creative writing about a lake

How To Describe a Lake in Writing (100+ Examples & Words)

Describing a lake in writing transforms mere words into vivid, sensory experiences.

Here is how to describe a lake in writing:

Describe a lake in writing by focusing on its water’s appearance, surrounding landscape, wildlife, sounds, weather, seasonal changes, human interaction, sensory descriptions, emotional significance, and historical context. Capture its essence through vivid, sensory-rich details.

This guide offers over 100 examples and words to help writers paint a picturesque scene of various types of lakes, capturing their essence through detailed descriptions.

Types of Lakes

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Lakes vary greatly in characteristics and origins:

• Glacial lakes, formed by melting glaciers, often have crystal-clear waters and dramatic surroundings.
• Volcanic lakes, created in volcanic craters, can be deep with mineral-rich waters.
• Oxbow lakes, remnants of old river meanders, are usually calm and serene.
• Tectonic lakes, resulting from Earth’s crust movements, are often large and ancient.
• Artificial lakes, human-made for various purposes, can range from small ponds in parks to large reservoirs.

Each type offers unique aspects to describe, from their formation to their present state.

10 Traits of Lakes to Describe in Writing

Let’s go over 10 traits of lakes you can talk about in your stories.

1. The Water’s Appearance

The water’s appearance is a crucial element in describing a lake.

Its color, clarity, and surface texture contribute significantly to the overall ambiance. Clear, turquoise waters evoke a sense of purity and tranquility, while murky, dark waters can suggest mystery or foreboding.

The presence of ripples, waves, or stillness alters the lake’s mood, influencing how it’s perceived in a narrative.

• The lake shimmered like a sheet of glass under the morning sun.
• Turquoise waters glistened, clear enough to see the pebbles at the bottom.
• Dark, ominous waters churned gently, hinting at hidden depths.
• Tiny ripples danced across the surface, disturbed by a gentle breeze.
• The murky water held a mysterious allure, its secrets veiled beneath.
• Sunlight pierced the clear water, illuminating the aquatic world below.
• The lake’s surface was a canvas of changing hues at sunset.
• Waves lapped lazily against the shore, a rhythmic natural melody.
• A thin layer of ice formed a crystal blanket over the water.
• The water’s emerald green tint hinted at lush, underwater vegetation.

2. Surrounding Landscape

The landscape surrounding a lake greatly influences its character and ambiance.

Towering mountains provide a majestic backdrop, while gently rolling hills suggest tranquility and seclusion.

Dense forests offer a sense of mystery and wilderness, whereas open meadows lend a feeling of spaciousness and freedom.

Describing the surrounding landscape helps to set the scene and mood of the lake.

• Majestic mountains cast their reflection on the still water.
• Green hills rolled gently down to the water’s edge.
• Dense forests hugged the lake, a ring of emerald mystery.
• Wildflowers dotted the meadows around, a vibrant frame for the serene waters.
• The lake lay hidden, a secret gem amidst the rugged terrain.
• Tall pines stood sentinel around the lake, whispering with the wind.
• Snow-capped peaks loomed in the distance, guardians of the tranquil waters.
• The lake was an oasis, surrounded by a harsh desert landscape.
• Rocky cliffs towered over the lake, their faces weathered and wise.
• The flat, open plain around the lake stretched as far as the eye could see.

3. Wildlife and Ecology

The wildlife and ecology of a lake add life and dynamism to its description.

Birds skimming the water’s surface, fish darting in the shallows, and frogs croaking at dusk all contribute to the lake’s natural symphony.

Describing the flora and fauna around and in the lake creates a more immersive and engaging scene, showcasing the lake’s role in its ecosystem.

• Ducks paddled peacefully, leaving gentle ripples in their wake.
• A heron stood statuesque at the water’s edge, eyeing the depths.
• Fish leaped occasionally, causing small splashes in the calm water.
• The chorus of frogs filled the twilight air, a sign of life’s persistence.
• Water lilies floated serenely, their petals a contrast to the dark water.
• Dragonflies zipped over the surface, a dance of iridescent wings.
• A beaver’s lodge stood on the bank, a testament to nature’s architects.
• Schools of tiny fish shimmered below the surface, a fluid silver mass.
• Birds of prey circled above, guardians of the sky.
• The underbrush teemed with small creatures, a hidden world of activity.

4. The Sounds of the Lake

The sounds of a lake are as important as its visual aspects in creating an atmosphere.

The gentle lapping of waves, the rustling of leaves in the wind, and the distant call of birds all contribute to the sensory experience.

These sounds can range from soothing to invigorating, helping to define the lake’s character in a story.

• Waves whispered secrets as they kissed the shore.
• The wind hummed a soft lullaby through the trees.
• Loons called hauntingly across the water, a melody of the wild.
• The rhythmic croaking of frogs was a symphony of the night.
• Leaves rustled gently, a serene backdrop to the quiet lake.
• The occasional splash of a jumping fish punctuated the stillness.
• A distant thunderstorm added a low, rumbling undertone.
• Birds chirped cheerfully, a lively chorus at dawn.
• The crunch of gravel underfoot blended with nature’s orchestra.
• Ice crackled and groaned in the winter, a stark reminder of the cold.

5. Weather and Light

Weather and light play a pivotal role in depicting a lake’s mood and atmosphere.

The golden glow of sunrise casts a warm, inviting light, while a gloomy, overcast sky can create a sense of melancholy or suspense.

The play of light on the water, the colors of the sky, and weather conditions like fog, rain, or snow, all contribute to the visual and emotional impact of the lake.

• The sunrise bathed the lake in a warm, golden light.
• Fog hovered over the water, a mystical veil of mystery.
• Raindrops created intricate patterns on the lake’s surface.
• A full moon cast a silvery glow, turning the lake ethereal.
• The overcast sky painted the water a somber grey.
• A rainbow arched gracefully over the lake after a brief shower.
• Sunsets set the sky ablaze, reflecting fiery colors on the water.
• Snowflakes fell gently, dressing the lake in a blanket of white.
• Stars twinkled in the night sky, mirrored by the still water.
• A sudden storm churned the lake, its waters matching the turbulent sky.

6. Seasonal Changes

Each season brings its unique touch to a lake, altering its appearance and ambiance.

Spring breathes life into the surroundings, with blossoming flora and returning wildlife. Summer brings vibrancy and activity, with warmer waters and lush greenery.

Autumn casts a spell of transformation, with falling leaves and a palette of reds, oranges, and yellows.

Winter cloaks the lake in silence and stillness, often freezing its surface and stripping the landscape bare.

• Spring’s arrival awakened the lake from its winter slumber.
• Summer’s heat turned the lake into a refreshing retreat.
• Autumn leaves floated on the water, a mosaic of fall colors.
• The frozen lake in winter was a crystal expanse of silence.
• Flowering plants along the bank heralded the arrival of spring.
• The buzz of summer life filled the air, a contrast to the tranquil waters.
• Autumn’s crisp air added a clarity to the lake’s reflection.
• Snow-covered banks framed the lake, a monochrome masterpiece.
• Spring rains swelled the lake, renewing its vitality.
• Winter’s bare trees cast stark shadows on the frozen surface.

7. Human Interaction

The presence or absence of human activity around a lake influences its narrative.

A bustling lakeside resort creates a sense of excitement and leisure, while an abandoned, lonely shore evokes a feeling of isolation or mystery.

Boats, swimmers, fishermen, or simply the traces of human presence (like a forgotten canoe or a weathered dock) add layers to the lake’s story, reflecting its relationship with people.

• Laughter echoed from the crowded beach, a lively contrast to the tranquil waters.
• A solitary canoe rested on the shore, a silent witness to past adventures.
• Fishermen dotted the lake, a tableau of patience and solitude.
• An old, wooden dock jutted into the water, a remnant of bygone days.
• Abandoned campfires spoke of stories shared under the stars.
• Swimmers splashed joyfully, a burst of energy in the calm lake.
• The lake was a mirror to the empty, echoing vacation homes along its edge.
• A weathered rowboat bobbed gently, tethered to a crumbling pier.
• The lake’s untouched shores whispered of undiscovered tales.
• Kayakers glided over the water, a harmony of human and nature.

8. Sensory Descriptions

Engaging multiple senses in a description creates a more immersive experience.

The feel of the water against the skin, the taste of fresh air, the smell of damp earth or pine, all contribute to a fuller picture of the lake.

Sensory descriptions help the reader to not just visualize the scene but to experience it as if they were there.

• The water felt silky, caressing my skin with its cool touch.
• Fresh, pine-scented air filled my lungs with each breath.
• The earthy smell of damp soil mingled with the fresh water aroma.
• The lake’s water tasted pure and invigorating, a natural elixir.
• The soft squelch of wet sand beneath my feet grounded me in nature.
• Sun-warmed rocks provided a comforting heat against my back.
• The sharp cry of a hawk overhead pierced the tranquil air.
• The taste of salt lingered in the air, remnants of evaporated tears.
• The chill of the breeze contrasted with the sun’s gentle warmth.
• The rustling of leaves and water created a soothing, rhythmic melody.

9. Emotional and Symbolic Significance

A lake can symbolize emotions, memories, or themes in a story.

A tranquil lake might represent peace or clarity, while a stormy lake could symbolize turmoil or conflict.

Reflecting on what the lake means to the characters or the narrative adds depth and layers to the description, making it more than just a backdrop but a character in its own right.

• The calm lake was my sanctuary, a haven from the chaos of life.
• Stormy waters mirrored my turbulent thoughts, a reflection of inner strife.
• The lake held memories of laughter and tears, a canvas of my past.
• Its unchanging presence was a constant in my ever-shifting world.
• The lake was a symbol of our love, deep and endless.
• In its depths, I found clarity, the water washing away my doubts.
• The frozen surface was like my heart, waiting for a thaw.
• Its vastness made me feel small yet connected to something greater.
• The lake was a boundary, separating me from a world I longed to explore.
• In its reflections, I saw not just the sky, but my own soul mirrored.

10. Historical and Cultural Context

The history and culture surrounding a lake can add richness and authenticity to its description.

A lake with a storied past, legends, or cultural significance brings a sense of mystery and depth.

It might be a site of historical events, a sacred space in local lore, or a central part of community life. These elements can be woven into the narrative to enhance the setting and give it a unique identity.

• Legends of ancient spirits whispered among the ripples.
• The lake was a historical landmark, its shores witness to centuries of change.
• Festivals by the lake were a vibrant part of local tradition.
• Old, faded photographs showed generations enjoying its timeless beauty.
• The lake was a sacred site, revered and protected by the community.
• Ancient artifacts found nearby spoke of a rich, undiscovered history.
• Local myths of a lake monster added a layer of intrigue.
• The lake was named after a historical figure, its story intertwined with theirs.
• Traditional fishing methods were still practiced, a link to the past.
• The lake was the heart of the community, a gathering place for all.

Check out this video about how to describe a lake in writing:

50 Best Words to Describe a Lake in Writing

Here are some of the best words to describe a lake in writing.

• Invigorating
• Mirror-like
• Crystal-clear
• Breathtaking
• Melancholic

50 Best Phrases to Describe a Lake in Writing

Consider using these phrases when describing lakes in your story, essay, or article.

• “A mirror to the sky.”
• “Whispers of the wind.”
• “A canvas of nature’s art.”
• “Where tranquility reigns.”
• “Shrouded in morning mist.”
• “A cradle of biodiversity.”
• “Rippling with secrets.”
• “Frozen in timeless beauty.”
• “Reflecting the moon’s glow.”
• “Sun-kissed waters.”
• “A symphony of nature’s sounds.”
• “Dancing with fireflies.”
• “Echoes of ancient lore.”
• “Harbinger of the changing seasons.”
• “A sanctuary for weary souls.”
• “A rendezvous for lovers.”
• “A theater of sunsets.”
• “Where stars kiss the surface.”
• “A haven for the adventurous.”
• “The heart of the wilderness.”
• “A palette of vibrant hues.”
• “Whispering tales of old.”
• “A fusion of sky and water.”
• “Cloaked in autumn’s embrace.”
• “Spring’s first mirror.”
• “The laughter of summer waves.”
• “Winter’s icy grasp.”
• “Sheltered by ancient giants.”
• “Gleaming like a precious gem.”
• “A source of life and legend.”
• “The pulse of the earth.”
• “A testament to nature’s prowess.”
• “Where dreams and reality merge.”
• “A frontier of exploration.”
• “An oasis in the wild.”
• “A confluence of elements.”
• “A spectacle of natural grandeur.”
• “A whispering of hidden depths.”
• “A canvas for the sun’s farewell.”
• “The soul of the landscape.”
• “A cradle of morning dew.”
• “A reflection of the heavens.”
• “A dance of light and shadow.”
• “The keeper of untold stories.”
• “A wellspring of inspiration.”
• “A journey into tranquility.”
• “An echo of the cosmos.”
• “The voice of the earth.”
• “A portal to other worlds.”
• “A guardian of mysteries.”

3 Full Examples of How to Describe a Lake in Different Genres

The way you describe a lake in one genre is not the same way you describe one in another type of story.

Read through these three full examples of how to describe a lake in writing that is focused on mystery, romance, or fantasy.

The lake lay shrouded in an almost palpable silence, its surface still and unyielding under the moonlight.

Shadows clung to its edges, hiding secrets in their murky depths. Occasional ripples disturbed the water, as if something unseen skimmed beneath the surface. The air was thick with the scent of wet earth and pine, a natural cloak that seemed to conceal more than it revealed. Every sound, from the distant hoot of an owl to the soft lapping of water against the shore, felt like a whispered clue in a puzzle yet to be solved.

This was a place where mysteries lingered, waiting to be unearthed.

The lake was a serene oasis, its waters glimmering in the soft light of the setting sun.

Around it, the world seemed to hold its breath, as if in reverence to the moment unfolding on its shores. The air was warm and sweet, filled with the scent of blooming wildflowers. Gentle waves kissed the shoreline, a rhythmic melody that echoed the heartbeat of two souls in unison. In this secluded haven, time paused, allowing love to bloom in the tranquil embrace of nature.

The lake, with its tranquil beauty, became a witness to whispered promises and tender caresses, a testament to love’s enduring charm.

Enveloped in an ethereal mist, the lake was a gateway to the unknown, its waters a deep, mesmerizing blue that whispered of magic and ancient power.

Ethereal lights danced across its surface, casting otherworldly glows on the surrounding enchanted forest.

Mystical creatures flitted between the trees, their eyes reflecting the lake’s mysterious depths.

At its center, a lone island rose, crowned with a crystal palace that shimmered like a star. This was a realm where reality blended with fantasy, where every ripple told a tale of sorcery, and the waters held the secrets of a world beyond our own.

Final Thoughts: How to Describe a Lake in Writing

Exploring the multifaceted beauty of lakes in writing can be a deeply enriching experience.

For more articles on describing people, places, and things, check out some of the blog posts below.

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Writing Nestling

How To Describe A Lake In Writing (11 Best Ways You Need To Know)

Embarking on the journey of describing a lake in writing is akin to unlocking the gates to a realm where words become brushstrokes, and sentences weave a tapestry of nature’s beauty.

It is an art that transcends mere depiction, inviting writers to embrace the challenge of conveying not just the visual allure but the intangible essence that makes a lakeside scene resonate.

In this exploration, the pen becomes a guide, leading through the delicate dance of sensory details, the nuanced play of metaphors, and the careful consideration of perspective.

Describing a lake is not a static act but an immersive experience, where the reflection on the water’s surface mirrors the intricacies of storytelling itself.

Join me on this literary voyage as we delve into the nuances of crafting a vivid and evocative portrayal, transforming the lake from a mere setting into a living, breathing character in the narrative symphony.

Table of Contents

How To Describe A Lake In Writing

Describing a lake in writing involves capturing its sensory details and creating a vivid picture for the reader. Here’s a step-by-step process:

Observation

Begin by carefully observing the lake. Take note of its surroundings, size, and any distinctive features.

Sensory Details

Engage the reader’s senses by describing what you see, hear, smell, and feel. Mention the color of the water, the rustling of leaves, the scent of pine trees, or the cool breeze.

Setting the Scene

Provide context for the lake. Describe the landscape, whether it’s nestled in mountains, surrounded by a dense forest, or bordered by meadows.

Water Characteristics

Detail the lake’s water characteristics. Is it clear or murky? Sparkling in the sunlight or reflective like a mirror? Mention any ripples, waves, or stillness.

Note any wildlife present. Birds skimming the water, fish jumping, or perhaps a family of ducks. Wildlife adds life and movement to your description.

Describe the flora around the lake. Mention the types of trees, plants, and flowers. Consider how the vegetation interacts with the water.

Weather and Time of Day

Factor in the weather conditions and time of day. A sunrise or sunset can dramatically alter the atmosphere. Describe the play of light on the water.

Human Elements

If applicable, mention any human elements such as a dock, boats, or people enjoying the lake. This can provide a sense of scale and activity.

Emotions and Atmosphere

Convey the emotions the lake evokes. Is it tranquil and serene, or does it have a mysterious or powerful aura? Use descriptive language to evoke feelings.

Organization

Organize your description logically. You can go from general to specific details or use a spatial approach, moving from one side of the lake to the other.

After writing your initial description , revise and refine it. Check for vivid language, eliminate unnecessary details, and ensure a smooth flow.

Remember to adapt these steps to your writing style and the specific atmosphere you want to create. A well-described lake should transport the reader to the scene, allowing them to visualize and experience the beauty of the natural setting.

Setting the Stage

In the enchanting dance between ink and imagination, setting the stage is akin to unfurling a masterpiece on the canvas of words.

It’s not merely about choosing a location; it’s about selecting a portal into another realm, where every breeze carries the hushed secrets of the surrounding trees, and every ripple in the water echoes tales untold.

The stage, draped in the velvet hues of the chosen time and season, becomes the gateway to a world where nature herself dons the director’s hat.

As the sun dips below the horizon, casting its golden brushstrokes upon the canvas, you’re not just describing a lake; you’re orchestrating a symphony of sensations that will resonate in the reader’s soul, forever imprinting the scene in the theater of their mind.

This is the art of setting the stage—a bewitching alchemy where the mundane metamorphoses into the extraordinary, and the reader becomes a willing captive in the theater of your creation.

Selecting an evocative location for the lake in your narrative

Choosing the perfect stage for your narrative’s lake is akin to selecting a gem from the treasure trove of nature. It’s not merely about geographical coordinates; it’s about unearthing a place with a heartbeat, where the land cradles the water like a cherished secret.

The location must be a character in itself, whispering tales of history in the rustle of leaves and reflecting the soul of the narrative in the shimmering waters.

Whether nestled between ancient mountains or embraced by a meadow of wildflowers, the evocative location becomes a silent storyteller, lending its essence to the very fabric of your words.

Each ripple in the lake should echo the spirit of its surroundings, and every pebble on its shore should carry the weight of the tales waiting to be told. In this careful curation of setting, you infuse your lake with a distinct personality, turning it into more than a mere backdrop—it becomes the beating heart of your narrative, pulsating with the magic of the chosen place.

Establishing the time of day and season to enhance the atmosphere

In the delicate choreography of storytelling, the time of day and the season act as the atmospheric maestros, orchestrating the symphony of emotions within the narrative.

As the sun ascends or descends, casting its warm hues or cool shadows, the lake undergoes a transformative dance, a ballet of light and darkness that paints the surroundings with emotional brushstrokes.

A dawn awakening over the tranquil waters infuses the scene with the promise of new beginnings, while a dusk settling like a silken veil imparts a sense of mystery and reflection.

Similarly, the choice of season drapes the lake in a particular mood, be it the vibrant bloom of spring, the lazy haze of summer, the fiery hues of autumn, or the serene stillness of winter.

The carefully chosen interplay between time and season serves as the atmospheric alchemy, imbuing the lake with a rich tapestry of sensations that resonate with readers on a visceral level, making the narrative an immersive journey through the ever-changing landscape of time and nature.

Observing the Surroundings

Stepping into the realm of observation is akin to becoming a silent witness to a symphony conducted by Mother Nature herself.

It’s not merely about seeing; it’s about tuning into the heartbeat of the surroundings, where each rustle of leaves and every ripple on the lake’s surface is a note in a grand, cosmic composition.

