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Students in the "Creative Writing Workshop" summer program strike a celebratory pose on USC's campus.

Become a Summer Trojan and earn college credit.

Immerse yourself in the craft of creative writing. In this course, students will collaborate and ignite their imagination while experimenting with different creative writing genres, including the personal essay, creative nonfiction, flash fiction and the short story. Throughout this process, you’ll learn about the literary techniques of successful writers, develop your writing voice through constructive feedback and find inspiration on field trips in Los Angeles. Let’s write!

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This workshop is designed for those who have little or no experience in creative writing but are eager to give it a try. Each week will allow students to dig into a different genre, while exploring key tenets of creative writing.

Students will learn to “read like a writer” by analyzing accomplished authors’ techniques — from theme and plot to dialogue and imagery — and critiquing their peers’ work.

They’ll also learn how to “write like a reader” by experimenting with these craft elements, ultimately producing a portfolio of their own work, including a polished personal essay suitable for college applications.

Through it all, students will gain skills they can carry into their future writing lives.

A student in the "Creative Writing Workshop" summer program sits on a bench in The Huntington gardens, looking at a laptop with her chin propped on her hand and a backpack next to her.

Topics of Study

  • Personal essay
  • Creative nonfiction
  • Flash fiction
  • Short story
  • Literary techniques of accomplished authors

Learning Highlights

  • Build a toolkit of narrative techniques, the elements of writing as a craft
  • Engage with published material from the perspective of writing techniques
  • Develop a sense of audience awareness when writing
  • Grow collaborative communication skills through weekly workshops and instructor conferences
  • Draft and revise four written pieces, including a college application essay

Requirements

  • Students must bring their own laptops
WeekFocusKey TopicsAssignments and Activities
1Personal EssayOpenings; showing versus telling; themePractice techniques to help with college application essays, including strategies for applying to USC (if applicable).
2Creative Non-fictionTone; imagery; tensionLearn strategies for writing about one’s life and experience with style.
3Flash FictionPoint of view; dialogue; settingIntroduction to the basics of writing vivid, imaginative fiction via short-form stories (fewer than 1,000 words).
4Short StoryConflict; characters; structureDeeper dives into writing fiction, this time with an emphasis on longer-form stories.

I truly learned to better my creative writing through this course and enjoyed my one-on-one meetings.

— USC Summer Programs student participant
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