Program-Specific Requirements

In addition to the University's requirements for admission to graduate school, applicants to the Writing Popular Fiction program must provide a:

• Writing sample of fiction that must be 10 double-spaced pages. It should be no longer, though it can be part of larger work and not complete in itself. If you do select a part of a longer work, we strongly recommend that you give the beginning of the work, the first ten pages, and not a selection from later in the manuscript. This material will be reviewed for its author's overall potential as a writer of popular fiction - specifically such criteria as story sense, character development, realistic dialogue, plot development, originality, basic grammar and mechanics, and overall interest for the reader.

• Personal statement answering the following questions. Give no more than a paragraph for each. Be aware that if you are accepted into the program you will be asked to share this document with your advisor.
  • Summarize your experience writing.
  • Describe the nature of your intended novel-length project and identify its genre.
  • What background do you have in your chosen genre?
  • The program demands a large amount of self-discipline and productive work habits (length requirements, deadlines, much reading and writing). How do you plan to handle this load?
  • Are there any other factors (past experience, specialized knowledge) that would affect your chance of being successful in genre writing?

Your writing sample and personal statement can be uploaded to the online application. You can also email them to the Graduate and Adult Studies Office: gadmit@setonhill.edu.