Our workshops introduce you to the craft of writing fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Over the course of a semester, you will learn ways of shaping stories and poems through various exercises and prompts. You'll read works by contemporary authors and use those works as models for your own writing, and classroom workshops offer a lively setting for students to respond to one another’s work.
At the end of the semester, you will have gained wide-ranging new skills in writing creatively, critiquing, and revising.
BA in Writing and Media
If you are interested in completing a BA in Writing and Media, you will take 15 credit hours of writing electives which may include creative writing workshops. By choosing a mix of writing electives, you’ll increase your creative and expressive capacities while also learning how to persuade different kinds of readers, how to work within different professional contexts, and how to compose compelling digital documents.
A complete list of major requirements, courses, and a proposed four-year program of study for the Writing and Media major are available in the UAB Undergraduate Catalog.
BA in English: Concentration in Creative Writing
If you are working toward your BA in English, you may choose to concentrate in Creative Writing by completing five workshops in addition to core English coursework. For more information on the BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing, see the UAB Undergraduate catalog.
Minor in Creative Writing
The minor in Creative Writing offers you an opportunity to write fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction as a complement to your major. A complete list of minor requirements and courses is available in the UAB Undergraduate Catalog.
Featured Alumni
-
Beth Shelburne
Journalist and writer Beth Shelburne has been named one of 10 PEN America 2018 Writing for Justice fellows. Read more about Beth.
-
Jason Aaron
Jason writes for Marvel Comics on titles like Thor and The Avengers. Read more about Jason.
-
Ashley Jones
Ashley is a poet who focuses on identity, history, civil rights, and gender. Read more about Ashley.
An interview with Ashley M. Jones, the next Alabama Poet Laureate
Publishing
Our undergraduates have opportunities to publish their work and to compete for awards and scholarships. They can also work as interns for our nationally circulated journals, Birmingham Poetry Review and NELLE, and many are involved with UAB’s literary journal Aura.
Creative Writing Prizes
The Creative Writing program offers several prizes for the best work of short fiction, creative nonfiction, and the best poem or group of poems produced by students. Prizes of $200 each are awarded annually.
- The Barksdale-Maynard Prizes in Fiction and Poetry are made possible by a gift from Isabel Barksdale-Maynard in honor of her family.
- The Tom Brown Prize for Creative Nonfiction is named in honor of Dr. Thomas H. Brown, chair of the English Department from 1984-1992.
To be eligible you must be a currently enrolled UAB student in good standing with the University. Contact the director of Creative Writing for more details.
Resources
Contact
Adam Vines
Director of Creative Writing
University Hall 5024
(205) 934-5317