Graduate Certificate in Novel Writing Requirements

Prerequisites: None

Following the example of National Novel Writing Month, students draft a complete novel of at least 50,000 words over the course of a semester. The emphasis is on generating new material and not on revising or workshopping chapters. By the end of the semester, the draft must be complete in the sense that it has a structural beginning, middle, and end. Students read several small novels and use them as models for assessing and developing craft.

Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)

*Applies toward Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts degree

Prerequisites: None

Students evaluate their own work and the work of their peers in an intense, but supportive, atmosphere that is focused on addressing the particular issues inherent in writing novels. Students develop plans for revision and strategies for publication. The course culminates in a public reading. To enroll in this course, students must have completed a novel draft and have permission from the program director.

Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)

*Applies toward Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts degree

Prerequisites: None

A semester of individual mentorship where the candidate works one-on-one with a mentor revising their novel manuscript.

Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)

*Applies toward Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts degree

Prerequisites: None

Students analyze, evaluate, and develop craft exercises and research strategies necessary for writers of book length fiction manuscripts. Narrative and prose theory along with hands-on exercises provide the basis for the instruction in developing a knowledge of and facility with the craft of writing novels. Students assess and design a collection of research that forms the foundation from which to draft a novel. A variety of novels are read, evaluated, and critiqued for elements of craft by students who then synthesize what they’ve learned and apply it to their own work.

Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)

*Applies toward Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts degree

Prerequisites: None

Students working on the Rosemont Literary Magazine, Rathalla Review, are eligible to register for three credits of independent study once during their course of study. Students work together to create the editorial and managerial processes involved in publishing a literary journal both online and in print. Students work with the directors of the MFA and Publishing programs and solicit, evaluate, and select submissions for publication, communicate with contributors about editorial decisions, determine the layout and design of the journal, and make decisions about distribution. Students are also responsible for assisting in fundraising and working within the constraints of a budget.

Offered fall/spring semester. (3 Credits)

Prerequisites: None

A weekend and week-long writing seminar during which students attend intense daily workshops in the genre of their choice such as poetry, fiction, novel writing, or creative nonfiction. The noontime Writers and Readers series allows students to experience their 567 instructors' work and to engage in conversation about that work. Nightly readings and panels provide students with the opportunity to learn more about the business of being a writer and to share their own work in a public forum. Students submit a final project (either a substantive revision of a workshop submission or a new piece) that directly incorporates the work covered during the seminar as well as a substantial reflection paper.

Offered summer semester. (3 Credits)

Prerequisites: None

Course description coming soon.

Offered summer semester. (3 Credits)

Prerequisites: None

Course description coming soon.

Offered summer semester. (3 Credits)

Prerequisites: None

Course description coming soon.

Offered summer semester. (3 Credits)

Prerequisites: None

This intensive 10-day course of study concentrates on generative writing workshops in a variety of writing styles (such as poetry, fiction, novel writing, or creative nonfiction) while traveling abroad. Workshops are balanced with cultural and academic enrichment activities that form the foundation for the writing prompts. Opportunities for feedback and critique are part of the scheduled workshop time. Students analyze and evaluate selected works by published authors native to the countries visited and write a paper that synthesizes their own travel experiences and that of the work. Students also submit original creative work generated during the trip and a substantial reflection paper.

Offered winter semester. (3 Credits)

Prerequisites: None

Course description coming soon.

Offered winter semester. (3 Credits)

Prerequisites: None

Students break down and assess ways to earn a living writing and/or teaching, as well as, how to protect and nurture their craft after graduation. Students also develop plans for applying for grants, entering contests, attending writers' conferences, and going to artists' colonies, and 569 how, through careful consideration, networking, and tenacity, they can expand those opportunities and push through to publication.

Offered summer semester. (3 Credits)