Creative Writing Courses | UCLA Continuing Education Online
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WRITING 745.2E
Adapting Literature, Myths, and Fairy Tales
Use familiar tales and stories as a jumping off point to craft your own young adult novel.
WRITING X 413.8E
Advanced Novel Revision Techniques
Before an agent ever gets hold of your novel, you must go through numerous revisions to present your best possible effort. As F. Scott Fitzgerald famously said, writing is rewriting, and the story of…
WRITING X 463.9E
Applying to Residencies and Fellowships
Get tips and guidance on how to craft competitive applications for opportunities that provide time to write and recognition for your work.
WRITING X 461.27E
Autofiction
This course explores the amorphous nature of autofiction, which blurs the boundaries between creative nonfiction and fiction. Using character development, scene building, artful description, time…
Format:
Online
WRITING 762.13E
Breaking into Writing for Children
Explore how to break in to writing for young readers in this seminar giving you a good foundation in what kids want and need at various age levels.
WRITING X 412.4
Building the Short Story Collection
Learn to build a compelling short story collection in this course that helps you pull together your own story drafts into a cohesive collection.
WRITING X 462.3
Character and Conflict
Learn how richly drawn characters are the key to fostering compelling conflict in this reading- and exercise-based workshop.
Format:
In-Person
WRITING X 461.13E
Conquering Your Story and Its Superstructure
Learn critical skills to develop a powerful, unique premise for your fiction or nonfiction in this intensive workshop dedicated to the magic that makes stories work.
Format:
Remote
WRITING 762.14
Consciousness
Learn how various points of view in narration offer limitations and opportunities for you as a storyteller
WRITING X 463.5E
Crafting Survival Stories
Write the difficult truths of these times in this workshop that helps you tell the stories of how we survive.
SCRIPT X 422.1WS
Creating the Half-Hour Television Pilot
Learn to create a successful sitcom in this intensive workshop exploring how to craft powerful half-hour pilots for television.
SCRIPT X 422.3WS
Creating the One-Hour Television Pilot
Get a crash course in creating powerful one-hour pilots in this intensive class that covers all the basics of writing original stories for television.
WRITING X 424.2E
Creative Alchemy: Finding and Writing Life Stories You Were Meant to Tell
Use real life as a jumping off point for new writing, using activities and techniques that deepen and enrich how the stories are told.
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 465.1E
Creative Café 2.0: Food & Writing
Learn to write with food at the center of your work in this generative workshop devoted to all the ways food centers our lives, cultures, and memories.
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 421.1
Creative Nonfiction I
Discover the varied forms of creative nonfiction from memoir to personal essay and beyond in this introductory course.
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 421.2
Creative Nonfiction II
Continue your work in memoir, essays, or other forms of creative nonfiction in this intermediate workshop.
Format:
Online
WRITING X 421.3
Creative Nonfiction III
Polish your memoir and personal essay collections in this advanced workshop for students with works-in-progress.
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 463.4E
Creative Writer's Boot Camp
Deepen your writing practice and develop compassionate self-editing techniques in this workshop designed to help you silence the inner critic and release the stories within.
Format:
Remote
WRITING 762.2E
Creative Writer's Boot Camp: One Day Workshop
Snap to attention in this practical workshop that helps you craft a productive writing practice, complete with short-term plans for success.
WRITING X 460
Creative Writing Certificate Capstone
Reflect on your experience in the Certificate in Creative Writing program in this course that guides you in gathering a portfolio of your work and summary of your learning.
Format:
Online
ENGL XL 136
Creative Writing: Poetry
Start writing poetry in this introductory course where you read work by contemporary poets and discuss your poems in a writers' workshop setting.
Format:
In-Person
ENGL XL 138
Creative Writing: Screenplay
Learn screenplay structure and the elements of storytelling for the movies as you develop a feature film treatment and 10 pages of your script.
Format:
Online
ENGL XL 137
Creative Writing: Short Story
Start writing short stories in this introductory course where you learn the key elements of powerful fiction and participate in a collaborative writers
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 432.3E
Cuento Poems
Vivify and tighten your poetry or prose by learning techniques and strategies to hold the moment in narrative poetry.
WRITING X 404
Defeating Distraction: Creating a Writing Practice
Develop powerful writing habits in this class designed to help you take steps to becoming a disciplined, motivated, and successful writer.
Format:
Remote
WRITING 704
Defeating Distraction: Creating a Writing Practice One Day Workshop
Develop powerful writing habits in this class designed to help you take steps to becoming a disciplined, motivated, and successful writer.
