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WiSe 21/22: Creative Writing

Gregor Wolfgang Hens

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Topic: The world is changing rapidly, forcing us all to adapt. As you are preparing to enter the workforce, economic uncertainty, the effects of the pandemic, climate change and even the prospect of life extension technology are shaping your expectations about the life you will live and the world your children will inherit. One productive way of dealing with the complexity of the situation in which you are finding yourself is to write about it. Narrative, poetic and otherwise creative writing can help us to center ourselves in an evolving present, and to sort through seemingly intractable problems and complex social or psychological issues. This course is designed to guide you as you transform your ideas about the contemporary world into a well-considered piece of literary writing. The resulting text may be fictional or non-fictional. It could take the form of a short story set in Berlin, a literary reportage, a creative essay, a series of poems or even the beginning chapter of a novel. Program: The workshop-style course will be conducted entirely online. We will meet weekly in various formats – full class sessions, smaller groups and individual consultations. You will work on your own text throughout the semester, and share and discuss it with your fellow students and the instructor. In addition, we will conduct short writing exercises and discuss assigned texts about the process of writing. Can I take this course? Yes – if you are interested in literature and wish to try your hand at creative writing. You should be open-minded toward your fellow students, and willing to share and discuss your work with them. You should be prepared to accept and dispense constructive criticism, and to establish a regular daily writing practice: a few minutes of notetaking after breakfast or a half hour of writing before you go to sleep. – Your English may not be perfect, but you are willing to own your mistakes and work on your grammar, vocabulary and style. Requirements and Grading: In order to earn 5 ECTS credits you will have to: attend online classes/meetings regularly (at least 80% of the time); engage with the reading materials and respond to a selection of them; post all writing assignments by the indicated due dates; respond to your fellow students' work online and in discussion. The final project, due on the last day of class, will be about ten pages in length. close