English 223 introduces students to the craft and critique that characterize creative writing, both as a discipline in the English Department at the University of Michigan and as a profession. This course treats creative writing as a skill and a habit of mind that students can actively develop through disciplined practice. The course also encourages students to participate in the writerly community as literary citizens. In addition to doing copious writing, students read published work in multiple genres, attend local readings, and respond to one another’s creative work. Over the course of the term, students produce writing that demonstrates both deliberate attention to craft and reflective awareness of their own and others’ creative processes. English 223 prepares students for upper-level creative writing courses in fiction and poetry and is required for both the sub-concentration and the minor in Creative Writing.