Creative Writing University of Guelph

Overview

Your in-class assignments will help you build expertise in two of your preferred creative writing genres. Use these experiences to complete a polished creative portfolio that you can use for graduate program admission or to start your career.

Why Creative Writing program from University of Guelph?

The Power of Storytelling

Humans are natural storytellers; writing is how we discover ourselves, make sense of the world around us, and describe our place and the place of others within it. Each day brings us news of about cultural change, climate crisis, global pandemics, anti-black racism and protests, food insecurity, and so much more. Our professors understand the importance of telling these stories because they know that the written word can save the world, one story at a time.

Writing Starts With You

As you hone the skills needed to become an effective writer, you’ll also discover more about yourself and your personal identity. You will begin to ask questions, such as:

• Who am I?
• What do I care about?
• Where is my place in the world?
• Where do I want to go?
• What is most important to me?

What You Will Learn

Think of every great movie, film, book, or play; they all have one thing in common - they started as an idea or script on a page.

In this program, you will learn how to construct stories, build characters, and create emotional connections with your readers that will leave a lasting impression.

You will complete writing assignments and exercises, short creative pieces, and peer critiques across three writing genres, including fiction, poetry, screenwriting, and creative nonfiction.

You will build upon this by engaging with our creative writing community through initiatives, such as:

• Gryphons Read - Canadian writers-in-residence
• Walls to Bridges program - Writing stories alongside inmates at correctional facilities

What You Will Do

As a graduate of this program, you will have strong skills in writing, communication, critical analysis, research, social awareness, empathy and imaginative problem-solving, skills that you can apply successfully in careers like journalism, education, brand management, book publishing, copywriting, reporting, and more.