The flora becomes a living tapestry, with trees standing as ancient sentinels, their leaves whispering the secrets of centuries.

Meanwhile, the fauna takes center stage in this natural opera – birds orchestrating melodies in the sky, insects providing the percussive hum, and aquatic life adding the bassline beneath the reflective surface.

Observing the surroundings isn’t just a visual feast; it’s an invitation to commune with the unseen forces that shape the landscape, transforming a mere description into a multisensory symphony that resonates beyond the written word, captivating the reader’s senses and imagination alike.

Noting the flora and fauna around the lake

In the quiet theater of the lake’s edge, nature unfurls a vibrant tapestry, weaving together the intricate dance of flora and fauna in a mesmerizing ballet.

Towering trees, ancient guardians of the shoreline, stand draped in emerald foliage, their branches conducting a symphony of rustling whispers as they nod in approval of the water’s gentle lullaby.

Wildflowers, like delicate performers, scatter their hues along the lake’s border, painting the scene with strokes of purple, yellow, and white.

As the sun casts its warm embrace, the flora awakens, becoming a living canvas that breathes life into the narrative.

Meanwhile, the fauna takes center stage, with birds composing melodies on unseen staffs, their calls harmonizing with the rhythmic splashes of aquatic creatures. Dragonflies dart like jeweled aviators above the water, while fish create ephemeral patterns beneath the surface.

Noting the flora and fauna isn’t just an act of observation; it’s an immersion into a living, breathing ecosystem where every leaf, every feather, and every ripple tells a tale of the symbiotic dance between life and the serene expanse of the lake.

Engaging the Senses

Engaging the senses at the lake is a sensory symphony, where the allure of the natural world isn’t confined to mere observation—it’s an immersive voyage through a kaleidoscope of sensations.

As the first light of dawn bathes the lake in a golden glow, the air becomes a canvas of delicate fragrances, a palette of earthy soil, blooming wildflowers, and the refreshing zephyr off the water.

The sight of the lake unfolds like a living canvas, a dance of colors and reflections that shimmer with each passing ripple. Sound becomes a poetic language, with the melodic trill of birds, the rustle of leaves, and the gentle lap of water converging into a harmonious serenade.

Engaging touch, whether through the cool breeze brushing against the skin or the refreshing caress of fingertips grazing the lake’s surface, transforms the experience into a tactile poem.

It’s a multisensory banquet where each sense is a welcomed guest, invited to partake in the symphony that transforms the act of storytelling into an unforgettable, sensorial journey through the enchantment of the lake.

Utilizing sight

Utilizing sight at the lake is like opening a treasure chest of visual wonders, where every glance reveals a canvas painted with the hues of nature’s palette.

The lake stretches before you, a mirror reflecting the ever-changing sky—azure blues blending seamlessly into fiery oranges during a sunset extravaganza or the serene grays of mist on a tranquil morning.

Each ripple on the water is a fleeting brushstroke, and the play of light and shadow becomes a choreography of nature’s own design.

The surrounding landscape, whether adorned with majestic trees, vibrant wildflowers, or rugged rocks, serves as the intricate frame that enhances the lake’s beauty.

Sight at the lake is not just about seeing; it’s about capturing the fleeting moments, the nuanced details—the dragonfly perched on a reed, the sun-kissed leaves trembling in the breeze, or the distant silhouette of a mountain reflected in the water.

It transforms the act of description into a visual poem, inviting the reader to not just observe but to immerse themselves in the breathtaking panorama of the lakeside spectacle.

Invoking the sense of sound

Invoking the sense of sound at the lake is akin to composing a symphony where every element, from the soft murmur of wind through the leaves to the rhythmic lapping of water against the shore, contributes to the harmonious melody of nature.

The air is alive with the melodious chatter of birds, each species adding its unique note to the avian chorus. The rustle of leaves in the trees creates a gentle percussion, and the distant hum of insects forms the subtle background rhythm.

Even the lake itself becomes an instrument, its surface a canvas for the playful slap of waves or the quiet caress of a passing breeze.

In this auditory symposium, the lake is not merely a visual feast but a sonic masterpiece, where the orchestra of nature weaves a tapestry of sounds that range from the delicate whispers of a breeze to the bold crescendo of a thunderstorm.

Invoking the sense of sound transforms the lakeside narrative into a vivid auditory experience, allowing the reader to close their eyes and be transported to the immersive soundscape of this natural amphitheater.

Evoking the sense of touch

In the realm of the lake, evoking the sense of touch is an invitation to feel the pulse of nature coursing through the fingertips.

The air carries a gentle breeze, its caress a subtle dance on the skin that whispers tales of the surrounding landscape.

As sunlight filters through the leaves, warmth seeps into the senses, creating a tactile symphony that awakens the skin to the nuances of the environment.

Dipping fingers into the lake’s embrace reveals its temperature – a refreshing coolness or a soothing warmth, depending on the time of day.

The rough bark of ancient trees, the soft embrace of wildflowers brushing against hands, and the smooth pebbles lining the shore—all contribute to the rich tapestry of textures that define the lakeside experience.

In this sensory ballet, the lake transcends visual beauty, becoming a canvas where touch is an integral part of the narrative, immersing the reader in the tangible essence of the natural world.

Evoking the sense of touch transforms the act of description into a haptic journey, allowing the reader to feel the heartbeat of the lake beneath their fingertips.

Crafting Descriptive Language

Crafting descriptive language is akin to being a linguistic artisan, molding words into an exquisite tapestry that not only paints a picture but elicits an emotional symphony.

It’s the delicate dance of choosing adjectives that shimmer like gems, each one refracting a different facet of the narrative’s brilliance.

The language becomes a palette, and each stroke is a nuanced brush of expression that brings the scene to life. Like a sculptor with clay, metaphors and similes are chiseled into the prose, creating a literary sculpture that invites readers to touch and feel the essence of the described lake.

Precision is the craftsman’s tool, ensuring that every word serves a purpose, contributing to the vivid mosaic of imagery.

In the hands of a skillful wordsmith, descriptive language transcends mere depiction—it becomes a portal, inviting readers to step into a world where the beauty of the lake is not just seen but felt, smelled, heard, and tasted in the exquisite flavors of each carefully chosen phrase.

Choosing vivid and precise adjectives to enhance the imagery

In the alchemy of crafting vivid descriptions for the lake, the art lies in selecting adjectives that serve as the pigments to illuminate the canvas of the reader’s mind.

Each word is a brushstroke, and the choice of vivid and precise adjectives becomes the palette that transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.

The lake is not just blue; it’s a cerulean expanse that mirrors the boundless sky. The trees aren’t merely green; their leaves are emerald whispers that rustle in the breeze.

The rocks along the shore aren’t rough; they are weathered sentinels, standing stoically against the passage of time. Every carefully chosen adjective becomes a prism, refracting the light of imagination and infusing the scene with a kaleidoscope of sensory richness.

It’s a symphony of language where each adjective plays a unique note, contributing to the harmonious composition that elevates the description from the mundane to the sublime, leaving an indelible impression on the reader’s imagination.

Experimenting with similes and metaphors to convey the lake’s essence

In the intricate tapestry of lake description, the art of language becomes a realm of experimentation, where similes and metaphors act as the poetic alchemists, transmuting the ordinary into the extraordinary. The lake is not just a body of water; it’s a liquid mirror, reflecting the soul of the sky with a clarity that rivals the gaze of a thousand crystal orbs.

The trees don’t merely stand sentinel; they are nature’s poets, their branches reaching skyward like lines of verse etched against the azure canvas.

The ripples on the lake aren’t mere disturbances; they are whispers of stories, each wave a metaphorical page turned in the book of time.

Experimenting with similes and metaphors breathes life into the lake, transforming it from a static setting into a living, breathing entity with a personality that resonates beyond the literal.

It’s a dance of imagination where comparisons become bridges, connecting the tangible with the intangible, and allowing the essence of the lake to transcend the limits of mere description.

Balancing sensory details with concise and impactful language

The delicate art of describing a lake lies in the skillful balance between sensory indulgence and the economy of language, where every word carries the weight of an entire sensory experience.

It’s not about drowning the reader in a flood of details, but rather distilling the essence of the lake into a potent elixir of words.

The wind isn’t just a breeze; it’s a gentle caress that whispers through the leaves, and the water isn’t merely liquid; it’s a cool embrace that cradles reflections like a watery memoir.

Balancing sensory details requires a judicious selection of words that resonate, creating an immersive experience without overwhelming the reader.

It’s the art of painting with a fine brush, where each stroke of detail adds depth to the scene, yet the overall picture remains crisp, vivid, and indelibly etched in the reader’s imagination.

This delicate equilibrium ensures that the narrative is not just seen or heard but felt in a way that is both concise and impactful, leaving an enduring imprint on the reader’s senses.

Narrator’s Perspective

In the kaleidoscopic panorama of lake description, the narrator’s perspective is the lens through which the story unfolds—a lens not fixed but dynamic, adjusting its focus to unveil the nuances of the scene.

The first-person perspective invites readers to wade into the waters, to feel the cool embrace of the lake firsthand, making the experience intimate and personal.

Conversely, the third-person view elevates the narrative to a grander scale, where the lake becomes a timeless tableau observed from a panoramic perch.

The narrator isn’t merely a storyteller; they are a guide through this enchanting landscape, a curator of emotions, and a weaver of the threads that bind reader and lake in a narrative dance.

Like a skilled conductor, the choice of perspective orchestrates the symphony of the story, allowing readers to harmonize with the unique cadence of the lake’s tale.

Whether immersed in the immediacy of “I” or perched on the outskirts of “they,” the narrator’s perspective is the compass navigating the reader through the labyrinth of lake magic.

Considering the point of view and its impact on the description

Considering the point of view in lake description is akin to choosing the lens through which the reader perceives the symphony of nature.

First-person perspective immerses readers within the very heartbeat of the scene, inviting them to taste the lake’s essence as though it were their own.

The I becomes a vessel for personal connection, threading emotions through the narrative like veins pulsating with experience.

On the contrary, the third-person view provides a panoramic vantage point, transforming the lake into a vast landscape observed from a celestial perch.

Here, the narrative broadens, capturing not just the intimate details but also the sweeping grandeur of the surroundings.

The choice of point of view is the storyteller’s compass, guiding the reader through the labyrinth of emotions, unveiling the lake’s secrets, and determining whether they become a participant in the tale or a contemplative spectator.

It’s the difference between feeling the lake’s cool waters on one’s skin and marveling at its majesty from the lofty heights of literary perspective.

Symbolism and Themes

In the enchanting dance of lake description, symbolism and themes emerge as the hidden choreographers, infusing the scene with a tapestry of deeper meaning.

The lake becomes more than a mere expanse of water; it transforms into a reflective canvas mirroring the subconscious of the narrative. Perhaps the stillness of the lake symbolizes tranquility amidst chaos, or the cyclic ripples signify the inevitable march of time.

Themes ripple through the water’s surface, woven into the very fabric of the landscape. It’s not just a body of water—it’s a metaphor for the ebb and flow of life, an emblem of renewal and transformation.

Like whispered secrets carried on the wind, symbolism and themes breathe life into the description, inviting readers to delve beyond the surface and discover the profound echoes resonating in the quiet depths of the lake’s narrative.

The lake becomes a vessel for contemplation, a reflective mirror where readers see not only the shimmering surface but also the hidden currents that bind the story together.

Exploring potential symbolic elements associated with the lake

The lake, in its serene beauty, often unveils a reservoir of symbolic elements waiting to be explored, like cryptic messages etched in the natural landscape.

The water, with its fluidity, mirrors the ever-changing nature of life, a metaphor for the journey marked by both stillness and turbulence.

The trees, standing tall on the shores, become stoic guardians, representing resilience and the passage of time through their seasonal cycles.

Wildlife, from the graceful flight of birds to the unseen creatures beneath the surface, may embody freedom, mystery, or the interconnectedness of all living things.

Even the rocks, weathered by time and water, may symbolize endurance and the strength derived from facing life’s challenges.

Each element surrounding the lake becomes a symbolic thread woven into the narrative fabric, inviting readers to unravel the hidden meanings and engage in a contemplative dance with the profound layers of the natural world.

The lake becomes a metaphorical stage where symbolism transforms the picturesque scene into a canvas of deeper reflections and timeless allegories.

Connecting the lake description to broader themes in the narrative

The lake, while an enchanting setting in its own right, serves as a nexus connecting the narrative to broader themes that resonate beyond its tranquil shores.

Its waters, reflective and boundless, become a metaphor for introspection, a mirror wherein characters confront their innermost struggles and desires.

The ebb and flow of the lake’s currents parallel the thematic currents running through the storyline, mirroring the highs and lows of the characters’ journeys.

The natural elements surrounding the lake – the trees, the flora, the wildlife – become allegorical reflections of growth, resilience, and the symbiotic relationship between the protagonists and their environment.

By intricately intertwining the lake’s description with overarching themes, the narrative transcends the mere depiction of a picturesque scene, transforming it into a microcosm of the story’s deeper layers.

The lake, thus, becomes more than a backdrop; it evolves into a living metaphor, a dynamic force that resonates with the narrative’s profound themes and enriches the reader’s experience with layers of meaning and connectivity.

Revise and Refine

In the refining crucible of creative alchemy, the process of revising is akin to a symphony conductor meticulously tuning each instrument to achieve harmony.

Revision is not the eradication of imperfections but the sculpting of raw narrative material into a masterpiece. It’s the art of distillation, extracting the essence of each word, sentence, and paragraph to reveal the clearest expression of the writer’s vision.

Like a blacksmith forging a blade, each edit hones the prose, refining it into a literary weapon that cuts through mediocrity.

The revision process is a metamorphosis, a chrysalis where ideas transform into eloquence, and clarity emerges from the cocoon of chaos.

In this crucible of wordsmithing, revision is not just a task; it’s a metamorphic ritual that elevates the narrative, ensuring that every sentence resonates with the precision of a finely tuned instrument, leaving an indelible imprint on the reader’s consciousness.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about How To Describe A Lake In Writing

What makes describing a lake in writing different from other settings.

Describing a lake in writing goes beyond visual portrayal; it’s about capturing the unique atmosphere, sounds, and tactile elements that make the lakeside experience immersive. It involves painting a multisensory picture that resonates with readers on a deeper level.

How can I effectively convey the atmosphere around the lake?

Conveying the atmosphere involves engaging all the senses. Describe the play of light on the water, the rustling of leaves, the ambient sounds, and the tactile sensations. It’s about creating a literary environment that readers can not only see but feel, hear, and almost taste.

Is there a specific point of view that works best for describing a lake?

The choice of point of view depends on the narrative’s goal. First-person provides an intimate connection, while third-person offers a broader perspective. Experimenting with both can reveal different facets of the lake’s charm.

How do I strike a balance between detailed descriptions and concise language?

Crafting a vivid description involves selecting impactful details without overwhelming the reader. Focus on key elements that contribute to the atmosphere, using precise adjectives and sensory language to create a rich, yet succinct, portrayal.

Can a lake have symbolic elements in storytelling?

Absolutely. A lake can serve as a powerful symbol in literature, representing themes like reflection, transformation, or the passage of time. Exploring these symbolic elements can add depth and layers to your narrative.

What role do metaphors and similes play in describing a lake?

Metaphors and similes act as linguistic tools to elevate the description. They allow you to draw imaginative connections, turning the lake into more than a physical setting but a poetic space where comparisons enhance the reader’s experience.

How important is the revision process when describing a lake in writing?

Revision is crucial. It’s the refining stage where you sculpt your initial description into a polished masterpiece. Each edit ensures clarity, precision, and alignment with the narrative’s broader themes, enhancing the overall impact on the reader.

In the captivating realm of describing a lake in writing , the journey is not merely about capturing the picturesque scene but about weaving a narrative symphony that resonates with readers’ senses and emotions.

It’s a nuanced art, where words become brushstrokes, and sentences craft an immersive experience beyond mere observation.

The lake, transformed from a static backdrop into a dynamic character, invites writers to explore the interplay of sight, sound, touch, and symbolism.

The process is an ever-evolving dance with language, a refining alchemy that demands attention to detail while balancing brevity and impact.

As we embark on this literary voyage, the portrayal of a lake becomes a metaphor for the broader art of storytelling—each word a ripple, each sentence a wave, collectively forming an ocean of narrative richness.

So, let the lake be not just a scene but a conduit, where the writer and reader together dip their imaginations into the refreshing waters of creative expression.

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19,890 quotes, descriptions and writing prompts, 4,964 themes

Lake - quotes and descriptions to inspire creative writing

• lady of the lake
• Swimming Pools
• water cycle
• water pollution
• water rights

The lake met the sun with such grace that day, as if the two of them were so enchanted by this eternal dance that they barely noticed the mountains.

The lake with a calmness from its core to the ripples that danced, reflected the blue sky as the most sincere of smiles.

The lake nurtured the fish within her as the mountains nurtured her calm and steady waters.

The lake in reflective blues and greens, the willing canvas of mountain and sky, brought its own artistic watercolour effect to the daytime.

Those snow-topped peaks extended their arms of rock beneath the lake, supporting in that way that silences all clocks.

The deep hue of the lake became the poetic song of the light that played upon its wind-dancing ruffles.

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Descriptive Essay: Description Of The Lake

Smooth, oval rocks lined the bank of the secretive lake. Discarded and neglected; overlaid with spongy moss and choked by fallen, decaying leaves from the unclothed and withering trees above. As the lake swelled around the ashen boulders, icy, black water lifelessly lapped against the long, thin beams of wood holding up a rickety pier. The structure was covered in splinters and ragged, iron nails, and as it reached out into the centre of the sombre lake, it became more and more distant. Half-cut beams lined the sides of the pier, as nettle patches hissed from the shore when the water drew too near. Small, stagnant puddles, on the uneven planks of timber wood reflected the dark, brooding sky above - rarely disturbed by the callous slices of moonlight seeping through the clouds, creating a specular reflection through a ripple in the languid water. Surrounding the lake, lay a rigid, pine forest, which stretched far past the mountainous boundaries - rising high, around the solitary lake. A death-like mist pervaded through the trees enveloping them in a gelid, cutting fog. A silent, lonely willow shivered as the still, biting air engulfed its aged branches in an icy cage and suffocated its stiffened lungs, causing each freezing breath to drag. Crusted leaves stacked one on top of the other as …show more content…

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10 Words to Describe a Lake at Night

By A.W. Naves

In a novel, there are so many directions you can take a story in through incorporating a lake setting. If you need words to describe a lake at night, this post is for you.

Extremely dark, ink-like ; indigo, or black in color.

“The  inky  lake was so dark that it was hard to see the shoreline.”

“The night sky was full of stars, but it revealed nothing of the lake’s  inky  depths.

How it Adds Description

The word  “inky” adds to the description of a lake at night by creating an image of a dark and mysterious body of water. This creates an eerie or foreboding atmosphere. It can imply that something is lurking in the dark water yet to be discovered or it may foreshadow future events in the novel.

2. Luminescent

Emitting light, fluorescent ; shining in a steady, uninterrupted way.

“The  luminescent  water of the lake shimmered in the moonlight.”

“The lake was  luminescent  and full of marvelous creatures that were a sight to behold.”

The word “luminescent” refers to something that emits soft, steady light such as a lake that reflects light to its surroundings. It can be used to create a sense of mystery and intrigue, such as a case where the light of the lake is unexplained or magical in nature, leading the reader to wonder what secrets it holds or what horrors may be hidden there.

Placid, sedate ; untroubled or undisturbed.

“The  serene  lake was a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.”

“The relaxed atmosphere at the lake was  serene , disturbed only by the occasional splash of a fish.”

The word “serene” creates an image of a peaceful and quiet body of water. It can move the story forward by providing a contrast to other elements in the story such as providing a moment of calm in an otherwise chaotic scene or hope for characters who are distressed. It can a vehicle for characters to reflect on parts of the story outside of heavy action or drama.

4. Lonesome

Solitary, isolated ; not often frequented.

“The  lonesome  lake was the only sign of civilization for miles.”

“The lake was usually  lonesome  but now a dark figure stood at the edge, his frame silhouetted against the moonlight.”

The word “lonesome” adds a feeling of isolation and emptiness to the description of a lake at night. It evokes a sense of sadness or longing. This creates a mood of melancholy or introspection adding emotional depth to the setting and the characters present in the scene. It can move along a novel by providing an avenue to reveal thoughts or reflections on past events.