WRITING X 451.2WS
Developmental Editing
Learn to review written works to suggest line edits and substantial thematic revisions in this introductory course.
WRITING X 462.1
Dialogue and Point of View
This is a reading and exercise-based class designed to explore and practice dialogue, voice, and point-of-view in fiction and creative nonfiction. Each week, we read sample fiction and creative…
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 461.1E
Emotion Into Art: Infusing Your Writing with Feeling
Learn how to create writing that triggers emotional responses in your reader. Great for beginning and intermediate writers.
WRITING X 410
Fiction: Essential Beginnings
Learn the basics of writing fiction, from dialogue to description, in this supportive and informative workshop.
Format:
Online
WRITING X 403
Finding Your Story
Experiment with different sources for stories, such as life experiences, news articles, interviews, history, and mythology, and use in-class exercises to discover the best ways to tell them.
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 402
Finding Your Voice
Explore the basics of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry in this introductory course for beginning writers searching for their unique voice.
WRITING X 461.3E
Gay Men's Writing Workshop: A Literary Approach to Writing About Gay Life
Explore gay men's experiences in a safe, encouraging workshop environment of peers as you craft compelling fiction and nonfiction.
WRITING X 417.1E
Horror Novel I
Learn about the horror genre and develop an outline and first chapter for your project in this workshop suitable for beginners.
Format:
Online
WRITING X 417.2E
Horror Novel II
Continue with your horror novel in progress, considering structure, suspense, and character.
WRITING X 424.5E
How to Sell Your Nonfiction Work
Find out how to become a professional nonfiction writer in this career-focused course for beginning writers.
WRITING X 424.13E
How to Write a Million-Dollar Proposal: A Two-Saturday Workshop
Get concrete, step-by-step advice for crafting a book proposal that sells from an industry insider with extensive experience.
WRITING X 432.6E
Hybrid and Cross-Genre Poetics
Enhance your writing in any genre by learning to incorporate techniques of poetry, helping you discover untapped creativity in your own work.
WRITING X 432.8E
Innovative Poetic Forms
Learn how a poem's form can elevate its impact as you experiment with and ultimately invent your own forms.
WRITING X 461.9E
Intensive Revision
Get ruthless with your own drafts and discover ways to elevate your writing to its greatest potential in this workshop devoted only to revision techniques.
WRITING 721.4E
Interview Tips, Tricks, and Techniques
Strengthen interview skills in this three-hour introductory class
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 400
Introduction to Creative Writing
Perfect for students new to creative writing, this course introduces you to various forms of writing in small, supportive workshop groups.
Format:
Remote
WRITING 741.2E
Introduction to Picture Books
Learn how to start writing picture books in this basic workshop for absolute beginners.
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 464.2E
LGBTQ Writing Workshop
Explore themes, ideas, and experiences drawn from LGBTQ lives in this workshop designed for writers from LGBTQ+ communities
WRITING X 424.18E
Literary Journalism I
Learn the basics of nonfiction writing — which offers rich, detailed, and vivid portraits of real events — as you read the best examples of the genre, and begin your own works.
Format:
Online
WRITING X 424.24E
Literary Journalism II
Enhance your understanding of and skills in writing literary journalism in this course blending reportage with powerful storytelling
WRITING X 421.4
Master Class in Creative Nonfiction Writing
Review and reimagine your creative nonfiction book manuscript in this three-quarter course for students revising their work toward finding and agent and submitting to publishers.
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 411.6
Master Class in Novel Writing
Get intensive, individualized instruction as you rewrite your novel, preparing your manuscript for presentation to agents and publishers to begin the process of turning it into a book.
Format:
Hybrid (In-Person)
WRITING X 423.1
Memoir I
Find the right true story to tell in this foundational class in writing book-length memoirs.
Format:
In-Person | Online
WRITING X 423.2
Memoir II
Continue progress on a book length memoir by generating new work and developing strong self-editing skills.
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 423.3
Memoir III
Make significant progress on your memoir draft in this workshop where you refine structure, theme, and honing the author's unique voice.
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 423.4
Memoir IV
Take your manuscript in progress toward the finish line in this course that helps you become a self-directed writer with a revision practice
WRITING X 424.6E
Memoir and Personal Essay Weekend Workshop
Get your creative juices flowing with this focused weekend workshop that helps you jump-start work on several new pieces of creative nonfiction writing.
WRITING X 444.1
Middle Grade Novel I
Shape your novel idea for 8-12 year-old readers into a solid synopsis and outline as you work to generate the first two chapters.
