“Imagination is everything. It is a preview of life’s coming attractions.”
–Albert Einstein
Whether you’re interested in taking individual courses or pursuing a creative writing diploma/degree, Selkirk College welcomes you. Join Renée Jackson-Harper and Leesa Dean, the program’s core faculty, as well as guest speakers and visiting writers who will take you on an exciting journey designed to immerse you in creative processes and help you find your voice.
What defines our creative writing program is a community of writers composed of small class sizes and intimate workshops. Gain confidence in communicating your ideas in a truly magical setting. Imagine sitting by the confluence of the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers to draft a poem, or walking along the Castlegar campus trails - a significant gathering place for Indigenous peoples - to conjure the final scene in your short story. In Nelson, classes are held at the Tenth Street campus, also home to Selkirk's renowned Music and Digital Art programs.
Situated in one of the most beautiful regions on earth, Selkirk College offers a safe, peaceful and vibrant sense of place for writers to explore their imaginations in fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama. Our creative writing classes are fully transferable to universities across Canada. Take your first two years with us and you’ll be set for success to complete your third and fourth year of a degree program elsewhere.
Creative Writing Courses for Fall 2022. Register Now!
Whether you are just beginning to explore your voice as a writer or you are working on a manuscript and would like support, Selkirk College's creative writing faculty welcomes you. This fall, we will be offering two sections of CWRT 100 (Introduction to Creative Writing I), in Nelson and Castlegar, and one online section of CWRT 200 (Manuscript Development I) with live seminars to keep you connected to your peers. In each of our courses, you can expect an engaging community of emerging writers, guest speakers, unique writing opportunities in the community, and expert feedback from the award-winning and widely published authors, Leesa Dean and Renee Harper.
All classes begin the week of September 6and finish week ending December 9.
CWRT 100: Introduction to Creative Writing I
This course offers an introduction to composition and experimentation in the genres of poetry and creative non-fiction. Students will develop a working knowledge of modern aesthetics in poetry and creative nonfiction, as well as an objective appreciation of their own "voice" in the context of those aesthetics.
Castlegar: Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, time TBA
Nelson: Thursday evenings, 6-7:50 pm + one-hour online lecture (asynchronous)
CWRT 100 is now available as an Open Studies course.
CWRT 200: Manuscript Development I
The emphasis of this second-year creative writing course will be on portfolio development and preparation of manuscripts for publication. Students will submit their own imaginative writing for workshop in any of the four genres: poetry, drama, fiction, or non-fiction. Students will also begin to develop professional practices through self-directed projects. Lectures will mirror the assigned readings and serve to initiate theoretical discussions on form, theory, and craft.
Online- Tuesdays, 4-5:50 pm (mandatory seminar) + optional seminar Thursdays 11-12 pm for professional practices
CWRT 200 is now available as an Open Studies course.
Essential Skills
Creative Writing students will develop the following essential skills, transferable to any career:
- Critical reading
- Concise writing
- Research
- Diagnosis
- Creative solutions
- Synthesizing ideas
- Revision
- Analysis
Career Pathways
Many modern workplaces prefer hiring creative individuals who pay attention to detail. Below is a list of common jobs for creative writers:
- University or College Professor
- Magazine or Literary Quarterly Editor
- Publisher
- Journalist
- Poet
- Novelist
- Freelance Writer
- Screenwriter
- Political Activist
- Citizen Journalist
- Theatre Director
- Fundraiser/Grant Writer for NGOs and NPOs
- Proposal Writer for Arts Organizations, Engineering Firms, Marketing and Web Developers
- Speech Writer for CEOs, Keynote Speakers, Politicians
- Science Journalist
- Technical writer
- Marketing/Communications Manager
- Copywriter
Just fill out this form and someone will be in touch shortly.
Program At-A-Glance
In the News
Connecting with the creative community and providing Selkirk College learners in different programs an opportunity to share their work, the Black Bear Review magazine is launching its 2021 edition on April 22 in a manner that fits with current times.
Love of literature united writers from both sides of the border as Eastern Washington University’s (EWU) graduate students recently returned to Selkirk College for the third annual A Stone’s Throw Writing Symposium.
Getting the right start at Selkirk College is exactly what Haley Seven Deers accomplished over the last two years in the School of University Arts & Sciences where she arrived as a 16-year-old who was homeschooled. In September, the young scholar will move to Kelowna where she will have the opportunity to complete her undergraduate degree with help from a $20,000 entrance scholarship.
Selkirk College students have collaborated on a print magazine – Black Bear Review, which showcases the unique creative talents of story tellers and illustrators who are part of the campus community. Created by Creative Writing and Digital Arts & New Media students, Selkirk College students were invited to submit their original words for inclusion in the second issue of the magazine.
What People are Saying
