Creative Writing Minor
Learning Outcomes
Students who complete the creative writing minor will be able to demonstrate competency in several of the following outcomes:
- Understand and explain principles of creative writing, including form, technique, and style.
- Deepen that understanding by interpreting and evaluating both published works and the works of peer writers.
- Apply these principles to produce poems, stories, or essays.
- Become familiar with the publishing process in the literary market and improve as a writer by submitting work to literary journals and participating in the writing community.
- Apply principles of creative writing to improve communication in a variety of contexts, including personal, academic, and public life.
Note for Non-English major students preparing for BYU’s MFA program in creative writing: In addition to completing the creative writing minor, non-English major students are strongly encouraged to take ENGL 303 and at least one additional 300-level English literature seminar. See the English Department for further information.
First Steps
- Review the requirements for the Creative Writing Minor. We have two separate tracks–one for English Majors and one for non-English majors.
- Declare the Creative Writing Minor at the Liberal Arts Advisement Center (1041 JFSB)
- Get to know the creative writing faculty: review faculty pages, read samples of their work, visit with them in their offices, and watch them read from their work at ers.byu.edu
- Visit the Creative Writing Minor Coordinator if you need to discuss course transfers, course substitutions, or any other program-related questions (Stephen Tuttle, 4139 JFSB)
- Check out the resources and activities below for more ways to get involved!
Resources
- BYU Creative Writing Community on Facebook: A great resource for a variety of creative writing opportunities, including writing groups, announcements, and job/ internship opportunities.
- BYU Writing Center: Offers readings, social activities, and critique groups in a variety of genres. 3322 HBLL.
- Contests: Several thousands dollars each year are awarded to student writers
- Scholarships: The department offers generous undergraduate and graduates scholarships for students studying creative writing, including those interested in study abroad and off-campus writing workshops and residencies.
Creative Writing on Campus
- English Department Reading Series: Hosts weekly readings by nationally respected writers in multiple genres, and includes Q&A sessions, mini lectures, and refreshments
- Creative Writing Readings and activities sponsored by the BYU Writing Center.
- Annual English Symposium: Students present their critical and creative work in March at our annual symposium (proposals due every year around the end of January).
- Inscape Magazine an English+ course in the fall and club activity in the winter. Work on the editorial staff, read submissions, and submit your own work for publication.