WRITING X 463.8E
Mindfulness and the Creative Writer
Invigorate your writing practice by employing mindfulness techniques to unleash language and ideas for writing of all kinds.
WRITING X 415.1E
Mystery Novel I
Start your mystery novel in this course that grounds you in the genre’s basics and helps you craft a compelling story.
WRITING X 415.2E
Mystery Novel II
Continue your mystery novel draft in progress with lectures, discussions, and workshops that deepen your work.
WRITING 721.3E
Nonfiction 101
Get an overview of opportunities to write and publish nonfiction in this course designed for beginners new to the genre.
WRITING X 420
Nonfiction: Essential Beginnings
Learn the basics of writing nonfiction in this short introductory course.
Format:
Online
WRITING X 411.1
Novel I
Start writing your novel in this workshop; guiding you through the building blocks of great books while teaching you essential tools for fiction writing.
Format:
Online | In-Person
WRITING X 411.2
Novel II
Continue progress on your novel by deepening your understanding of craft as you work scene-by-scene through your book.
Format:
In-Person | Remote | Online
WRITING X 411.3
Novel III
Make significant progress on your novel draft in this workshop where you refine character, story, and the emotional resonance of your story.
Format:
Remote | Online
WRITING X 411.4
Novel IV
Enter the home stretch on writing your novel with this advanced course that helps you address your entire book and prepare for the revision processes.
Format:
Online
WRITING X 411.5
Novel V
Refine your manuscript into a polished novel as you work closely with peer writers and a master instructor to elevate your work to a professional level.
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 463.10E
One Story, Six Ways
Invigorate that story you just can't let go of in this innovative workshop devoted to risk taking and experimentation
WRITING X 432.16E
Persona Poem
Learn to write poems in "persona," or using an identity that is not your own, in this workshop that can open new ways of writing.
WRITING X 422.1
Personal Essay I
Learn to write humorous essays, opinion pieces, and mini-memoirs about your life in this introductory course.
Format:
Online | Remote
WRITING X 422.2
Personal Essay II
Expand your knowledge of what makes personal essays strong in this course for those familiar with personal essay basics.
Format:
In-Person
WRITING X 422.3
Personal Essay III
This advanced workshop helps you polish existing essay drafts into powerful pieces suitable for publication.
WRITING X 441.1
Picture Book I
Learn the basics of writing picture books for children in this introductory workshop.
Format:
Remote | Online
WRITING X 441.2
Picture Book II
Take your picture book writing to the next level with this intermediate course for writers with a basic understanding of the genre.
Format:
Online
WRITING X 431.1
Poetry I
Learn the basic techniques of poetry writing in this introductory course combining writing exercises and and workshopping.
WRITING X 431.2
Poetry II
Refine your knowledge of poetry while expanding your craft techniques in this workshop for writers with previous experience writing poems.
Format:
Hybrid (Remote)
WRITING X 431.3
Poetry III
Focus on a specific project of folio of work in this workshop for poets ready for advanced workshopping and revision.
WRITING 762.11E
Poetry as Self-Portrait
Learn how poets apply the concept of the self-portrait to their work and begin your own drafts.
WRITING X 432.1E
Poetry in Popular Culture
Learn to harness popular culture to fuel your writing and respond to social and political events.
Format:
Online
WRITING X 432.2E
Poetry of Witness
Find ways to address social issues in this course that helps you identify ways poetry can respond to current events and unite people around individual perspectives.
WRITING X 461.2E
Power Up Your Writing: Deeper Characters, Deeper Truths
Approach writing from a variety of perspectives to discover new ideas, techniques, and skills in this workshop for writers of all genres.
Format:
Online
WRITING X 432.11E
Prose Poetry
Learn to write at the intersection of prose and poetry in this workshop devoted to the imaginative and innovative possibilities in writing poetry without line breaks.
WRITING X 432.14E
Prose Poetry
Learn to write at the intersection of prose and poetry in this workshop devoted to the imaginative and innovative possibilities in writing poetry without line breaks.
WRITING 762.12E
Prose Poetry: One Day Workshop
Learn what makes a prose poem a prose poem and how to employ the possibilities of this form.
WRITING 700.4
Publication Party
Join instructors from the Writers’ Program as they read from their recent publications in this beloved annual tradition.
WRITING X 432.7E
Reframing the Form
Explore contemporary and innovative approaches to poetic forms while drawing inspiration from the work of outstanding contemporary poets.
