Certificate Program in Creative Writing
Writing is generally a solitary activity. Allow the Certificate Program in Creative Writing to provide you with a network of new and experienced writers and skilled, supportive writing instructors. Improve your creative writing craft as you draft and present for workshop critiques. While writing and revising several pieces you will have the opportunity to develop a habit of regularly reading published and unpublished work as you focus your writing. Gain exposure to and practice in additional genres as you develop your personal writing style, and learn how to market your finished work.
Learn from the best
The instructors of this program are all practicing writers and bring a wide variety of experience to their teaching. Among them are bestselling authors, award winners and members of professional and creative writing programs.
Designed for people like you
New and experienced writers will benefit from this program. You will have opportunities to work closely with instructors and fellow students, developing valuable creative and professional communities for the future, while challenging and nurturing your own personal voices and projects in new and engaging ways.
Courses in this program can be taken individually or as part of the certificate program. To earn the certificate, participants must complete a minimum of 16.5 units—12.5 units (minimum) of required coursework and 4 units (minimum) of elective coursework.
| UNITS | F | W | SP | SU | ||
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| REQUIRED COURSES | Tools of the Writer's Craft | 2.5 | 
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| Short Fiction Workshop | 2.5 |
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| Reading Contemporary Fiction as a Writer | 2.5 |
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| Creative Nonfiction Workshop | 2.5 |
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| Novel Craft Workshop | 2.5 |
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| Poetry Workshop | 2.5 |
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| Screenwriting Workshop | 2.5 |
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| ELECTIVE COURSES | Summer Intensive: Dialogue and Point of View | 2 |
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| Metaphor and Scene | 2 |
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| Structure and Style | 2.5 |
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| The Tomales Bay Workshops | 3.5 |
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F=Fall W=Winter SP=Spring SU=Summer;
Schedules subject to change
Classroom format |
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Important note: To successfully complete the requirements of this certificate program, you must take Short Fiction Workshop twice. Also, choose one of the following alternate genre courses to apply toward the required coursework: Creative Nonfiction Workshop, Poetry Workshop, Screenwriting Workshop or Novel Craft Workshop.
Required Courses
Tools of the Writer's Craft
2.5 quarter units academic credit, X410.7.
When writers move past the initial inspiration the act and the art of writing gives them, they often find themselves developing an interest in craft, and craft is the emphasis of this workshop. How do we develop character and reveal plot without resorting to dull exposition? Render autobiographical incidents into useful fictional material? Reveal character motivation while maintaining plot momentum? Subtly but effectively sound thematic concerns? With the help of published examples and a discussion of how these writers are effective, weekly assignments give you opportunities to put theory into practice. These assignments are discussed in a workshop forum, which further enhances your ability to discern what goes into a piece of effective writing.
This course is not currently scheduled.
Short Fiction Workshop
2.5 quarter units academic credit, X410.8.
You've learned basic tools for fiction writing and are ready to tackle more advanced writing techniques. Hone and finesse your writing skills by exploring point of view and sense of place, crafting a scene, using narration techniques and creating compelling dialogue.
Discuss effective ways to infuse manuscripts with your personal style. Enhance your weekly writing assignments through guided exercises and workshop discussions of student and published work. Learn to critically read the writing of others and how to respond with thoughtful feedback. Suggestions and encouragement are emphasized to help you build confidence and push your writing to the next level.
Note: Short Fiction Workshop is the new title for the course Advanced Fiction: Writer's Craft Workshop.
Prerequisites:
Tools of the Writer's Craft, or equivalent. Basic writing skills, some writing experience and a good command of the English language.
Sections of this course open for enrollment:
- Short Fiction Workshop starts April 20
Reading Contemporary Fiction as a Writer
2.5 quarter units academic credit, X410.5.
The best writers are the best readers. They
read everything. Pulitzer prize-winning novelist Richard Ford said: “It’s a
short step from admiring to emulating; reading good writing can move us to try
to duplicate it. And close study can help teach us how to duplicate it.”
Read and think critically as you analyze, dissect and deconstruct fiction
produced by a variety of contemporary writers. Discover how reading stimulates
thought, generates ideas, invites discussion and inspires your own writing.
Sections of this course open for enrollment:
- Reading Contemporary Fiction as a Writer starts February 3
Creative Nonfiction Workshop
2.5 quarter units academic credit, X410.20.
