Announcements

 

There are still seats available for the Fall 2026 semester in the following creative writing classes.

These classes are open to ALL undergrad students at UT-Austin. You do not need to be enrolled in the Creative Writing Certificate Program.

 

CRW 325F #37405 -  FICTION WRITING  (Intro level fiction writing)  - Prof. Vallianatos - TTH 12:30PM–02:00PM 

CRW 330   #37424 -  LIT FOR WRITERS  (Post-Apocalytpic Narratives) -  Prof. Moffett - TTH 11:00AM–12:30PM 

CRW 325   #37390 -  TOPIC: "Writing Spectacle"  (Satire in Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror) - Prof. Frazier - TTH 02:00PM–03:30PM

 

Detailed class descriptions:

 

#37424 - Post-Apocalyptic Narratives - Prof. Moffett

We’ll spend the semester looking at the evolution and current landscape of the post-disaster narrative, where it’s going and where it’s been. Stories set in the ruins have long attracted satirists, sci-fi writers, social critics, and, more and more of late, writers of mainstream fiction. We’ll look at some exemplars and some oddballs, and discuss how these novels and stories readily borrow elements from other genres—pulp Westerns, the epic, fantasy, horror—and think about how to adapt them in your own work, whether you’re creating a world or destroying it. Possible texts include books by Cormac McCarthy, Octavia Butler, Walter Miller, Olga Ravn, Ling Ma, and others.

 

#37390 - Writing Spectacle - Prof. Frazier

This is a fiction writing class focused on the topic of “spectacle” in satirical and speculative literature, television, and film. Merriam Webster defines spectacle as “something exhibited to view as unusual, notable, or entertaining especially: an eye catching or dramatic public display” or as “an object of curiosity or contempt.”  In this course, we will examine the ways in which writers use spectacle to shape context, concepts, characters, and conflicts in speculative and satirical writing. Through this exploration, we will uncover different techniques for crafting narratives that utilize drama, humor, exaggeration, mystery, suspense, and social commentary. By the end of the class, students will produce, revise, and present an original narrative project of their own.  Readings will include Jonathan Swift, Alan Moore, Kate Folk, Charles Yu, as well as examples from film and television.

 

Spring 2027Admission

 

For Spring 2027 admission to the Creative Writing Certificate Program, the application window will open on September 1, 2026.