Creative Writing

Overview

A creative writing seminar designed to explore various creative ways of expression- mainly in writing- through diverse practice exercises using the spectrum of the arts, such as literature, theatre, cinema and the fine arts.

Who is this for?

This seminar is for aspiring writers who want to find their writing inclination, and writers who have already published but feel the need to enhance their creative ways and explore new genres. Participants can be from any discipline and field.

Why attend?

This seminar will give the participants the opportunity to explore their inner resources and express themselves in many different ways through the prompts and writing exercises given. The participants will learn and practice a wide range of genres and techniques, and this will help them find their own preferences and eventually their own voice. Genres such as the short story, flash fiction, poetry (haiku, list poems, free verse and others), theatrical plays and movie scripts will be introduced, and the participants will have the opportunity to create their own portfolio at the end of the course to showcase it to publishers and literary magazines in Greece and abroad. Exercises will include, but will not be limited to, writing with the use of prompts, writing focusing on one emotion, the creation of a hero/heroine, dealing with difficult emotions through writing, plot structure, imagery and many more. Moreover, participants will receive their instructor’s and their peers’ feedback weekly having thus the opportunity to improve their ideas and their writing. Finally, the instructor will share his own vast experience in the field and will invite established authors to share their views on writing and guide the participants to new creative ways of thinking.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this seminar, participants will be able to:

1. recognize and understand the structure of stories
2. narrate stories in various ways
3. create plausible characters
4. condense or embellish their sentences depending on the genre
5. work with a word limit and/or given prompts and instructions
6. attempt to write poetry
7. apply the techniques taught in their own writing
8. understand writing as a means of expression
9. explore the limits of language
10. realize the benefits of creative expression in their personal life
11. create publication-ready material

Certificate of Participation

In order to be awarded the Certificate of Participation from the Deree – School of Graduate and Professional Education, participants will need to fulfill the below criteria:

• Attendance of 8 out of 10 sessions
• Pass the final assessment