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Alaina Triantafilledes almost declined her acceptance to Syracuse University.

Triantafilledes, an SU freshman, was admitted as a writing and rhetoric major, though she always wanted to study creative writing. When she spoke to the chair of the writing studies, rhetoric and composition department after being admitted, she mentioned her passion for creative writing and learned that a creative writing major was in the works.

“I came here for writing and rhetoric, but I also knew I was going to pursue the creative writing major,” she said. “It was basically perfect.” 

In the fall, Triantafilledes will enroll as one of SU’s first creative writing majors. This year, she took courses such as introduction to creative writing to stay on track to pursue the major when it’s established within the College of Arts and Sciences.

Sarah Harwell, associate director of the creative writing program, petitioned SU for approval for both a creative writing major and minor program last year, before the coronavirus pandemic. While SU approved the minor over the summer, the major had to be approved by the New York State Department of Education, which took a bit longer. 

Now that the major is approved, students can begin officially enrolling in the fall, she said. Students who are interested in enrolling in the program can reach out to the creative writing department to register for the proper courses ahead of time. 

Before the new major existed, students could major in English with a concentration in creative writing. But that model required students to take 33 credits within the major, which often made it difficult for students to double major or take a minor, Harwell said.

“What people don’t sometimes understand about creative writing is that it’s not just about sitting in a room and writing your poems,” she said. “It’s also about going into the world and bringing that writing and those thoughts into the world. And also teaching other people to use their own words to effectively tell stories.” 

SU hired two faculty members to teach creative writing courses last year in anticipation of the major and minor. The program will also give graduate students enrolled in the master of fine arts program the opportunity to teach creative writing to undergraduate students, Harwell said. 

“We have really great graduate students, and they’ve always wanted to teach creative writing,” she said. “We’re hoping that, over time, more of them will get to teach undergraduate introductory workshops and other new classes.”

Griffin Goldstein, a junior television, radio and film major, said that minoring in creative writing has given him a creative place to express himself. While he’s too far into his college career to pursue a dual major, he is glad to be a part of the minor program. 

“I wish I could have taken classes in (creative writing) earlier,” he said. “I don’t know where I’d be without it.”

The department has instituted two courses in anticipation of the major and plan on adding more, Harwell said. The courses include topics in creative writing — which will cover a different creative writing topic each year — and a literary nonfiction seminar, she said. 

While Harwell anticipates having about 20 to 40 students in the program’s first year, she hopes it will grow. 

What makes the program unique is that creative writing is not taught anywhere else within the university, Harwell said. Creative writing and academic writing are completely different skills, she said.

“Creative writing is an excellent major to add on with other things,” she said. “You can learn to write in a lot of classes. But with creative writing you can write with a great deal of juiciness.” 

Published on February 23, 2021 at 9:19 pm

Contact Mira: [email protected]