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If you’re a creative soul eager to craft engaging narratives or persuasive arguments, our classes are designed to cater to your unique writing aspirations. Courses are available through the Writer’s Studio either as non-credit offerings or for credit as part of the Master of Liberal Arts. 

In small classes led by experienced instructors and professional authors, you will receive individualized feedback. You can explore multiple genres: compelling fiction, revealing journalism, emotionally moving creative nonfiction, strategic business communication, inspiring drama, or inventive poetry. 

Writing Courses

Why Take Writing Courses at the University of Chicago?

The University of Chicago is a storied institution in the craft of writing, home to the University of Chicago Press, the Chicago Manual of Style, and the Little Red Schoolhouse curriculum for improving high-level professional and academic writing. 

Our Writer’s Studio offers a diverse range of courses specifically designed to ignite your creativity across various writing genres. If you’re a creative soul eager to enrich your life by crafting engaging narratives or persuasive arguments, you can benefit from teaching methods inspired by the University’s more than 130 years of leadership in the craft of writing.  

You grow as a writer, not just through practice, but also by striving to better understand yourself and the world around you. For both beginners and veteran authors, the workshop setting of the Writer’s Studio provides an atmosphere of open dialogue and respect to help you become a more thoughtful, persuasive, and imaginative writer. Taught by knowledgeable experts, our online courses are capped at 14 participants so every student can receive the attention and support they need to take their work to the next level. 

Writing Instructors

Douglas Post

Writer’s Studio Instructor, Playwright & Screenwriter
Perdita Felicien, CER’16 (Creative Writing)

I think of myself as a writer now, and that’s something I never would’ve thought before my experience at the Writer’s Studio. The writing program provided me the confidence and skills to share my story. I’m better for the experience and so is my book.

Perdita Felicien, CER’16 (Creative Writing) Writer’s Studio student
Susan Hubbard

Teaching creative writing at Graham offers the privilege of leading an eight week long exercise in imagination, empathy, and artistic development. Sharing each other’s journeys as we articulate our preoccupations and develop our ability to express them not only makes us smarter, but better human beings.

Susan Hubbard Writer’s Studio instructor
Sarah Terez Rosenblum

Graham School students bring to the table a unique blend of curiosity and generosity. In my creative writing classes, we devote a significant amount of time to workshopping, which means students read and offer feedback on each other’s work. I’m always gratified to watch them balance empathy and encouragement with keen, actionable criticism. As a group, I find them insightful and humble, open to new ideas and approaches.

Sarah Terez Rosenblum Writer’s Studio instructor

There’s something special about helping others get through roadblocks I have encountered myself, and that’s what I aim to do as a teacher.

Jennifer Keishen Armstrong Writer’s Studio instructor & New York Times best-selling author of Seinfeldia
Amanda Parrish Morgan, AB’04

Seeing a piece of writing through from the earliest idea to its final product requires a great deal of patience, organization, persistence, and logic. At the same time, the most moving writing also employs language in beautiful, creative, and even shocking ways. This interplay between the conscious and the subconscious and the analytic and creative is — to some extent — at the heart of all learning.

Amanda Parrish Morgan, AB’04 Writer’s Studio instructor
Dina Elenbogen

I love teaching adult students who bring a wealth of experience into their writing….I get students from all over who bring in new landscapes and perspectives as we walk together towards discoveries in our writing and in our lives.

Dina Elenbogen Writer’s Studio instructor

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about the Graham School’s writing offerings.

What types of writing does the Writer’s Studio focus on?

Writer’s Studio courses concentrate on a wide range of forms and genres, including short fiction, novels, poetry, creative nonfiction, and drama. You can choose the courses that fit your interests and goals.

Will I receive personalized feedback and guidance in my online Writer’s Studio course?

With courses capped at 14 students, our teaching methodology promotes deep conversation and provides ample time to review every student’s written work.

Do I need to have experience as an author to participate in a Writer’s Studio course?

You are not required to have any previous experience as a writer or a degree in a related field to enroll in a Writer’s Studio course. We offer classes that are designed to support, inspire, and challenge writers of any experience level, from introductory to advanced, so you can enroll in the courses that are the best fit for you.

UChicago has a reputation for academic rigor. Will I be able to meaningfully participate in writing courses?

Yes. Our writing courses are designed for adults who want to further hone their writing skills. Our instructors create an inclusive learning environment by encouraging all students to participate, regardless of their background in the study or practice of writing.

Are these offerings online or in person?

While the Graham School offers both online and in-person class experiences, most writing courses are offered online. The description for each course specifies whether it will be offered online through Canvas and Zoom or in person at the Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago.

Do I have to complete an application?

No application is required for Writer’s Studio courses. There is a required application for the Master of Liberal Arts.

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