


The Art and Craft of Creative Writing
WCWP-40107
Creative writing begins when the spark of an idea ignites the fuel of language. The writer picks up a pen or presses fingers to the keyboard and begins to transform an idea into a story or a poem, an essay or novel, or any of a dozen other shapes. For those who would like to travel the road of creative writing, this class offers a map for the journey. Through the exploration of a wide variety of writing forms and styles, you will discover and develop a stronger sense of yourself as a writer. According to Ernest Hemingway, “The only kind of writing is rewriting,” and in this class you will have ample opportunities to practice and hone your writing skills through weekly assignments and read and critique exercises. This course is designed for both beginning and aspiring writers, and upon completion you will have formed established writing habits and gained a clear idea of the writing and revision process. The Art and Craft of Creative Writing class will give you the resources you need to move toward your short- and long-term writing goals. It provides an excellent opportunity for writers of all abilities, and from all genres, to practice their writing, and to acquire a deeper understanding of the true art and craft of creative writing.
What you'll learn
- Establish a writing habit.
- Develop a toolkit of writing exercises.
- Explore various writing forms and styles.
- Practice writing and revising.
- Create a sense of yourself as a writer, including both your short and long-term writing goals.
Course Information
Prerequisite: None
Fulfills 3 units towards requirements for the Creative Writing Certificate. Non-certificate students may take this class.
Course sessions
Section ID:
Class type:
This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.
Textbooks:
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft Paper
by Stephen King
ISBN / ASIN: 9781439156810
You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 4/11/2025
- 1st no meeting date: 5/26/2025
- Early Enrollment Discount: $525 ($550 if enrolled after 3/3/2025)
Note:
Schedule:
Instructor:
Lauren Flenniken

Lauren Flenniken is an English instructor at UC San Diego’s English Language Institute. She grew up in Southern California and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of California Santa Barbara in 2001 and received a Master of Arts in English from California State University Long Beach in 2006. She began her teaching career as a high school English teacher in Jeju-do, South Korea where she taught for 3 years. After leaving South Korea, Flenniken taught collegiate level English courses for two years at Salalah College of Technology in the Sultanate of Oman. This will be her third year teaching English at UC San Diego’s English Language Institute where she specializes in teaching intermediate to advanced writing courses.