WRITING X 413.15E
Revising Your First Draft Novel
Rework your completed novel draft by exploring the art and craft of novel writing and getting constructive in-class critique.
WRITING X 413.16
Road Map to Writing Your First Novel
Get yourself ready to write your first novel by learning more about jargon and practices you'll encounter along the way, and begin to plan your writing process
WRITING X 414.1E
Romance Novel I
Start writing your romance novel in this introductory course covering plot, structure, and industry guidelines.
WRITING X 414.2E
Romance Novel II
Make substantial progress on a romance novel draft in this course for students who have completed Romance Writing I.
WRITING X 416.1E
Science Fiction and Fantasy Novel I
Start your sci fi or fantasy novel off right with this course that helps you build your world and start telling your story.
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 416.2E
Science Fiction and Fantasy Novel II
Continue your sci fi or fantasy novel in progress in this workshop focusing on plot structure and scenecraft.
WRITING X 462.2
Setting and Description
Focus on the critical skills of setting and description in this reading- and exercise-based workshop designed to improve your technique in fiction and nonfiction
Format:
Online
WRITING X 412.1
Short Story I
Learn the basics of writing short fiction in this introductory course covering the building blocks of good storytelling.
Format:
Online | In-Person
WRITING X 412.2
Short Story II
Create two new short stories in this workshop for writers familiar with short story basics.
Format:
Online | Remote
WRITING X 412.3
Short Story III
Complete two new short stories in this intensive workshop for experienced short story writers.
Format:
Online | Remote
SCRIPT X 426.1WS
Showrunners Boot Camp
Get a thorough overview of the role of a showrunner in this intensive workshop that prepares you for success in the television industry.
WRITING X 413.9E
Speculative Fiction and Magical Realism
Kickstart your imagination with this introductory course on writing beyond the ordinary and in alternate realities.
WRITING X 432.5E
Spoken Word Intensive
This introductory two-weekend course lets you immerse yourself in spoken word poetry, leading up to a final performance by members of the class.
WRITING 731.1E
Spring into Poetry
Jumpstart your creativity and find poetry in everyday things in this generative lecture and workshop helping you see the world and your writing differently.
WRITING X 424.22E
Story Structure for Narrative Nonfiction
Create a plan for your nonfiction project in this course designed to help you identify your story and use the right tools to bring it to life.
Format:
Online
WRITING X 413.1E
Story Structure for the Novel
Develop a solid premise and sketch out your story's structure with the goal of completing a six-page detailed synopsis that you can use to complete a draft of your novel.
Format:
Hybrid (Remote)
WRITING X 462.4
Story and Plot
Work to amplify the impact of your plot in telling your story in this technique workshop using readings and discussion to further your craft.
WRITING 721.2E
Storytelling Starter Kit
Identify your own unforgettable personal story suitable for writing or performing before a live audience.
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 424.21E
Storytelling for Social Justice
Craft your passion for justice through urgent stories that address pressing social issues in this course.
Format:
Hybrid (Remote)
WRITING 762.15E
Strategies for Writing Scenes
Learn what makes a scene powerful and essential to your longer prose work through reading, discussion, and workshopping.
WRITING X 463.11E
Submission Strategies
Participants in this workshop will gain understanding and practice for the literary journal submission process. Activities will include identifying personal publication goals, finding open calls that…
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 432.12E
The Art of Craft, the Secrets of Revision—Toward Publication
This workshop engages students in the processes of both creation and revision with the goal of evolving drafts into striking, accomplished poems. Imagery, pacing, line-breaks, compression and…
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 461.23
The Art of Creative Research I
All writers conduct research, and every genre benefits from systematic query and investigation. Whether gathering family stories via oral history, re-walking Paul Revere’s path for a dystopian…
Format:
Online
WRITING X 463.3E
The Art of Creative Research II
Learn how to capitalize on your tacit or learned knowledge in this course on using fact-based information in creative writing.
WRITING X 463.7E
The Psychology of Compelling Storytelling
Learn to apply concepts that make stories powerful and memorable in this course exploring what readers can’t resist.
Format:
Online | Remote
WRITING 700.1
The Young and The Reckless: Writing for Teens
Enjoy a unique opportunity to learn from today's most exciting YA writers in a convenient virtual conference of prerecorded lectures and panels.
Format:
Hybrid (Remote) | Remote
WRITING X 461.25
Translation I: Six Week Workshop
Learn to translate literature into English in this workshop designed for writers with even just a simple understanding of a foreign language.
WRITING 763.1E
Travel Writing in Place
Develop a plan for how to be a travel writer without leaving your house by mining your memory of past travel and looking at your home community as a destination.
