The creative writing minor at California Baptist University offers a variety of writing workshops designed to develop students' personal voices, writing techniques, and expression of personal worldview. These workshops challenge students to critically engage the works of published authors and peers, refine their own written work, and explore avenues for public expression and publication.

At CBU, students will be part of a close-knit writing community that offers feedback, support and constructive criticism as they refine their craft and work to express both their personal worldview and universal themes in a variety of genres and formats. Students within the minor are encouraged to participate in CBU's Creative Writing Club and annual creative writing contest.

Courses include workshops in fiction, poetry, magazine writing, screenwriting, scripting writing, and creative non-fiction, and special topics are offered based on student and faculty interests.

The creative writing minor is designed to be a flexible addition to any major offered at CBU and offers students a chance to develop skills attractive to graduate schools and perspective employers. Students may continue on to a Master of Fine Arts program or pursue careers in writing. Students who wish to pursue careers in other fields will find that the creative writing minor better equips them to communicate their ideas in both their chosen fields and their personal lives.

Students completing the creative writing minor should demonstrate competency in the following areas by being able to:

  • Recognize and understand elements from multiple genres (poetry, fiction, drama, and non-fiction).
  • Incorporate an organized strategy of literary elements within their own writing.
  • Articulate and appraise the relationship between voice and worldview in peer, personal, and published writing.
  • Contribute to a writer's community through collaborative critique and workshop.
  • Synthesize a variety of revisionary techniques and critiques into personal creative writing.

This course introduces the creative writer to the literary genres of poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, and drama and to the writing workshop. Students will analyze examples in each genre and apply elements of form, technique, and meaning. The course is designed to help students develop a writing voice and practice each of the major genres.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG273-A
Alspach, Berniece
01/13/2025 TTh 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Health Science Campus A014
ENG273-B
Tronti, Jennifer
01/13/2025 MWF 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM James Complex 190
ENG273-A
Bartels Ray, Gretchen C.
09/02/2025 TTh 12:15 PM - 1:45 PM James Complex 166
ENG273-B
Fullman, Joshua Scott
09/02/2025 MWF 8:15 AM - 9:15 AM The Village at CBU 300

Complete one of the following sequences:

This course offers an intermediate writing workshop where students study the craft of fiction through analysis of multiple genres, such as micro-fiction, short stories, and novellas. Students develop skills in writing fiction through lecture, practice, peer workshop, and revision. The course emphasizes narrative, craft, and developing the writer's voice.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG384-A
Tronti, Jennifer
09/02/2025 MWF 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM James Complex 192

This advanced writing workshop builds on the foundational elements of writing fiction learned in previous coursework. Students read numerous published short stories and novellas, as well as readings discussing craft, technique, and theory. Students choose to write a novella or two substantial short stories.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG484-A
Tronti, Jennifer
01/13/2025 TTh 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM James Complex 191

or

This course offers an intermediate writing workshop where students study the craft of poetry through reading and analyzing of multiple forms poetry. Students develop skills in writing poetry through lecture, practice, peer workshop, and revision, with an emphasis on developing the writer's voice.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG385-A
Fullman, Joshua Scott
01/13/2025 MWF 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM James Complex 166

This advanced writing workshop builds on the foundational elements of poetry writing learned in previous coursework. Students read published poems and poetry collections as well as readings discussing craft, technique, and theory. Students write a substantial number of poems, highlighting significant themes emerging from the writer's voice.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG485-A
Fullman, Joshua Scott
09/02/2025 MWF 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM James Complex 191

Complete 6 units from the following: 

This course offers an intermediate writing workshop where students study the craft of fiction through analysis of multiple genres, such as micro-fiction, short stories, and novellas. Students develop skills in writing fiction through lecture, practice, peer workshop, and revision. The course emphasizes narrative, craft, and developing the writer's voice.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG384-A
Tronti, Jennifer
09/02/2025 MWF 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM James Complex 192

This course offers an intermediate writing workshop where students study the craft of poetry through reading and analyzing of multiple forms poetry. Students develop skills in writing poetry through lecture, practice, peer workshop, and revision, with an emphasis on developing the writer's voice.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG385-A
Fullman, Joshua Scott
01/13/2025 MWF 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM James Complex 166

