Creative Writing Commons^™

Words / Ideas / Poetry, Stephen W. Fried, Samantha Tamburri

Open Educational Resources

words / ideas /poetry is a series of three creative writing exercises with an online and pen-and-paper version of each. The first uses word association to create a lexicon from which a poem and experimental prose piece emerge; the second uses rhymes to create three poems of increasing complexity and the third is a group activity that generates a collective poem about romantic relationships. The activities and instructions for administering and participating are accessed through an online hub that hosts the activities and related material.

A Crisis Of Craft: Creative Writing In The American University, Brenna E. Derbish

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this essay, I aim to analyze the changing nature of the Creative Writing MFA through the lens of the American culture that shaped it. In the 1930s, creative writing in American universities began to take shape, citing itself as a way to reform the philological study of literature into a more active field, a way for the common person to learn through creativity and self-expression. However, as the number of MFA programs in the nation continued to rise, admittance became increasingly selective, with many universities accepting only between 5 and 10% of their applicants. This increase in exclusivity, coupled …

Red Strings: A Collection Of Creative Works, Natalie Gumm

Honors Theses

This thesis is a collection of creative nonfiction and poetry exploring different aspects of my identity, including my passions, appearance, sexuality, and the places I’ve called home.

Chinese Creative Writing Studies, Yilin Tang

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

Review of Rebecca Leung Mo-Ling, editor. Chinese Creative Writing Studies. Springer Nature, 2023. 175 pages.

Reading The Fine Print: Poetry And Community On Campus, Logan Edwards

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This capstone presentation is the culmination of a creative project that aimed to promote poetry through Fine Print, UMW’s poetry club on campus. The goal was to make poetry accessible for all on campus and build a specific community that celebrates it. Beyond spreading love of poetry, the purpose of this capstone was to leave Fine Print in a good place by building the club’s long-term engagement and participation, which grew exponentially throughout the semester. Although still a tight-knit community of poets, Fine Print encourages casual attendance to both events and meetings by anybody who finds it intriguing. Through regular …

A Slight Pinch, Carling Mcquinn

English Honors Projects

This project is a short story collection featuring four independent stories that each explore what it means to embrace the chaotic independence of adulthood and to confront, often for the first time, an inescapable sense of self-awareness. The first story, “Ghost Town,” follows a 19-year-old ghost confined to the Airbnb where she died, forced to face the self-destructive behavior that led to her death. Next, “Camilla” depicts the volatile friendship of college student Lexi and her best friend Camilla as it forms, shifts, and inevitably implodes as the years pass. The third piece, “A Slight Pinch,” explores the complexities of …

The Castle Is Still Here, And Yes, It's Still Scary: Reconstructing The Gothic Through Contemporary Short Story, Alyssa Kilroy

Undergraduate Theses

Since Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto published in 1764, the literary Gothic has grown and spread to include a multitude of subgenres in a variety of formats. Gothic literature has served as both a product and a showcase of its contextual influences, providing a deeper look at humanity's deepest flaws, fears, and passions that shape our societies. While the Gothic's historically fluid identity allows Frankenstein to exist in a literary realm alongside Wuthering Heights, something consistent in its core continues to appeal to modern audiences and remains relevant in contemporary literature and other media. This project offers a …

Chasqui, Nicole Lachat

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Chasqui is a creative dissertation comprised of a thirteen-page critical introduction and a series of poems which consider varying forms of migration, including that of border crossings. The internalization of displacement through longing and alienation is examined in these poems. The author considers questions of inheritance through an exploration of personal, familial and sociopolitical bonds. Varying forms of violence, including colonial and gendered violence are reflected upon in the work.

Advisor: Kwame Dawes

The Light Farm., John Wrestling Brewster Clay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Light Farm is a creative examination of the convergence and divergence of truth and meaning, told in a collection of three short stories that both supplements, and is supplemented by a thesis exhibition of fine art. These stories are told using an episodic format that facilitates world building across time periods, while the sculptures, photographs, and text within the exhibition function as a physical entry point into a space in which the line between fact and fiction is tested. The impetus for this project was a lifelong interest in the disorderly confluence of corporatism, power, mortality, morality, human potential, …

The Essentials Of Creative Writing, Mitchell James

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

Review of Stephanie Vanderslice. Teaching Creative Writing: The Essential Guide. Bloomsbury, 2024. 175 pages.

Pedagogy And Practice In The Online Creative Writing Classroom, Grace Sikorski

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

Review of Tamara Girardi and Abigail G. Scheg, editors. Theories and Strategies for Teaching Creative Writing Online. Routledge, 2021. 165 pages.

Antidote, Sinicization, And Discipline Construction: Reading Hongbing Ge’S Theories Of Creative Writing Scholarship, Zhiyuan Chen, Weidong Liu

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

Review of Hongbing Ge, editor. Theories of Creative Writing Scholarship. Chinese Higher Education Press, 2020. 167 pages.

Those Who Did Teach, Mary Hedengren

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

Review of Writers and Their Teachers. Ed. Dale Salwak. Bloomsbury, 2023. 137 pages.

Creative Writing And The Common Core, Nathaniel Drenner

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

Review of Imaginative Teaching Through Creative Writing: A Guide for Secondary Classrooms. Edited by Amy Ash, Michael Dean Clark, and Chris Drew. Bloomsbury, 2021.

Silver Star: The Superheroine Love Of My Life, Primo C. Murillo Jr.