5. Enigmatic

Mystic, puzzling : impossible to fathom.

“The  enigmatic  lake seemed to be hiding something deep beneath its surface.”

“The lake had always had an  enigmatic  draw for Holly that was difficult to understand.”

The word “enigmatic” suggests that there is something mysterious or unexplained about the lake and its surroundings, creating a sense of unease or suspense in the reader. This can increase anticipation for what will happen next or hint at hidden elements or secrets yet to be revealed that move the story along. It can take the story in a different direction with new revelations.

Calm, peaceful ; undisturbed in appearance.

“The  placid  lake mirrored the night sky.”

“The surface of the lake remained  placid , disturbed only by the occasional ripple.”

The word “placid” suggests that the waters are still and undisturbed, creating a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere. This can create a moment of respite or reflection for the characters. In a novel, this can move the story forward by creating a contrast with the tension and drama that may be occurring in the plot or by providing a respite from or ending heavy action.

Dark, obscured ; difficult to see through.

“The  murky  waters of the lake were not inviting for swimming.”

“The shadows cast by the trees along the shore only added to the  murky  appearance of the lake.”

The word “murky” suggests that the water is not clear and that there may be something hidden or obscured within it. In a novel, this description of a murky lake at night can move the story forward by creating friction and suspense. It can also establish a mood or atmosphere that sets the stage for a dramatic or mysterious event to occur.

8. Fathomless

Bottomless, endless ; impossible to measure or comprehend.

“The  fathomless  depths of the lake seemed to go on forever.”

“The mysteries of the lake were  fathomless  and intriguing to the new owner of the property.”

The word “fathomless” implies that the lake is so deep and dark that it is impossible to fully understand or comprehend its depths. In a novel, this could move the story forward by revealing a hidden aspect of the lake that plays a significant role in the plot.

9. Glistening

Sleek, lustrous ; shining brightly or sparkling.

“The  glistening  surface of the lake was mesmerizing.”

“The lake was  glistening  beautifully beneath the light of the full moon.”

The word “glistening” can create a sense of beauty or wonder in the reader. It can also suggest that the lake is serene and still, and possibly reflecting the light of the moon or stars. In a novel, this description can create a sense of realism and immersion for the reader in the story world.

10. Tranquil

Hushed, serene ; free of any disturbances.

“The  tranquil  lake was a perfect spot for a late-night swim.”

“The lake was  tranquil  as Marigold sat beside it trying to gather her chaotic thoughts.”

The word” “tranquil” implies that the lake is still and silent, with no disturbance or agitation. This creates a contrast with the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The tranquil lake may also be a place where the protagonist goes to uncover some of the secrets of the story, as it is a peaceful place that may help them to think more clearly and focus.

• Conjunctions
• Prepositions

Describing Words for Lake: Examples and Adjectives

When it comes to describing the beauty and tranquility of a lake, words often fall short. From the shimmering surface reflecting the sky to the gentle ripples that dance upon its waters, lakes have a unique charm that captivates our senses. In this article, I’ll be sharing a collection of adjectives that perfectly capture the essence of a lake, along with some examples to bring these words to life.

Imagine a serene lake nestled amidst towering mountains, its crystal-clear waters inviting you to take a refreshing dip. Picture the mist gently rising from the surface, creating an ethereal atmosphere that transports you to a world of peace and serenity. Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, a writer seeking inspiration, or simply someone who appreciates the beauty of the great outdoors, these adjectives will help you express the indescribable allure of a lake.

From tranquil and serene to majestic and awe-inspiring, these adjectives will allow you to paint a vivid picture of the breathtaking scenes that lakes offer. So, let’s dive in and explore the world of adjectives that beautifully describe lakes, accompanied by real-life examples that will make you yearn for a lakeside retreat.

Table of Contents

How to Describe lake? – Different Scenarios

When it comes to describing a lake, there are various scenarios that can help us capture its captivating beauty. Let’s explore different ways to describe a lake in various settings:

1. Serene and Tranquil

One way to describe a lake is by emphasizing its peaceful nature. Here are a few words that capture the serene atmosphere of a calm lake surrounded by nature:

• Tranquil : A lake can be described as tranquil when it is calm and undisturbed, creating a sense of relaxation.
• Serenity : This word evokes a feeling of peace and quietness, highlighting the calmness of the lake.
• Still : Describing a lake as still emphasizes its lack of movement, creating a tranquil ambiance.

Example: The still waters of the lake reflected the surrounding mountains, creating a scene of pure serenity.

2. Vibrant and Lively

In certain scenarios, lakes can be full of life and vibrant energy. Here are some words that capture the liveliness of a bustling lake:

• Teeming : This word describes a lake with abundant life, bustling with activity and vibrant energy.
• Bustling : Describing a lake as bustling emphasizes the presence of various activities and life forms.
• Lively : This word highlights the energy and enthusiasm that can be felt around a lively lake.

Example: The teeming lake was a hub of activity, with birds chirping, fish leaping, and families enjoying water sports.

3. Majestic and Grand

Lakes located amidst breathtaking landscapes or surrounded by majestic mountains can be described in a more grandiose manner. Here are some words that convey the majestic nature of such lakes:

• Majestic : Describing a lake as majestic emphasizes its grandeur and awe-inspiring presence.
• Grand : This word captures the grandiose beauty of a lake, evoking a sense of magnificence.
• Breathtaking : Describing a lake as breathtaking emphasizes its stunning and awe-inducing qualities.

Example: The majestic lake, nestled between towering mountains, took my breath away with its grand beauty.

Describing Words for lake in English

As an expert blogger with years of experience in writing high-quality articles, I have come across various ways to describe a lake. The beauty of a lake lies in its unique characteristics, and using the right adjectives can help paint a vivid picture in the minds of readers. In this section, I will provide you with a list of describing words for lakes in English, along with examples to explain their usage.

• Tranquil : A tranquil lake evokes a sense of peace and calm. It embodies serenity and stillness, providing a serene atmosphere for relaxation and reflection. For example:
• Bustling : On the other end of the spectrum, some lakes have a vibrant and lively energy. These bustling lakes are filled with activity, with people engaging in various water sports and recreational activities. For example:
• Majestic : Some lakes are situated amidst breathtaking landscapes or surrounded by majestic mountains. These majestic lakes command awe and admiration due to their grandeur and natural beauty. For example:
• Crystal-clear : This adjective is used to describe lakes with exceptionally clear and transparent water. It emphasizes the purity and pristine nature of the water, allowing for a clear view of the lake bed. For example:
• Picturesque : Lakes that are visually appealing and picturesque often have scenic surroundings, with stunning flora and fauna or charming architecture. They create a perfect backdrop for photography or painting. For example:
• Reflective : Lakes with calm water surfaces can act as mirrors, reflecting the beauty of their surroundings. This adjective highlights the ability of the lake to capture and mirror the scenery around it.

Adjectives for lake

Positive adjectives for lake with 12 example sentences.

When it comes to describing a beautiful lake, there’s no shortage of positive adjectives to choose from. Here are twelve examples of adjectives that capture the serene and enchanting qualities of a lake:

• Tranquil : The lake was so tranquil, it felt like stepping into a peaceful oasis.
• Serene : The serene lake offered a sense of calm and relaxation.
• Picturesque : Nestled among the mountains, the picturesque lake was a sight to behold.
• Breathtaking : The breathtaking lake stunned us with its crystal-clear waters and stunning scenery.
• Idyllic : Surrounded by lush greenery, the idyllic lake seemed like a scene from a postcard.
• Sparkling : The sparkling lake glistened under the warm sun, inviting us for a swim.
• Harmonious : The harmonious combination of colors reflected in the lake’s mirror-like surface.
• Majestic : The majestic lake stood proudly, surrounded by towering mountains.
• Enchanting : We couldn’t help but be captivated by the enchanting beauty of the lake.
• Ethereal : Stepping onto the lake’s shores felt like entering an ethereal realm.
• Calm : The calm lake mirrored the tranquility of the surrounding landscape.
• Invigorating : The invigorating breeze that swept across the lake filled us with energy and vitality.

Negative Adjectives for Lake with 5 Example Sentences

While lakes are often associated with positive qualities, there are also negative adjectives that can be used to describe them. Here are five examples:

• Muddy : After the rain, the lake became muddy, making it less appealing for swimming.
• Stagnant : The stagnant water in the lake gave off an unpleasant odor.
• Polluted : Unfortunately, the lake had become polluted, affecting its ecosystem and wildlife.
• Algae-infested : The lake’s surface was covered in thick, green algae, diminishing its attractiveness.
• Overcrowded : The lake was overcrowded with tourists, making it difficult to find a peaceful spot.

When choosing adjectives to describe a lake, it’s important to consider the context and convey the intended mood or atmosphere. From tranquil and harmonious to polluted and overcrowded, adjectives can help paint a vivid picture of a lake’s characteristics.

Synonyms and Antonyms with Example Sentences

Synonyms for lake.

When it comes to describing a lake, there are several synonyms you can use to add variety and depth to your writing. Here are some common synonyms for “lake” and example sentences to help illustrate their usage:

Using synonyms can add richness and variety to your descriptions, helping to paint a vivid picture of the lake in the reader’s mind.

Antonyms for Lake

While synonyms help us find alternative ways to describe a lake, it can also be useful to know antonyms – words that have the opposite meaning. Here are some common antonyms for “lake” with example sentences:

Understanding antonyms can provide contrast and help create a more nuanced description of the lake, showcasing both its positive and negative characteristics.

By incorporating synonyms and antonyms in your writing, you can enhance the reader’s understanding and create a more engaging and descriptive narrative.

Incorporating synonyms and antonyms into our descriptions of lakes can greatly enhance our writing. By using synonyms, we can add richness and variety to our descriptions, making them more engaging and captivating for the reader. For example, instead of repeatedly using the word “lake,” we can use words like “pond,” “reservoir,” or “lagoon” to paint a more vivid picture.

On the other hand, understanding antonyms can provide contrast and create a more nuanced description of the lake. By juxtaposing words like “dry” or “barren” with “lake,” we can emphasize the abundance of water and highlight the lake’s importance in its surroundings.

By incorporating these descriptive techniques, we can elevate our writing and create a more immersive experience for our readers. Whether we’re writing a travel blog, a nature article, or a fictional story, using adjectives effectively is key to bringing our descriptions to life.

So, the next time you’re describing a lake, don’t settle for the ordinary. Explore the vast array of adjectives available and let your words paint a picture that truly captures the essence of the lake.

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Lake Creative Writings Samples For Students

5 samples of this type

While studying in college, you will definitely have to compose a bunch of Creative Writings on Lake. Lucky you if putting words together and transforming them into meaningful content comes naturally to you; if it's not the case, you can save the day by finding a previously written Lake Creative Writing example and using it as a template to follow.

This is when you will definitely find WowEssays' free samples directory extremely useful as it embodies numerous professionally written works on most various Lake Creative Writings topics. Ideally, you should be able to find a piece that meets your criteria and use it as a template to develop your own Creative Writing. Alternatively, our skilled essay writers can deliver you a unique Lake Creative Writing model crafted from scratch according to your individual instructions.

Example Of Journaling Creative Writing

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Example Of Creative Narrative Based On A Photograph Creative Writing

Good example of the postcard story: jane and her mother at the great-lake zoo pavilion creative writing.

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Creative Writing in the Lake District: An evocative literary landscape

By deb bond.

Whether it is the rugged verges, watery expanses or breath-taking vistas, the Lake District has inspired novelists and poets from Samuel Coleridge to Beatrix Potter, through Thomas de Quincey, Arthur Ransome and John Cunliffe.

These evocative and seasonally transforming landscapes seem to give power to creative writers to reveal in vivid and emotive prose the relationships between humans and nature, between ourselves and the world we live. And it is the enabling creative power of the hills, valleys, forests and lakes, that has embedded the Lake District in the global literary imagination and keeps writers coming back to build and refine their art.

Institute of the Arts

Another writer inspired by the Lake District, John Ruskin, suggested that if architects wanted to learn their craft they should ‘send [them] to our hills, and let [them] study there what nature understands’. The same is true for creative writers and the Lake District as the creative writing courses at the University of Cumbria’s Institute of the Arts will guide inspiration from the Lake District to the page.

Located in the vibrant arts campus with ready access to empowering Lake District landscapes, the highly-rated creative writing courses range from DipHe, to BA and onto a Masters. The expansive 3-year BA in Creative Writing provides training across all mediums including poetry, script, travel writing, blogging, copy and editing, equipping candidates with creative and vocational skills for a career in writing.

Compulsory modules include 'Creative Non-Fiction', 'Writing for the Media' and 'Poetry and Place', with the option to undertake modules in, for example, contemporary women’s writing, British Romanticism and the Lake District and advanced scriptwriting. No matter what your current level or what you seek to attain from your course, the face to face teaching will empower you to become a skilled and engaging creative writer.

The Institute of the Arts is also home to artists from across arts and humanities fields, making for a creative and successful environment, where 93% of graduates are in work or further study within six months of graduating (DLHE 2017).

Creative writing tutors

Tutors on the creative writing courses at the Institute of the Arts are not only proficient and experienced teachers but also active and published creative writers themselves.

The Creative Writing BA is delivered by a small and supportive team, led by writer Lucy Burnett . Lucy has a reputation in many art forms, including photography, installation and performance, but it is in creative writing that Lucy gained a PhD. An experienced tutor and educator, Lucy has a number of creative writing publications in books and magazines, including poetry and travel writing, and was shortlisted for the 2007 Chroma International Poetry Prize. Published in 2013, Lucy’s first collection of poetry is called Leaf Graffiti, followed up by Through the Weather Glass in 2015.

Book festivals and national literary campaigns

If you are, or want to be, the type of person that seeks to engage with the wider literary scene, forging important connections and networks, then the Institute of the Arts can prove a busy and facilitating environment.

The tutors were all heavily involved with the 2018  Carlisle Borderlands Book Festival and will be again this year when the festival returns from 30 Sept to 6th Oct 2019. The 2018 Borderlines Festival attracted a varied programme of top writers, for example, novelist Pat Baker, poet Jackie Kay and comedians Robin Ince and Susan Calman. The festival also includes workshops and poetry performances with well-known creative writers and reflects the vibrant, energetic and vital literary centre that Carlisle has become, in heavy part due to the Institute of the Arts.

Through the Institute of the Arts, there is also ample opportunity to engage and participate in national books campaigns, allowing you to advocate for the written word. These campaigns include  World Book Day (7th March),  National Writing Day (28th June 2019),  National Poetry Day (5th October 2019) and  National Flash Fiction Day (17th June 2019).

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Creative/Narrative Writing Example — Lake Narcissus

Here’s a creative/narrative writing example – Lake Narcissus (GCSE Narrative Writing Task A* L8/L9 Example). It’s a story about death vs life, thoughts vs impulses, and the restorative beauty of nature.

I’ve been teaching a lot of creative writing recently and yesterday my student challenged me to sit and write a story with her: so here it is! This was written under timed conditions and would be great as a top-level student example answer or exemplar script.

It’s suitable for anyone studying Narrative writing at GCSE or IGCSE level (AQA, CIE / Cambridge, WJEC / Eduqas, CCEA, OCR, Edexcel, and more).

It’s a response to this AQA English Language exam question ‘Write a story, set in a mountainous area, as suggested by this picture (Q5 on the link ).

If you find my resources useful, take a look at my online video courses , including Basic and Advanced Descriptive Writing.

** WARNING: The content may be upsetting for some readers as it explores mental health and depression**

Lake Narcissus. Summer. I used to think it was the most incredible place on Earth; on days like this — when the angry winds that whipped through the valley were still — the clear blue sky rippled off the surface of the shimmering water: a giant, serene mirror. I’m pretty sure that if you were a bird or drone whizzing overhead, it’d have all sorts of translucent, mysterious layers to it and almost seem to look back at you, dark and glaucous as a glass eye. The jagged tops of surrounding mountains are softened by spiky pines that cover them so that when you look out to the horizon it seems fuzzy and far away — like a mirage or a dream. It’s perfect, this place. Always has been. It’s just me that was wrong: it wasn’t supposed to end like this.

There’s a wooden jetty that juts out into Narcissus. I’ve no idea why because there are never any boats there to use it. Anyway, I found myself sitting right on the edge — my black Vans sneakers skimming the top of the waves as I stared down at myself in the lake. I was shaking… I was crying. My knuckles were bright white from clenching my fists so tightly, and in them was a scrunched up piece of paper. A letter:

“Dear Mum ”, I’d scrawled.  “Please don’t think this is your fault.”

But somehow that felt like it was accusing her. Or that I’d arrogantly assumed she would blame herself. After that came to a list of hastily scribbled excuses, each more cliched than the last:

“I can’t do anything right.”

“I feel pathetic.”

“I’m a failure.”

“Even when I try to be nice, I just end up upsetting people.”

“Life’s just so hard.”

And finally, the biggest cliche of all:  “I can’t cope anymore. I have to say goodbye.” . This last one almost made me laugh when I read it out loud; it was typical — just typical — that I was even bad at ending it all. After all, why had I thought I’d be any good at suicide when I was so awful at everything else?

A cloud spilled shadows over me, and then another floated by. I had no idea how long I’d been there. Suddenly, beyond frustration and exhaustion, I screamed from the bottom of my lungs: “JUST DO IT ALREADY!”

I must have been in a complete daze because I thought I heard footsteps behind me, someone running at a fast pace, hurtling down the wooden slats of the pier. Hardly daring to look around, I turned at the last minute and saw a dark silhouette of a woman, backlit by the blinding sun. Was it my mum? Maybe she’d come to save me.

But no — this figure kept on running, so so fast — faster than I’ve ever run in my life; faster than I’ve ever seen anyone on track or field. What’s more, she acted like I wasn’t there at all. She got closer… closer… and finally SPLASH!

It all happened so quickly; I couldn’t believe what I’d seen. Not a woman, but a girl — about my age- sprinted right past me and leaped up — floating gracefully in the air for a second, her yellow summer dress rippling, her long legs still pedaling, and then landed — right in the center of the lake.

“Hey, are you crazy?” I shouted, annoyed that she’d stolen my moment and broken my concentration.

There was no reply, only thrashing, and awful low gargling. I could barely see through the droplets of water that spun out around her, floating down in a shower of petals. It almost looked like the water grew hands with long bony fingers, clutching at her as she flailed. And then she was gone, and the lake returned to its regular low ripple, swirling slowly where she had been.

Narcissus lake is beautiful, but it’s freezing cold. Cold, cold, cold, even in the heights of Summer. Anyone who goes there knows not to swim in its depths — you can die of shock in a matter of seconds. And this girl, she’d jumped right into the middle of it — the deepest, coldest part!

Staring blankly into the spiraling abyss where she’d been, I saw no shapes or colours that could be her. Blackness. Silence. Even the birds in the forest stopped singing…

Well, for once in my life, I didn’t overthink. I jumped right in after her.

Six Amazing Short Stories – For Anyone Who Wants To Improve Their Reading And Thinking Skills

It’s hard to explain the sensation when your body hits almost frozen water. For a second, you feel nothing, but then your nerves catch up: they tingle, then scream. I could feel my heart hardening, my chest closing up, but in my mind, I couldn’t give in until I’d found her. I swam down, down to where the light had almost faded, and caught sight of that yellow dress, like a splintered piece of sunlight that had fallen through the surface and come to rest in the weeds.

Her eyes were closed. She looked almost peaceful, with dark her hair fanning out in a halo. But she was so young. This wasn’t her time. I grabbed her tightly around the waist and kicked downwards, hard as I could, propelling us towards the surface. The rest of the journey to shore is a blur; I’m still not sure how I had the strength to get us both there, but I did.

A dark trail of pebbles trickled down from her soaked white hi-tops to the edge of the water. She was very still and for a moment I panicked, thinking I was too late. But then — she gasped, and her eyes popped open like a porcelain doll. Distinctly undoll-like, she rolled over onto her side and started coughing, spluttering, expunging the water from her lungs, her hair falling limply about her face in drowned waves. Her eyes, crystalline glittering sapphires, looked up at me, and in them, I could see the burning hope of a new beginning.

