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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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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 446.2E

Writing for Young Readers I

Get a strong introduction to writing for children, from picture books through complex young adult novels, in this workshop perfect for beginners.
WRITING 712.1

Writing High-Impact Short Stories

A targeted seminar on techniques to give short stories resonance, weight, and impact in the least amount of words. 
WRITING 731.6

Writing Occasional Poems

Learn to write poems for specific occasions in this class offering an overview to new and continuing writers.

WRITING 714.4E

Writing Our Ancestors Into Fiction

Draw connections between our present-day lives and interests with those of our ancestors as you work to draw them into your writing with care and craft.