Skip to main content
Logo for Berkeley Extension

Wait!

Enter your email address to save your cart.

Your privacy is important to us.

Email Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important to us!

We do not share your information with other organizations for commercial purposes.

We only collect your information if you have subscribed online to receive emails from us.

We do not partner with or have special relationships with any ad server companies.

If you want to unsubscribe, there is a link to do so at the bottom of every email.

Read the full Privacy Policy.

Back to your information.

Thank you, and welcome to the UC Berkeley Extension community!

The following fields are required:
Error has occurred. Please reload this page and try the operation again.
  • Agents
  • Student Login
  • Instructor Login
Extension homepage
      • Areas of Study
        • Art and Design
        • Behavioral Health Sciences
        • Business
          • Accounting
          • Business Administration
          • Economics
          • Finance
          • Leadership and Management
          • Marketing
          • Project Management
          • See the full list
        • Construction and Sustainability
        • Education
        • Humanities and Languages
        • Mathematics and Statistics
        • Sciences and Biotechnology
          • Biology
          • Chemistry and Physics
          • Clinical Laboratory Science
          • Health Advising
          • Life Science Business and Biotechnology
          • Online Sciences Courses
          • See the full list
        • Technology and
          Information Management
        • Writing, Editing and
          Technical Communication
      • Transfer Credit
        • Transfer Credit Courses
      • Online Learning
        • Online Courses and Certificates
      • Events
        • Information Sessions
      • Academic Services
        • Enrollment
        • Transcripts
        • General Information
        • Community Guidelines
        • Locations
      • Course and Program Information
        • Online Course Policies
        • Certificates, Programs and CEUs
        • Concurrent Enrollment
        • International Student Services
      • Student Aid
        • Disability Support Services
        • Financial Assistance
      • Voices
        • Voices Home
        • Educator Insights
        • Student Stories
        • Professional Pathways
        • Industry Trends
      • Events
        • Information Sessions
        • Free and Low Cost Events
  • Berkeley Global

Exploring Creative Writing

ENGLISH X438

3255811
Delivery Options Online

Get an overview of common forms and genres of written self-expression, including personal essay/memoir, poetry, short fiction and novel. You experiment and discover in a safe environment. The course curriculum helps you learn and practice a variety of genres, forms and styles toward further developing your skills as a creative writer.

In class assignments, you focus on the shorter forms to maximize the number of genres in which you can experiment.

Course Outline

Expand or collapse section

Course Objectives

  • Share a structural overview of several different forms of written self-expression, and write in each of those forms
  • Develop the discipline of regular writing in order to understand the importance of revision and develop your ability to revise
  • Apply feedback on your work and assess your own strengths and areas of interest
  • Offer constructive advice on the work of others

What You Learn

  • Personal essay 
  • Voice and humor
  • Poetry craft
  • Short story craft
  • Novel synopsis
  • Beginning a Long Form (novel, memoir, poetry collection) 
  • Revision
  • On being a writer

How You Learn

  • Discussion assignments
  • Written assignments, including essays, poems, short stories, novel synopsis and long form opening
  • Reading assignments
Loading...

Sections

Section 036

Sep 23 to Dec 16

Type: Online, Fixed Date

Instructor:

  • Caroline Goodwin

Cost: $885.00

See section 036 Details

Type Online, Fixed Date

Dates

Sep 23, 2025 to Dec 16, 2025

Instructional Hours

30.00

Delivery Options

Online

Available for Credit

2 semester units

Section Notes

This Fixed Date Online course starts on September 23 and ends on December 16.

Fixed-Date Online courses have specific start and end dates. Students will receive access to the course in Canvas on the course start date. Course information will be emailed to enrolled students and posted to the announcements page in Canvas.

Section Materials

  • Textbook

    (Mandatory)

    In the Palm of Your Hand: The Poet's Portable Workshop by Steve Kowit

    Tilbury House Publishers ISBN 0884481492 Textbook ISBN: 9780884481492
  • Textbook

    (Mandatory)

    The Situation and the Story: The Art of Personal Narrative by Vivian Gornick

    © 2002 Farrar, Straus and Giroux 1st edition ISBN 0374528586 Textbook ISBN: 9780374528584

Fall 2025 enrollment opens on June 16!

This course applies to the following programs:

Certificate Program in Creative Writing

Expand or collapse section

Required Courses

  • The Craft of Reading
  • The Craft of Writing
  • Writing Skills Workshop

Electives (Literature)

  • American Fiction
  • Contemporary Voices: Speaking From the Margins
  • Great Writers Steal: How the Work of Other Writers Can Inform and Inspire You
  • The Handmaid’s Tale: Writing Dystopia, the Female Gothic and Social Commentary
  • Re-envisioning the Past Through Historical Fiction
  • Reading the Postmodern: Writing and Rewriting Genre, Gender, and Culture
  • Shakespeare
  • Adaptations & Retellings
  • Banned Books

Electives (Writing Workshop)

  • Exploring Creative Writing
  • Introduction to Writing Fiction
  • Intermediate Fiction Writing
  • Advanced Fiction Writing
  • Writing Genre Fiction: Science Fiction, Mystery, Romance and More
  • Mystery Writing
  • Developing the Novel
  • Screenwriting: The Art of Visual Storytelling
  • Poetry Workshop
  • Creative Nonfiction Workshop
  • Developing the Memoir

Courses of Related Interest

Learn More About This Program

Notes

Departmental contact: extension-letters@berkeley.edu

Instructional Types

Live Online
Live Online courses provide an interactive learning experience with scheduled synchronous online sessions held via Zoom video conferencing (Pacific Time). Learn more about the Live Online format.
Online, Start Anytime
Continuous enrollment course begins when you enroll. You have a minimum of 90 days and a maximum of 180 days to complete the course.
Online, Fixed Date
Enroll in this course by its start date and complete it by its specified end date. There are no live sessions, but plenty of opportunities to collaborate with your classmates and instructor.
Classroom
Take classes in-person at one of our buildings or partner locations.