We sat and said nothing, listening to birdsong as it echoed off the great rocks around us.

Thanks for reading! If you found my resources useful, take a look at my online video courses , including Basic and Advanced Descriptive Writing.

If you need help with Writing Skills and Essay Techniques , I got you covered!

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KathySteinemann.com: Free Resources for Writers and Poets

Word lists, cheat sheets, and sometimes irreverent reviews of writing rules. kathy steinemann is the author of the writer's lexicon series..

More Than 400 Water Words: A Word List for Writers

The more senses you stimulate in your writing, the more you engage readers. Try intensifying narrative with water.

We all know what water feels like: wet. However, it can also feel cold, hot, or slimy. It can roil like an angry spirit, hiss as though it were a venomous viper, or lie smooth and serene on a sunny day.

Along with weather, water can set a mood. The word suggestions in this post comprise three sections: Adjectives, Verbs , and Nouns . You can form verbs from many of the nouns and vice versa, or create adjectives by adding -ing to many of the verbs.

Let’s consider burble — used once as a noun, next as a verb, and finally as an adjective — in three simple sentences:

The burble of the brook woke her from a deep slumber.

The brook burbled , waking her from a deep slumber.

The burbling brook woke her from a deep slumber.

Now let’s get more creative. Which of the following do you prefer?

The boys walked home from school. By the time they got there, their boots were all wet.

The boys meandered home from school, splooshing in every puddle they discovered, until their boots filled with muck.

The second example, just a few words longer, paints a picture. Can you see the boys covered with muddy water and soaked to the skin?

Drill through the following lists of water words for ideas to make your writing sparkle.

A and B abysmal, aerated, angry , aquatic, Arctic, ashore, bitter, blistering, bottomless, bracing, brackish, briny, bubbly

C calm, carbonated, chaotic, choppy, chilly, clamorous, clear, cloudy, coastal, coastward, cold, cool, contaminated, crossable, crystal-clear

D to F dangerous, deep, deep-sea, downriver, dirty, drizzly, effervescent, feral, fetid, filthy, fizzy, fluvial, foamy, foul, freezing, fresh, frothy

G to L glacial, glassy, gloomy, hazardous, heavy, high, hostile, hot, icy, inshore, landward, littoral, low, lukewarm

M and N marine, maritime, menacing, mirror-like, moist, mucky, muddy, murky, nautical, naval, navigable, noisy

O to R oceangoing, oceanic, offshore, ominous, opaque, passable, peaceful, perilous, placid, polar, polluted, prismatic, pure, quiet, rainy, reflective, refreshing, relaxing, rough

S saline, saltwater, salty, seafaring, seagoing, seaside, seaworthy, serene, shallow, shiny, showery, slick, slimy, sloppy, sluggish, smooth, stagnant, still, stormy, sudsy, swollen

T tainted, tepid, thick, tidal, temperate, tempestuous, torpid, torrential, tranquil, tropical, turbulent

U to W undisturbed, untainted, untamed, upriver, violent, viscous, warm, wavy, wet, wholesome, wild, wintry

B and C baptize, bathe, bedew, besprinkle, boil, break, buckle, burble, burst, churn, clap, course, crash, creep, curve

D and E dabble, dampen, dilute, douse, drench, drill, drive, drown, drum, duck, dump, dunk, ebb, engulf, erupt, explode, exude

F to I flush, freeze, glitter, gurgle, gush, heave, hiss, hose, humidify, immerse, inch, irrigate

L to O lap, lade, launder, lave, leap, marinate, meander, melt, moisten, moisturize, ooze, overrun

P to R penetrate, percolate, permeate, perspire, plunge, pound, pour, rise, roar, roil, roll, run, rush

S sail, saturate, scald, seep, seethe, shimmer, shoot, sizzle, slabber, slap, slaver, slobber, slop, slosh, smother, snake, soak, sog, sop, souse, sparkle, spill, spin, spit, sploosh, splosh, spout, spray, spread, sprinkle, spurt, squirt, stain, stir, steam, steep, streak, submerge, submerse, suffuse, swab, sweat, sweep, swell, swim, swirl, swish

T to W thin, thread, threaten, topple, tickle, tug, tumble, twist, twizzle, undulate, wander, wash, waterlog, weep, wet, whip, whirl, wind

A and B aqueduct, arroyo, basin, bath, bay, bayou, beach, bead, beck, bog, bottleneck, bowl, brook, bubble

C canal, cascade, channel, clamminess, coast, coastline, closeness, condensation, conduit, cove, creek, current

D dam, dampness, dankness, deluge, depression, dip, discharge, ditch, dew, drib, dribble, drip, drizzle, drop, droplet, duct, dyke

E to G eddy, estuary, everglade, fen, firth, flood, floodplain, flow, flux, foam, fog, froth, globule, gulf, gully, gutter

H to M harbor, hollow, humidity, inlet, jet, key, ladle, lake, leak, liquid, logjam, lowland, maelstrom, marsh, marshland, mist, moisture

O and P ocean, outlet, overflow, passage, pearl, peat bog, percolation, precipitation, pool, puddle

Q and R quagmire, rain, raindrops, rainwater, reservoir, rinse, ripple, river, rivulet

S sea, seawall, shore, shoreline, shower, sleet, sluice, sogginess, splash, splatter, strait, stream, surf, swamp

T to V tank, tears, tide, torrent, trench, trickle, trough, tub, undercurrent, undulation, vessel, vortex

W wake, watercourse, watershed, waterspout, water table, waterway, waterworks, wave, well, wetlands, wetness, whirlpool

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6 thoughts on “ More Than 400 Water Words: A Word List for Writers ”

I love that you do these lists! I’m going to have to take a closer look some evening.

Thanks, David. I enjoy doing them. Do you have any favorites you’d like me to tackle? Next week is sat .

I have two in mind, which could go great with this list of water words: sailing and ports. I’m mostly interested in words that fit the 1800s, but perhaps that’s asking for too much 😀

I have sail but not port–good suggestion.

Hmm, 1800s.

EtymOnline might be a good place to check. They provide the origins of words and sometimes give synonyms appropriate to a specific period.

Thank you. I’m sure these will com in handy.

Thanks, Tess. I enjoyed doing it.

Next week will be 99 Ways to Say “Laughed” or “Smiled”.

The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus , a companion to The Emotion Thesaurus , releases May 13th.

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WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Helping writers become bestselling authors

Setting Description Entry: River

August 16, 2008 by BECCA PUGLISI

Eddies, dripping branches, current, glossy, darting shapes, water striders, leaf-dappled, twisting flow, drag, silt, reeds, bowed willows, shadows, sparkling, mirror, bent grasses, carve, clash, boulders, ripples, carry, twigs, debris, gliding birds, minnows, fish, smooth stones, slime, weeds, ducklings, drifting, lazy, tepid, mud, churning flow, winding, clover…

Frothing, crashing, clash, splashing, chuckling, burbling, tumbling, rush, trickle, gurgle, roar, simmer, murmur, rumble, clash, glug, warble, thundering, musical, gushing, din, bird calls, chattering squirrels, buzzing flies or bees, animals scampering through nearby undergrowth

Algae-scented, briny, wet earth, dank, musty, reek, fetid, rank, fresh, clean, pungent, wildflowers, grass, clover, rotting deadfall or leaves

Cold, quenching, thirsty, numbing, tang, sip, sweet, bitter, mineral-rich, impure, oily, gulp, coppery, swig, sharp, fishy, brackish, tart, brassy, stale, sharp, bite

Silken, smooth rocks, slippery, wet, chill, shock, soak, icy, warm, simmering, gritty, ticklish, sleek, cool, fluid, caressing, soothing, pulling, strength, powerful, brisk, jolt, stun, numbing, nip, freezing

Helpful hints:

–The words you choose can convey atmosphere and mood.

Example 1 : As instructed in the stranger’s note, I waited at the end of Rogan’s Dock with only the moon above as company. Below me, the swollen spring waters churned against the pilings, fighting to escape into the flatland beyond the mountain. The boards beneath my feet groaned and I shifted uneasily. One misstep, and the darkness would swallow a man whole.

–Similes and metaphors create strong imagery when used sparingly.

Example 1 : Long after the sun set, the frothing current swept past, dark as molasses. (Simile)

Think beyond what a character sees, and provide a sensory feast for readers

Setting is much more than just a backdrop, which is why choosing the right one and describing it well is so important. To help with this, we have expanded and integrated this thesaurus into our online library at One Stop For Writers . Each entry has been enhanced to include possible sources of conflict , people commonly found in these locales , and setting-specific notes and tips , and the collection itself has been augmented to include a whopping 230 entries—all of which have been cross-referenced with our other thesauruses for easy searchability. So if you’re interested in seeing a free sample of this powerful Setting Thesaurus, head on over and register at One Stop.

On the other hand, if you prefer your references in book form, we’ve got you covered, too, because both books are now available for purchase in digital and print copies . In addition to the entries, each book contains instructional front matter to help you maximize your settings. With advice on topics like making your setting do double duty and using figurative language to bring them to life, these books offer ample information to help you maximize your settings and write them effectively.

Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers —a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.

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Reader Interactions

November 11, 2014 at 8:30 pm

Any chance to get a raging river added to this? Perhaps a cross between a wild river, and rapids?

November 13, 2014 at 9:58 am

Hi, Dan! Unfortunately, we’re not adding any more entries to the online version of this thesaurus because we’re in the process of drafting the print version, which should be out in the spring (yay!). Right now, we don’t have plans for a Rapids entry; we’re trying to include a lot of different settings, and since we already have a river, a creek, and a waterfall, we probably won’t have room to add another river-related entry. But a wild river is a strong setting ripe with opportunities for conflict, so we’ll make sure to incorporate some wild river description into the River entry. Thanks so much for the suggestion!

August 16, 2008 at 9:56 am

Awesome! We’re trying to pick settings that should have a wide appeal–glad this one is useful to you.

August 16, 2008 at 9:29 am

OMG! I have five different rivers in my WIP. This is perfect for helping me think about distinguishing them! Thanks!

[…] Rivers […]

Creative Writing: The Lake

Eliza slammed the front door, her brown hair whipping behind her as she ran out of her house. Tears streamed down her face with a huge red hand mark was imprinted on it. She saw the barbed wire fence that bordered her city since The Great Attack and only hoped it wasn’t electrified at the moment… she thought of the lake beyond it, the lake always seemed to be a part of her child-hood. When she was younger, Eliza thought back, her father hadn’t minded the border. He often took her over, and to the lake, where they played for hours before returning home to a furious mother , but still, he didn’t mind. Eliza pushed the thought away, her father was dead, he was no longer a burden to her… at least, that’s what her mother had said before they got

Creative Writing: The Missouri River

The Missouri River can be a wonderful yet terrible place. So much joy can be experienced from being on the river, but at the same time, so much destruction can happen. I have had both wonderful and terrible experiences on this river.

Creative Writing: The Outsiders

Sunshine was pouring out from in between the buildings, casting shadows all around Ponyboy and the gang as they walked to Pony’s school. They were taking their time walking down the streets and for the first time they all were really seeing what was all around them. Memories were surfacing in their minds showing them what it all meant to them. With every step they took on the sidewalk they remembered a different memory as if they were walking down memory lane. Ponyboy didn’t think it was possible for him to be walking down this street for the last time as a high school student, but he had gone through the years with great grades that earned him many scholarships.

Creative Writing: The Odyssey

“After defeating the Cyclops Polyphemus, my men grew exhausted. They grew thirsty from rowing under the beating hot sun. Sweat dripped down their heads and the ship’s deck grew moist from the mix of the salty, seawater and sweat. We stopped by on a nearby island.

Creative Writing: The Well-Known Grand Canyon

The well known Grand Canyon wasn’t always grand. About 6 millions years ago there live a princess called Artemis, she loved a lot of things like hunting, wilderness, and animals. Her kingdom was located in the territory now called, Arizona. She always had her trusty bow and arrow everywhere she went. She hunted so much that she would bring extra animals to feed the poor. But her father didn’t like that, he was selfish and forbade her to feed the poor anymore. He wanted her daughter to be normal, like wear dresses, have proper manners, and be quiet like every princess should be. She didn’t like that, her passion was to hunt, and possibly become a warrior with her true love. The fault with that dream she had no true love.

Creative Writing: Into The Wild West

"Wake up, partners," the trail boss, James called. I sleepily looked up , shivered, and saw I was the only one not up. "Here," James said, giving me the horses' bridles and saddles. "Take these and get the horses ready. We have a long day today." I groaned in reply and set up the horses for the day's long drag. I was the horse wrangler and this was my everyday job but I still couldn't get use to the idea of waking up before the sun and working. We drove the cattle into open plains against the winter's cold wrath.

Creative Writing: The Road Of Flint St.

The driver, Cecilia Blair, of vehicle 1 was traveling north through the intersection of N. State St. and Flint St. when she had a collision with vehicle 2. The driver, Jacqueline Muir, of vehicle 2 was heading west on Flint St. when she was struck by vehicle 1.

Creative Writing: Splash Mountain

The Florida summer of 2014 was, to describe it in a single word, hot. Sweltering, boiling, hot-enough-for-me-to-buy-a-twenty-dollar-handheld-electric-fan heat engulfed the town of Orlando and the Disney World park, drowning attendants in the thick, sultry summer air. Thousands of people and families gathered in the parks daily, which obviously wasn’t a help concerning the heat, and each person had at least one person in common with each other: obvious signs of being out in the heat for too long of a time, including sweating profusely and having a constant “I’m in the happiest place on earth but the heat makes me want to die” look on their faces. As per usual in these conditions, Splash Mountain seemed to be quite popular, offering the only

Creative Writing: Lake Tahoe's Emergency Room

“Honey I’m going to be in Lake Tahoe’s Emergency Room in three days for Suzzane.”

Creative Writing: Dismal Swamp

By Saturday afternoon, the eighty-seven residents of the rural southern town of Wrongberight have suffered through four days of intense intermittent rainstorms. And to add to their misery another storm approaches the town from the northeast. Now, Clemmy Sue Jarvis since birth has lived here and has a simple philosophy concerning weather. As long as the almighty man upstairs allows her to draw a breath, she will enjoy life, regardless of the weather. At four o’clock, she lifts her petite frame into her rusty Ford pickup, and gradually eases out of her driveway. The soaring Pines that surround her home sway to the rhythm of the gusting wind as she turns south onto Flat Bottom Road and follows it along the edge the Dismal Swamp towards the isolated

Creative Writing: Lake Willowberry

Lake Willowberry wasn’t an enormous lake, but it was sizable, with the approximate circumference length of a rounded football field. The lake was not far from my house, it was in the forest, and the forest encroached the south side of my fence—standing tall like a citadel of pine trees.

Short Story: The Odyssey

The sun was about to rise, but it was still dark outside in the city of Crete. A tall muscular man with chestnut brown hair and eyes that shifted between an emerald green and an electric blue was getting ready for the upcoming race by running laps around the city. His name was Grigolo and he claimed to be the fastest runner on the planet. Grigolo got out of his bed quite loudly and his wife stirred in her sleep groggily asking,

Creative Writing: Lake Tahoe

“It is a shame that her father left her...this happened because her mother failed her job as a wife...she is so young...what was her father thinking?”, my relatives whispered as they sipped their tea. My cousin’s face turned pale like the white blanket of snow falling outside the lodge at the camp in Lake Tahoe. Her expression held so many emotions as if it was a canvas of a painting to be gazed upon. I could see that she felt frustrated and tired of these rude remarks, and all I did was just stand there and caressed the back side of her hands, so I could comfort her. Suddenly, it felt like the air had thickened so much that even a hammer could not slash it into tiny bits. My cousin had not yet known why her father left the house yesterday.

Creative Writing: The Outsides

The next morning (Y/N) slowly woke up, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes. She blinked a couple of times before looking around the room. She went to go get up before doing a double take, her eyes widening. Sitting in random places in her room were all of the characters from The Outsiders, at least all of the characters from Darry's gang. She tried not to start freakout, looking at everyone. They were just like she had imagined them.

Creative Writing: Journey's End

James grabbed after her, but she all but melted away down the stairs, running for all she was worth. Which, as it turned out, was quite a bit. Gabby was damaged, and terribly so, but she was desperate to preserve whatever was left of herself. James stepped into the basement, looking at her as she held the bottle. Flashes of memory, a bathroom, a phone, a threat oh so like this. But he had little doubt that this was going to end very differently. He weighed his options. If he let Gabby go, she'd essentially kill them all. he had no doubt what his fate would be. What Callie's fate would be. He wouldn't let it happen. He loved his daughter, but he couldn't let her destroy them. Closing his eyes, feeling tears start to form at what was about to

Creative Writing: The Wolves

In front of us, the tall ebony sergeant had patiently waited for instructions, while Julie had her fun at attempting to embarrass me. I broke the ice. “How are the men liking the addition to their armor, Scratch?”

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2024 Calendar

HIGH SCHOOL Grades 9-12 next school year

Session 1 June 26 – July 7 Session 2 July 10 – July 21

INTERMEDIATE Grades 7-9 next school year

Session 3 July 24-August 4 Session 4 August 7 – August 18

Students today are creating more text than any other generation in history, and for young writers who want to harness that flood of language to create art, Blue Lake’s Writing Camp is the ideal setting to pursue their discipline.

Henry David Thoreau wrote that he “went to the woods because [he] wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life,” and to see if he “could not learn what it had to teach.” Blue Lake provides a peaceful, wooded setting that helps students tune out the distractions of daily life and tune into their own inner worlds. Unplugging from the glare of computer screens, Blue Lake Creative Writers use pencils and paper to write, which not only allows them to reap the well-documented benefits of writing by hand, but also allows them to be highly mobile and write in different scenic locations on our lakeshore campus.

The Creative Writing program is a place for writers both new and experienced. Creative Writing faculty provide individualized attention in small class sizes. Students write and attend classes daily in our classroom and frequently foray onto camp to seek inspiration for their writing by responding to dance, orchestra, band, vocal, and other exhibitions in writing. Collaboration between Creative Writing and other departments is rich, and students may have opportunities to practice ekphrastic writing with the Visual Art department or broadside production with the Printmaking department.

Through multiple drafts, every Creative Writing student works toward the creation of one or more polished pieces of writing to include in a bound anthology produced by Blue Lake faculty. These anthologies contain work from Creative Writing students in the session and are theirs to keep. This process-based approach helps students to engage deeply with revision as a form of “seeing again,” allows them to begin to envision their readers, and encourages deeper reflection about the use of white space, typographical and grammatical conventions, and more.

Creative Writing students can complete their instructional day and enrich their writing lives by choosing a  Minor , allowing them to experience another area of interest while at camp. Students also have the opportunity to attend Summer Arts Festival performances, as well as participate in recreation, camp activities, and attend arts-focused educational events in the evening.

All sessions conclude with a celebratory live reading designed to get students thinking about the expectations of audiences, hone their verbal delivery skills, and boost their confidence in their written work. Students read from their anthology piece and have the opportunity to debut a new piece for their audience as well. Families are welcome to attend these rich Final Sunday Readings.

Sessions 1 & 2: Genre Studies

Students in Session 1 or 2 will take courses in craft elements of poetry and prose. In addition to several hours of intensive workshops, students will also have the opportunity to read and discuss the work of living writers as viable craft models. Upon enrollment and subject to availability, students may have the opportunity to state a genre preference to serve as their major area of focus. Students can expect to partake in several hours of discussion-based class time followed by two or more hours of independent writing studio time per day.

Sessions 3 & 4: Cross-Genre Approaches

Students in Sessions 3 or 4 will take courses in multiple writing genres and focus on play and experimentation. These students make a deeper exploration of the sensory world in order to boost their grasp of image and detail, and engage in process-based techniques like erasure, musical accompaniment, and curated nature walks. Students will have several hours of class time focused on hands-on exercises punctuated by hour-long stretches of supervised independent work time per day.

Dr. Caitlin Cowan

Director of international tours; chair of creative writing.

