Introduction
The Writing Universities is created for the University of Iowa’s writing community. Their website, writinguniversity.org has become a gateway for the community’s news, programs, and events. This would allow not only students of the university but others who are willing to participate in their programs as well. The benefits of the Writing Universities include awareness about their creative writing programs, meeting famous writers, and honing young writers.
Creative Writing Programs
The Writing Universities offer creative writing programs that would help enhance the skills of aspiring writers. Through these programs, they are able to intensively use their skills in writing and improve them in the process. Not only that, they are able to gain inspiration through their experiences in these programs, enabling them to become better writers that would soon be candidates for Pulitzer Prizes and other awards in the field of writing. The Writing Universities currently offer 9 creative writing programs. These are Iowa Writer’s Workshop, International Writing Program, Non Fiction Writing Program, Iowa Playwright’s Workshop, Iowa young writer’s studio, Irish Writing Program, Translation Workshop, Spanish Creative writing program, and Undergraduate Creative Writing track.
Their international writing programs also include a unique program such as the Irish writing Program. In this program, participants studying in creative writing and Irish literature will have an opportunity to be in a more inspiring place to study such course—Dublin, Ireland. The participants will have a six-week stay in Dublin wherein they will be taught by the native Irish writers themselves. This will ensure students to have high-quality training and they will be able to deeply develop their knowledge and skills in writing.
The Writing Universities also offer undergraduates an opportunity to enhance their skills through the Undergraduate Creative Writing track for students who will have a junior or senior standing and who have already finished a required number of prerequisites by the end of the term. The training will include Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Playwriting and Translation workshops.
Meeting famous writers
All writers have their respective writing idols or heroes who have inspired them through all their years as a writing student. Some of them have even been inspiration for students to embark on different writing degrees and even pursue their career in writing. Now imagine those writers being more inspired by their writing idols as they get to personally interact with them through the programs offered by the Writing Universities. Famous writers such as Robert Frost, Robert Lowell, Dylan Thomas and other writers who have already gained Pulitzer prizes for their work are the frequent visitors and even mentors in their creative writing programs. This would not only help students in honing their skills as a writer but enriching them with inspiration as well.
Honing young writers
Among the programs, the Iowa Young Writer’s Studio is for those aspiring young high school writers who want to take part in sharing their own creations and honing their own skills in writing as well. They require high school students who have at least already completed their sophomore year. This program allows 120 candidates from other countries to participate in this summer event to engage in poetry, fiction, and creative writing workshops depending on their choice. This program will give more inspiration to high school students to pursue a college degree on writing. The program also allows entry for those very talented 9th graders if there are still available slots and if their creative writing sample requirement is exceptionally good.
