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Creative Writing at Blackburn College, Carlinville, IL

This blog contains direct quotes from websites as of 2023. Programs and policies do change, at colleges, from time to time, so please check with the colleges directly to receive any updates. These are not, necessarily, the biggest, best, or most popular programs at the college, but they are the ones that just “caught my eye” as unique, special, interesting, or just plain awesome. They are randomly listed in the blog section of this website. Enjoy!


From the Blackburn College website, 2023: “This intimate and innovative creative writing program combines imagination, practical skills, and professional savvy to empower writers to share their creative vision with the world.



“Potential Career Paths Include:

Editor

Copy-editor

Literary agent

Literary magazine/press editor

Working writer

Any field that involves creative communication (advertising etc.)

Teaching (K-12, higher-education)

Non-profit advocacy and outreach

Game writer/designer


“As a creative writing major, you will commit yourself to learning what kind of writer you want to be and what kind of writing matters to you. Towards this end, you will take writing and literature courses that will ground you in the work of those who came before you and help you master the techniques necessary to develop the strongest version of your voice. Along the way, you will work closely with faculty who are published authors and with peers who will become trusted readers of your work.


“You will learn creative processes from first drafts to revision to publication that you can utilize the rest of your writing life and wherever you go in life that requires creativity and discipline.


“Creative writing majors take workshops and craft classes geared towards exposing up-and-coming writers to a variety of published voices. Students master creative writing techniques such as building compelling conflicts, immersive settings, and complex characters, as well as creating memorable images and musical rhythms. All creative writing majors will practice writing in different genres, including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and playwriting. Within these broad genres, students are also invited to explore sub-genres such as fantasy, science-fiction, graphic narratives, and game design.


Enhance Your Experience:

*Work with faculty who are award-winning, nationally published working writers and editors

*Participation in the Humanities Salon, a monthly event to share creative work on campus

*Publication and work opportunities with the VORTEX, Blackburn’s student literary magazine

*An annual Creative Writing contest which awards at least a $1,000 in prizes a year

*Small, workshop-style classes where you bond with your peers and develop close relationships with faculty

*Special topics classes based on student interest; recent offerings have included Speculative Fiction (science fiction, fantasy, weird fiction and horror) and World-building (the construction of immersive fictional worlds)

*Senior Seminar, in which you complete a full manuscript in your chosen genre in one-on-one work with a faculty member, and then present your finished work in a public reading and presentation

*Professionalization: learning how to publish and promote your writing”


Blackburn College is one of the featured colleges in my new book (click image for additional information):



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