Caitlin Cowan is the author of Happy Everything (Cornerstone Press, 2024). Her poetry, fiction, and nonfiction have appeared in Best New Poets, The Rumpus, New Ohio Review, Missouri Review, Denver Quarterly, SmokeLong Quarterly, Literary Hub, The Account, and elsewhere. Her work has received support from the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and the…

Vermont Studio Center. Caitlin holds a BA from the University of Michigan, an MFA from The New School, and a PhD from the University of North Texas. She has taught writing at UNT, Texas Woman’s University, Interlochen Center for the Arts, and at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, where she currently serves as Director of International Tours and as Chair of Creative Writing. Caitlin also serves as Poetry Co-Editor at Pleiades and writes PopPoetry, a weekly poetry and pop culture newsletter. She lives on Michigan’s west coast with her husband, their young daughter, and two mischievous cats.

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English and Creative Writing

Robert archambeau.

Professor of English Chair of English

Carla Arnell

Professor of English

Joshua Corey

Benjamin goluboff.

Visiting Assistant Professor of English

Davis Schneiderman

Krebs Provost and Dean of Faculty

Assistant Professor of English and African American Studies

Major in English

We offer two areas of concentration: the Writing Track and the Literature Track.

All majors learn how to read and interpret complex texts, how to relate one text to another and to a tradition, and how to read texts within historical and multicultural contexts. Majors who choose the writing track practice their craft with four targeted creative courses, including two intermediate workshops in topics such as fiction, new media writing, poetry, and environmental writing. We offer literature courses organized in various ways, focusing on historical periods, single authors, literary types, thematic issues, multicultural literature, and gender issues.  Courses taken Pass-Fail may count towards the major or minor in English.

Requirements for the Major:

At least 10 credits

Literature Track

• English 210: Gods, Monsters & Questing Humanity: Ancient and Medieval Literature
• English 211: From Fairyland to Flying Islands: Renaissance to Enlightenment English Literature
• English 212: Romantics, Rebels, and Bohemians: English Literature in the Long 19th Century
• English 203: Early American Literature
• English 204: Diverse Voices of Nineteenth-Century United States Literature
• English 216: African American Literature 1
• English 316: Voices of Reform: Nineteenth-Century African American Writings
• English 205: Diverse Voices of Twentieth-Century United States Literature
• English 206: United States Environmental Literature
• English 214: James Baldwin
• English 217: African American Literature II
• English 219: Malcolm & Martin: The Literature of Peace & Resistance
• English 224: Special Studies: Literature of the Vietnam War
• English 228: Women Writing Women
• English 238: Literature/Culture in the Age of AI
• English 250: Contemporary Literature
• English 264: The Beat Generation: Influences and Legacy
• English 266: Reading the American Graphic Novel
• English 326: Postmodernism
• English 327: 21st Century Black Authors
• English 220: Shakespeare
• English 303: Psychics, Spiritualists, and Mystics: Adventures in Edwardian Fiction
• English 304: The Romantic Period
• English 305: Victorian Literature
• English 306: Happiness and the 19th Century Novel
• English 309: Deceit and Desire in Chaucer’s Fiction
• English 310: The Arthurian Tradition
• English 321: Modern Fiction
• English 336: British Women Writers
• English 341: Existentialism and the Modern Novel
• English 346: Jewish-American Literature
• English 347: Modernist Masters of Consciousness: Woolf, Joyce, Beckett
• English 380: J.R.R. Tolkien and the Literature of the Inklings
• English 403: Emily Dickinson
• English 404: W.B. Yeats
• At least 2 electives in English not including English 100 or English 101. Only one of these may be at the 100-level.
• English 450: Theory of Literature to complete the Senior Studies Requirement (A senior thesis may be undertaken by approval of the Chair, but cannot be completed in lieu of the senior seminar.)

Writing Track

• English 216: African American Literature I
• English 135: Creative Writing (formerly English 235)
• English 243: Vampires & Villains: Writing Literary Horror
• English 244: Writing Science Fiction
• English 245: Novel Writing Boot Camp
• English 246: Memoir Writing Boot Camp
• English 248: Tales of Murder and Mystery: Writing Detective Fiction
• English 269: Writing Fantasy: Fantasy Worlds and How to Build Them
• English 280: Slam Poetry and Spoken Word
• English 342 / Theater 370 Playwriting
• English 360: Fiction Writing
• English 361: Poetry Writing
• English 362: New Media/Electronic Writing
• English 364: Creative Unwriting and Remix Workshop
• English 365: Poetry and Nature
• English 367: Environmental Writing
• English 368: Advanced Nonfiction Writing
• English 369: Professional Writing in the Digital Age
• English 370: Emoji and Image Writing Workshop
• English 392: Publishing Practicum
• Any English course at the 300 level or above, or English 220.  English 440 and English 450 do not count for this requirement
• English 440: Advanced Writing Seminar/Tutorial: Re-Writing Chicago to complete the Senior Studies Requirement (A senior thesis may be undertaken by approval of the Chair, but cannot be completed in lieu of the senior seminar.)

Requirements for the Minor:

At least 6 credits

• English 212: Romantics, Rebels, and Bohemians: English Literature in the Long 19th Century (prerequisite English 210 and 211)
• 3 electives in English not including English 100 or English 101

Learning Outcomes

The expected Student Learning Outcomes for the English Literature Department are:

1. The English Literature major will be able to read and interpret complex texts and relate one text to another and to a tradition.

2. The English Literature major will be able to explain the historical and multicultural contexts of a variety of literature.

3. The English Literature major will be able to express ideas well in writing, identify the context and purpose of a writing assignment, develop interpretive ideas, adapt to conventions of discipline and genre, use reasoning and evidence to develop arguments, and master the fundamentals of English syntax and mechanics.

The expected Student Learning Outcomes for the English Writing Department are:

1. The English Writing major will be able to read and interpret complex texts and relate one text to another and to a tradition, as well as produce their own creative works informed by these interpretations.

2. The English Writing major will be able to explain the historical, formal, and ideological contexts of a variety of creative literature.

3. The English Writing major will be able to express ideas well in writing by identifying the context and purpose of a writing assignment, developing creative ideas, adapting to or experimenting with conventions of discipline and genre, and mastering the fundamentals of English syntax and mechanics.

English and Creative Writing Courses

Engl 101: writing tutorial.

An expository writing course for students identified by the Director of Writing Programs. Does not apply toward the major. Not open to upperclass students. (Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 110: Literary Studies

Designed to introduce prospective majors to English studies. Primarily for first-year students but also for others who wish to acquire useful skills as readers and writers by developing critical abilities in studying literature. This course offers students an introduction to specific subject areas in the literary canon and contemporary texts. (Counts as an elective for the English major, Literature Track. ) (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 111: Intro to Prof Writing

(Introduction to Professional Writing) This course introduces students to the kind of writing they may encounter in the work world by exploring the rhetorical principles, writing strategies, and information-mapping practices necessary for producing organized, readable documents - from traditional print business letters and reports to email correspondence and social-media text. This course will provide the tools to effectively gather and refine information, organize it in reader-friendly fashion, and adapt it for the appropriate audience and genre. Students will also hone an economical, direct prose style, which is standard for effective professional writing. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 112: Intro to Editing and Publishing

Introduction to Editing and Publishing. Designed to introduce students to the sorts of questions that arise in contemporary publishing. Primarily for students who wish to acquire useful skills as editors and writers for both campus and professional publications, including print and electronic magazines, journals, or books. Among the topics covered in this course: editorial workflow; copyediting, fact checking, and proofreading; contracts and copyright; working with authors; and marketing and publicity. In order to best use these practical skills, we also look at the differences implicit in various publishing environments (including print and electronic) and the fundamental relationships between author and audience that determine the shape of the text. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 135: Creative Writing

A beginning course in the art of writing fiction, poetry, and nonfiction prose. Literary analysis will be combined with creative assignments. Group discussions and individual conferences. (Not open to students who have completed English 235.) (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Creative & Performing Arts requirement.)

ENGL 140: Stories of Resiliency

Imaginative literature from many cultures documents challenges to the individual's personal resiliency. Whether these challenges come from antagonists, from the social norms of the community, or from nature itself, writers of poetry, drama, and fiction have studied the ways people have met, or failed to meet, challenges to their lives, wellbeing, and sanity. Focusing chiefly on American literature from the nineteenth and twentieth century, this course will engage students in discussion of resiliency struggles as they have been framed by the imaginations of great writers. This online course will research activities, threaded interactive discussion, video mini-lectures, and group projects. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 180: Religion, SciFi, and Fantasy

(Religion, Science Fiction, Fantasy) Of the literary genres, perhaps science fiction and fantasy best allow creative artists to imagine real and possible answers to the deep religious questions that have historically driven philosophers, theologians, and thinkers. Who are we? What do we want? Where did we come from? How does everything end? What is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything? In this class we examine science fiction and fantasy short stories, motion pictures, novels, and television programs to ask how creative artists and wider society have asked and answered these questions. We also consider how science fiction and fantasy have commented on and mirrored real-world religions. No prerequisites. Intended for first-year students and sophomores only. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: RELG 180

ENGL 200: Tusitala

ENGL 200 is a practicum designed to give students an opportunity to learn about the design and production of a literary journal while earning course credit. The 0.25 credit course is graded on a Pass-Fail basis and requires enrolled students to complete forty (40) hours of work as Executive Board members contributing to the editing, production, and promotion of Tusitala, Lake Forest College's literary journal since 1935. The course is overseen by the faculty advisor for Tusitala, who will arrange for grade/credit assignments in consultation with the chair of the English Department. No prerequisites. Only one full credit (four semesters of ENGL 200) may be counted toward Lake Forest College graduation. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Creative & Performing Arts requirement.)

ENGL 201: Modern Fantasy Fiction

Magic, mystery, and the marvels of time travel. Talking cats and stranded princesses. Web-footed women and enchanted forests. If you thought you left all of that excitement behind with your childhood fairy tales, think again. Many modern fiction writers have turned more and more to the resources of fantasy literature as a fresh way to explore serious ideas for an adult audience. Seeking both to teach and delight, modern fantasy writers re-angle old fairy tales or invent their own enchanted tales to prod contemporary readers out of conventional ways of thinking and acting, using space and time flexibly to challenge ethical, political, and religious beliefs - indeed, our basic understanding of nature, society and self. In this course, we read the delightful and instructively irreverent fantasies of several important modern fiction writers. In doing so, we try to evaluate the nature of each writer's fictional innovations as well as the serious purposes each writer may have in mind for his or her fantasy. In short, we try to understand some of the many possibilities and uses of enchantment in modern fiction. Authors to be read may include Carroll, Chesterton, Mirrlees, Woolf, Lewis, Tolkien, Malamud, Beagle, LeGuin, Calvino, Rowling, Rushdie, Winterson, Okri, Pullman. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 202: The Bible as Literature

The Bible—a multi-authored, multi-faceted, and multi-vocal ancient text, which has continued to be printed at a rate of over 100 million copies a year many centuries after its first compilation—is considered by many to be the most influential text in Western literature. This course will introduce students to the Bible—the Hebrew Bible and Christian Scriptures (Old and New Testament)—as a literary text in its own right, worthy of close reading and textual analysis. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: RELG 202

ENGL 203: Early American Literature

A survey of early American literature including Native American oral stories and trickster tales, Puritan literature, Smith and Pocahontas accounts, captivity narratives, voices of nationalism, early slave narratives, and women's letters. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: AMER 203

ENGL 204: Diverse Voices 19th-c U.S. Lit

(Diverse Voices of Nineteenth-Century United States Literature) Works of representative writers: Poe, Hawthorne, Melville, Thoreau, Emerson, Whitman, Dickinson, and Twain. Topics of discussion include Emerson's influence on U.S. culture, developments in literary form, and themes of U.S. community and nature. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: AMER 204

ENGL 205: Diverse Voices 20th-c U.S. Lit

(Diverse Voices of Twentieth-Century United States Literature) Works of diverse writers: Baldwin, Eliot, Hurston, and Frost. Topics of discussion include major traditions and schools of U.S. literature: realism, modernism, naturalism as they address questions of modernity. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: AMER 205

ENGL 206: U.S. Environmental Literature

(United States Environmental Literature) An historically organized survey of the various rhetoric through which nature has been imagined by writers from the Puritans to contemporaries: the Calvinist fallen landscape, the rational continent of the American Enlightenment, conservation and 'wise use,' preservation and biodiversity. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: AMER 206, ES 206

ENGL 208: India and the Writer's Eye

India is the world's largest democracy and has more English-speakers than any other country in the world except the United States. It should not be surprising, then, that Indian authors have produced a wealth of novels, short stories, and poems written in English and concerned with issues of identity, nation, and history. In this course, we read English-language work by authors such as Rabindranath Tagore, R.K. Narayan, Salman Rushdie, Arundati Roy, and Amitav Ghosh; learn about the major historical and political events described in these works: the Opium Wars, Swadeshi, Independence, Partition, "the Emergency," the Naxalite movement; and read postcolonial theory to better understand and interpret these works. Students are be encouraged to explore relevant cultural, political, and aesthetic issues through research or creative projects of their own. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Global Perspectives requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities and Cultural Diversity requirements.) cross listed: ASIA 208

ENGL 209: Storytelling and STEM

(Storytelling and STEM: Writing About Science.) A writing-intensive course focused on using the tools of narrative nonfiction to communicate scientific discovery to the public. Students will read the work of scientists and scientific communicators such as Stephen Hawking, Rebecca Skloot, Neil Degrasse Tyson, Atul Gawande, and Steven Pinker to discover the storytelling principles they employ to inform and entertain their readers. We will explore the science of story, the cognitive and evolutionary source of its power, and the art of scientific journalism, and students will draft and workshop their own essays about "popular science." No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements.)

ENGL 210: Gods, Monsters, & Questing Humanity

(Gods, Monsters & Questing Humanity: Ancient and Medieval Literature.) If you love stories of gods and demons, questing heroes and mythic monsters, you'll find a plethora of these fascinating figures in the great tales of ancient and medieval writers such as Homer, Sophocles, Virgil, Marie De France, Dante, Chaucer, and many more. This survey of ancient and medieval literature traces the origins of the Western literary tradition by exploring how writers from this delightfully distant period have imagined the gods, how they have understood themselves and their relationship to the cosmos, and how questing human beings have sought to answer problems of meaning and value that still have resonance for us today. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Global Perspectives requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 211: From Fairyland to Flying Islands

(From Fairyland to Flying Islands: Renaissance to Enlightenment English Literature.) This course explores British literature from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment, an era of revolutionary new encounters, from discovered moons to newly-charted territories. Writers imagined the freeing power of "golden worlds" created by their verse just as experimental literary forms brought into being some of the most esteemed works of literature in Shakespeare's Globe and the newfangled "novels" of Swift and others. Yet it was also a time of profound tumult, from the stake-burning religious upheavals of the Reformation to the monarchical beheadings of the Civil War. How did the writers of the era make sense of both the discoveries and disruptions of their own time? What happens as we move from an "early modern" era into one that feels more distinctly "modern"? Making our way through some of the most well-known pieces of the era - Macbeth, Paradise Lost, and Gulliver's Travels - we explore how early writers shaped freedom and constraint, love and cruelty, and the discoveries of new worlds and crumbling texts. Prerequisite: English 210 or permission of instructor. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Global Perspectives requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 212: Romantics, Rebels, and Bohemians

(Romantics, Rebels, and Bohemians: English Literature in the Long 19th Century.) Change came more quickly, and more dramatically, to England during the long nineteenth century - the period between the French Revolution and the First World War - than in any era before or since. The growth of cities, of democracy, of women's rights, and of empire haunted the imagination, spawning images of rebel outsiders, dreams of art for art's sake, and some of the best monsters - Frankenstein's creature, Count Dracula, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde - in all of literature. We follow the evolution of England's imagination in this most turbulent age. The third course in the Classics of Literature sequence. Prerequisite: English 210 and English 211, or permission of instructor. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Global Perspectives requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 214: James Baldwin

In his powerful and moving novels and essays, James Baldwin confronted the lies America told itself about race, exposing the roots of social and political and cultural systems that superficially boasted of improving race relations but that instead continued to marginalize Black and brown bodies. This course offers a close reading of Baldwin's fiction and his essays, probing the ways that he provides a critique of the politics of race, sexuality, and nation in his own time and in ours. The course also includes readings and discussions of critical analyses of Baldwin's writings. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Domestic Pluralism and Writing requirements.) cross listed: AFAM 214

ENGL 215: Afrofuturism

What is a black future? The term "Afrofuturism" has been used to describe the recent cultural creations of black writers and artists who vividly envision futures of and for people of African descent. Afrofuturism, which aesthetic gained momentum in the work of science fiction authors Octavia Butler and Samuel R. Delany, as well as in the jazz and poetry of musician SunRa, and which can be found thriving in works like Black Panther, is the subject of inquiry for this course. This survey is an introduction to the literary works produced within the movement from its modern manifestations to its present-day expansions. In his landmark essay on the topic, Mark Dery asks, "Can a community whose past has been deliberately rubbed out, and whose energies have subsequently been consumed by the search for legible traces of its history, imagine possible futures?" The wealth of literary and artistic production of works in the aesthetic provides a diverse and emphatic "yes." This course seeks to position Afrofuturism as an alternative means of (re)interpretation, back-talk, and as an avenue for imagining a future in light of (and in spite of) the experiences of the past and present. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Domestic Pluralism requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities and Cultural Diversity requirements.) cross listed: AFAM 215

ENGL 216: African American Literature I

This course is an introduction to the writings of African-Americans before the Civil War. These diverse documents tell tales of faith, perseverance, rebellion, suffering, freedom, independence, cunning, and patriotism that are an integral part of the American literary canon. We read a collection of classics together, compare and contrast the voices represented, and consider the diversity of responses to finding oneself in chains in one of the most brutal forms of chattel slavery the world has ever known. Voices studied include Douglass, Wheatley, Jacobs, Brown, Wilson, Walker, Turner, and Thurman. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Domestic Pluralism and Writing requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities and Cultural Diversity requirements.) cross listed: AFAM 216, AMER 216

ENGL 217: African American Literature II

What does it mean to be a Problem? This course is a sister course to African-American Literature I, and will cover African-American literature written after the American Civil War. In this part of the one-year survey, we examine narrative attempts by African-American authors to define blackness and the black experience on their own terms in the period before, during, and after the Harlem Renaissance. We read a collection of classics together, compare and contrast the voices represented, and consider the development of African American literary self-representation in the century following Emancipation. Voices studied include Wells, Washington, Hughes, Johnson, Baldwin, and Morrison. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Domestic Pluralism and Writing requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities and Cultural Diversity requirements.) cross listed: AFAM 217, AMER 217

ENGL 219: Malcolm & Martin

(Malcolm & Martin: The Literature of Peace & Resistance.) Malcolm X (el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz) and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., two prominent leaders of the Civil Rights Movement so often put into conversation with each other, have left us a legacy for how we think about social struggle—whether it be through the message of non-violence and Christian love that Martin Luther King, Jr. preached, or through the message of fearless self-defense and resistance "by any means necessary" for which Malcolm X came to be known. Both leaders were prolific authors whose works, singular in style and rich in rhetoric, comprise a seminal part of the American literary canon, and have been regularly featured by authors of creative works in fiction, drama, poetry, etc. since their publication. This course is an opportunity to delve deeply into the words of both men, long considered the authors of two disparate ways of viewing and engaging in civic struggle in America. We look at the creative activist writings of each-speeches, letters, interviews, autobiographical material—and complicate what at first seems a simple battle between "violent" and "non-violent" approaches to liberation. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Domestic Pluralism requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities and Cultural Diversity requirements.) cross listed: RELG 219, AFAM 219

ENGL 220: Shakespeare

Selected plays to show Shakespeare's artistic development; intensive analysis of major plays. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: THTR 236

ENGL 221: Literature and Medicine

Medical literature impacts everyone: we are all dual citizens of the kingdoms of health and sickness, of the everyday and the "night-side of life" as Susan Sontag puts it. Yet, throughout our varied stories about medicine, writers confront again and again the profound isolation and invisibility of the sick. What is it about physical pain that breaks down our language to describe it? How do medical narratives represent illness, giving structure and voice to this night-side of life? In this course, we explore medical texts by reading radically different writers across time, including Tolstoy, Shelley, and contemporary physicians. Throughout, we examine the myriad ways artists represent illness, through novels, poetry, short stories, autobiographies, films, guidebooks, and more. We work to unpack the binaries of sickness/health, normal/diseased, patient/doctor, and even life/death, in these stories about doctors, patients, epidemics, and mortality. After learning to "read" narratives of disease, students "write" disease, creating their own disease through an archive of texts. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 222: Plagues in Literature: Now and Then