English Language Proficiency Requirements

All of our courses are taught in English. If English is not your first language, please use the following test scores as guides in order to be successful:

  • TOEFL: 90
  • IELTS Academic Format: 7
  • DAAD: C1
  • TEM-4 or TEM-8: Level 70
  • Duolingo: 125

Note: You do not need to submit test scores.

Extension homepage

1995 University Ave., Suite 130

Berkeley, CA 94704-7000

extension@berkeley.edu

Facebook Facebook Icon Twitter Twitter Icon LinkedIn LinkedIn Icon YouTube YouTube Icon Instagram Instagram Icon Medium Small Icon for Medium
WeChat QR code

Locations

  • Berkeley
  • San Francisco
  • Online
  • Other

Resources

  • About Us
  • Administration
  • Accessibility
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Privacy
  • Transcripts
  • Gifts
  • Jobs
  • Contact Us
Western Association of Schools and Colleges

The University of California, Berkeley, is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). UC Berkeley Extension—like all other UC Berkeley schools, colleges and departments—is accredited by WASC through the University.

Copyright © UC Regents

Powered by Modern Campus

Cookie Policy

By clicking “Accept All Cookies,” I agree to permit this website to share my information, including a device identifier and my browsing history on this site, with selected partners, including Google, Meta/Facebook and others, to enhance my browsing experience and to ensure that marketing communications are targeted to my needs in accordance with our Cookie Policy and our Privacy Policy.

Session Time-Out

For security reasons and the protection of your personal information, your session will time out due to a period of inactivity in minute(s) and second(s). Click Extend My Session to continue. For security reasons and the protection of your personal information, your session timed out after a period of inactivity. You will be redirected to the home page.

Confirm

Alert

Course Fee

Caroline Goodwin

Caroline Goodwin, M.F.A., moved to the Bay Area from Sitka, Alaska, in 1999 to attend Stanford University as a Wallace Stegner Fellow in poetry. Her poem "Snaketime III" was awarded runner-up in The Sewanee Review poetry contest 2019, judged by Carl Phillips. Her books include Custody of the Eyes (Dancing Girl Press, 2019), The Paper Tree (Big Yes Press, 2017), Peregrine  (Finishing Line Press, 2015) and Trapline (JackLeg Press, 2013). From 2014 - 16 she served as the first Poet Laureate of San Mateo County. 

Online

Processing...

Privacy Policy

Cookie Policy

This statement explains how we use cookies on our website. For information about what types of personal information will be gathered when you visit the website, and how this information will be used, please see our Privacy Policy.

How we use cookies

All of our web pages use "cookies". A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we place on your computer or mobile device if you agree. These cookies allow us to distinguish you from other users of our website, which helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and enables us to improve our website.

We use cookies and other technologies to optimize your website experience and to deliver communications and marketing activities that are targeted to your specific needs. Some information we collect may be shared with selected partners such as Google, Meta/Facebook or others. By browsing this site you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy. You can revoke your voluntary consent to participate in monitored browsing and targeted marketing by selecting “Disable All Cookies” below.

Types of cookies we use

We use the following types of cookies:

  • Strictly necessary cookies- these are essential in to enable you to move around the websites and use their features. Without these cookies the services you have asked for, such as signing in to your account, cannot be provided.
  • Performance cookies- these cookies collect information about how visitors use a website, for instance which pages visitors go to most often. We use this information to improve our websites and to aid us in investigating problems raised by visitors. These cookies do not collect information that identifies a visitor.
  • Functionality cookies- these cookies allow the website to remember choices you make and provide more personal features. For instance, a functional cookie can be used to remember the items that you have placed in your shopping cart. The information these cookies collect may be anonymized and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.

Most web browsers allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings. To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them please visit https://www.allaboutcookies.org/.

Specific cookies we use

The list below identify the cookies we use and explain the purposes for which they are used. We may update the information contained in this section from time to time.

  • JSESSIONID: This cookie is used by the application server to identify a unique user's session.
  • registrarToken: This cookie is used to remember items that you have added to your shopping cart
  • locale: This cookie is used to remember your locale and language settings.
  • cookieconsent_status: This cookie is used to remember if you've already dismissed the cookie consent notice.
  • _ga_UA-########: These cookies are used to collect information about how visitors use our site. We use the information to compile reports and to help us improve the website. The cookies collect information in an anonymous form, including the number of visitors to the website, where visitors have come to the site from and the pages they visited. This anonymized visitor and browsing information is stored in Google Analytics.

Changes to our Cookie Statement

Any changes we may make to our Cookie Policy in the future will be posted on this page.