One of the most popular and marketable writing genres is literary nonfiction, also often called creative nonfiction. Explore what it is and how it differs from conventional journalism and from pure fiction. Study examples from the work of accomplished authors like Annie Dillard, John McPhee and Peter Matthiessen to gain insight into this genre. Learn the basic tools of creative nonfiction through in-class exercises and outside writing assignments as well as discussions on dialogue, setting, character and narrative thread. You'll also receive recommendations on how to conduct interviews and gather primary data. As a result of the course, you'll learn how to combine the journalist's eye for detail and need for accuracy with the novelist's sense of storytelling and love of language, and enhance your use of literary skills in your nonfiction writing.This course is not currently scheduled.
Novel Craft Workshop
2.5 quarter units academic credit, X410.25.
Novel writing may be an exciting proposition, but-as any published novelist will tell you-it takes a lot of discipline and hard work. Use the workshop format of this course to gain the discipline and skills needed to develop your craft as a novel writer. Hone your skills through an exploration of point of view, sense of place, techniques of dramatization and narration, character and dialogue. Discover how your personal application of these techniques and your personal style are reflected in your manuscripts. Examine the structural considerations of a novel, focusing on large and small narrative arcs and exploring the relationship of scene to chapter and chapter to story. Reading published examples and learning how to critically analyze the work of others supplements the weekly writing assignments and workshop sessions. Bring your manuscript-or your idea for a novel-and expand your writing skills in an encouraging and solutions-oriented environment.
This course is not currently scheduled.
Poetry Workshop
2.5 quarter units academic credit, X410.21.
Even T. S. Eliot and e. e. cummings didn't get it right the first time. Crafting poetry that's compelling, effective and resonant takes hard work and the ability to critically evaluate your drafts along the way. In this hands-on workshop, you'll examine the elements that distinguish poetry from prose. You and your classmates will workshop student poetry in an online workshop environment and make revisions based on critiques.
By studying published examples, you'll improve your use of image, metaphor and symbolism, your execution of mechanics such as line breaks, pacing, rhythm and sound as well as work on making meaning and using poetic forms. Use this workshop to propel your poetry toward greater discovery and, ultimately, publication.
Sections of this course open for enrollment:
- Poetry Workshop
starts May 3
Screenwriting Workshop
2.5 quarter units academic credit, X410.16.
Receive an introduction to the basics of narrative film and television film writing. Learn standard formatting, story structure and scene development. Study examples of various genres and perform guided exercises and assignments to develop familiarity with these forms including long and three-act. Read scenes from successful scripts, watch the filmed versions of these written scenes and engage in discussion about them. Workshop your original scenes, as well as learn to structure and outline longer form works. No previous screenwriting experience necessary.
This course is not currently scheduled.
Elective Courses
Summer Intensive: Dialogue and Point of View
2 quarter units academic credit, X410.24.
Strong dialogue and point of view are vital elements in successful creative writing. Learn how to make characters "talk" in your writing. Discover how to avoid the pitfalls of overused adverbs, characters who speak in clichés or lack emotion, and long paragraphs of dialogue-as-exposition. Use published examples to examine and then practice the forms effective dialogue can take. Also, explore point of view and how to use it as the lens through which readers see the action in your story. Use hands-on writing exercises to identify the benefits and pitfalls of first person, third person and omniscient narrators. Learn techniques to create effective, believable voices for your point-of-view characters. Understand what works (and what doesn't) in your own writing. This course is ideal for fiction and nonfiction writers, but the point of view portion is especially beneficial for poets as well.This course is not currently scheduled.
Metaphor and Scene
2 quarter units academic credit, X410.23.
Effective use of metaphor and elements of scene are two indispensable skills for any writer of poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction.
The building blocks of every story, whether that story is one page long or four hundred, are scenes. With the help of published examples and writing assignments, discover what goes into creating an effective scene, and how scenes add up to poems and stories. If you're working on a novel, you will understand how scenes transition into chapters and longer story arcs. Explore character and character needs, sense of place and point of view, and spend some time sharpening your dialogue skills.
In addition, you'll examine and discuss metaphor and other figures of speech, including metaphor's cousin, the objective correlative. Examine everyday objects and activities and learn to activate them as vehicles for larger themes and underlying meaning. Develop a deeper understanding of how to make your work resonate on two levels: the practical reality of your character's lives and the larger themes you are addressing.
This course is not currently scheduled.
Structure and Style
2.5 quarter units academic credit, X410.22.
Structure
and style are intimately connected in all forms of creative writing.
