Writing classes in our department offer students workshops in beginning, intermediate, and advanced poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction writing. Students also engage in the advanced study of the form and theory of writing and have the opportunity to be involved in Fredonia's undergraduate literary journal or internships. Below is the list of writing courses offered in Fall 2024. Please see the University Catalog for a complete list of courses in every department.
| WRTG 217 Writing for RPGs | Shawn Merwin Section 01 | Students will examine roleplaying games (RPGs) in terms of the writing that forms and drives them. We'll look at how roleplaying games are constructed, how their rules act as facilitators of both experiences and narratives, and how diverse types of writing are needed to create them. |
| WRTG 260 Introduction to Creative Writing | Jason Bussman Section 01 Section 02 | Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry: oh my! In this introductory course, we will venture over the rainbow to the land of writing activities, short fiction, writing workshops and beyond. Be careful: once you venture into these waters, you may never be the same! |
| WRTG 260 Introduction to Creative Writing | Rebecca Cuthbert Section 03 Section 04 | As the prerequisite for all higher-level creative writing courses, this multi-genre course will introduce core concepts in creative writing, with readings of published works and peer works, as well as regular writing exercises. |
| WRTG 261 Introduction to Writing Professions | Dr. Natalie Gerber Section 01 | So you want to be a writer? Explore professions for writers while learning principles of professional communication, visual design, and professional genres. As a final project, see if you can work collaboratively to change something on campus through your persuasive writing! |
| WRTG 361 Intermediate Fiction Writing | Rebecca Cuthbert Section 01 Section 02 | We will read and discuss professionally published stories, and create your own short stories in a collaborative workshop environment. Peers will help one another develop their stories and skills through conversation and written feedback, and students will be able to revise their work at the semester's end. |
| WRTG 364 Literary Publishing | Michael Sheehan Section 01 | The central focus of this course is the production of The Trident literary magazine. Students will serve as editors who solicit, screen, select, and publish creative writing in the latest annual issue. |
| WRTG 365 Form and Theory of Writing | Michael Sheehan Section 01 | In this course, we will consider creative writing that goes beyond the page and experiment with forms of writing across different genres (erasure poetry, graphic memoir, video games, and more). |
WRTG 367
| Dr. Scott Johnston Section 01 | This is a non-fiction writing workshop course in which students compose papers in argumentation exposition and narration. Take this course - It's laid back and fun! |
| WRTG 372 Grammar and Style for Writers | Dr. David Kaplin Section 01 | We will examine complex grammar rules and stylistic conventions to hone your non-fiction and fiction prose writing and to better understand and appreciate the writing of others. Not for grammar beginners! |
| WRTG 374 Writing and Social Change | Dr. Birger Vanwesenbeek
| This writing-intensive course will explore, through both theory and practice, the rhetorical modalities that shaped the modern tradition of activist discourse, from the open letter and the “we-essay” to the first-person essay and the contemporary podcast. |
| WRTG 377 Academic Writing | Dr. Susan Spangler Section 01 | Brush up on your writing for courses in different academic areas like history, science, the arts, and more. Through a writing workshop, we'll focus on the best methods of writing for all your courses at Fredonia. |
| WRTG 399 Special Topics: Ethics in Journalism | Dr. Jeanette McVicker Section 01 | We'll explore contemporary dilemmas facing journalists, such as re-imagining 'objectivity,' threats to free expression, and the impact of a lack of newsroom diversity. |
| WRTG 399 Special Topics: World Building for Stories and Games | Shawn Merwin Section 02 | We will look at how worlds are built to support various media, from fiction to tabletop roleplaying games. We will create our own worlds and settings, and then we will create stories and games within them. |
| WRTG 463 Advanced Creative Non-fiction | Dr. Heather McEntarfer Section 01 | Students will write longer works of creative nonfiction, likely (but not definitely) with a focus on literary journalism. Much class time will focus on workshop. |
| WRTG 495 Writing Capstone | Michael Sheehan Section 01 | To wrap your Writing major, create a personal, professional portfolio showcasing samples of your writing and skills in order to persuasively position you toward your next chapter, whatever that may be. Writers will also organize and participate in a senior capstone reading. |