Creative Writing Courses for Yale College Students Spring 2026
Students may take more than one creative writing class in the same term, but not two in the same genre: Drama, Fiction, Nonfiction and Journalism, Poetry. In addition, students who enroll in ENGL 4400/4401 The Creative Writing Concentration Senior Project may not enroll in any other creative writing course in the same term.
Courses may be searched under the Course Information Attribute “YC ENGL Creative Writing” on Yale Course Search (YCS).
Visit Canvas Sites for Course Enrollment Information
Applications for courses that require them in advance may be due as early as noon on Friday, November 21. Please check the course sites on Canvas for registration and/or application information and deadlines; these can be accessed through YCS by clicking on the Syllabus link in the course window. In most cases, students may enroll during registration period by submitting an instructor permission request through YCS, or by enrolling on a first-come-first-served basis, depending on the course. Where an application is required, please also submit an instructor permission request through YCS. Instructors will approve admitted student requests in YCS; approved students must then return to YCS to Confirm Changes and complete registration in the course. Admitted students who do not complete registration in the course by December 5 (or the date requested by the instructor, whichever comes first) may have their places filled from the waiting list. Applicants who submit after the instructor’s deadline may be accepted to the waiting list.
Independent Creative Writing Courses
Proposals for the the following independent study courses are due by noon on November 4. Students will be notified by November 14 whether the proposal has been approved or revisions are required.
ENGL 3400 Tutorial in Writing. Staff. ENGL 3400 Proposal
ENGL 4400 The Creative Writing Concentration Senior Project. Staff. ENGL 4400 Proposal
Special Writing Courses
ART 0740/ENGL 0440 Writer as Designer, Designer as Writer. Rachel Kauder Nalebuff and Alice Chung.
ENGL 2013 (formerly ENGL 413) Literary Production: Prose. James Surowiecki.
ENGL 2013 does not count toward the Creative Writing Concentration.
Introductory Creative Writing Courses
MULTIGENRE
ENGL 1023 (formerly ENGL 123) Introduction to Creative Writing. Derek Green, Clare Sestanovich.
ENGL 1023 counts as an introductory course for English Majors; does not count towards the Creative Writing Concentration.
ENGL 3412 Writing about Faith. Danielle Chapman.
FICTION
ENGL 2441 (formerly ENGL 404) The Craft of Fiction. Adam Sexton, Sophia Veltfort.
Intermediate Creative Writing and Journalism Courses
POETRY
ENGL 2421 (formerly ENGL 406) The Craft of Poetry. Maggie Millner.
ENGL 3421 (formerly ENGL 408) Poetry Writing. Cynthia Zarin.
DRAMA
ENGL 3433 (formerly ENGL 436) Narrative Podcasts. Aaron Tracy.
ENGL 3434 (formerly ENGL 425) Writing the Television Drama. Derek Green.
FICTION
ENGL 3441 (formerly ENGL 407) Fiction Writing. R. Clifton Spargo.
ENGL 3442 (formerly ENGL 428) Young Adult Writing. Jake Halpern.
ENGL 3443 (formerly ENGL 438) Writing Fiction from the Archives. R. Clifton Spargo.
NONFICTION and JOURNALISM
ENGL 3450 (formerly ENGL 450) Daily Themes. Kim Shirkhani.
ENGL 3452 (formerly ENGL 454) Creative Writing Nonfiction, Voice and Structure. Richard Deming.
ENGL 3453/FILM 3970/TDPS 2302 (formerly ENGL 423) Writing about the Performing Arts. Margaret Spillane.
ENGL 3456 Writing Historical Figures. Heidi Stalla.
ENGL 3459 (formerly ENGL 429) Writing Humor. Ryan Wepler.
ENGL 3461 (formerly ENGL 421) Nonfiction Writing: Writing about Clothes. Kate Bolick.
EVST 3224/ENGL 3467 (formerly ENGL 418) Writing About the Environment. Alan Burdick.
ENGL 3474 (formerly ENGL 416) Writing from the Archive: Imagining the Real. Adina Hoffman.
Advanced Creative Writing and Journalism Courses
MULTIGENRE
CPLT 3005/ENGL 3415/HUMS 1997/JDST 3843 (formerly ENGL 483) Advanced Literary Translation. Peter Cole.
POETRY
ENGL 4421 (formerly ENGL 460) Advanced Poetry Writing. Meghan O’Rourke.
DRAMA
ENGL 4434 (formerly ENGL 461) The Art and Craft of Television Drama. Aaron Tracy.
ENGL 4435/FILM 4010/TDPS 4021 (formerly ENGL 462) Writing Screenplay Adaptations. Donald Margulies.
FICTION
ENGL 4441 (formerly ENGL 465) Advanced Fiction Writing. Amity Gaige, Claire Messud.
NONFICTION
ENGL 4454 (formerly ENGL 463) Writing Outsiderness and Interiority. Rachel Kaadzi Gansah.
ENGL 4455 (formerly ENGL 455) Writing about Oneself. Anne Fadiman.
ENGL 4458/AMST 3313/ARCH 3118 (formerly ENGL 478) Writing about Place. Cynthia Zarin.
ENGL 4460 (formerly ENGL 467) Journalism. Susan Dominus.
ENGL 4461 (formerly ENGL 480) Writing About Justice and Injustice. Sarah Stillman
Questions? Contact Erica Sayers or Jane Bordiere.