Creative Writing (Minor)
In an era of increasing complexity and rapid change, more and more university students are drawn to the study of creative writing. When we write, we begin to make sense of the world; when we read great writing -- a perfect metaphor, a stunning poetic turn, an apt description, or a living character -- we are reminded of how language can change our own worlds. At NYU Shanghai, the Creative Writing minor is appropriate for students who wish to develop their skills in self-expression, to analyze and explore a variety of literary genres, and to join a larger community of writers in Shanghai. Through practiced literary analysis and the creation of their own stories and poems, our creative writing students become better storytellers and better critical readers. They learn to articulate their own life experiences, to resist cliche, to analyze human motivations, and to investigate beauty. Students spend time in small workshops with fellow writers, engaging in the fruitful sharing and critique of one another’s work. Creative writing opportunities extend beyond the classroom and include the 9th Floor Literary Salon, our annual Student Poetry Competition, and the NYU Shanghai Literary Reading Series, which brings a number of visiting writers to campus. Our Creative Writing minors play an integral and active role in developing the literary community both here at NYU Shanghai and in the larger urban community.
A minor in Creative Writing prepares students for a life in the literary arts, sharpening students’ capacities with language and invigorating their imaginations. The work of the Creative Writing minor also develops skills useful for successful future careers in film, music, journalism, translation, marketing, psychology, and teaching, among numerous other possibilities.
The Creative Writing minor consists of sixteen credits of progressive coursework, including two intermediate writing seminars in the genre of the student’s choice.