WRITING X 461.17E
True Fiction: Writing Stories Inspired by Our Lives
Develop a deeper authenticity in your writing by learning how to blend lived experiences with imagined realities.
WRITING X 464.1
Voices of Color Workshop I
Join a community of writers of color exploring how storytelling capturing your lived experiences fits into a rich global tradition of writing.
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 464.4E
Voices of Color Workshop II
Writers of all genres can bring a single long-form work or several shorter pieces in progress to this workshop dedicated to fostering underrepresented voices of color
WRITING 701.2E
Women's Write Night
Drop in on a judgment-free generative writing space where you can connect with other writers and jumpstart new work.
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 463.1E
Women's Writing Workshop
Join a community of motivated women writers in this workshop designed to help you explore and share your stories.
WRITING 762.10E
Words and Pictures: Weekend Workshop in Creative Writing from Visual Art
Use works of visual art as your prompt for writing new work as you examine how published writers have used this technique in recent history.
WRITING X 413.6E
Write a Novel in 10 Weeks
This ambitious workshop guides you to achieve the unthinkable: a novel draft in just 10 weeks.
Format:
Remote
WRITING X 413.7E
Write a Novel in a Month as Part of National Novel Writing Month
Dive right into to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) with this workshop designed to help you achieve success with pre- and post-November activities.
Format:
Remote
WRITING 790.3
Writers' Program Certificate Info Session
The Certificate Resource Session offers certificate students detailed information on how to navigate their curriculum, enroll in courses, submit to advanced classes, and complete the program, as well…
WRITING 790
Writers' Program Open House
Learn about how the Writers’ Program can help you achieve your writing goals in this informative, interactive session that includes an opportunity for advising.
WRITING X 413.12E
Writing Experimental Fiction
For writers familiar with traditional fiction writing, this course helps you learn innovative techniques for writing unconventional stories that invigorate your readers.
WRITING X 424.3E
Writing Out of Your Life
Find stories from your life to turn into written works in this encouraging course that focuses on generating new work instead of revising and critiquing.
Format:
Online
WRITING 762.5E
Writing Poetry for Children
Learn how to write poetry for very young readers in this workshop for absolute beginners.
SCRIPT X 415.1WS
Writing Powerful Scenes for Movies and TV
Upgrade your script with scenes that hang together in compelling sequences using the most powerful techniques at a screenwriter's' disposal.
WRITING 760.1
Writing Retreat at Lake Arrowhead
Join a small group of committed writers for four full days of uninterrupted writing time, craft talks, and camaraderie in the idyllic setting of UCLA's Lake Arrowhead Conference Center.
WRITING X 424.20E
Writing Short Form Nonfiction
Try out a variety of nonfiction writing forms in this class for students with a goal to sell their writing for publication.
Format:
Remote
SCRIPT X 410.1WS
Writing Your First Screenplay
Jumpstart your first feature film project in this intensive workshop that will help you refine your story, craft an outline, and teach you screenplay structure.
WRITING 791.2
Writing an Effective Sample and Project Proposal for Funding
Learn what makes your funding application stand out among many others in a competitive field
WRITING X 446.2E
Writing for Young Readers I
Get a strong introduction to writing for children, from picture books through complex young adult novels, in this workshop perfect for beginners.
Format:
In-Person
WRITING X 446.3E
Writing for Young Readers II
Continue to develop your skills in children’s writing in this workshop that helps you dive deeper into your genre and develop powerful stories through workshopping.
WRITING X 461.14E
Writing the Erotic
Explore the erotic as a genre as you learn to incorporate writing about sex and sexuality artfully into your writing, no matter its subject.
WRITING X 424.26E
Writing the Metaphysical Bestseller
Tap into your wealth of knowledge in the fields of metaphysical topics to craft an irresistible book for a specialized audience.
WRITING X 424.25E
Writing the Review
Learn to write professional-level critiques of movies, TV, books, and other art as you develop your critical eye and build language that captures your perspective.
Format:
Online
WRITING X 424.15E
Writing the Think Piece
Learn to write provocative pieces on current events and trends in this workshop devoted to crafting powerful essays.
Format:
Online
WRITING X 445.1
Young Adult Novel I
Learn about writing for young adults as you complete an outline and first chapter of a novel.
Format:
Online
WRITING X 445.2
Young Adult Novel II
Continue progress on a young adult novel in this course focusing on diving deeper into an analysis of your story's elements, while workshop feedback helps you improve from draft to draft.