Everyone has a story inside of them. How you tell it is up to you.

Creative writing is a discipline where you bring your entire self, along with your influences, interests, and identities to communicate truths about the world around you. A collaborative community of creative storytellers, the creative writing program at Lawrence focuses on fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting, and playwriting as expressive mediums. 

You will hone your craft with the support of your peers in small, intimate workshop settings within writing courses. Developing a complex understanding of the art of writing requires a lot of reading, too. That's why, as a track within English, the creative writing curriculum intertwines with literature courses for a broader understanding.

Ellen Baker '97

Alumni Perspective


“I think that is something I learned at Lawrence, or that I came to value at Lawrence. The privilege of intellectual freedom, the privilege to think about the things you want to think about, the privilege to pursue the lines of inquiry you want to pursue. For me, that line of inquiry is simply how to understand the human experience, how to convey human experience, how to bring the past to life in ways that possibly can help us to not repeat the same mistakes.”

Ellen Baker ’97, Novelist
Psychology
Round Pond, Maine

Academics

Timothy Spurgin | Open Office

Lawrence students visit the office of Timothy Spurgin, Bonnie Glidden Buchanan Professor of English Literature and Associate Professor of English.

An image of posters about various student led activities
Student Organization

The Lawrentian

Write, edit, and more with Lawrence's student newspaper, published since 1884.

From poetry to prose, nonfiction to novels.

Creative writing curriculum includes both writing and literature courses.

Learn writing from published writers as your professors.

The lodge at Bjorklunden

A Real Retreat


Take part in weekend writing retreats with renowned authors on the shores of Lake Michigan at the Björklunden estate.

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David McGlynn teaches an Advanced Creative Writing: Fiction class

Shape your story

Every creative writing major completes an intensive Senior Experience seminar in which they produce a work of original poetry or prose and present it to the public.

Graduate listens to Commencement ceremony in the Banta Bowl

Creative Writing Outcomes

The ability to write is prized by many professions, leading creative writing graduates toward careers and advanced degrees in fields like English, journalism, law, marketing, and business.

On Any Given Day...

...discover an array of opportunities that await you at Lawrence University.

Can you picture yourself at Lawrence? Apply for admission.

The best way to find out if Lawrence is the university for you is by visiting.

Your virtual tour starts at the Arch but be sure to check out Main Hall, to explore humanities learning spaces.

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