Program Overview

Introduction to the Creative Writing Program

The department of English and Comparative Literature’s Creative Writing program is among the best in the country. Hundreds of alumni have gone on to write books, films, albums, plays, and television shows, pursue graduate study in creative writing, and publish stories, poems, and essays in the world’s best journals, magazines, and newspapers. The English and Comparative Literature (ECL) major’s concentration in Creative Writing was established in 2018 to allow students the chance to graduate with comprehensive skills in narrative development, critical thinking, textual analysis, and creative expression.

Program Tracks

The Creative Writing concentration has five tracks:

• Fiction
• Non-fiction
• Poetry
• Musical writing
• A combination of genres

Option 1: Fiction

The short story has long been the mainstay of American fiction. Our greatest writers have produced some of their greatest work in this genre. Fiction workshops at UNC begin with an introductory class, in which the student learns how to use tools and tactics for creating a fictional world.

• Courses: ENGL 130 or 132H, ENGL 206 or ENGL 210 or ENGL 211 or ENGL 212 or ENGL 307 (with fiction topic), ENGL 406, ENGL 693H & 694H

Option 2: Poetry

The possibility of using words in original ways, as we do our best to get to the heart of the matter, is what brings us to poetry. Our classes are laboratories, part workshop and part literature discussion.

• Courses: ENGL 131 or 133H, ENGL 207 or ENGL 307 (with poetry topic), ENGL 407, ENGL 693H & 694H

Option 3: Combination of Genres

Choose 5 from the fiction, poetry, nonfiction, or musical theatre options, or a combination of courses from those options and ENGL 307, ENGL 309, COMM 330, COMM 433, MEJO 356

Option 4: Musical Writing

This track will focus on the writing and analysis of song lyrics, collaborative songwriting (composer & lyricist teams), musical compositions, plays (with particular emphasis on scripting plays for music, musical revues, and book-musical uses).

• Courses: choose 5 from: ENGL 306, ENGL 308, ENGL 408, ENGL 409, ENGL 490 (in relevant topic), MUSC 166, MUSC 381, DRAM 231, DRAM 292

Option 5: Nonfiction

Memoirs. Travelogues. Lyric Essays. Literary Journalism. Food Writing. Nature Writing. Testimonios. Whether you are conducting an internal excavation or an external investigation, creative nonfiction is your genre.

• Courses: ENGL 138 or ENGL 283, ENGL 208, ENGL 404, ENGL 693H & 694H

Additional Requirements

• Choose 2 from: any courses in ENGL and/or CMPL (excluding first-year seminars)
• Among these 10 required courses: no more than 2 can be outside ENGL/CMPL

Career Spotlight

Mary Pope Osborne, author of children’s books, including the Magic Tree Series, Class 1971, gained confidence to put thoughts and images on a page and share them with others in a poetry class in the English department at UNC.

Undergraduate Program

The Department of English and Comparative Literature offers:

• Major Concentrations
• Minors
• Courses
• Writing Program – English 105
• Student Advising
• First-year Seminars
• Research & Grants
• Senior Honors Thesis
• Undergraduate Honors Thesis Spotlight
• Summer School
• Sigma Tau Delta
• SOUL – Student Organization

Department Information

The Department supports the University's core values encouraging diversity and equal educational and employment opportunities throughout the University community.