[This article was co-written exclusively for SMC in Focus, by English Professors Susan Caggiano & Diane Arieff]
First-year students and aspiring filmmakers. Beginner poets and published authors.
Songwriters. STEM students, part-time students. Working professionals hoping to put stories to paper. English and business majors. Screenwriters. Those preparing to transfer. Locals who comes to Santa Monica College, and those who log on from as far away as Italy and Ukraine. Passionate readers and the casually curious.
What could such seemingly disparate people have in common? It is the shared experience of an SMC writing workshop. Each enrolls with an interest in developing as a writer, and once they find themselves together, whether in a campus classroom or online, they also find membership in a supportive and unique creative community.
“One of my specific joys,” notes English Prof. Wil Doucet, is watching “artistic relationships form as these students share so much of themselves with each other and begin to get a sense of their capacity to move people through their creative work.” Students echo that observation. “The organic building of a community,” one wrote, “has enabled me to be braver about the stories I explore, and how I incorporate writing into my life.”
After several years of planning, we’re excited to announce that SMC’s Creative Writing Program is entering a new chapter. Writing faculty in the English Department have developed a 12-unit Creative Writing Certificate, and four new workshop-based creative writing courses to replace the previous two-course series. These new classes will be offered on campus and online.
Writing a New Chapter
The first course in the program introduces students to the major genres and the basic elements of craft. The other three courses allow them to choose focused study in a particular literary genre. These are: English 71- Introduction to Creative Writing; English 72 - Writing in Fiction; English 73 - Writing in Poetry; and English 74 - Writing in Creative Nonfiction. Two of these, the Introduction course (English 71) and the fiction workshop, (English 72) debut in Fall 2025, and students have already begun to enroll.
The new 12-unit Certificate of Achievement in Creative Writing will allow committed student writers the opportunity of sustained study and also bolster their transfer experience. Notated on student transcripts, the certificate will boost their applications to creative writing programs at four-year institutions. The certificate will also emphasize their commitment to developing their writing skills and capacity for creative expression, signaling to admissions officers and potential employers their readiness to engage in imaginative thinking and clear communication.
Building on a Storied Legacy
The new slate of classes and the certificate are the culmination of long-term planning, starting with informal brainstorming sessions that began in 2019. Our goal was to build on what was already a thriving program, one that, at the time, was largely synonymous with SMC English prof. Jim Krusoe, a novelist, poet, and founder of the Santa Monica Review, a nationally distributed literary arts journal published by the college that still comes out every fall and spring. Jim was and continues to be a mentor and friend to so many writers who passed through his celebrated creative writing classroom at SMC. Under his oversight, it developed into a creative community and a real center of literary energy in Los Angeles.
Jim was part of those early planning sessions but retired shortly after. Covid lockdowns sent some of our writing faculty scrambling to develop online versions of existing workshop courses. These online classes flourished. Now, along with our on-ground versions, they are a widely popular option, enabling us to cast a wider net and reach more aspiring writers.
This goal—of reaching more aspiring writers, wherever they are—and having enough courses for those students seeking deeper engagement with creative writing, were all primary motivations for expanding the program. Our original, longtime courses, English 30A and English 30B, were well established and well attended, but many students who completed both courses expressed disappointment that there were no additional workshops to take, and that left them feeling stymied.
Our new courses and certificate program were developed to meet—and ultimately grow—student demand. They also help us keep pace with other leading community colleges that offer robust programs. Designed to help students develop their skills and explore many types of literary writing, the program will build on its solid foundation and continue to be a welcoming and thriving literary community for a diverse range of writers.
Take the Next Step
Whether they’re seasoned or just starting out, once they complete an SMC workshop, many of our writing students have articulated their experiences in compelling ways. One, after completing a class last semester, wrote, “I credit this workshop and [the] professor… for helping me get back into reading closely. I discovered so many writers… I also credit the workshop for helping me inch past my fear of doing and failing.” Another wrote, “I am far more confident as a writer than I have ever been at any point in my life. That is due to this workshop.”
In our workshops, writers of any experience level will receive invaluable mentorship, discover community, and be given an illuminating education in craft—all in a program that is affordable and accessible. We look forward to empowering countless students to find their voices and forge new opportunities for themselves through SMC’s Creative Writing Program, which will continue to innovate and meet changing needs.
Enrollment is already underway for Fall 2025. With English 71, Introduction to Creative Writing, and English 72, Writing in Fiction set to debut this fall, with the other new courses slated to follow shortly after. In Winter and Spring 2026, we plan to offer a mix of courses including English 73, Writing in Poetry, and English 74, Writing in Creative Nonfiction.
We urge anyone interested in writing, whether it’s poetry, fiction, memoir, flash, personal essays, or just a general curiosity, to take the next step and learn more about our program. With the rise of AI programs that can generate neatly assembled narratives with the click of a keyboard prompt, it is more valuable than ever to cultivate one’s imagination, focus on the rewarding challenge of self-expression, discover and develop one’s singular, (human) voice, think deeply about the power and nuance of language, and learn to tell stories and personal narratives in fresh, idiosyncratic ways. As Jim wrote in his essay, “Story & Dream”: “…I believe it is our stories, even more than our memories, that define who we are.”
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For more information about the program and how to enroll, please visit www.smc.edu/creativewriting (opens in new window) . For specific questions, please write Diane Arieff (arieff_diane@smc.edu (opens in new window) ) or Susan Caggiano (caggiano_susan@smc.edu (opens in new window) ).
SMC in Focus Volume XI, Issue 3
Future Designs
Navy veteran Antonio Renoj graduates having found purpose, community and a creative future at Santa Monica College. Read Article
From Center Line to Byline
Adriana Brady was only two weeks into her tenure as The Corsair's new editor-in-chief when the devastating Los Angeles fires broke out. Read Article
Victoria’s Big Victory
It took eight years, but Victoria Salazar finally received the “thick envelope” from UC San Diego. The 2025 graduating student speaker shares her story of self-reliance, tenacity and hope. Read Article
A New Chapter for SMC’s Creative Writing Program
For the first time, SMC’s Creative Writing Program is offering a 12-unit creative writing certificate for anyone who wants to take their writing to the next level. Read Article
Bragging Rights
A dean receives a statewide award for leadership excellence. A police chief marches from from Auschwitz to Birkenau. An English prof. has a new short story out. Read Article
The Art of the Pivot
Graduating this year with associate degrees in philosophy and general science, Dexter Mack is ready to take the next step toward his dream of studying neuroscience. Read Article