Earn a living doing what you love and loving what you do.

Francis Marion University’s creative writing program provides students with the opportunity to pursue their passions for poetry, prose, and playwriting while acquiring valuable and necessary experience for a variety of diverse career paths such as writing for print and the web, editing, publishing, marketing, event coordinating, teaching, writing as therapy, and more.

Creative writing students will work directly with successful writers and poets in classes and on projects such as Snow Island Review, FMU’s literary and arts journal created by students for students.Every fall, FMU hosts the annual Pee Dee Fiction and Poetry Festival with readings and discussion panels featuring award-winning and widely celebrated poets and writers. During the festival, students will have the opportunity to participate in lively, informed discussions with the world-renowned authors themselves, a truly unique and meaningful experience for beginning writers.At FMU, students may pursue a minor or a collateral in creative writing or take creative writing classes as electives. For more information about the creative writing program, contact:

Dr. Jo Angela Edwins
Professor of English
Founders Hall 101
(843) 661-1499

Dr. Landon Houle
Assistant Professor of English
Founders Hall 107
(843) 661-1509

Courses

You can earn a minor or collateral in Creative Writing at Francis Marion. Note: Professional Writing majors cannot have a CW minor or collateral because of crossover courses.

Creative Writing Minor

Courses required for the minor (18 credit hours):

ENG 367 – Creative Writing: Fiction Workshop

ENG 368 – Creative Writing: Advanced Fiction Workshop

ENG 370 – Creative Writing: Poetry Workshop

ENG 371 – Creative Writing: Advanced Poetry Workshop

ENG 372 – Creative Writing: Playwriting Workshop

Plus ENG 366 Creative Writing: Literary Nonfiction Workshop (strongly recommended) or an additional 300 or 400-level writing course.

Creative Writing Collateral

In the Creative Writing collateral, you will earn a total of 12 credit hours in English and Creative Writing in addition to the general education requirements.

Courses required for the collateral (4 of 6):

ENG 366 – Creative Writing: Literary Nonfiction Workshop

ENG 367 – Creative Writing: Fiction Workshop

ENG 368 – Creative Writing: Advanced Fiction Workshop

ENG 370 – Creative Writing: Poetry Workshop

ENG 371 – Creative Writing: Advanced Poetry Workshop

ENG 372 – Creative Writing: Playwriting Workshop

Experience & Opportunities

While at FMU, you will get first-hand on-the-job experience while completing graduation requirements. You will have the opportunity to work both as a reader and potentially an editor of our student literary magazine, Snow Island Review. You will also have the opportunity to apply for a junior coordinator position at the Pee Dee Fiction and Poetry Festival. In this position, you will gain experience in event coordination and literary marketing. You will also work directly with successful writers and poets.