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Creative Writing

Creative Writing at UCLA Extension
Go from practiced to polished.

Whether you're looking to improve your writing for personal fulfillment, want to be published, or are preparing to apply to an MFA program, the Writers' Program can help you achieve your goals. You will find a supportive community of instructors, academic counselors and fellow students to help you on your journey.

We offer a wide range of open-enrollment courses, all of which may be taken individually. A guide on where to get started is provided below.

We also offer a fully customizable 21-unit Certificate in Creative Writing where you can develop professional creative writing skills in the genre of your choice.

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One of the nation's most prestigious open-enrollment creative writing programs.

Whether you're looking to improve your writing for personal fulfillment, want to be published, or are preparing to apply to an MFA program, the Writers' Program can help you achieve your goals. You will find a supportive community of instructors, academic counselors and fellow students to help you on your journey.

We offer a wide range of open-enrollment courses, all of which may be taken individually. A guide on where to get started is provided below.

We also offer a fully customizable 21-unit Certificate in Creative Writing where you can develop professional creative writing skills in the genre of your choice.

Creative Writing at UCLA Extension

What do you want to create?

GenreStart Here
NovelsBeginning Fiction
Short StoriesBeginning Fiction
MemoirsBeginning Creative Nonfiction
Personal EssaysBeginning Creative Nonfiction
Creative NonfictionBeginning Creative Nonfiction
PoetryPoetry
Young Adult NovelsWriting for Young Adults
Middle Grade NovelsWriting for Kids & Middle Grade
Picture BooksWriting Picture Books

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Creative Writing Certificate

Develop your skills in the genre of your choice, including fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and more.

This customizable program culminates in a capstone project where you will make significant progress on a polished collection of work.

Taught by a prestigious roster of instructors who are published writers and active professionals, courses can be taken onsite, online, or a combination of both.

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hand writing in a notebook
overhead perspective of a writer using a latop

Writers' Program Consultations

If you have a completed draft of a manuscript and need feedback for your work, consider a one-on-one consultation with a Writers’ Program instructor.

Consultations give you a full cover-to-cover read of your work, a written evaluation, and a follow-up conversation in person, via phone, or web chat.

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Creative Writing

Courses

WRITING X 411.1

Novel I

Start writing your novel in this workshop; guiding you through the building blocks of great books while teaching you essential tools for fiction writing.
WRITING X 411.2

Novel II

Continue progress on your novel by deepening your understanding of craft as you work scene-by-scene through your book.
WRITING X 411.3

Novel III

Make significant progress on your novel draft in this workshop where you refine character, story, and the emotional resonance of your story.
WRITING X 411.4

Novel IV

Enter the home stretch on writing your novel with this advanced course that helps you address your entire book and prepare for the revision processes.