together when his Auntie calls in the family debt. Johnny turns to delivering weed along with his regular Chinese food all while struggling to manage his emotionally difficult parents and chaotic little sister. Desperate to figure out who he is, Johnny must face unpleasant family secrets and one crucial game of mahjong as he learns that help doesn't always come from where he expects. 

Wayne Ng is a novelist, travel writer and social worker from Toronto, who now lives in Ottawa. His previous books include The Family Code which was shortlisted for the Guernica Prize, Letters from Johnny won the Best Crime Novella at the Crime Writers of Canada Awards, and  Finding the Way: A Novel of Lao Tzu . 

Time and Tide by J.M. Frey

Time and Tide is a time-travelling historical romance. It follows Sam, the only survivor of a catastrophic plane crash over the Atlantic, as she is impossibly rescued by a warship from 1805. Thrown into Regency England, Sam relies on the alluring sea captain to guide her through this unfamiliar world. When she is suddenly betrayed and left at the mercy of the men around her, Sam must rely on the help of the captain's sisters to survive. Eventually moving in with famous author Margaret Goodenough, Sam finds a surprising friend in the rule-breaking writer and maybe something even more.

When you can read it: Nov. 12, 2024

J.M. Frey is a Toronto-based author, screenwriter, and actor. Her debut novel Triptych was nominated for a CBC Bookie in 2011 and won the San Francisco Book Festival Award for SF/F. 

Tale of the Heart Queen by Nisha J. Tuli 

Tale of the Heart Queen concludes the Artefacts of Ouranos series. It finds Lor running from the tyrannical Aurora King and desperate to fight for Nadir. Suddenly facing a new enemy, Lor must face the reality that she is the key to saving Ouranos. Terrified that her choices are sending her spiralling down her grandmother's doomed path, Lor is forced to reckon with the person she is turning into. When she finally finds herself face to face with the Aurora King, Lor is forced to face yet another deadly test, but this time the fate of the continent rests on her success. As she fights to overcome the trials before her, Lor realizes that maybe she was never meant to escape. 

When you can read it: Nov. 26, 2024

Young female readers, #BookTok fuel spicy romantasy genre's staggering sales figures

Nisha J. Tuli is a Winnipeg-based author. Tale of the Heart Queen is the fourth and final instalment in the Artefacts of Ouranos series which includes Trial of the Sun Queen , Rule of the Aurora King  and Fate of the Sun King . 

A Five-Letter Word for Love by Amy James

A Five-Letter Word for Love follows Emily who is feeling stuck in her small-town life. Living on Prince Edward Island, Emily works as a receptionist at an auto shop while she dreams of working as a creative in a big city. The one bright spot in her day is her obsession with The New York Times' daily game Wordle. When Emily becomes stuck on a word she turns to her irritating coworker, John for answers. Their shared interest in the game fosters a surprising romance as they pursue her goal of a 365-day streak and Emily finds her ideas of love, success and joy completely upended. 

When you can read it: Dec. 3, 2024

Amy James is based on the east coast of Canada.  A Five-Letter Word for Love  is her first novel.

I Might Be in Trouble by Daniel Aleman

I Might Be in Trouble follows struggling author David, reeling from his second book flopping after the resounding success of his first. His boyfriend has dumped him and he's fresh out of ideas for his third novel. Desperate to find redemption and some inspiration, David goes on a date with a promising stranger. After a wild night out in New York, David wakes to discover his date dead in bed next to him and the fact that he might have been responsible. In an attempt to uncover just what happened the night before, David teams up with his literary agent Stacey on a mission to figure out exactly what went on and maybe turn the disaster into inspiration for David's next book. 

Daniel Aleman is a Toronto-based author and writer originally from Mexico City. His debut novel, Indivisible  was released in 2021 and his second novel, Brighter than the Sun in 2023. Indivisible  was a recipient of the 2022 Tomás Rivera Book Award.

The Champagne Letters by Kate MacIntosh

The Champagne Letters follows two storylines and characters in both Reims, France in 1805 and present-day Chicago then Paris to unravel the history of Veuve Clicquot. In Reims, Barbe-Nicole Cliquot is reeling from the death of her husband but still wants to work towards their dream of creating a world-renowned champagne house. In the present day, freshly divorced Natalie Taylor escapes her old life and finds herself in Paris, where she discovers old letters written by Veuve Clicquot herself. She's inspired by Veuve Clicquot's reinvention, but when she's shocked by an unexpected turn of events, she can't help but wonder what the widow would do in her situation. 

When you can read it: Dec. 10, 2024

Kate MacIntosh is a Vancouver-based writer and teacher. The Champagne Letters is her first novel. 

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• By Liailia Gimadeeva

Name:  Liailia Gimadeeva

Age:  25

Profession: Photographer

City: Astrakhan 

How long have you been doing photography? What style or genre most interests you?   I have been shooting since I was in school, but began to seriously study photography thanks to the PhotoDepartment (St. Petersburg). I am interested in all types of photography, everything, but I am especially interested in street photography, even sometimes the most casual stuff.

Where did you take photos for this essay?

I shot in Astrakhan Oblast, my home village of Starokucherganovka, the city center and Lake Baskunchak.

What is something about your city/region that only locals would know?

In the summer residents here wait not for fish or crops but midges, mosquitoes and locusts. They wait for them in order so that their passing will soon follow.

In Astrakhan Oblast one often sees aliens, and the Chupacabra lives here.

The majority of the city’s residents dream of becoming not a fisherman, not the boss of a tomato or watermelon plantation, but a worker at Gazprom.

Everyone always asks me, “So are there good beaches to enjoy?” In reality, in Astrakhan there are no banks of the sea, because of the multitude of rivers and streams that flow in from the Volga-Akhtubinsky watershed. You can only get to the sea by power boat, and when you get there, you do not have the impression that you are seeing what you expected.

In Astrakhan for several decades no one has been eating red caviar by the “basinful” or salmon by the ton.

Oh, there is so much more I could say...

Which places or sites are a must for someone to see if they visit your city?

When you come to visit visit me, you will first visit the Astrakhan kremlin, eat ice cream on Lenin Square, ride a bicycle along the central embankment, and rest on the grass near Swan Lake. But then the most interesting part begins.

I will take you to my native village, where we will eat fried eggplant with tomatoes, and bliny with pike caviar, and then we will head off to explore the steppe. There, warm winds carry the smell of grass and dry earth, and European bee-eaters fly into pink sunsets. Then we will head to some sort of village disco and dance to the music of “Hands Up” (Ruki Vverkh) and of course fall in love with someone there... The next day we will get up early, gather cucumbers, dried fish, rods and worms, and go fishing and swimming in the cool waters of the Volga.

And we also need to go to Baskunchak, to the Buddhist shrine, to Sarai-Batu, to the sand dunes and.... Oh, I could keep writing about this forever! And don’t forget that we will go visit my grampa at his dacha, in order to help him harvest pears, strawberries, blackberries, cherries, melons and watermelons.

Waiting for your visit...!

Your website?  gimadeeva.com

Photo credit: Liailia Gimadeeva

Fisherwoman

I like walking through the market. This is Bolshie Isady. This market shows the contradictory feelings many locals have and see some of the problems that exist. You can taste the most delicious homemade cheese, marinated vegetables and the most important thing is you can eat in what I feel is the best cafe for Caucasian cuisine.

From my garden. What will we eat today?

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