Creative Writing

"The writing community at Ohio Northern is vital, in every sense of the word. The skills and knowledge I developed during my time writing at ONU—the opportunity to take workshops running the gamut from creative non-fiction to screenwriting, the fully student-managed publications, the truly outstanding talent, scope and drive of my peers, and the brilliant professors who took me seriously as a writer before anyone else did—it’s not something I could easily put up against many other undergraduate programs. In fact, I firmly believe that students learn more about the art and craft of creative writing at ONU than they might at many graduate programs across the country. I can’t say enough about it."
—Andrew Merecickey, '09, MFA in Creative Writing, UNLV

Did you know? The Creative Writing Department provides hands-on editing and production experience working on Polaris, the ONU journal of literature and the arts; emedia, the English Department online publication; and other department and University publications.

Creative writing, one of the five majors offered in the ONU Department of English, combines liberal-arts studies with a focus on creative expression (fiction, poetry, plays and screenplays) to enable students to develop their creative and intellectual capabilities to prepare for a variety of professional employment opportunities. Besides encouraging students to sharpen their abilities within their choice of genres, the major is designed to develop critical thinking and communication, organization, interpersonal, computer and research skills in a context of multicultural awareness. The program includes academic courses with literary models to stimulate writing, workshops, individual mentoring and advice on publishing venues. It also promotes diversity in student course selection, not only within the department but also in other disciplines, ensuring flexibility in academic study and career preparation as a complement to conceiving and completing creative works.

Distinctive Features:

A diverse and qualified faculty who bring their research and writing expertise to the classroom
Advanced seminar classes and writing workshops with intense faculty mentoring
Weekly meetings of two Ohio Northern University creative writers groups, one for screenwriting, one for fiction and poetry
Assistance and experience submitting creative work to journals and Web sites
Specialized orientation program the first quarter of freshman year
Emphasis on career development, starting in the first year
Original student research or literary work as a capstone project Senior Seminar
Enrichment program that encourages attendance at campus cultural events
Faculty-student trip for conferences and special events
Study-abroad options
Visiting writings sponsored by the department, in conjunction with the Cultural and Special Events Committee, including authors Michael Martone, John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates, Edward Albee, Nikkie Giovanni, Ursula Hegi, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Albert Goldbarth, Tom C. Hunley, and Elizabeth Kolbert
Membership in Sigma Tau Delta, an award-winning national English honor society