Angelic hand prints splayed across plague bodies. Thrillers on futuristic, mutant viruses. Stories of plagues from past and present startle us with their imaginative variety. In fact, many readers have questioned why these narratives so often push the limits of the "real" in their representations. Why do writers represent plagues experimentally? Is contagion inherently dangerous to represent, even fictionally? We explore representations of epidemic diseases across a wide expanse of time, from antiquity to the 21st century, encountering along the way common tropes and stock figures of the genre: the plague-pits, enterprising tricksters, and well-poisoners, among others. Across varied stories, including Oedipus and Romeo and Juliet, we track how writers and film-makers use medical disasters to conjure the deepest spiritual crises of societies-gone-wrong, calling on the plague to search for divine meaning and patient zeroes. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Global Perspectives requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 224: Literature of the Vietnam War

This course examines the Vietnam War as refracted through various literary genres. The readings for the course include Graham Greene's The Quiet American, Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, and Truong Nhu Tang's Vietcong Memoir. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Global Perspectives requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities and Cultural Diversity requirements.) cross listed: AMER 224, ASIA 224

ENGL 225: Remixes in a Post-Burroughs World

This .5-credit seminar will explore the legacy of cut-ups, remix, and avant-culture strategies connected to the legacy of William S. Burroughs (1914-1997) and his collaborators. While the course will pay particular attention to the outsized influence of Burroughs in contemporary aesthetics, we will freely investigate cut-ups, mash-ups, remixes, dj culture, user-generated content, conceptual literature, crowdsourcing, social media, and related strategies in publishing and aesthetics that together produce a collaborative critique of Romantic definitions of authorship and genius. In these domains, we will cover everything from Girl Talk to "Auto-Tune the News" to Star Wars: Uncut to what's happening tomorrow, all through the lens of user-based textual interventions. Lecture, discussion, and appropriation-based responses in hard copy and digital forms. No prerequisites. Course begins on the first day of classes after mid-semester break. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 226: Introduction to Virtual Reality

(Introduction to Virtual Reality: Culture and Technology). In recent years, virtual reality technology has made major advances, making it possible to do things and go places that were previously impossible. In this course, we'll explore - through readings, discussion, and experiential learning in the Lake Forest College Virtual Space - some of VR experiences in areas including gaming, science, art, research, education, storytelling, and socializing. We'll look at the way culture has thought about VR in the last few decades in novels by authors such as William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, and Ernest Cline, and in film and television programs like Strange Days, eXistenZ, and Black Mirror. In all cases, we will focus on the way narrative storytelling is impacted by virtual culture. This class will give us a chance to think together about how space works differently in VR, how "real" VR experiences are and what the future of VR might hold. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 228: Women Writing Women

This course surveys selected women writers, in diverse genres past and present, with a focus on American women writers in the 20th and 21st centuries. As we read selected literary texts, we explore how they "write women," in other words, how they deconstruct and reinvent the meanings of "woman" in their work. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Domestic Pluralism and Writing requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: AMER 228, GSWS 228

ENGL 229: Selfies and Drones

This .5-credit seminar will explore these two interrelated contemporary topics, with particular focus on ideas of automation and remote control. We will explore "drone" as an umbrella term not only for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), which run from children's toys to weapons of war, but also as technological "noise" that increasingly confronts us in our daily lives. In this, we will look to representation of automation in literature, in texts such as Galatea 2.2 by Richard Powers. Similarly, the "selfie" is not only the picture one takes on a smart phone, but also a current mode of representation that has significant literary and visual antecedents in portraiture and autobiography. Accordingly, course "texts" may include everything from The Picture of Dorian Gray, to a selfie stick, to industrial drone music, although the dominant lens of the course will be literary. No prerequisites. Course begins on the first day of classes after mid-semester break. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 230: World Performance I

This required course for theater majors provides a wide ranging and inclusive survey of the history of theater and performance from ancient Greece to the 17th century. It includes such developments as ancient Greek drama, Yoruba and Hopi ritual, Japanese noh drama, the medieval morality play, and the English high renaissance, culminating in Moliere’s Paris. In addition to in-depth study of plays, emphasis is placed on viewing ritual as performance, acting styles, production techniques, and the socio-political milieu that formed the foundation of the theater of each culture and period. Offered yearly. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Global Perspectives and Writing requirements.) cross listed: THTR 230

ENGL 231: Revenge and Justice in Literature

The dismemberments, squeaking ghosts, and poisoned pharmacies of literary revenges never cease to thrill and disgust audiences with their bittersweet paradoxes. How can we distinguish revengers from villains if their killings are virtually identical? Why does the sober promise of an eye-for-an-eye requital of one body for another become a frenzied massacre of innocents and not-so-innocents? Can justice ever be restored by going outside the law, or a lost past ever be re-found in a sordid present? In this course, we consider some of the central paradoxes and themes of revenge by reading radically-different writers from the first to twenty-first centuries, including Seneca, Shakespeare, Stephen King, and Gillian Flynn. All the while, we watch classic revenge flicks to explore how directors from Tarantino to Park Chan-wook translate these narratives onto the screen. Throughout, we examine the ever-changing meanings of revenge across culture and time. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Global Perspectives requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 232: Stories from the Spectrum

(Stories from the Spectrum: Neurodiversity, Health, and Medicine in Literature.) A boy with a penchant for prime numbers investigates the death of a dog. A young girl is scolded for failing to look her teacher in the eye. A man in the throes of a midlife crisis returns to his nonverbal son as he spiritually finds himself. Hidden within these narratives of neurodiverse characters, one discovers a slew of cultural assumptions about cognitive and intellectual disabilities. Do neurotypical writers often turn to autism reductively, as a stand-in for a theme or metaphor? What might an authentic representation of Autism Spectrum look like? This course considers the value of neurodiversity in literature while exploring many of the troubling representations of cognitive difference across time, from earlier accounts of un-speaking children to the "rain mans" of contemporary film. This course ultimately takes seriously the bi-directional intersections between fiction and medicine, as real-life medical practices both shape and are shaped by these stories from the spectrum. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: NEUR 232

ENGL 233: Performance Art

This course will provide students with an understanding of performance art as a constantly evolving and flexible medium. The class will trace the emergence and development of performance art as a form of expression both distinct from and yet dependent upon traditional and experimental forms of theater and other contemporary manifestations of theatricality. Students will negotiate, through reading, research, discussion and planning and practical application, the blurred boundaries between performing and living, entertainment and art. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Creative & Performing Arts requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: THTR 224, ART 237

ENGL 234: World Performance II

This required course for theater majors examines the history of drama and theater from the late nineteenth-century plays of Ibsen and Chekhov up until the present day, with an emphasis on under-represented and marginalized voices. In addition to in-depth study of plays, this course explores the conventions of acting and stagecraft and cultural conditions that influenced each period's theater. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Domestic Pluralism and Writing requirements.) cross listed: THTR 231

ENGL 238: Literature/Culture in the Age of AI

This course explores representations of Artificial Intelligence in post-1900 American literature and culture. Students engage with various depictions of AI—from embodied androids and cyborgs to non-embodied computer systems and networked intelligence—and engage with relevant critical readings. The course examines how these texts reflect, critique, and speculate upon the evolving relationship between humans and AI. Key themes include the ethical implications of AI, the nature of consciousness/sentience in textual representation, the impact of AI technology on identity and society, and the potential for algorithmic bias and social control. Through a blend of textual analysis, class discussions, and research projects—as well as the student use of AI in their class projects to achieve the FFC Technology Tag—students critically examine how cultural texts mirror AI technology while influencing its development and perception.

ENGL 239: Shakespeare on Film

This course will focus on major cinematic adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, with attention both to the original texts and to the process of transferring them to the new medium by film directors. We will pay special attention to plays that have been filmed a number of times, so that we can develop useful comparisons: Richard III (Olivier, Loncraine), Romeo and Juliet (Zeffirelli, Luhrmann, Shakespeare in Love), Henry V (Olivier, Branagh), Hamlet (Olivier, Zeffirelli, Almereyda), and Macbeth (Polanski, Kurzel). Major goals will be to develop our ability to do close readings of both the original texts and the films, to do creative film adaptation projects, and to develop effective ways of expressing both our analytical and our creative ideas. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: THTR 240, CINE 240

ENGL 241: African American Drama & Theater

This course surveys the work African American theater artists from the nineteenth century to the present day. Playwrights surveyed may include Richardson, Hughes, Hansberry, Childress, Bullins, Baraka, Fuller, Wilson, Cleage, Shange, and Parks. Readings are supplemented by field trips to Chicago theaters that feature African American plays. (Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities and Cultural Diversity requirements.) cross listed: THTR 241, AFAM 241

ENGL 243: Writing Literary Horror

(Vampires & Villains: Writing Literary Horror) This course teaches the art of writing gothic and literary horror. We'll look at examples of the various elements of fiction as used in the genre - voice, character analysis, plot, narration, symbolism, point of view, and theme, with a primary focus on various ways to sustain and build suspense and use those as a model for our own creative work. The course will ask students to write short stories, participate in group workshops and discussion, attend individual conferences, and revise their work. Course reading may include: Edgar Allan Poe, Kelly Link, Shirley Jackson, Octavia Butler, Alvin Schwartz, Rosemary Timperley, Roald Dahl, Edith Wharton, Brian Evenson, Amelia Gray, Elizabeth Bowen, Blake Butler, Henry James, and Helen Oyeyemi. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Creative & Performing Arts requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 244: Writing Science Fiction

In this writing-intensive course, students explore the strange new worlds of science fiction and the possibilities of virtual reality. The roots of science fiction go back to 16th- and 17th-century writers like Thomas More, Margaret Cavendish, and John Milton, who confronted the onset of modernity with wildly extravagant utopian and cosmological imaginations. Science fiction since that time has often anticipated the developments of ever-accelerating technological transformation, asking critical questions about the nature of the human in the increasingly alien world we have created while addressing key questions of race, class, gender, and ability. Students in this course read works of classic and contemporary science fiction by such authors as Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells, Ray Bradbury, Ursula K. LeGuin, Octavia Butler, Kim Stanley Robinson, Philip K. Dick, J.G. Ballard, Kathy Acker, and Ted Chiang, while studying the techniques of world-building, character development, and plot that enable them to write their own science-fictional works. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 245: Novel Writing Boot Camp

An intensive course focusing on the craft of novel writing. Students will study the novel form and the possibilities and frameworks of different genres of fiction and hybrid prose. Students will draft their own novels and develop plans for completing their manuscripts and submitting them to publishers within the framework of the course. Group discussions and individual conferences. Prerequisites: None, though ENGL 135 is recommended. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Creative & Performing Arts requirement.)

ENGL 246: Memoir Writing Boot Camp

An intensive course focusing on the craft of memoir writing. Students will consider what it means to "write your memoir," by investigating questions of how to relate dialogue (if you didn't get it on tape), how to share your work with family members, and how to trust your own memory. We will explore the line between memoir and autobiographical fiction, and the course will incorporate literature, critical theory, and creative writing exercises to determine if an author can ever write a "true" story. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Creative & Performing Arts requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 248: Writing Detective Fiction

(Tales of Murder and Mystery: Writing Detective Fiction.) This workshop investigates the art and craft of writing detective fiction. We begin by examining the case of Edgar Allan Poe's "tales of ratiocination" and move on to putting Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes under the magnifying glass. We interrogate Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot and his "little gray cells," G.K. Chesterton's intuitive Father Brown, and Raymond Chandler's hard-boiled and laconic Philip Marlowe, as well as contemporary examples of fictional detectives. The goal is elementary, Watson: discovering what distinguishes the genre in terms of narrative elements such as character, tension, suspense, plot, and mood. Students are asked to file their reports primarily in the form of their own stories featuring their own detectives investigating crimes of their own choosing. This writing-intensive course features discussion and analysis of short stories and short novels, writing exercises, workshops, peer feedback, and revisions of student work. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Creative & Performing Arts requirement.)

ENGL 249: Brains, Minds, and Madness in Lit

(Brains, Minds, and Madness in Literature.) Stories invite us into the minds of others. As readers, we step into another's consciousness: into fictional memories, sensations, and narratives that feel real, as the words of often-dead writers become part of our own brain-matter. Yet, how do our theories of the mind and its operations relate to literary representations of a character's interiority? And what can contemporary neuroscience teach us about literature, or about our own minds on literature? In this course, we examine stories and theories of the mind across time, exploring scientific writing about the brain alongside literary masterpieces from Virginia Woolf to Vladimir Nabokov. Moreover, we consider the close connection between sanity and insanity, examining the representations of madness and other neurological ailments in brains gone "wrong." After learning to "read" the mind in literature, students will create their own aesthetic of the brain gone "right" or "wrong", creating narratives versed in the newest neuroscientific research on the pleasures and dangers of reading the "minds" of another. No Prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: NEUR 249

ENGL 250: Contemporary Literature

A study of contemporary literature in a variety of genres. Students read, discuss, and write about literature by living authors who have had a significant impact on contemporary literary culture, with an emphasis on historical developments, innovations in aesthetics, and the roles played by ethnicity, gender, nationalism, religion, and economics in the formation of literature. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 251: Grateful Dead and American Culture

More than fifty years after the band's founding, the Grateful Dead looms larger than ever. From Haight-Ashbury acid-testers to visionary entrepreneurs, the band that grew up and out of the revolutions of the tumultuous 1960s found a way to mix everything from roots music to free jazz to rock into an "endless tour" that put them in the Fortune 500. The Grateful Dead provided a cultural soundtrack for not only the 1960s, but also the paranoia of the Watergate years, the Reagan-soaked 1980s, and on to the jam-band present. This course will focus on the band's performance of authentic "Americanness" throughout its half century run. We'll listen to their music, and also to their fans, enthusiasts, and scholars. We'll understand the various subcultures that separate the sixties and now, and in doing so, offer answers to this key question: Why do the Dead survive? (Elective for English, Theater, and Music) (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: THTR 206, MUSC 222, AMER 202

ENGL 252: History & Literature of Great Lakes

(History and Literature of the Great Lakes.) The Great Lakes contain 21 percent of the world's surface fresh water. They provided a passage for exploration and still provide a passage for commerce. They are the reason Chicago exists. This course explores the history of the Great Lakes (geological, Native American, and modern) and the literature and art that arose from human interaction with these vast waters. In this interdisciplinary course we read geological and geographical descriptions, Native American literature, journals of early European explorers, poetry, short stories, and histories of social, economic, and environmental issues concerning the Great Lakes. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements.) cross listed: ES 221

ENGL 256: Writing and The Law

This intermediate intensive writing course introduces students to substantive writing by merging basic composition with substantive content. The “and The Law” aspect of the course is the content: the law, in its most basic terms, is the mechanism for the peaceful resolution of human disputes. The machinery of the law is words, and in this course, students are instructed in methods of intermediate expository and persuasive writing, as well as a deeper understanding of genre. This instruction and practice would move them from basic academic form-focused composition to form+content composition. Students learn how to treat complex material in an accurate and thorough manner. The law, its foundation, evolution, and purpose all offer a powerful basis and rich material for students to understand how a social institution functions through written language. Through studying writings, and drafting their own various texts, students are able to better appreciate the importance of words, and the structure and format in which those words are presented.

ENGL 263: Nobel Laureates in Literature

This course surveys works of Nobel Laureates in Literature from the early twentieth century to the present day. Recipients of this award hail from all continents and their poems, plays, and prose present challenging responses to questions of class, culture, ethnicity, literature, and national origin. Central to this course is the examination of the differences between and the parallels of African, Asian, Latin American, and European writers in the aftermath of rapid (and often violent) political and social change. Readings are likely to include authors such as Alexievich, Coetzee, Kawabata, Milosz, Munro, Neruda, Paz, Soyinka, Tagore, Yan, and many others. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities and Cultural Diversity requirements.)

ENGL 264: The Beat Generation

(The Beat Generation: Influences and Legacy.) The core members of the group of writers known as the Beats- Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burroughs- have had a profound influence on the development of postwar American literary and artistic culture. In this course students will be introduced to some of the Beats' major predecessors (notably William Blake, Walt Whitman, and William Carlos Williams) as well as writers whose work has brought the Beat legacy into the twenty-first century (Anne Waldman, Roberto Bola, Amiri Baraka, Eileen Myles, and others). Students will read these writers with an eye toward their contributions to such topics as LGBT rights, the environmental movement, the introduction of Buddhism and Eastern philosophy to the United States, and postmodern cut-up and sampling techniques. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities and Cultural Diversity requirements.)

ENGL 265: Muggle & Magic: Rowling and Dahl

(Muggle & Magic: Reading J.K. Rowling and Roald Dahl) This course examines the work of J.K. Rowling and Roald Dahl. In reading Rowling's Harry Potter series and select Dahl novels like The Witches and Matilda, we will consider the transgressive and transformative power of children's imaginations- the serious work of mischief- in an adult world. As we engage with these fantastical texts and the criticism written about them, we will investigate themes like power and surveillance, purity and danger, abjection, and absurdity as well as formal elements like voice, plot, character, humor, and symbolism. Although we will discuss the importance of these texts for an audience of children and young adults, we will also consider their appeal for an adult readership. Students will be asked to produce analytical and imaginative work in response to our course texts. Potential assignments include reader response essays, book reviews, critiques or syntheses of scholarly articles, and creative exercises in character or plot development. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 266: The American Graphic Novel

(Reading the American Graphic Novel) This course will examine the theory and practice of the graphic novel in America in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The serial visual narrative, also known as the graphic novel or comic book, has had a formative influence on American literary and popular culture. Not all comics and graphic novels are written about superheroes; the form has proven flexible enough to encompass such genres as the memoir, historical narrative, and journalism. This course will have a particular focus on the work of such writer-artists as Marjane Satrapi, Alan Moore, Art Spiegelman, Alison Bechdel, Scott McCloud, Joe Sacco, Harvey Pekar, Robert Crumb, Chris Ware, John Lewis, Daniel Clowes, and Lynda Barry. Students will read and discuss these graphic narratives with an emphasis on how they make difficult or marginal content accessible to readers, and will have the opportunity to try their own hands at writing comics or a short graphic novel. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: AMER 286

ENGL 267: BFFs: Female Friendship in Girls

(BFFs: Female Friendship in the Time of Girls.) "Besties" are found everywhere in contemporary anglophone fiction, television, and film. Usually placed behind romantic relationships, female friendship is now understood to be a powerful and even transformative dynamic, one that is central to female identity. Men and lovers take a back seat. Are BFFs taking over the usual unions of romantic or erotic love? How much are girlfriends the focus of these stories? In this course, we examine these contemporary representations of female friendship, from the four character "types" at the center of Sex and the City and Girls to the erotic and dangerous "besties" of Emma Cline's The Girls. We will examine how these "types" relate to, and part ways from, their literary predecessors, from Jane Austen to the present. Throughout, we discover the many sides of this complex, and contradictory, relationship. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities and Cultural Diversity requirements.)

ENGL 268: Goblins, Grandmas & Great Hearts

(Goblins, Great-Grandmothers & Great Hearts: MacDonald’s Fantasy Fiction) Step into the enchanting world of 19th-century Scottish author George MacDonald in this introduction to his fantasy fiction. MacDonald, a Christian pastor, popular public lecturer, and prolific writer, enormously influenced children’s literature, the fantasy fiction genre, and the literature of the Inklings (namely, C.S. Lewis and Tolkien). Through this course, students delve into his captivating narratives and explore the timeless themes that permeate his novels, fairy tales, and poetry. Stories to be explored range from his now-iconic fairy tale The Light Princess to complex, rich novels such as The Princess and the Goblin and Lilith, but students also examine his pastoral sermons, the scholarly literature about his work, and his impact on the Inklings and J.K Rowling. The course offers opportunity to research his distinctive, sometimes unorthodox Christian theological ideas, his female-centric ethical paradigms centered on great-grandmother archetypes, his mythopoetic technique, and the Victorian context of his work.