An intensive writing workshop designed to permit the student to study and practice creative nonfiction in various forms: personal narrative, topical essay, lyric essay, memoir, etc.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG386-A
Alspach, Berniece
09/02/2025 TTh 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM James Complex 036

Focuses on different styles or aspects of creative writing each time offered-for example, creative non-fiction, storytelling, etc. See instructor for the topic currently to be studied.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation

In this course students assist in all aspects of the publication of the campus literary journal. Students read submissions of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, they work with writers to edit their pieces, and they assist with layout and design.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG431-A
Travis, Erika J.
01/13/2025 MW 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM James Complex 189

This advanced writing workshop builds on the foundational elements of writing fiction learned in previous coursework. Students read numerous published short stories and novellas, as well as readings discussing craft, technique, and theory. Students choose to write a novella or two substantial short stories.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG484-A
Tronti, Jennifer
01/13/2025 TTh 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM James Complex 191

This advanced writing workshop builds on the foundational elements of poetry writing learned in previous coursework. Students read published poems and poetry collections as well as readings discussing craft, technique, and theory. Students write a substantial number of poems, highlighting significant themes emerging from the writer's voice.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG485-A
Fullman, Joshua Scott
09/02/2025 MWF 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM James Complex 191

Complete 3 additional units from the following: 

This course offers an intermediate writing workshop where students study the craft of fiction through analysis of multiple genres, such as micro-fiction, short stories, and novellas. Students develop skills in writing fiction through lecture, practice, peer workshop, and revision. The course emphasizes narrative, craft, and developing the writer's voice.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG384-A
Tronti, Jennifer
09/02/2025 MWF 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM James Complex 192

This course offers an intermediate writing workshop where students study the craft of poetry through reading and analyzing of multiple forms poetry. Students develop skills in writing poetry through lecture, practice, peer workshop, and revision, with an emphasis on developing the writer's voice.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG385-A
Fullman, Joshua Scott
01/13/2025 MWF 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM James Complex 166

An intensive writing workshop designed to permit the student to study and practice creative nonfiction in various forms: personal narrative, topical essay, lyric essay, memoir, etc.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG386-A
Alspach, Berniece
09/02/2025 TTh 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM James Complex 036

Focuses on different styles or aspects of creative writing each time offered-for example, creative non-fiction, storytelling, etc. See instructor for the topic currently to be studied.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation

In this course students assist in all aspects of the publication of the campus literary journal. Students read submissions of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, they work with writers to edit their pieces, and they assist with layout and design.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG431-A
Travis, Erika J.
01/13/2025 MW 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM James Complex 189

This advanced writing workshop builds on the foundational elements of writing fiction learned in previous coursework. Students read numerous published short stories and novellas, as well as readings discussing craft, technique, and theory. Students choose to write a novella or two substantial short stories.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG484-A
Tronti, Jennifer
01/13/2025 TTh 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM James Complex 191

This advanced writing workshop builds on the foundational elements of poetry writing learned in previous coursework. Students read published poems and poetry collections as well as readings discussing craft, technique, and theory. Students write a substantial number of poems, highlighting significant themes emerging from the writer's voice.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
ENG485-A
Fullman, Joshua Scott
09/02/2025 MWF 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM James Complex 191

This course is an introduction to the basic principles of writing for the screen. The elements of theme, plot, character, and dialogue in dramatic writing for cinema will be studied. Students will learn how to construct screenplays by closely examining produced films, reading film scripts, and writing their own short screenplays. The course will provide a foundation in the basics of the three-act act structure, dramatic action, character arc, the revision process, and an introduction to the business of screenwriting. By the end of the semester, students will have produced and polished a twenty- to thirty-page screenplay for a short film suitable for production.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
FLM301-B
STAFF, STAFF
09/02/2025 TTh 12:15 PM - 1:45 PM Yeager Center B110
FLM301-A
Eaton, Michael A.
09/02/2025 Th 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM Film Lab 103

Planning, gathering material, writing and preparation of articles for specialized and general media publications, with emphasis on the magazine article and newspaper feature; includes overview of the magazine market. Laboratory and field work. Students may only earn credit for either JRN 312 or JRN 350.

InstructorStart DateDaysTimeLocation
JRN312-A
Singh, Sonya C
01/13/2025 TTh 8:45 AM - 10:15 AM James Complex 189