Creative Writing Commons^™

The Exile's War, Stephen Edwards Arnold

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

In Gaelwyn, the village of a thousand stories, Katchan receives a powerful ruby and an ancient technique called writing hidden by his grandmother, Maggaline. Jealous of the power Katchan has, the village Elder seeks to destroy him. After escaping the Elder, Katchan must leave his home and traverse a dangerous and mysterious wasteland that will lead him directly into an ancient conflict that lost a powerful empire to the sands of time.

Excerpt From Novel, The House Of Bad Spirit, Balim Barutcu

Theses and Dissertations

This is an excerpt from Balim Barutcu's debut novel, titled (for now!) The House of Bad Spirit. It follows the story of a multi-generational family that lives a split life, not only across countries and continents, but across time. It is the story of a family divided and reunified by the gifts granted by an old god, presiding over their tale amid the stars, from the heavens. She is grateful for the support of the MFA program in Fiction, particularly of her advisors Sigrid Nunez and Adam Haslett.

The Oval, 2023

The Oval

This issue includes creative work from undergraduate students at the University of Montana.

Singularity, Abby Doss

The Oval

No abstract provided.

Fulfillment, A.C. Moore

The Oval

No abstract provided.

Empire Builder, Jade Taylor

The Oval

No abstract provided.

Deliquescence, Lindsay Hause

The Oval

No abstract provided.

Satori 2023, Madeline Schonitzer, Izabella Setla, Briana Strohbehn, Emily Venné, Madison Grove, Keaton Riebel, Catherine Fruzyna, Esther Stoy, Willow Swinbank, Arin Hendrickson, Brianna Strohbehn, Page Sutton, Augusta Drenckhahn, Patricia Corbera, Madi Bonebright, Savannah Egger, Danica Kilibarda, Tyler Janssen, Lily Gruenhagen, Beth L. Halleck, Daniel Schulz, Emma Rabehl

Satori Literary Magazine

The Satori is a student literary publication that expresses the artistic spirit of the students of Winona State University. Student poetry, prose, and graphic art are published in the Satori every spring since 1970.

The Satori 2023 editors are Gabriel Hathaway, Van Herman, Madeline Schonitzer, Brianna Strohbehn, Page Sutton, Willow Swinbank, and Emily Venné. The Satori 2023 faculty advisor is Dr. Jim Armstrong, Professor of English.

The Green Sweater, Siena Cysewski

The Oval

No abstract provided.

Third Shot, Libby Riddle

The Oval

No abstract provided.

The Trade Of A Feather, Sean Staples

The Oval

No abstract provided.

The Oval, 2023 - Staff Issue

The Oval

No abstract provided.

Vision Boards, Sam Anderson

The Oval

No abstract provided.

Given, Stolen, Tossed To Sea, Orianna Zeiss

The Oval

No abstract provided.

The Jubilant City Almanac: Stories, Azaria Brown

Graduate Thesis Collection

The Jubilant City Almanac is a collection of short stories set in the magical Jubilant City, a city founded by a group of Black women in 1736. These stories bridge the whimsical and magical with the realities of poverty, classicism, addiction, abuse and health disparities. “Got His Alligator” follows the journey of two codependent addicts as they try to get their fashion designs onto Jubilant City’s premiere drama, Girl, Please. The characters in “Carbon Copy” use a magical phone to bring Denzel Washington to the city. “Jeremiah the Conqueror” summons Black American folk legend, High John. THrough an exploration of …

Not About You: A Novel, Hillary Colton

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This novel-in-progress explores the complexities of single parenting and coming of age in a misogynistic society. Through the perspectives of a recently divided family, we are drawn into the coping mechanisms of characters who have been impacted by the cyclical nature of sexism, alcoholism, and abuse. Told through multiple points of view, the novel aims to explore questions of how internalized misogyny and generational trauma force a person to look at their complicity in the rippling effect of societal expectations, and whether it is possible to break free after a lifetime of trying to survive in a society rooted against …

Lady Winters, Madeline Ice

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Lady Winters is a young adult fantasy novella based in a world of royalty and assassins. The line between good and evil should be clear but recent events have blurred them. In the shadows, lurks a darkness that seeks to change the course of history.

In a futuristic kingdom, Lady Celestia Winters inherits debt and a kill list following the death of her parents. She takes over her mother’s position as an Academy Assassin and uses her training to work towards paying off the family debt. In charge of her assignments is the infamous Headmistress and Celestia’s newest target is …

Rethinking Length And Form In Fiction: Workshopping Short Stories, Novels, Novellas, Flash, And Hybrid, Kevin Clouther

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

This essay challenges dominant workshop practices and details efforts to diversify workshops with particular attention to what is workshopped and how workshops can become inclusive of not only short stories but also various lengths and forms of fiction: novels, novellas, flash, and hybrid. This essay addresses face-to-face as well as online workshops.

