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Berkeley Global
Portrait, story and reflection: these are three forms of creative nonfiction. Learn to apply the techniques of storytelling to nonfiction prose pieces, including personal essays, features, commentaries, reviews, reports, journal entries and memoirs. In this course, you read outstanding writers in several of these genres, looking for the qualities that make their work vivid and meaningful, and with steady encouragement work on writing your own creative nonfiction. Together, the instructor and other participants form your audience, offering support and critical feedback about your pieces. Weekly class discussions and writing assignments focus on story principles—such as plot, tension, scene and dialogue—that increase the readability of your work and form your material into publishable pieces.
Course Outline
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Course Objectives
- Sample some of the best contemporary nonfiction writing
- Analyze selected writings and recognize the techniques used
- Sharpen your writing with directed exercises
- Begin or continue with your own nonfiction projects
- Revise and rewrite in the light of constructive criticism
What You Learn
- What creative nonfiction is
- Personal voice
- Memoir
- Profile
- Literary essay
- Style and revision
- Where to publish creative nonfiction
How You Learn
- Reading assignments
- Instructor’s notes
- Discussion participation and assignments
- Writing assignments
- Final project
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Sections
Fall enrollment opens on June 20!
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Once a section for this class is available, we will email you with enrollment information.
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This course applies to the following programs:
Interdisciplinary Writing Program
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Individualized Study Plan
- Effective Writing in the Workplace
- Writing for Social Media
- Grammar, Mechanics and Usage for Editors
- Journalism Workshop
- Science Writing
- Writing the Feature Story
- Introduction to Public Relations Writing
- Writing and Editing Internship Program
- Editorial Workshop I: Introduction to Copyediting
- Writing Skills Workshop
- Writing Creative Nonfiction
- Creative Nonfiction Workshop
- Developing the Memoir
- Developing the Memoir II
- The Craft of Reading
- The Craft of Writing
- Exploring Creative Writing
- Introduction to Writing Fiction
- Intermediate Fiction Writing
- Advanced Fiction Writing
- Developing the Novel
- Screenwriting: The Art of Visual Storytelling
- Poetry Workshop
- Poets Studied and in Conversation
- American Fiction
- Great Novels You Always Meant to Read
- Mystery Fiction
- Shakespeare
- Editorial Workshop II: Intermediate Copyediting
- Advanced Editorial Workshop
- Indexing: Theory and Application
- Technical Communication I
- Technical Communication II
- Technical Communication III: Information Design
Professional Writing Program
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Required Courses
- Effective Writing in the Workplace
- Introduction to Public Relations Writing
- Writing for Social Media
Electives
- Writing Skills Workshop
- Journalism Workshop
- Writing the Feature Story
- Editorial Workshop I: Introduction to Copyediting
- Technical Communication I
- Writing Creative Nonfiction
- Creative Nonfiction Workshop
- Screenwriting: The Art of Visual Storytelling
- Science Writing
Capstone Project
Course of Related Interest
Certificate Program in Writing
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Required Courses
Electives (Literature)
- American Fiction
- Contemporary Voices: Speaking From the Margins
- Fact or Fiction: Reading and Writing the Personal Essay
- Great Novels You Always Meant to Read
- 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
- Mystery Fiction
- Re-envisioning the Past Through Historical Fiction
- Shakespeare
- Short-Story Masterpieces
- Meet the Writer: Guided Study and Discussion With Fiction Writers
- Ursa Minor Production Class
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
- Screenwriting Workshop
- Writing and Appreciating Poetry
- Poetry Workshop
- Poets Studied and in Conversation
- Writing Creative Nonfiction
- Creative Nonfiction Workshop
- Developing the Memoir
- Developing the Memoir II
- Journalism Workshop
- Science Writing
- Writing the Feature Story
- Writing and Editing Internship Program
Courses of Related Interest
Notes
Departmental contact: extension-letters@berkeley.edu | (510) 643-8916Instructional 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: 115
Note: You do not need to submit test scores.