Learn how to identify and shape your own unique style and structure
when writing in any genre.
Explore ways to find each piece
of writings' most effective structure. Consider where and how a
particular piece might begin and end, and understand that creative
writing is not necessarily linear. Learn about building tension,
creating momentum, compelling the reader to continue and leaving the
reader satisfied (but wanting more) at the end.
Also, focus on the writing process by learning to improve the way you arrange words into lines, sentences, paragraphs and more. Learn what works and what doesn't in your own writing and how to organize words to clearly express thoughts and ideas. Work on English usage and style, and examine published samples as a means to expand your repertoire of possibilities. In this course, you'll gain a greater appreciation of the art of writing and build confidence in your ability to move your writing to the next level.
This course is not currently scheduled.
The Tomales Bay Workshops
3.5 quarter units academic credit, X400.31.
University of
California, Davis Creative Writing Program
October 27-31, 2010
Albert and Elaine Borchard
Foundation Keynote
Speaker:
Award-winning author and naturalist Terry Tempest Williams
Tuition: $1,550 (includes the $150
application fee).
Space is limited, so please apply as early as
possible. The deadline is July 15, 2010, or until full.
Four days of working with an established author, receiving constructive feedback and generating new material.
What Past Participants Are Saying
Download 2009 brochure
(650 KB)
Download 2009 application
(68 KB)
Download 2009 schedule
(1 MB)
The Tomales Bay Workshops bring aspiring writers into close community with nationally known poets, writers, respected editors and agents. Workshops limited to 12 participants ensure an intimate setting. In addition, participants have the opportunity to purchase one-on-one tutorials with a publishing professional.
The workshops are held at the Marconi Conference Center in Marshall, California, on the eastern shore of pristine Tomales Bay, just north of San Francisco in Marin County. The Marconi Center sits on a wooded hillside that overlooks serene water and mountains beyond. The center offers comfortable rooms, excellent food and inviting hiking trails. Come to relax, learn and explore.
The Workshops
There will be six workshops, which meet each morning for four consecutive days. Workshop are:
- All Genres:
Word After Word--Unlocking Your Inner Writer with Jodi
Angel. Margaret
Atwood writes "A word after a word/after a word is power." Often
times we know we have stories to tell, poems to write, life experiences
to
record. The problem is how? How do we make those first steps in putting
those
words on to the page? How do we write that first sentence, or find the
concrete
imagery to construct that first poetic line? This workshop will focus
on
freeing your inner writer to finally speak his or her truth. We will
discuss
aspects of each genre—how to construct characters, point of
view, setting,
imagery, metaphor and the importance of trusting your own voice.
Participants
will work in their chosen genre, writing to guided prompts that will
help
ignite the creative energy, as well as shaping work in
progress that might
be as vague as an idea or as tangible as a full draft. Feedback,
encouragement
and support will be provided every step of the way, so those first
words provide you with the power to unlock your inner
writer and set
him or her free.
- Fiction: Outer Story/Inner Story with Ron
Carlson. Writers will
bring copies of a fresh story for the workshop table. In addition to
discussing
these stories, we will write two or three exercises focusing on the
various
elements of craft—inventory, dialogue, character and
exposition—at least one of
which will have relevance to the writer’s current story. The
emphasis in our
sessions will be on creating three dimensional
fiction, amplifying all the
promises in the story drafts. Carlson’s plan is to make a
bigger mess
than we can mop up and send everyone off with a plan
for the next
step.
- Nonfiction:
- Poetry, Memoir and Cross-Genre:
Please indicate your workshop preference on your application form.
Publishing Consultants
Participants will have the opportunity to confer privately with publishing industry professionals. Acceptance for these sessions will be determined on a first-come, first-served basis. There is a $100 fee for each half-hour session.
The Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation Keynote Speaker
Terry
Tempest Williams
is a conservationist
and fierce advocate for freedom of speech, who is known for her
impassioned and
lyrical prose. Among her many books are the environmental classic, Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and
Place; Finding Beauty in a Broken
World; An Unspoken Hunger: Stories from the Field; and The Open Space of Democracy. Her many
awards include the Robert
Marshall Award from The Wilderness Society, the Distinguished
Achievement Award
from the Western American Literature Association and the Wallace
Stegner Award.
She is currently the Annie Clark Tanner Scholar in Environmental
Humanities at
the University of Utah.
