Unlock your creativity: Join our immersive creative writing course and embark on a transformative literary journey. Dive into the art of storytelling and hone your skills in crafting compelling narratives. This course will guide you from inspirational readings and discussions to hands-on writing assignments. You will explore new writing techniques on the examples of contemporary short story writers, and ultimately discover the power of your unique voice as you delve into character development, vivid descriptions, and gripping plotlines.
Mode of instruction: | On-campus (3 weeks) |
Academic dates: | Sunday 15 June - Thursday 3 July 2025 (Tentaive) |
Housing dates: | Friday 13 June - Monday 7 July 2025 (Tentative) |
Academic Fees: |
Student Fee: €1750*. Read more about what's included in the fees. Professional fee: €2000*. Read more about what's included in the fees. *Tentative prices subject to change. Final prices and dates will be published on 1 December |
Housing fees: |
€900* for a private room and shared facilities. Housing is optional. Read more about university-organised accomodation. *Tentative price subject to change. Final prices and dates will be published on 1 December |
Credits: | 6 European Credits. Read more about credits and credit transfer. |
Early admission deadline: |
Saturday 1 February 2025 Students who require a Schengen Visa to study in the Netherlands are strongly advised to apply before the early deadline to ensure there is enough time to secure a visa appointment before the programme begins. |
Final admission deadline: | Friday March 15 2025 |
Who is this programme for? |
Level: Bachelor's, master's and working professionals Background: Students with at least some university experience who are curious about writing techniques and discovering more about the craft of creating writing are encouraged to apply. Working professionals who would like to delve into the art are also welcome to apply. |
This course offers to teach students the basics of storytelling and inspire them to find their own unique writing voice and style. The course combines theoretical elements such as literary analysis of short stories with practical daily writing sessions where students will write on assigned prompts. An essential part of this course is peer review and feedback, where students will closely examine each other’s work.
In this three week programme, students will examine specific topics such as character development, setting, dialogue, point of view (POV), detail, writing with the senses, etc. The course will also have a visit to an art museum where students will immerse themselves and choose a painting which speaks to them before writing reflective art essay on it. Students will also have the opportunity to hear from professional writers who will share their experiences with their creative process and techniques, followed by an open discussion.
Dr. Jana Zilova is a passionate teacher and writer, currently teaching courses in creative writing at the Prague School of Creative Communication and at the Literary Academy in Prague. She has taught creative writing, literature, and film at Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3, in Paris. She worked as a writer and editor at WAN-IFRA, World Association of News Publishers, in Paris. Recently, she completed a course on creative writing at Stanford University. She is also the co-chair of a Screenwriting Workgroup within the platform NECS, the European Network for Cinema and Media Studies.Her research encompasses the analysis of contemporary short stories and creative writing techniques. Her academic work was published by Routledge, Campanotto Editore, and Interdisciplinary Press. She published articles in Prague Literary Review, Cinepur, The Prague Compass. Her poetry was published in an anthology of poetry, Sleep Snatcher, in 1998. She is currently working on a collection of short stories and a novella.
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