Speaking The Unspoken: Reconsidering The Craft Of Subtext In Fiction Through Nafissa Thompson-Spires’S Use Of Palimptext In “Heads Of The Colored People”, Karen Lee Boren

Journal of Creative Writing Studies

This essay suggests new craft techniques in fiction are emerging, which act as a palimptext, a writing, erasure, and overwriting of subtext, establishing new relationships between writer and reader. Traditional uses of subtext rely on an unspoken relationship between writers and readers wherein writers “hide” thematic meaning in subtextual layers of fiction and readers “dig” for these deeper meanings. However, this essay shows reading practices have changed from deep reading to skimming and information-seeking practices. Further, subtext’s need to give the unseen and unspoken a limited and veiled presence in a text has shifted. Current unspoken assumptions about the …

Those Beneath, Dee Lancaster

Research Learning Experiences (RLEs)

The first chapter in a longer prose fiction project featuring a supernatural hike through Yellowstone National Park.

The Lantern, 2022-2023, Kate Isabel Foley, Jenna Lozzi, Emily Gurganus, Elliot Cetinski, Juliana Valerio, Morgan Grabowski, Laura Bradley, Elliott Hannam, Catherine Stump, Tyler Ways, Alessandra Armour, Emily Bradigan, Erin Corcoran, Leo Cox, Olivia Cross, Connor Donovan, Tatiana Kent, Andrew Kmett, Olivia Negro, Miles D. Noecker, Leo Quinn, Emilia Reed, Ryan Savage, Ze'ev Shaheen, Amy Smith, Vanessa Worley, Aurora Mckee, Evan Chartock, Matilda Dumaine, Sharon Gearhart, Yemu Huang, Sophie K. Louis, Mairead Mcdermott, Jordan Ulsh, Mattie Young, Emilio De Sousa, Sarah Fales, Owen Fazzini, Georgia Gardner, Christopher Gerrow, Jonny Gherman, Keegan Mcgowan, David Mccauley, Madeline O'Connor, Hannah Conley

The Lantern Literary Magazines, 1933 to Present

The Genie and the Scotsman • Taxi Driver Savior Complex • Midnight Waltz • Eulogy of Caution • Don't cry over spilled milk!! • I am the spider • The Lamb • The Witch and the Shepherd • Nostalgia • In the Summer I Want Light • I Am (Not) • Thanatophobia • We're not children anymore • Hamlet's Fool • Lemon • the last two people in the world • Amongst Chaos (what captivated me) • How About Now, Billy Joel • Bug Trap • Spring, Musser Hall, Room 219 • Time's Denial • A Song of History • …

'The Frank Exchange': A Historical Drama Novella, Ariel Finkle

Senior Honors Projects

I am an avid fan of historical fiction books such as The Royal Diaries. But given the recent popularity of more adult royal drama series like The Great, as well as impostor true crime shows like Inventing Anna, on this project I set out to create a historical fiction drama of my own. While searching for a real-life figure to base my story on, I happened to see a quick footnote at the bottom of an article on Catherine the Great that intrigued me. At the turn of the 18th century, an ordinary young Polish woman named Eva Frank managed …

Lady Of The Joust: Defining And Classifying Flat Character Arcs, Rachael Michelle Varner

Masters Theses

Character arcs outline the growth or development a character experiences throughout a narrative. Of the three major types—Positive Change, Negative Change, and Flat—the third is often glossed over or ignored in academic settings. The Artist Statement addresses my experience writing a novel when I did not understand what Flat Arcs entailed and thus failed to recognize why my protagonist resisted the more popular Positive Change formula. In the Critical Paper, my analysis of texts dedicated to the craft of character arcs revealed that there are no consistent criteria by which to define or categorize them. Nevertheless, my research suggests that …

General Review Of Elements Quiz For "Write Or Left" Textbook, Kylee C. Pastore

Open Educational Resources

General Review of Elements Quiz for Write or Left: An OER Textbook for Creative Writing Courses. This quiz assesses students' knowledge of the key terms employed in the textbook and is intended for the opening weeks of the semester. Includes quiz questions and answer key.

Unheard Voices: Minority Female Presence In Fiction Including Folklore And Fantastical Elements, Breanna Renae Grayson

Masters Theses

This thesis is about the representation of women and racial minorities and the incorporation of folklore and fantastical elements in contemporary American short fiction. This incorporation includes the characterization of nonwhite characters in fiction and the role they serve. Also, the main idea is to provide an explanation concerning the importance and relationship it has for minority female writers and readers. The Artistic Statement defines the author’s reasons, inspirations, and creative process for her choices in creative writing. The Critical Paper is supported by research and data to describe the use of fantastical elements and how they are implemented into …

Day At The Beach, Ds Levy

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

Dandelions, Crystal Mcqueen

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

The Vandal, Franz Jørgen Neumann

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

Rowing In The Dark, Laurel Dile King

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.

Saxophone Prayer, Steve Carey-Walton

The Lindenwood Review: a journal of literary prose

No abstract provided.