ENGL 269: Writing Fantasy

(Writing Fantasy: Fantasy Worlds and How to Build Them.) Fantastic fiction such as the Harry Potter series, Lord of the Rings, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland allows readers the illusion of escape. These works carry us on journeys to lands of myth and magic, stretching our imaginations and challenging us to reimagine the very foundations of our own world. Though fantasy embraces adventurous escapism, it is also a genre dependent on intricate world-building, rule-making, and a careful consideration of cultural systems and political hierarchies. In this writing and reading-intensive course, students seek to view our own world through the looking glass as they construct their own long-form fantasy project. Course reading may include classic and contemporary fantasy by such authors as Angela Carter, Lewis Carroll, H. Rider Haggard, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, L. Frank Baum, Ursula K. Le Guin, Kelly Link, Neil Gaiman, Nnedi Okorafor, and Margaret Atwood. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Creative & Performing Arts requirement.)

ENGL 270: The Beatles

(The Beatles: Their Words, Their Legacy.) This course examines the lyrics and themes of The Beatles' songs and compares them to those of classical poems from the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries. It explores The Beatles and their impact upon contemporary culture through their movies, concerts, and television appearances. It also includes analysis of their individual biographies, rare interviews, and critical essays about their works, and their profound influence on world literature, music, and current society. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 271: Writing Down the Songs

(Writing Down the Songs: Writing Music Criticism.) The course surveys the history of writing about popular music as a way of learning how to write critically about any genre of music. Students read essays from legendary writers such as Lester Bangs and Ellen Willis and others as models for writing about music. Students in the course write various forms of music criticism ranging from short reviews of singles and albums to longer reviews about albums and artists; they also learn how to conduct interviews with artists and how to write up the interview in a long-form feature article and how to write concert reviews. The course also covers practical issues such as how to pitch pieces to publications and how to get published. No prerequisites. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements.)

ENGL 280: Slam Poetry and Spoken Word

This workshop course will combine the study of the history of spoken word and slam poetry performance with the practice of these traditions. Students will learn both the written and oral components of spoken word composition and performance, focusing on such the generation and revision of material, the varieties of performance style and oral delivery, and the relation of performer to audience. Generative exercises, small group workshops, collective feedback, and performance opportunities all form part of the curriculum. Chicago, a longstanding center of spoken word performance and the place where slam poetry was invented, provides many opportunities for field trips, conditions permitting. No pre-requisties. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Creative & Performing Arts and Speaking requirements.)

ENGL 285: Creative Arts Entrepreneurship

Creative Arts Entrepreneurship will offer an overview of the processes, practices, and decision-making activities that lead to the realization of our creative ideas. Students from across the humanities, arts, sciences, and business will learn the unique contexts and challenges of creative careers, with an emphasis on collaborative projects. The course will help students understand the nature and structure of arts enterprise while cultivating their own career vision and creative goals. Creative Arts Entrepreneurship is designed for students interested in developing, launching, or advancing innovative enterprises in arts, culture, and design, and those who love the initiative, ingenuity and excitement of putting creative ideas into action. The course combines readings and in-class discussions with site visits, case studies, guest lectures by working artists and creative professionals, and student-driven projects. No prerequisites. (Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: MUSC 285, ENTP 285, ART 285, THTR 285

ENGL 303: Psychics, Spiritualists & Mystics

(Psychics, Spiritualists, and Mystics: Adventures in Edwardian Fiction.) Early 20th C. England saw an explosion of spiritual seekers who wrote stories about contacting the dead, communicating telepathically, levitating, reading Tarot cards, experiencing ghostly visions, and participating in occult or spiritual societies. While these writers were enormously popular in their own day, they are historically underrepresented in conventional narratives about the canon of modern British literature. This course aims to recover some of these long-forgotten stories, as we sort through this Edwardian-era "attic" of dust-covered tales, seeking the gems that still puzzle, challenge, or inspire. Our goal will be to understand this "spiritual renaissance" and its prime movers; explore the ambiguous borderland between the occult and the mystical and their relation to orthodox religion; and assess the legacy that this original "alt lit" has left for today’s spiritual seekers. Fiction will be drawn from writers like George MacDonald, Arthur Conan Doyle, Marie Corelli, Evelyn Underhill, and May Sinclair. Prerequisite: ENGL 210 or permission of the instructor. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: RELG 303

ENGL 304: Romantic Period

Key works, both poetry and prose, of Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Lamb, Byron, Shelley, and Keats. Exploration of themes and ideas of a revolutionary era. Prerequisite: English 212. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Global Perspectives requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 305: Victorian Literature

Masterpieces of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry by Dickens, Tennyson, Browning, Carlyle, Arnold, Hardy, Wilde, and others. Prerequisite: English 212. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Global Perspectives requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 306: Happiness & the 19th C. Novel

(Happiness, Human Life, and the 19th Century Novel.) What constitutes human happiness? Biologists may offer their answers by asking why zebras don't get ulcers; psychologists by studying the psychological responses of lottery winners. But long before such scientific inquiries, nineteenth-century novelists sought to solve the problem of human happiness in their own way, pursuing a very old philosophical topic through nuanced narratives and gripping descriptions of fictional human lives: Emma's as she tries to engineer the happiness of her good friend, Pip's as he ventures into the high life of London, Dorothea's as she apes the life of an old-time saint, and Anna's as she tries to live out the romances she has absorbed from novels. In this course, we'll read some of the best novels of the nineteenth century, justly famous because they shed so much light on the good life. We'll ask how these novelists defined a life of full flourishing (eudaemonia), what brings human beings closer to or farther away from happiness, how these questions get embedded within nineteenth-century cultural concerns, and what the novel as a genre of imaginative literature can uniquely contribute to our understanding of the good life. Novelists will include Austen, Dickens, Eliot, and Tolstoy (who both influenced and was influenced by his British peers). Novels may also be paired with contemporary or classic nonfictional readings on the nature of human happiness. Prerequisite: Any 200-level English course or permission of instructor. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Writing requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 308: Murdoch: Truth, Beauty & Goodness

This course explores the oeuvre of one of the most important British novelists and moral philosophers of the twentieth century. Writing novels like philosophy and philosophy "novelistically," Murdoch plunges us into major twentieth-century intellectual debates to explore what it means to be good. We read her novels side by side with her philosophical work, paying special attention to how her early career was influenced by Sartre and Freud and her later writing by Dostoevsky, Plato, and Simone Weil, tracing her shift from Existentialism to mysticism. Novels may include An Unofficial Rose, A Fairly Honourable Defeat, The Nice and the Good, Message to the Planet, and The Green Knight. Other readings are drawn from Acastos: Two Platonic Dialogues, The Sovereignty of Good, The Fire and the Sun: Why Plato Banished the Artist, and Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals. Prerequisite: One English literature or Philosophy course. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 309: Deceit, Desire, Chaucerian Fiction

(Deceit and Desire in Chaucer's Fiction.) Travel back to the Middle Ages to study Chaucer's delightful tales of sex, deception, and disordered desire. In this course, students have a chance to read some of Chaucer's most famous Canterbury Tales, his riveting philosophical romance Troilus and Criseyde, and selections from the Legend of Good Women, which is his comical riff on the medieval saints' life tradition. In each case, we explore how problems of deceit or desire drive his tales and create a narrative framework for exploring provocative social, philosophical, religious, and even cosmological questions. Attention will also be paid to those medieval writers who influenced Chaucer, including Augustine, Boethius, Jean de Meun/Guillaume de Lorris, and, above all, his bawdy Italian inspiration, Boccaccio. Prerequisite: English 210. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Writing requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 310: The Arthurian Tradition

This course will explore the medieval tradition of Arthurian literature. The first half of the course will be devoted to the medieval roots of the Arthurian legend, from chronicle history to courtly romance, with readings ranging from Gildas to Malory. The second half of the course will consider the reception of this medieval mythic tradition by later British writers from the Renaissance to the present. Writers representing that tradition of medievalism might include Spenser, Tennyson, Morris, T.H. White, Murdoch, and Winterson, among others. Prerequisite: English 210. (Not open to students who have taken ENGL 300: Medieval Studies: The Arthurian Tradition.) (Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 312: Black Metropolis

(Black Metropolis: A Study of Black Life in Chicago.) This course is a study of race and urban life in Chicago. From the founding of Chicago by a black man to the participation of blacks in the rebuilding of the city following the Great Chicago fire, and into an exploration of Bronzeville, 'a city within a city,' this course will highlight blacks and their contributions to this great city. Study of landmark texts, documentaries, novels, and photography, along with at least one field trip to the Chicago area, will reveal the impact of the Great Migration on the city; contributions of talented musicians, writers, and photographers involved in the Chicago Renaissance; and the origins of the famous black Chicago newspaper, the Chicago Defender, including its regular column by Langston Hughes. (Under the old GEC, this course meets the Cultural Diversity requirement.) cross listed: AFAM 312, AMER 312

ENGL 316: Voices of Reform

A study of African American literature and theory published immediately before and following the Civil War. Readings will focus on identity (re)formation, social order, morality, Northern neo-slavery, institution building, women's rights. Authors will include Booker T. Washington, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Anna Julia Cooper, Harriet Wilson, Frances E.W. Harper, William Wells Brown, Sojourner Truth, Charles Chesnutt, and Frederick Douglass. English 216 is the prerequisite for first-year students and sophomores; no prerequisite for juniors and seniors. (Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities and Cultural Diversity requirements.)

ENGL 321: Modern Fiction

An exploration of modern fiction as it developed in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including such writers as Dostoevsky, Joyce, Lawrence, Kafka, and Hemingway. Prerequisite: any 200-level literature course. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Writing requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 326: Postmodernism

An interdisciplinary study of postmodernism as a literary and cultural phenomenon that redefines both local and global communities. The course will investigate aesthetic production during the post-WWII period by American and world writers and artists, with an additional focus on the theoretical basis of postmodernism. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Writing requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 327: New, Black, and Lit: 21st Century

(New, Black, and Lit: 21st Century Black Authors.) African American authors have responded in new and compelling ways to the dynamism of racial promise and constriction in the 21st century. These literary voices, often newly proliferate in the national cultural consciousness, are the subject of this course, which explores the works of Black authors writing after 2000 and will pay particular attention to works written in the post-Obama era. Texts considered include works by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Jesmyn Ward, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Edwidge Danticat, Yaa Gyasi, Zadie Smith, Angie Thomas, Roxane Gay, and Jacqueline Woodson. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Domestic Pluralism requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: AFAM 327

ENGL 329: Advanced Publishing

This course provides students with hands-on experience in all stages of the editorial and publishing process from project selection to production to publicity as they develop print and online publications in coordination with campus organizations such as Lake Forest College Press / &NOW Books. The course permits students to work in small, entrepreneurial-focused groups as they explore traditional publishing areas as well as marketing, communication, web presentation/design, blogging, and social media. Prerequisite: One of the following: JOUR 120 (formerly COMM 120), ENGL 111, 112, 135, any 20th-century focused literature course, or permission of the instructor. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Writing requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 336: British Women Writers

This course will focus on British women novelists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Studying them within their historical and literary context, we will explore the following topics: 1) how women writers address questions of female authorship and authority, 2) how they define their female identity in relation to society, nature, and/or the divine, and 3) how they navigate economic, social, religious, and cultural constraints. British writers to be studied might include Jane Austen, Anne and Charlotte Bronte, Elizabeth Gaskell, George Eliot, Virginia Woolf, Elizabeth Bowen, Iris Murdoch, A. S. Byatt, Jeanette Winterson, and Zadie Smith. Prerequisite: English 210, or permission of instructor. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Writing requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities and Cultural Diversity requirements.)

ENGL 341: Existentialism and the Modern Novel

Who am I? What is my place within the universe? Do human beings find or make meaning in their lives? Is meaning even possible in the face of life's absurdities? If so, what constitutes a meaningful life? This course explores these and other big existentialist questions through the lens of the novel, focusing especially on novelists from the nineteenth and twentieth century. Within the course, we compare and contrast major existentialist perspectives as well as examining significant critiques of existentialism. We also consider the unique possibilities afforded by the genre of the novel in exploring philosophical questions. Possible authors include Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Camus, and Murdoch. Other readings are drawn from shorter fiction by these and other writers as well as major nonfiction essays on existentialism. Prerequisite: A 200-level literature course or permission of the instructor. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: PHIL 341

ENGL 342: Playwriting

This course focuses on the collaboration between director, designers, and playwright in the creation and production of new works for the stage. Projects will include writing, script analysis, casting, and presentation of original student works and/or student-adapted works by professional authors. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Creative & Performing Arts requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: THTR 370

ENGL 346: Jewish-American Literature

An historically organized reading of Jewish-American writers from Mordecai Noah and Emma Lazarus to Jonathan Safran Foer and Nathan Englander, the course will consider themes of assimilation, tradition, capitalism, and anti-semitism in texts in English, as well as translations from Yiddish and perhaps Ladino. To what extent is Jewish-American literature an intact and coherent tradition? How have these texts registered a narrative of American history, and how have they defined, and perhaps reified, a version of Jewish-American identity? The chief texts of the class will be novels, but there will be readings in poetry and memoir as well. Prerequisite: English 204 or English 205 or permission of instructor. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Domestic Pluralism requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities and Cultural Diversity requirements.)

ENGL 347: Woolf Joyce Beckett

(Modernist Masters of Consciousness: Woolf, Joyce, Beckett). The modernist novel in English reached its apex in the twentieth century with the work of Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and Samuel Beckett, each of whom explored the minute movements of human consciousness in prose of unparalleled richness, complexity, and sometimes stark beauty. Woolf's writing, in both her fiction and nonfiction prose, was particularly concerned with the inner lives of women; Joyce developed his theory of the prose epiphany and found mythic underpinnings for stories of ordinary Irish life; Beckett's fiction and plays pursued the very limits of language itself. In this seminar-style course, students discuss the work of these three major authors and consider its implications for feminist thought, postcolonial theory, and psychology and cognitive science. Prerequisite: ENGL 212 or permission of the instructor. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities and Writing requirements.)

ENGL 360: Fiction Writing

An intermediate course in the craft of the short story. Group discussions and individual conferences. Prerequisite: English 135. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Creative & Performing Arts requirement.)

ENGL 361: Poetry Writing

An intermediate course in the craft of poetry. Group discussions and individual conferences. Prerequisite: English 135 or 235. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Creative & Performing Arts requirement.)

ENGL 364: Creative Unwriting & Remix Workshop

This intermediate writing course explores the principles behind a broad range of contemporary innovative writing methods and styles including remix, mash-up, conceptual, uncreation (a la Kenny Goldsmith), and cut-up techniques. The course starts from the principle that writers do not start with a blank page. Rather, all writing is created from the substance of preexisting artworks. For a generation more familiar with turntables and text messaging than the traditions of classical poetics, this course will explore the former in the context of the latter, offering a philosophical base from which to create, or uncreate, works that respond most deftly to contemporary aesthetics. Prerequisite: ENGL 235 or permission of the instructor. (Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 365: Poetry and Nature

This course explores the relationship between poetry and the natural world, from its roots in Classical Asian and European poetry to its postmodern manifestations. Understanding natural processes that served as inspiration and subject matter of nature poetry will enrich student understanding of the poem and the processes of both poetry writing and nature observation. Particular attention is paid to the poetry of William Wordsworth, Emily Dickinson, and Robert Frost. Prerequisite: One 200-level English course or 200-level Environmental Studies course. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Creative & Performing Arts requirement.) cross listed: ES 365

ENGL 367: Environmental Writing

This course focuses on writing about the environment. Students will explore different approaches to the environmental essay, including adventure narrative, personal reflection, and natural history. Poetry and fiction will also play a role as we explore the practice of place-centered writing. We will also use the immediate surroundings of the Chicago area as an environment for our writing. Prerequisite: English 135/235 or a lower-level Environmental Studies course. Not open to students who have completed ENGL 332. (Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: ES 367

ENGL 368: Advanced Nonfiction Writing

An intermediate course in the craft of creative nonfiction that may include the memoir, personal essay, literary journalism, lyric essay, visual essay, and digital essay. Group discussions and individual conferences. Prerequisite: English 135. (Not open to students who have completed ENGL 330.) (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Creative & Performing Arts requirement.)

ENGL 369: Professional Writing

(Professional Writing in the Digital Age). This course will focus on the development of creative and effective digital personas for websites, resumes and blogs, with special emphasis on the application of these personas in publishing and literary-based careers. Writing these personas will prepare students for the larger post-baccalaureate world of applications, interviews, and career building. In a dedicated writing workshop environment, students will design and maintain a blog, establish and develop an online identity, construct a professional portfolio, practice job hunting, engage in the interview process, learn about grants and scholarships, and generally develop the public writing skills needed to enter the twenty-first century professional and publishing world. Prerequisites: English 111, English 135 or permission of instructor. (Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 370: Emoji and Image Writing Workshop

This intermediate writing course explores the role of the image in writing, with particular attention to the phenomenon of emoji and other image-based creative practices. Student will engage with the history of image/text production, starting with the pictorial/ideographic language histories of the ancient world; extending through medieval illuminated manuscripts, 20th- and 21st- century avant-garde practices, and landing in the present moment with the study of the history, development, and widespread adoption of emoji. The emoji section will find students exploring globalization through the Japanese origin of emoji, the history of emoticons and its antecedents in Victorian-era Morse code, and the computer science and AI-aspects of the technology. Student will read and produce innovative works as they integrate the pictorial into their writing. Prerequisite: ENGL 135 or permission of the instructor. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Creative & Performing Arts requirement.)

ENGL 380: J.R.R. Tolkien and the Inklings

(J.R.R. Tolkien and the Literature of the Inklings.) This seminar will examine the literary legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien and his fellow writers C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Owen Barfield - all pioneers of the twentieth-century fantasy fiction genre. This course will involve close reading of major works by each author as well as opportunity to discuss the fascinating biographical, historical, aesthetic, and mythic underpinnings of their works. The seminar will pay especial attention to the Inklings' intellectual and artistic indebtedness to the medieval past, to their discourses about religion, politics, and ethics, to their eccentric relationship with "literary modernism," and to the way their fiction refracts major twentieth-century events, particularly World Wars I and II. Prerequisite: ENGL 210 or permission of the instructor. (Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: RELG 380

ENGL 391: Tutorial

In this writing-intensive course, students exercise their interviewing, investigative and story-telling skills to produce a variety of magazine articles that will be posted - along with digital photos - on their own journalism blogs. Prerequisite: English 231 (Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 392: Publishing Practicum

(Publishing Practicum: Theory/Design Production) This practicum allows a student to study print and digital design through the completion of required readings, response papers (in electronic media), and weekly meetings with the supervising faculty member. Beyond this, the student engages in a practicum component of ten hours per week in Visual Communications as a supplement to the course's theoretical work. In this capacity, the student engages in targeted design projects that reinforce the academic aspects of the practicum. The student benefits from the professional mentoring of our graphic design staff, and uses the Adobe Design Suite, in preparation for a publishing-industry career. Readings may include The Books to Come by Alan Loney, and From Gutenberg to Opentype by Robin Dodd. Prerequisites: ENGL 112, ART 142, and either ENGL 323 or ENGL 324, and permission of instructor. (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Humanities requirement. Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 399: Inter-Text Journal

(Inter-Text Undergraduate Journal for Social Sciences and Humanities.) This course is a practicum aimed at engaging students in the process of scholarly peer-review, academic journal production, and print and digital publishing. Students learn how to use InDesign, an important software suite for visual communication. This 0.25 credit course is graded on a Pass-No Pass basis and requires enrolled students to complete forty (40) hours of work as Editorial Board members while contributing to the production and selection of feature essays, peer review, editing, layout and formatting of the journal, and release of the journal at the annual publication party. Inter-Text aims to publish exceptional student work and foster community among students inside and outside of the classroom in the humanities and social sciences. cross listed: HIST 399, POLS 399, ART 399

ENGL 403: Emily Dickinson

An advanced seminar on the poetry and letters of Emily Dickinson. Emphases on the cultural context of Dickinson's work and its critical reception. (Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.) cross listed: GSWS 403

ENGL 404: W. B. Yeats

William Butler Yeats, one of the most significant poets working in English, writes from a complex cultural situation. His work is deeply connected to Irish nationalism and its cultural manifestation, the Celtic Twilight, as well as to international literary modernism and to a deeply idiosyncratic mysticism. In this course we will study his poetry, prose, and dramatic works in the context of his life and in the context of the literary, cultural, and political movements of his time. In addition, we will read works by some of the writers Yeats influenced, and those who influenced his work, including Ezra Pound and J.M. Synge. Prerequisite: English 212. (Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

ENGL 440: Advanced Writing Seminar

An advanced course in which each student completes a Senior Writing Project (Under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets the Creative & Performing Arts requirement.) cross listed: AMER 440

ENGL 450: Theory of Literature

Important critical modes and approaches to literature; an integrating experience for the senior major. (Under the old GEC, this course meets the Humanities requirement.)