The Tomales Bay Workshops Faculty
Dorothy
Allison
is the author of Bastard Out of Carolina,
Cavedweller (a New York Times
Notable Book), Two or Three Things I Know
for Sure and the forthcoming She
Who.
She was awarded the 2007 Robert Penn Warren Award for Fiction. Allison
lives in
Northern California among redwood trees and unpredictable
rivers—though she is
often to be found on various campuses trying to encourage more people
to write
down their dreams.
Jodi
Angel's
first collection of short stories, The
History of Vegas, was published in 2005 by Chronicle Books
and named as a San
Francisco Chronicle
Best Book of 2005 as well as
a Los Angeles Times Book Review discovery. She
received Special Mention for the 2007 Pushcart Prize and has
been
nominated for the 2009 Pushcart Prize. Her work has appeared in Zoetrope: All-Story, The Sycamore Review,
and Carve Magazine. She currently
teaches literature and fiction writing at UC Davis and Sacramento City
College.
Ron
Carlson
has authored 10 books of fiction, most recently the novel The Signal. The Los
Angeles
Times selected his novel Five Skies
as one of the best books of 2007. His selected stories, A
Kind of Flying, and his short fiction have appeared in Esquire, Harpers, The New Yorker,
Gentlemen's Quarterly, Epoch, The Oxford American and has been
included in The Best American Short Stories,
The O'Henry
Prize Series, The Pushcart Prize Anthology and The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction.
Carlson is Director of the
Graduate Program in Fiction at the University of California, Irvine,
and the
recipient of numerous awards, including a National Endowment for the
Arts
Fellowship.
John
D'Agata
is the author of About
a Mountain and Halls of Fame, as
well as the editor of the
anthologies The Lost Origins of the Essay and The
Next American Essay.
He is the recipient of fellowships from the Lannan Foundation, the
MacDowell
Colony, and the National Endowment for the Arts. He teaches
creative
writing at the University of Iowa.
Mark
Doty’s
eight books of poems include Fire to Fire:
New and Selected Poems, which won the National Book Award
for Poetry. He has
also published five books of nonfiction prose, most recently The Art of Description, a handbook for
writers. His work has been honored with the National Book Critic Circle
Award
and the PEN/Martha Albrand Award for nonfiction. He teaches at Rutgers
University and lives in New York City.
Terrance
Hayes’s
most recent collection of
poetry is Lighthead. His other books are Wind
in a Box, Muscular
Music and Hip Logic. His honors include
four Best American Poetry
selections, a Whiting Writers Award, a National Endowment for the Arts
Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He is a professor of creative
writing
at Carnegie Mellon University and lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Pam Houston is the author of two collections of linked short stories, Cowboys are My Weakness, which was the winner of the 1993 Western States Book Award and has been translated into nine languages, and Waltzing the Cat, which won the Willa Award for Contemporary Fiction. Her stories have been selected for volumes of Best American Short Stories, The O. Henry Awards, The Pushcart Prize, and her story The Best Girlfriend You Never Had appeared in Best American Short Stories of the Century. Her first novel, Sight Hound, was published in January 2005. She is the Director of Creative Writing at the University of California, Davis, and teaches at many writers conferences and festivals in the U.S. and abroad. When not in Davis, she lives in Colorado at 9,000 feet above sea level near the headwaters of the Rio Grande. For more information on Houston visit www.pamhouston.net.
The Format
Morning workshops offer participants the opportunity to work closely with an established writer, to receive constructive feedback from peers, to spend four intensive days dedicated to creative work and to generate new material.
Afternoons will be devoted to participant readings and panels comprised of conference presenters and visiting editors and agents; panels will cover craft topics and publishing.
Evenings will be devoted to readings by conference presenters and special guest readers.
The Setting
The workshops will be held at the Marconi Conference Center in Marshall, California, on the eastern shore of Tomales Bay. The conference center, located on a California State Historic Park, sits on a wooded hillside that overlooks serene water and the mountains beyond. Inviting hiking trails offer a chance to see white fallow deer among the foliage or venture down to the coastline where locals harvest oysters.
Accommodations
The Marconi Conference Center provides comfortable lodging nestled in the pine trees. Double or triple rooms are available. Each smoke-free room has a private bath, study desk and wireless Internet access. Rooms are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. There are a limited number of single rooms available for a supplemental fee of $800. Disability-accessible and equipped rooms are available. Please let us know ahead of time if you require these accommodations. For additional information, visit http://www.marconiconference.org/index.htm.
