Intro to creative writing

Entry requirements: This course is specifically for people who are just getting started with creative writing and/or want to learn the basics. If you have some experience, or feel a bit more comfortable, consider enrolling in either Short Story Writing or Science Fiction and Fantasy writing by the same teacher.

Learn how to put your thoughts into words, how stories work, and how to craft a beautiful sentence. In the first four weeks, we will cover the fundamentals of creative writing. Through exercises, you’ll learn how to write beautifully about banal objects, how to craft memorable characters, and how a simple event can look very different when you look at it through fresh eyes. We’ll also cover some theory on how creative language works and doesn’t work. You will then be guided into coming up with a piece of short prose. You’ll work on these in class for two weeks. In our final meeting, we’ll discuss your work as a group. Afterwards, you’ll receive individual feedback on your piece.

This is a new course, for those who feel that writing a full short story in seven weeks is still a bit out of their reach. It’s designed to work as an intro course for those who want to proceed on to Short Story Writing or Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing. If you feel like you’ve got the basics covered, we recommend checking those out instead.

What you will learn

• The basics of storytelling
• How to craft beautiful sentences
• How to craft memorable characters

About the teacher

Max Urai (1991) received the C.C.S. Crone stipend from the City of Utrecht in 2023. He is currently working on a science fiction novel about shopping malls for De Geus. For more information, check out www.maxurai.nl.