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The Lake Creative Writing

Show More I was sitting by the lake again. Plunging pebbles deep into the cold water like I've done every evening since we got here. I came her because I tried to clear my head before I went to sleep. It never made a difference but I tried anyway. The nightmares mever stopped and I often woke up in tears or screaming. With the clear surface beneath my feet, I could see the reflection of the landscape which I have grown so familiar with I knew every tree and pebble in sight. I knew the lone mountain in the distance, towering above everything in sight and yet, still seeming astonishingly small and overpowered by my thought and feelings. At the foot of it, a pine forest unfolded and spread all around the water . There was the mist, creeping down from the mountains, sneaking its way between the thick tree trunks …show more content… Gradually growing darker and darker, until they completely gave way to the stars. The lords of the night. They were constantly fighting, one trying to outshine the other, each one trying to be the biggest and brightest. But none of them could ever be as bright and bold as the moon. In the inky kingdom of the night, the moon was the true ruler. The moon was always the biggest and most powerful. Out of this whole scenery, out of all the beautiful sights around me it was the moon which reached out to me most. I have traveled so far, but the moon, something so plain and ordinary, something I have seen every night of my life ever since I was born was so breathtaking and mesmerising. Perhaps it was because at that very moment, I realised, that I had to travel to the end of the world, that I had to hit rock bottom and loose everything I still treasured, to realise that the most important things were always right in front of me, that they were always within my reach. Perhaps it was because I remembered what someone once said to me. Someone I cared about a long time ago. Someone I thought cared about me too. Someone I trusted endlessly. Someone who hurt

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explain everything to you in a minute.” said Captain Skillman. As they sat there quiet. Deputy Blake held his head down. “Are you okay?” ask Captain Skillman. “Yes I’m fine, I’m just a little tired.” said Deputy Blake. “Well, we won’t be long.” said Captain Skillman. As they sat there, three men walked in, Lieutenant Crimp, Lieutenant Nectar and Sergeant Prim. Captain Skillman stood up and shook their hands. “Now we can start.” said Captain Skillman. Then six special agents walked in. “What’s going on?” ask Deputy Corde. “Gentlemen, these are FBI agents and you five have been pretty busy, we’ve had you all under surveillance and you all have been participating in illegal activities.” said Captain Skillman. “HOLD ON, WHAT IS ALL THIS?” yelled…

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‘There was no escaping the heat or the people. There was no space to stretch out your legs and arms. Everywhere were sweating, salty bodies with brown, dirty faces peeling from sunburn and slowly darkening.’ Page 22…

Essay Analysis: The Starving Criminal by by Theodore Dalrymple

I asked him what they—he and his brothers and sisters—had eaten and how they had eaten it.…

Creative Writing: Duck Lake

Summertime! The sunshine filters through the verdant lodgepole pine trees towering over our tiny campsite. The aroma of alpine evergreens, crisp mountain air and wispy campfires linger in my memory. Freshly caught trout are frying in the pan, all of which combines to marry the wonder of it all. Our campsite is ten miles east of Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana. This is Duck Lake; a pristine fishing destination nestled in the shadow of the majestic Rocky Mountains. The breathtaking outburst of mountains from the prairies conjures images of nature's own cathedrals. The lake itself lies in a depression created by a mammoth block of ice left behind as the glaciers…

Creative Writing: Mallard Creek

I come from Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the most up and coming cities in America. My town is a beautiful, flourishing area with a lot to offer to a variety of people. With such diversification, we have not integrated our neighborhoods, schools, or the social scene nearly enough. Communities can become racially prevalent leading to separations in culture and heritage. I can see this in the high schools throughout the area during our football games or competitions which is depriving to everyone involved. Leaving people unaware of their surroundings creates a bubble of ignorance. Mallard creek provides so much culture as it is is zoned for so many areas, however, other schools are not provided the opportunity I am. As the severance continues,…

Creative Writing: Loon Lake

Yesterday Glenn and I experienced Loon Lake here in Northern California, and man was it a great experience! Loon lake is located in Northern California and is adjacent to the legendary Rubicon Trail. Our day started with meeting at In N Out in Auburn CA at 4:30 a.m.....well I was there at 4:30; Glenn showed up around 4:50 but I can say it was fashionably late, at least as fashionable as a person can be that early in the morning. During my twenty minute wait, surprisingly I wasn't alone at this In N out. There were about three vehicles I spotted while sitting on the trunk of my Toyota Solara drinking my morning coffee as I thought to myself...what good reason could someone have for being at a random In N out at such a random time? Keep in mind…

Lake Powell-Personal Narrative

As soon as we got there My Uncle Shaun and I were put on tent duty. We didn’t have a camper, or a houseboat, so the most reasonable option was to bring tents! This side of my family doesn’t go camping much, so I found it very interesting that we were “tenting.” Mostly my uncle set up the tents, since I was about eleven and didn’t like to work. I mean, I still don't, who does? Anyways, because I had my swimming suit on, I found it very appealing to go for a swim. So I stepped in and I did not expect what I got! The water was warm, a whopping 80 degrees fahrenheit! I had never been in water so warm until I came here. Normally we go to lakes/reservoirs it’s usually Island Park, Jensen’s Grove, or American…

Blood and Mrs. Myron

“The boys have been outside for more than two hours, they must be hot and tired. Let’s get them inside and have them…

Creative Writing: The Killer Whale

In the beginning, before man was created, animals of the highest status ruled over the many regions of Earth. For the water region it was Killer Whales, for the sky region it was Eagles, and for the land region it was the Wolves. Before man, wolves didn’t stay in separate packs; they were one. Out of this, there was a kind and brave leader who went by the name of Luna. She ruled justly over her people, but being a just and powerful leader has its own costs.…

Personal Narrative-Vietnam War

“ So, you trying to hear our conversation, or are you just a klutz?” She whispered. I couldn’t help but blushing.…

Nutrition Essay

“Of course I’ll help. We need to teach the Jones to eat properly or else they’ll be sick and overweight,” Shakton answered.…

Oral History project

On February 17th I interviewed my grandma, Susan Lynn. At first she was a little overwhelmed with all the questions I had for her, but the interview seemed to go smoothly. My Grandma was recently in the hospital so I only had one day that I could interview her. The day I interviewed her not only did we have her over for dinner, but we also had my other grandma and three aunts. The house was a little noisy but we managed.…

Character Analysis: The Shining Houses

questions of this kind. How was it possible, for instance, not to take seriously the…

Creative Writing: A Trip To Disney World

Abby, my best friend, and I are going to Disney world. We won a contest and the prize is tickets to go to Disney world. It is currently 4:30 am and our plane leaves at 5:00 am. “Hey!” Said my best friend abby.…

The Forest - Creative Writing

A crisp winter morning and there was a frosty chill in the air. A sweet surrendering scent of the moist morning dew that cascades all around the sublime forest. The mixed cool autumn leaves from the tall trees lay scattered on the forest floor; they were in the motion of turning a brittle brown. There was the sound of shattered glass that emphasised the leaves being crunched, as if you were to step on them, pushing their papery remains deep into the brilliant white snow, which lined the ground like a fresh white cotton sheet. The passive and daunting forest has the appeal of a forgotten land, which has been lost in time. The isolated forest remained in a capsule, untouched by the destructive essence of man.…

Related Topics

• English language
• Linguistics
• Second language

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Community Writing Center

Writing workshops.

We offer a range of writing workshops here at the Community Writing Center where you can explore a variety of writing topics in theme-based classes. Past workshops include Journaling for Mental Health, Poetry, Novel Writing, Songwriting, Food Memoirs, and Creative Writing. Workshops are created in response to community requests and are taught by our talented Writing Assistants. If there's a workshop you'd like us to offer in the future, please let us know by emailing us at  [email protected] .

Most workshops take place at the Community Writing Center . We try to keep the cost of workshops as low as possible, and are able to offer some for free through partnerships and grant funding. Fees can be waived for financial hardship. Otherwise, donations are always welcome. Due to limited space, it is necessary to register in advance if you plan to attend a workshop. Registration will close twenty-four hours prior to the scheduled event. Registrants who choose not to attend may call to cancel up to one week prior to the workshop; after this time payments are non-refundable.

Register for Workshops

Note: If you have any issues or problems registering online for one of our workshops, please contact us at 801-957-2192 or [email protected] for assistance.

Spring & SUmmer 2024 Workshops

Writing for mental health: fiction skills fueled by emotional intelligence.

3-part workshop Thursdays, April 18, 25, & May 2, 6-8 pm

Elevate your storytelling game with emotional intelligence concepts that evoke powerful connections between your characters and your readers. Perfect for writers of all levels, this workshop explores the complexity and nuance of human emotional patterns and cycles through the art of immersive storytelling. Space is limited, so register now! Workshop 1: The Emotional Arc of a Character Delve deep into the intricate tapestry of human emotions and unravel the secrets of crafting compelling character arcs. When stuck emotions are processed into their purified form your characters become wonderfully dynamic and vibrant beings dancing across the pages of your story. Workshop 2: The Secret to Engaging Scenes Explore the power of emotional storytelling and learn to evoke feelings that resonate with your audience through imagery, word selection and symbolism. Discover the secrets of engaging scene writing that not only describes but immerses, allowing your readers (and yourself!) to feel the heartbeat of your narrative. Workshop 3: Playing with Point of View If you change the way you look at things, the way everything looks changes. This workshop is focused on harnessing the cathartic potential of experimenting with narrative point of view in fiction writing. Explore creative writing exercises that encourage you to experiment with various perspectives, unlocking the freedom to express and understand complex emotions.

Cost: $45. Registration is required. Location: CWC, 210 East 400 South #8 Register for Fiction Skills Fueled by Emotional Intelligence

Dystopian World Building

1-part workshop Tuesday, April 23, 6-8 pm

A dystopia, also called a cacotopia or anti-utopia, relates to an imagined state or society where there is great suffering or injustice. Popular dystopian stories such as Parable of the Sower, The Handmaiden’s Tale, Nineteen Eighty-Four, and The Hunger Games novels mirror aspects of our society and show us a world that is similar, but more frightening that our own. How do you imagine your dystopian reality? Join us to go over the basic building blocks to create your ultimate dystopian world.

Cost: 15$. Registration is required. Location: CWC, 210 East 400 South #8.

REGISTER FOR Dystopian World Building

Tengo algo que contar-I have something to say

1-part workshop Saturday, April 27, 11-1 pm

¨We can all write, on paper our feelings are immortal¨ This workshop is open to the entire Utah community interested in displaying their writing talents and organizing them on paper. Our main purpose is to motivate everyone to participate in the Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz contest for Artes de Utah México. Workshop will be in: Spanish/English.

Cost: Free. Registration is required. Location: CWC, 210 East 400 South #8.

REGISTER FOR Tengo algo que contar

Creative Writing for Young Writers

1-part workshop Saturday, April 27, 2-4 pm

Hey Writers ages 11-14! Join us for an interactive workshop where you share your creative ideas on things you want to write about when you sign up for this workshop, so we can create a workshop built for you! Topics such as world building, character creation, nature writing, and travel writing and more! Sign up and let us know what creative writing topics you are interested in learning more about!

REGISTER FOR Creative Writing for Young Writers

HORROR AND ROMANCE: A PERFECT MARRIAGE? WITH GUEST AUTHOR ELIZABETH SUGGS

1-part workshop Saturday May 11, 1-3 pm

Delve into the thrilling world where love meets terror as we dissect the intricate blend of heart-pounding suspense and heart-wrenching passion. From eerie encounters to forbidden desires, join us on a journey through the shadows where love stories take a chilling turn. Unravel the secrets behind crafting narratives that simultaneously send shivers down your spine and ignite flames of longing in your heart. Prepare to be captivated, frightened, and ultimately seduced by the mesmerizing fusion of horror and romance.

Cost: $15. Registration is required. Location: CWC, 210 East 400 South #8.

Register for Horror and Romance

GREAT SALT LAKE SPECULATIVE FLASH ECO-FICTION

4-part workshop Tuesdays May 9, 16, 23, and June 30, 6-8 pm

First Session Can you write a story in 50 words or less? This flash-writing session gives participants a chance to write nano-length hint fictions and stamp stories, kicking off a four-part workshop series experimenting with speculative eco-fiction addressing Great Salt Lake. With plenty of whimsy in these übershort forms, participants will address issues concerning the lake from within their own imaginative spaces. Second Session How can fiction affect an issue as immense and imminent as Great Salt Lake? The second installment of the GSL speculative flash eco-fiction workshop series sees participants hijack a core human survival mechanism: story. Through the means of horror and sci fi, writers will explore how to subvert our collective anxieties about the lake by externalizing, breaking down, and facing that which scares or mystifies us. Third Session Salt Lake City as we know it can’t exist without Great Salt Lake—and stories may well not exist without a sense of place. In a third speculative flash eco-fiction workshop in a four-part series about GSL, participants will plumb the workings of how place shapes meaning in writing. As we deconstruct place, we’ll reassemble what we know of GSL while bending reality, shattering calcified understandings of the lake with speculative writing. Fourth Session Attuning ourselves to our ecology can set the scene for where we can locate ourselves in revision. With these faculties open and flowing, new movement within this environment may then inspirit new ways to look at what we’ve written as we strive for music within the language of our flash creations.

Register for Great Salt Lake Speculative Flash Eco-Fiction

FEEL GOOD REVOLUTION: A WRITING & JOURNALING WORKSHOP ON PLEASURE, JOY, & CRITICAL COMPASSION ACTIVISM

1-part workshop Saturday, June 1, 11:30-1:30 pm

Discover the nuances between pleasure and joy activism, unravel the depths of critical compassion, and learn practical ways to infuse sustainable joy into your life through transformative writing and journaling practices.

Cost: Free. Registration is required. Location: CWC, 210 East 400 South #8

Register for Feel Good Revolution

QUEER(ING) WOMXNHOOD IN UTAH

1-part workshop Saturday, June 8, 12-2 pm

When womxnhood in Utah is discussed, queer womxn's experiences and identities are often tangential if they're discussed at all. In this workshop, we'll explore the diversity of queer womxnhood in Utah by exploring what makes queer femininity, embodiment, experiences, identities, representations, and writing unique and different from that of our non-queer counterparts. Join us in this workshop where we will examine and dissect the historical and cultural impacts of the frequent erasure of queer womxn's voices and experiences in broader discussions about womxn's liberation. We’ll also explore how damaging storytelling tropes about queer womxn have been used and how we can reclaim and subvert them in our own storytelling. No previous writing experience or preparation required!

Cost: Free. Ages: 16+ Registration is recommended because space is limited Location: CWC, 210 East 400 South #8

Register for Queer(ing) Womxnhood in Utah

MADLY IN LOVE: LOVE LETTERS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

1-part workshop Saturday, June 15, 11:30-1:30 pm

Join us for an extraordinary journey of self-discovery and connection in our "Madly In Love" workshop. Delve into the transformative power of love through the art of mad love letter writing. This unique experience invites you to express your feelings, celebrate the highs and lows of your mental health journey, and embrace the magic and intensity of life. Discover the profound beauty in your experiences and connect with others in a supportive and inclusive space. Together, we'll explore the interplay between madness, love, and empathy, fostering a community that values and understands the unique stories of every individual.

Register for Madly in Love

PENNING PROFIT: THE BUSINESS OF WRITING WITH GUEST AUTHOR ELIZABETH SUGGS

1-part workshop Saturday, June 22, 1-3 pm

Step into the boardroom of literature as we dissect the essential strategies and savvy tactics required to turn words into wealth. From navigating the ever-evolving landscape of publishing to mastering the art of self-promotion, this presentation is your roadmap to success in the competitive world of writing. Learn how to craft compelling pitches, negotiate lucrative contracts, and build a sustainable career as a wordsmith. Whether you're a seasoned author or just starting your journey, discover the insider secrets to monetizing your passion and transforming your literary dreams into a thriving business.

Cost: $15. Registration is required. Location: CWC, 210 East 400 South #8

Register for Penning Profit

SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER: SALT LAKE TEENS WRITE SUMMER CAMP

4-part workshop Daily, beginning Monday, July 8 through Thursday, July 11, 10 am-1 pm

Calling all middle schoolers! Come write and create with us at our second annual Salt Lake Teens Write Summer Camp at the Community Writing Center. There will be a new workshop each day, anything from Horror fiction to Pet Memoirs! You will also work to submit writing, artwork, and/or photography for inclusion in our Teens Write Anthology in the fall and become a published author or artist. Free continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Register for Salt Lake Teens Write Summer Camp

JORDAN RIVER JOURNALING & STORYTELLING: A NATURE MEMOIR WRITING JOURNEY

3-part workshop Saturdays, July 13, August 10, and September 14, 1-2:30

Join the Community Writing Center in this three-part workshop series in partnership with the Tracy Aviary Jordan River Nature Center and the Publication Center, where we will explore the natural world around the Jordon River and learn about the wildlife that it supports! This workshop series will guide you through creating a handmade journal and learning the basics of nature writing, and will culminate in a nature walk by the Jordan River.

Cost: Free. Registration is recommended because space is limited. Location: Tracy Aviary Jordan River Nature Center

Register for Jordan River Journaling and Storytelling

DECOLONIAL STORYTELLING

1-part workshop Saturday July 20, 11-1 pm

Decolonial storytelling is a genre of writing that emphasizes resistance, reclamation, and social change. This workshop will explore historical and modern examples, along with writing techniques that can be incorporated and used to challenge and deconstruct the dominant colonial constructs. We will have discussions, writing activities, and discuss how to amplify marginalized voices and themes.

Register for Decolonial Storytelling

HORROR FLASH FICTION WITH GUEST AUTHOR JONATHAN REDDOCH

1-part workshop Saturday, July 27, 2-4 pm

Are you dying to delve into the eerie world of horror flash fiction? Don’t be scared! This spine-chilling workshop will explore the art of crafting chilling yet concise tales in just a few hundred words. This hands-on experience will focus on mastering tension, terror, and twists!

Register for Horror Flash Fiction

HOW TO WRITE AN ARTIST STATEMENT, BIO, AND PROPOSAL

1-part workshop Saturday August 3, 12-2 pm

You spent hours pouring your heart and soul into making something beautiful and you are finally done! Right? Not exactly. Now you've realized that in order for anyone to see it, you are being asked to write a statement about your art and yourself, and you aren't sure what to say. Trying to explain your artwork can be tough for visual people, and often becomes the main barrier that keeps us from applying to exhibitions, markets, and grants. In this workshop, we will go over how to get started writing your artist statement, personal bio, and project proposals. Overcome the overwhelm and stop missing opportunities to show your work!

Register for How to Write an Artist Statement, Bio, and Proposal

CREATIVE NON-FICTION

1-part workshop Saturday August 10, 12-2 pm

Creative nonfiction (memoirs, profiles, lyric essays, and more) has been used throughout history to shape cultural identities, open minds, encourage social action, and offer insider views into injustice and activism. Memoirs and other forms of creative nonfiction have the power to take readers inside your experiences to learn about and empathize with the histories, triumphs, struggles, and desires that shape the collective human experience via a personal, intimate lens. We'll learn about and try out a few forms of creative nonfiction to discover how the personal is political.

Register for Creative Non-Fiction

IT’S IN THE DETAILS: GRAMMAR AND REVISION

1-part workshop Tuesday August 13, 6-8 pm

Join us for this workshop all about the basics of grammar and revision. Whether it’s your first or fifth draft, we’ll cover everything you need to know about making your next piece of writing perfect.

Cost: $10. Registration is required. Location: CWC, 210 East 400 South #8

Register for It’s in the Details

Finished Papers