Participants should bring comfortable walking shoes, as many Marconi Center walkways are not paved and run over small hills. Also, please bring warm clothes, in case the fog rolls in.
Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation Fellowships
Three Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation Fellowships will be awarded to workshop participants (one each for poetry, fiction and nonfiction/personal essay). Fellowships cover the cost of the application fee, tuition, room and board but do not cover transportation. To apply for a fellowship, you must fill out the application form and include a brief cover letter and paper-clip both to your writing sample (please DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME on your writing sample, which needs to consist of 10 pages of fiction or nonfiction/personal essay, or five poems. Indicate which fellowship you are applying for at the top left of the cover letter and on the application form. Postmark deadline for fellowship consideration is May 1, and awards will be announced by July 1. Please apply in one genre only.
Discounts
The Tomales Bay Workshops is pleased to offer the following ways to receive $150 off your enrollment. Please note: Discounts must be requested on the application form and cannot be combined or applied retroactively. See application form.
- Early bird discount: Application must be postmarked by May 1.
- UC Davis alumni and staff.
- Returning participants.
- Writing
groups. Attend the Tomales Bay Workshops with your writing group of
three or more members and each person will receive $150 off. Names of
all group members must be listed on *each* person's individual
application. Every effort will be made to allow group members to lodge
together, though other conference participants may also be assigned as
roommates. Please note that applying as a group does not guarantee
admission.
Professional Consultations
Participants will have the opportunity to confer privately with publishing industry professionals. Acceptance for these sessions will be determined on a first-come, first-served basis and space is limited. There is a $100 fee for each half-hour consultation. Accepted participants may sign up for one or more publishing consultation(s) when they submit the required fees and enrollment documents; these documents will contain detailed sign-up and submission instructions.
The consultants for 2009 were Jonathan Bohr Heinen, senior editor of Iron
Horse Literary
Review; Jay Schaefer, editor at large for Workman Publishing;
and Elizabeth
Wales of Wales Literary Agency in Seattle. Consultants' bios. Consultants for 2010 will be announced in August 2010.
Requirements
Acceptance to the program is based upon review of a writing sample (10 pages of fiction or nonfiction/personal essay, or five poems). Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, and you will be notified of acceptance. Please note: Those who have attended the Tomales Bay Writers' Workshops during a prior year do not need to submit a writing sample.
Fees
Enrollment in the Tomales Bay Workshops is $1,550 ($1,400 tuition + $150 application fee) and covers one four-day workshop, admittance to all panels and readings, opening and closing banquets, all meals (dinner on Wednesday; three meals Thursday through Sunday; breakfast on Monday) and lodging for five nights. Vegetarian meals are available upon request.
The application fee of $150 must be submitted with your application and writing sample. If you are not accepted, your application fee will be returned. If you are accepted, you will be notified of your workshop placement and asked to confirm your intention to attend by submitting a minimum deposit of $700. The remaining balance of $700 is due July 15.
Supplemental fees are due July 15. These include:
- The single room supplement ($800)
- A private session with publishing professional ($100)
- The optional UC Davis fee for 3.5 units of academic credit ($180)
Please note: There are a limited number of consultation sessions and single rooms available, and they will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Please submit any optional fees as early as possible after acceptance into the program to guarantee your request. Full participation in the Tomales Bay Workshops and events is expected. No discounts are available for lodging or meals on your own.
If space is still available after August 1, applications must include the full payment of $1,550, which includes the $150 application fee. All fees will be fully refunded if applicant is not accepted.
Cancellation Policy
If you cancel by August 16, 2010, your tuition will be refunded minus a $30 processing fee and the $150 application fee. Once you have enrolled, the $150 application fee is not refundable. Refunds for cancellations made after August 16 are contingent upon filling your place and will be made only if your place is filled. In the unlikely event that we must cancel a workshop and you do not wish to transfer to another workshop, you will receive a full refund.
For more information, email us at tomales.bay.workshops@gmail.com
Getting to the Marconi Center
For driving directions and a map, visit http://www.marconiconference.org/maps.htm.
Sections of this course open for enrollment:
- The Tomales Bay Workshops starts October 27
Free info Sessions
Attend a Writing Information Session to learn more about this program.
Resources
The Sacramento Poetry Center is a non-profit community organization dedicated to supporting poetry and the literary arts in the Sacramento region.
Sutterwriters are regional-based groups of writers whose focus is on the art of writing as a form of healing.
