Creative Writing Guidelines

Students interested in creative writing can design individualized curricula in fiction, poetry, drama, film or television script writing, or nonfiction prose. In addition, students in drama who also have a strong background in directing or acting may choose to pursue play writing.

See what our creative writing graduates say about their experiences and read some of their writing in the Alumni Profiles section of the Creative Writing Website.

The Antioch program differs from other programs in two fundamental ways:

(1) It is a limited-residency program in which you study in your community where you recruit your degree committee;

(2) the curriculum is individualized, you design your course of study with the help of your committee.

The ILPS master of arts program appeals to two categories of writers: those who have had some success and want to earn a master’s degree in order to improve their professional standing and those who want to use the program to improve their writing in order to publish. The emphasis in this program is on the student as a writer. For unpublished writers, the goal is to become published.

The ILPS master of arts program has an administrative and academic structure that allows each student to design and write a curriculum that meets the student’s individual needs while meeting professional standards for a master or arts degree in creative writing. In preparing to design an individualized curriculum, students begin surveying writing programs to see what they have in common.

Any academic discipline has certain features that all programs will share. It is crucial to include in an individualized curriculum a student those areas of study that all programs have in common. But ILPS students have the freedom to include special areas of study that traditional programs do not require or make available as electives. For example, a student may choose to study religion and fiction in depth, focusing on Flannery O’Connor and John Updike. Another student may be interested in 20th century fiction set in California. If you have a special interest, you usually can study it in the ILPS master of arts program if it is academically sound.

The study of literature is inseparable from learning the craft of writing. Technique is a means to an end and not an end in itself, so students should study select writers who serve as models of good writing.

This student-centered and student-initiated program includes many responsibilities on the student, such as the obligation to find his or her degree committee members and faculty. At first this may seem an obstacle difficult to overcome but, in fact, students find one of the real benefits of the program is picking the degree committee members and faculty with whom to study. Antioch does not have a list of faculty from which to pick. Students need to identify faculty in their communities. This is not as difficult as it sounds, and the Antioch faculty adviser to ILPS creative writing students can play an active role in helping each student find the right committee members. Students can usually find committee members by contacting English departments at local universities, state-based arts councils, and directories such as one provided by Poets and Writers that has a state-by-state breakdown. One contact then leads to other contacts.

The degree committee plays a significant role in helping the student design an individualized curriculum that meets the student’s particular focus as a writer. Besides assisting with the individualized curriculum, the committee evaluates the student’s progress at midpoint review and candidacy status review meetings. A major role of the committee is providing guidance to the student in writing the thesis, which can be a novel, collection of short stories or poems, play, or film or television script.

The master of arts program is a 60-credit program, consisting of the following:

Foundations Courses:
Applied Curriculum Design (5 credits)
The Professional Writer (5 credits)

Theory and Electives: (15 credits)
Genre theory, critical theory (literary), and courses in individual artists, periods, special topics, or genre writing outside major.

Specialization: (25 credits)
Students complete individualized study in craft and technique in their genre—poetry, fiction (novel or short study), nonfiction, screenwriting, or playwriting. These courses are designed to address specific genre goals and progress toward writing the thesis.

Capstone Learning:
Creative writing thesis (10 credits)

Students recruit individual faculty members who serve as mentors for the individualized courses. The degree committee can serve in this capacity in addition to their committee responsibilities.

Antioch’s ILPS master of arts program with a major in creative writing provides an academic structure that students use to design individualized curriculum to realize their goals as writers. The advantages are many. The program fits the way writers work and learn best. Writers work by themselves and need constructive criticism of their writing--both the form and content. Writers want individual instruction that responds to their artistic vision. The ILPS master of arts program provides this.

In applying to the ILPS master of arts program, students need to fill out the application and send it along with the nonrefundable application fee and goals statement to the admissions office. A writing sample (two short stories, a few novel chapters. a selection of poems, a play or script), two letters of recommendation, and official transcripts (registrar to registrar) are also required. Once your materials are received, your application will be processed. It is most important that students answer the questions posed in the goals statement as completely as possible. The more detail provided the better it is for the admission committee to make a decision.

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