Sample Courses in Writing, Literature & Publishing

Introduction to Creative Writing: Personal Essay

Catalog says

"This course focuses on the basic vocabulary, techniques, and traditions in the chosen genre. The course will include the discussion of published work. Students will practice their writing craft through exercises and other assignments, many of which will be shared with the class in an introductory workshop setting."

Students say

"I've only been at Emerson for a year now, but I've already learned a great deal when it comes to creative writing. The most influential class for me so far has been Personal Essay, a class dedicated to the nonfiction genre. My particular professor, Rebecca Morgan Frank, earned her MFA from Emerson and has been featured in a variety of respected publications herself. The class focused around a workshop environment, a process of exchanging essays with peers and giving them written and oral feedback as well as receiving criticism yourself. I learned a lot about how others view my writing and how to successfully revise first drafts. At the completion of four separate and very different essays, I was able to see my writing mature in key nonfiction technique areas such as tone, voice, and point of view. As a result, my own writing is stronger and able to reach a much wider target audience than it had been before.”
- Brett Wright

Introduction to Magazine Writing

Catalog says

"An introduction to writing for commercial markets. Students will develop, research and write nonfiction articles and learn where to market them."

Students say

"My professor for this course had written and edited for several top publications. He constantly shared anecdotes from his career, like the time he went along on a police bust of a counterfeit sneaker factory in China, rode a snowmobile to the Arctic Circle, and interviewed Kurt Vonnegut in his kitchen – all for pieces he was writing. With each story, he would not only get us excited about the potential opportunities in our future, but would share the lessons he had learned. In our most memorable class, he posed as a celebrity rushing to get a train, and we were forced to hurry alongside to take advantage of this, our sole chance for an interview. I will never forget power-walking down Boylston Street toward South Station, straining my ears over the city's roar to get good quotes. As ridiculous as I felt scribbling in my notebook and tripping over curbs, opportunities like this to get practical experience outside of the classroom are the trademark of an Emerson education, and are why I feel so well-prepared for my future field."
– Kathryn Murphy