Master's Projects

Silver Star: The Superheroine Love of My Life is a new adult, queer romance novel about a pair of young women living in a modern world filled with superheroes. This manuscript covers the first five chapters of this proposed novel, which is still in development. The story follows Freddie Silang, a Filipina-American superhero fan with no superpowers, who struggles to find her place in life after college. Freddie's mundane life is forever changed, however, when she meets her favorite superhero, Ms. Metropolis, during a battle against a minor villain. After Freddie saves Ms. Metropolis in an impulsive, yet selfless act, …

Brain Fog: An Adventure: Part One, Amalia Mihalakakos

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

My book was developed through research on creating believable characters and how to write effectively for elementary schoolers. The goal of this project was to have a book that, when finished being written, any child could pick up and find peace. I hoped that every reader would learn something new about a culture they are unfamiliar with or about themselves. For children, developing empathy and a deeper understanding of others can have a lasting impact. Not only does empathy and understanding provide a foundation for other skills, but it can also begin to evolve and grow over time. Brain Fog: …

Ashes Of Power, Bailey Huffman

FUSION

The objective of this project was to write a creative work using a theme found in an American writer's literary text studied throughout the course and create a visual and/or auditory piece. By doing this, students can further interpret the literary texts, themes, and genres found in American Literature. For my short story, “Ashes of Power,” I chose to focus on the theme of “powerlessness” found in the 1985 play Fences written by August Wilson. The story is told through the point of view of a young and strong woman, Xena, and is set in a fantasy world that is …

Just A Memory, Shakila Arab

FUSION

This poem is a response to “I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain” by Emily Dickinson. It was written for a World Literature class using the following prompt:

You will imitate at least five elements of an original text we read this semester. Following your imitation, you will write a paragraph describing the five elements you imitated and how your imitation exemplifies the literary movement of the piece you are imitating.

Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine, Issue 5: Play (Spring 2025), Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine Contributors

Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine (2023-present)

Issue 5 of the Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine, published in the Spring 2025 semester. The theme of the issue is 'Play'. A semesterly publication curated by Clark University students, CSVLM creates space for students to share their creative writing including poetry, prose, and artwork. Organizing and distributing Clark Student Literary Voices builds community by uniting the many creative students on the Clark campus.

Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine, Issue 5: Play (Spring 2025), Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine Contributors

Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine (2023-present)

Issue 5 of the Clark Student Voices Literary Magazine, published in the Spring 2025 semester. The theme of the issue is 'Play'. A semesterly publication curated by Clark University students, CSVLM creates space for students to share their creative writing including poetry, prose, and artwork. Organizing and distributing Clark Student Literary Voices builds community by uniting the many creative students on the Clark campus.

To My Unborn, S.E. White

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

The Lindenwood Review, Issue 15 (2025), Full Issue

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

Volume 33 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Spring 2020, is a speculative-themed edition, exploring science fiction, fantasy, horror, and literary surrealism. The issue, archived as Volume 33, Issue 2, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 38, Issue 2. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the online collection may not match those printed in the original journals.

Editor Chad Hall, in his editorial preface, discusses the meaning of "speculative" in literature—how it allows for imaginative world-building and boundary-pushing creativity …

Volume 33 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Fall 2019, presents a diverse selection of poetry and fiction, focusing on identity, artistic expression, and the transformative power of storytelling. The issue, archived as Volume 33, Issue 1, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 38, Issue 1. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the online collection may not match those printed in the original journals.

Editor Sydney Austin, in her editorial preface, reflects on the idea of literature as art rather …

Volume 32 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Spring 2019, presents a diverse selection of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, unified by the theme “Untold Stories.” The issue, archived as Volume 32, Issue 2, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 37, Issue 2. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the online collection may not match those printed in the original journals.

Editor Alex Farrier, in their editorial preface, reflects on their personal connection with Nebo, describing how their journey from student …

Volume 32 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Fall 2018, explores the theme of "Time and Space," a concept that editor Miranda Holman selected to highlight the interconnectedness of literature and lived experience. Through poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, the issue delves into how writers capture fleeting moments, explore the boundaries of time, and demand space for self-expression.

The issue, archived as Volume 32, Issue 1, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 37, Issue 1. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the …

Volume 31 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Spring 2018, is particularly notable for an unusual numbering error—while the print version is Volume 36, Issue 2, the cover mistakenly reads "Volume 36, Number 32". This discrepancy further underscores the complexities of archiving Nebo's historical record, a challenge addressed throughout this archival project.

Editor Rebekah Lawler, in her farewell editorial preface, reflects on her three years at Arkansas Tech University, emphasizing the transformative power of literature and the unifying themes of nature and human nature. The issue’s theme, nature …

Volume 31 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Fall 2017, presents a thought-provoking collection of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction that examines themes of multicultural identity, artistic expression, and societal "isms"—prejudices, ideologies, and cultural perceptions that shape human interactions. The issue, archived as Volume 31, Issue 1, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 36, Issue 1. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the online collection may not match those printed in the original journals.

Editor John ToShawn Jarrett, in his editorial preface …

Volume 30 Issue 2

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Fall 2016, showcases a diverse collection of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, highlighting themes of identity, memory, and artistic expression. The issue, archived as Volume 30, Issue 2, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 35, Issue 1. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the online collection may not match those printed in the original journals.

Editor Qassye M. Hall, in her editorial preface, reflects on the responsibilities of leading a literary journal …

Volume 30 Issue 1

NEBO: A Literary Journal

This issue of Nebo: A Literary Journal, published in Spring 2016, presents an eclectic mix of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and visual art, showcasing both emerging and established voices. The issue, archived as Volume 30, Issue 1, corresponds to the print edition labeled Volume 34, Issue 2. Due to necessary metadata adjustments in the digital archiving process, some volume and issue numbers in the online collection may not match those printed in the original journals.

Editor Qassye Marie Hall, in her editorial preface, reflects on the challenges and rewards of editing Nebo, …