Creative Writing
In this class students will explore various approaches to writing poetry, short stories, and songs. They will use their memories and imaginations. Students will use literary devices to enrich their writing voices, as they create simple plotlines, complex characters, and song lyrics. Certain assignments will incorporate choices around style: self-expression, persuasive, or narrative. Students will learn how characters can exemplify their opinions or beliefs or do the opposite. Students are expected to love reading and writing and enjoy sharing their thoughts and ideas in front of a group. The class instructor will present a variety of poems, stories, and songs to serve as models for deepening our understanding of writing forms.
THIS COURSE CAN BE TAKEN FOR COLLEGE CREDIT, PLEASE CALL OUR OFFICE FOR DETAILS.
THE INSTRUCTOR
Sarah Van Clef
Prose & Poetry/Creative Writing
Sarah Van Clef is a poet and memoirist from South Amboy, New Jersey. Her lyrical essays and poems have been featured in the Local Gems NJ Bards Literary Anthology, SoupCan Magazine, Philadelphia Stories, The Monmouth Review, and others. She holds both an M.A in English Writing Studies and an M.F.A in Creative Writing with a concentration in creative nonfiction from Monmouth University. She is currently the Reviews Editor for Philadelphia Stories, a literary magazine that celebrates artists and writers within the Philly area and surrounding communities. Sarah's other passion is community. Because of this, she created The Social Writerly, an online creative community that supports writers and artists. She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of English at Monmouth University, Brookdale Community College, and Middlesex College. When Sarah is not teaching or writing, you can most likely find her walking along the beaches of the Jersey Shore, watching the NY Rangers, or singing in her band, The Cellar Dwellers.