Description: The best fiction and creative non-fiction utilize elements of storytelling craft. Whether you’re looking to write fiction (short stories, novels) or creative non-fiction (personal essays, memoir, magazine) — or if you’re not yet sure what you want to write — Creative Writing I provides a strong foundation of storytelling craft, including character development, scene building, plot development, and language.

This eight-session course melds creative self-discovery, practical writing techniques, and writing exercises in a participatory and positive atmosphere. The emphasis here is on building skills to tell a better story, as well as laying the groundwork for intermediate craft and workshop classes in both fiction and non-fiction.

Each week offers:

techniques on developing craft elements, such as character and plot
writing prompts to help you translate class discussions onto the page and into your stories
readings to help you learn to “read like a writer”
lively class discussions
student workshopping

(Students do not need any prepared stories before the course begins!)

StoryStudio classes are typically limited to 15 participants or fewer. This intimate setting allows for greater interaction and personal attention.

How is this class different from Fiction I? If you know your focus is on writing fiction, then we recommend taking Fiction I. However, if you think you may be interested in experimenting with forms of fiction and creative non-fiction, then Creative Writing I is a good choice.

Additional Courses of Interest:

Adults, 18 and over
Beginning writers

About the Instructor: Cecilia Pinto has had her prose and poetry published in a variety of journals, including Diagram, Quarter After Eight, Fence, and Rhino. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize for poetry and won the Esquire short fiction contest. Her work is forthcoming in The Seneca Review and Triquarterly and can be found online at Qartsilunini and The Mississippi Review. She is a 2009 CAAP grant recipient. Cecilia has associations with a several fine educational institutions in Chicago, StoryStudio Chicago is one of them.