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Creative Writing Online Audition Requirements

The Creative Writing Department is looking for students who are passionate about reading and writing.  We want writers who have a love for words and want to use their voices to tell their stories and share their ideas.

 

​To apply to SDSCPA Creative Writing:

 

Please submit a portfolio of your best works, and complete the on-demand writing prompt submission located in the audition application.

Works submitted for your portfolio should share your voice and your passion for writing.  You may pick works you've already written or write new ones for the audition.  Portfolios should include the following: 

• Statement of Purpose

• Two different forms of creative writing.  Choose any two: scriptwriting, fiction, nonfiction, and/or poetry. 

• Clearly label EACH piece with the type of submission (e.g."Statement of Purpose" or "Fiction")

• Each piece should have a title that is centered and should be generally free of grammatical and mechanical issues. 

The portfolio should include:

1. Statement of Purpose

• Write a two-paragraph statement of purpose that shares 1) how and why you love reading and writing and 2) how you hope to grow in your writing at SDSCPA.  If you need some ideas, think about the following to help you: 

  • Why do you love to read and write?​

  • What work that you've written are you most proud of and why?

  • What kinds of writing do you like to do the most?  Why?

  • What stories/writing most engage you and why do they engage you?

  • What or who is your greatest influence as a writer and how do they influence you?

  • Are you planning on continuing your studies in writing after SDSCPA?  Or do you have a plan to have a career in writing when you are older?  Tell us about this.

  • Writers engage in the world around them.  How are you engaged?

  • What author would you like to meet and why?

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2. Two of the Following:

• Script Writing Sample: Your script may be a scene or a short one-act and should demonstrate your ability to create an engaging character and use dialogue and action to tell the story of that character.  Your script should be between two (2) to four (4) pages.  Try to use correct play or film formatting, if possible. 

• Fiction Sample: Your short story can be any genre and should demonstrate your ability to create an engaging character and use description and/or dialogue to tell the story of that character.  Your story should be between 500 - 1,000 words, which would be two (2) to four (4) pages double spaced.

• Nonfiction Sample: Nonfiction pieces can be an expository, persuasive, argument, or personal essay and should demonstrate your ability to share your perspective on a topic that is important to you.  Your nonfiction should be between 500 - 1,000 words, which would be two (2) to four (4) pages double spaced.

• Poetry Sample: Your poem can be in any format (i.e. sonnet, villanelle, haiku, ballad, free verse, etc.) and should demonstrate your ability to use words, sounds, and rhythm to express your ideas.  Poems are often in verse format, but you can also submit a prose poem.

 

The On Demand Writing Sample

 We want to see what you are inspired by and what your voice is, raw and unfiltered.  In other words, we want to see what your writer's soul is like.  Write 100 - 300 words that show your inventiveness and craftsmanship as a writer on the spot and without revision.  This is not expected to be a polished work, so write directly in the space provided.  The picture is there to provide inspiration, but you do not have to write about the picture.  Feel free to write about any topic you desire and use any form: poetry, script, fiction or nonfiction.  Spend no more than 20 minutes writing, but write enough to capture the essence of you as a writer.

 

 

Areas of assessment will include:

• Accuracy of writing form and style

• Inventiveness of ideas and style

• Overall craftsmanship of writing

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BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR AUDITION APPLICATION

Please upload your Creative Writing portfolio pieces to a Google Drive or DropBox Folder.  Ensure the settings on your portfolio folder are set so that Anyone with the Link can view the contents.

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Please click here to return to the application page: