ENGL 210CGenres of Creative Writing
- Units
- 0.50
- Faculty
- Arts
- Subject
- English
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 7 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: scheduled, 5 lecture sections. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
This course introduces students to both contemporary and historical forms of creative writing. Students will explore genres of poetry, prose, and/or drama through their own writing. Students will also investigate the culture of publishing, learn key revision strategies, and workshop the writing of their peers to develop their critical abilities.
Prerequisites
None listed.
Antirequisites
None listed.
Leads to
No course lists it as a requisite.
Fall 2026 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 3460 | 30 / 30 | TTh 13:00–14:20 |
| LEC 002 | 3923 | 28 / 30 | Online or by arrangement |
Winter 2027 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 3441 | 0 / 30 | MW 13:00–14:20 |
| LEC 002 | 4248 | 0 / 30 | TTh 16:00–17:20 |
| LEC 003 | 3935 | 0 / 30 | Online or by arrangement |
| LEC 701 | 1301 | 33 / 9999 | Online or by arrangement |
| LEC 702 | 1485 | 23 / 9999 | Online or by arrangement |
Reviewed on UW Flow
87% liked it79% easy57% useful
From 38 ratings and 13 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
Awesome course! I was taught by Andrea Jonahs and her lectures were super interesting. She makes it very clear about what she's expecting for the essays, and you get class time to practice creative writing rhetoric that will benefit you for the essays. Just follow the rubric and understand what she's looking for. I liked the group workshop too, depends on the classmates you have. Ended the course with a 92.
Jan 2025 · liked it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
Literally only did Non-fiction writing for like 70% of course time. Literary fiction got a week, Poetry got a week, genre fiction writing and screenwriting got a single class. I took this class to do genre fiction, worldbuilding, and poetry, not non-fiction. Beware if you are taking this with Andrea Jonas, she does mostly non-fiction and just a little bit of literary fiction, with no genre fiction at all if that is your goal.
For final project you can only use things you've worked on in class, really limiting your choices.
Reason I gave it a high usefulness rating is because what you learn is useful regardless what you are writing.Aug 2025 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
For an online course it's super easy. Literally don't have to do hardly any work to get good marks. Wasn't overly useful or interesting though.
Dec 2024 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
I took this course online, and appreciated the way that the instructor organized the course. There were three main units focusing on personal narratives, short stories, and poetry. Each took about 3-4 weeks, where you completed some readings (nothing too long), publish a draft that would get edited by a peer, and then submit the final copy for marking. Like any English course, it's kinda hard to get the full scope of what they want from the rubric, so I wouldn't call this an easy grade-booster. But if you're looking for a pretty laid-back course that lets you explore your creative side, I would say this is a good choice.
Apr 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
This course is helpful for developing writing skills but dumb otherwise. The marking scheme for the creative writing assignments, such as the poem and short story, are marked very harshly if you are "vague" or don't write the way the TAs or the prof like it. It is easy to get a high grade overall regardless but beware of those assignments.
Dec 2025 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
21 posts and comments in 19 threads mention ENGL 210C, June 2017 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.
Spring 2024
Bird courses 2 points, 0 comments
“What are some easy/low effort 200 level bird courses that I could take in person or online in fall 2024?”
u/hamstrings10: “If you search “bird courses” on this subreddit you would be able to see a ton, btw. If you’re good at creative writing (poetry and short stories), try ENGL 210C. GEOG 219 is basically writing reflections on long articles.”
Engl210C and Engl335 - creative writing 5 points, 0 comments
u/Elegant_Limit: “Both these creative writing courses are offered in an online section in the fall. I was wondering if anyone has taken the online version of these and how they found it versus in person. …”
200+ bird course fall 2024 3 points, 8 comments
“saw my course schedule and i didnt get clas 201 so i wanna have a replacement in the case that i cant enroll into it next week. …”
u/hamstrings10: “ENGL 210C, ENGL 335 - if you’re a good writer GEOG 219”
Light courses 1 point, 4 comments
u/hamstrings10: “ENGL 210C, ENGL 335, GEOG 219, HLTH 101 Most people find CLAS 104 to be light but tbh the time limits on quizzes combined with the sheer volume of readings made me wanna defenestrate myself.”
Fall 2023
Fun electives 5 points, 16 comments
“What are some of the most fun/ interesting elective courses you’ve taken at uw?”
u/hamstrings10: “if you like writing, ENGL 210C is a fun way to destress and explore different styles of writing. PSYCH 211, while work intensive, is very interesting; you’ll need PSYCH 101 as a prereq.”
How to know courses don’t have exams or finals? 1 point, 9 comments
u/PailsInCompartments: “… Here is my list of preferred courses: ENGL 335 ENGL 210C THPERF 100 MUSIC 270 SMF 101 ENGL 204 THREPF 102 KOREA 101R MUSIC 240 MUSIC 112 Any general advice for other easy or exam-less courses, or for exchange and International students is very much welcome too; Thank you!”
Spring 2023
Has anyone else had a weird experience in arts classes? 1 point, 26 comments
u/mex_bchem00: “… I'm supposed to take ENGL 210C in the fall and I'm excited for it but I'm really hoping to avoid the fiasco from last year.”
u/need-electricity: “I took ENGL 210C this term. Great prof and had a fun time. I'm in CS btw and did not feel out of place.”
Easy Electives 1 point, 2 comments
“Hello, I will be attending Waterloo this September for Honours Science. I was just wondering what are some easy electives that I can take that could possible boost my GPA. Thank you”
u/Great-Error5707: “LS 271, ENGL 109, ENGL 210C,EASIA 203R, SCI 206, GEO 225 and 219, ENGL 335, HRM 200 etc”
Fall 2022
Thanks 4 not calling on the police for our loud sex 0 points, 3 comments
“Dear all neighbors from UW/WLU area, I know me & my partner could go shithole dirty/crazy loud/rock hard & even overtime sometimes during our sex. …”
u/ForkedRiver: “ENGL 210C moment”
Spring 2022
Fall 2022 Bird Courses 0 points, 6 comments
“Hi friends, any recommendations for bird courses for Fall 2022? Ideally looking for 200+ level courses. Thank you for any suggestions!”
u/hamstrings10: “ENGL 210C GEOG 219 HLTH 101”
Fall 2021
Any English courses you really liked or didn't like? 4 points, 19 comments
“Hey all! Just wondering if there are any ENGL courses that are particularly worth taking, maybe because of the prof or content, and any courses that should be avoided! …”
u/AbhiJack459: “ENGL 210C was amazing. Dr. Lamees Al Ethari has been my favourite professor across all my courses. I’m hoping that she teaches ENGL 335 in the Winter”
Winter 2021
Free elective suggestions ?? 3 points, 4 comments
“Does anyone have any recommendations for a free elective? Any interesting course or any that you particularly enjoyed, that doesn’t have many prerequisites. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated :)”
[deleted]: “… ENGL 210C fits the theme as well, but I haven't taken that one. This gonna be kinda controversial, but I think almost all of the absolute best courses that UW offers (as in, hard to get this type of education anywhere else, including online) will be from the math faculty. …”
Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026
- Undergraduate Calendar, 2026–27The official entry
- Requirements for Fall 2026Waterloo’s requisite checker
- Schedule of Classes, Fall 2026Instructors, rooms, live seats
- Quest Class SearchWhere you enrol
- Course outlinesSyllabi from past terms (UW login)
- UW FlowStudent ratings and reviews
- WClassesPast sections back to 2004, and who taught them