yale creative writing portfolio

Search form

Yale’s creative writing program: ‘a center for literature as a living art’.

Susan Choi ’90 may be the author of four critically-acclaimed novels, the recipient of a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship, and a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize, but that didn’t lessen the thrill that she felt when she was invited to return to her alma mater to teach in its Creative Writing Program.

Choi, who will be teaching four fiction writing courses in the Creative Writing Program during the academic year, is among numerous distinguished professional writers who are invited to teach in the program each year. Some of them, like Choi, are alumni who return to the university to act as contemporary role models for the students in the program.

The Creative Writing Program was established due to a growing student demand. “It was the best way to provide a structure for the faculty to be as successful and productive as possible and also to service the students in the ways that they really want and need,” says Richard Deming, director of the Creative Writing Program.

YaleNews recently spoke with Deming to discuss the “energy and insights” that these alumni bring to campus, and to Choi about why she believes that creative writing is “the most wonderful occupation” to pursue.

The following is an edited version of that conversation.

Tell us about the recent changes to the Creative Writing Program.

Richard Deming: In the English department, we feel that creative writing is the living element of literature. By establishing the Creative Writing Program, we were able to give a sense of the energy and enthusiasm across the institution that is and has been flowing into creative writing. It was something that we had really been moving towards for years as more and more students want to take creative writing classes — not only English majors but students from across campus. Establishing this program provides both the faculty and students with a kind of infrastructure. It is also a way of acknowledging our faculty who are beyond compare and are pillars in the field. We wanted to create a conversation across campus while still maintaining our identity within the English department.

What drew you to return to your alma mater and teach in its Creative Writing Program?

Susan Choi: I have taught creative writing for years at many other fantastic places, including Princeton, Columbia, and Beloit College in Wisconsin, and every time I’ve had a class of really engaged and passionate undergraduates it has made me think about Yale and how nice it would be to teach here, too. When Yale approached me about the possibility I was thrilled.

Why is important to have alumni come back to Yale to teach in the program?

RD: Having these distinguished writers here as part of the community helps enliven the conversations on campus and continually brings new energy and insights to our evolving program. As alumni, they already know the campus and already feel at home. They have the ability to identify with the students because they can remember and imagine themselves in the same position as the students. For students, it is a wonderful opportunity to work with these contemporary role models. They can see someone who went through the process of being a Yale undergraduate and went out into the world and became a writer — someone who didn’t just dream it, but actually achieved it.

What other campus departments or initiatives are affiliated with this program?

RD: You name it! Many students choose to balance their interests in science, say, or economics with English classes and many marry  two disciplines together. One of the most gratifying things about Yale students is that they have this sort of catholic sensibility, and they want to do lots of different things. We have had computer science majors who were fantastic writers and I can’t wait for their first book! It is one of the most exciting things about Yale, that people have this breadth of opportunity to explore.

What guidance would you give to a Yale undergraduate who is considering a career in writing?

SC: Write for the sheer pleasure of writing, write as regularly as possible — ideally, every day — and do not expect to make money. Writing is the most wonderful occupation, in my opinion, because every aspect of your experience is relevant, everything is grist for the mill. But if you come into it expecting fame and fortune — or even financial stability — you are probably in the wrong field.

How do you choose who will teach classes each year?

RD: We have a creative writing committee, and we rely on conversations with our colleagues to determine who would make a terrific teacher. While celebrity is enticing, it is really the commitment to teaching and that dynamic in the classroom that matters most.

What makes this program distinctive from similar programs at peer institutions?

RD: There are many institutions where students have to wait until they are juniors or seniors to be able to work with these professional writers. Here, students can take classes as early as freshman year and build a portfolio throughout their four years on campus. By senior year, they become English majors and undertake a writing concentration project  or, alternately, they can just take one or two classes and pursue a major in geography. You can be a freshman and take a class with some of America’s most celebrated novelists. There are not many institutions where that is the case. Students have a range of possibilities that they can draw from and not feel like they are limited to a certain aesthetic.

We designed a class called Introduction to Creative Writing (English 123), which has three sections of 15 students each, all of which meet at the same time. The class covers drama, fiction, and poetry. We wanted to give students experience with different genres. They produce a portfolio of writing samples that they can use to get into more advanced classes. To me, one of the most interesting elements of this class is that at the beginning and end of a genre all three sections come together for a visit by a practitioner. The last two years it has coincided with the Windham Campbell festival, and so two of the authors came to the class to talk about writing fiction. We also feature faculty members who come to talk to discuss their work as practitioners in the field. We want to impart to the students that to write is to be part of a community. Writing is a very solitary endeavor but one that is nurtured by community. We set up opportunities in which students can interact with one another.

What are the plans for the future for the program?

RD: We want the program to become a center for literature as a living art. We want students to feel supported in undertaking their own endeavors — such as creating a magazine or reading series — with support from the faculty. We are also exploring the possibilities of widening the spectrum of creative writing classes we offer.

Arts & Humanities

Campus & Community

Media Contact

Bess Connolly : [email protected] ,

Serena Scapagnini joins Yale Quantum Institute as Artist in Residence

Affluent Americans’ perception of insulation may hinder policy progress

Using cutting-edge gene editing tech to build a toolbox for beating cancer

Internal tremors: adding to the list of Long COVID symptoms

• Show More Articles

Yale Daily News

Didn’t get into a creative writing course? You’re not alone

The English department received 1,029 applications for its spring creative writing courses, with the expectation that just over a third would be admitted.

Contributing Reporter

Tenzin Jorden, Photography Editor

Admission for Yale creative writing courses remains exceptionally competitive, even as the English department says it will take steps to make its offering more accessible.

The department has seen record interest in recent semesters, leading to widespread student dismay. According to registrar Erica Sayers, the department received 1,029 applications this fall for the 13 spring creative writing courses that require them. 

The department expects that roughly a third will be ultimately admitted.

Professor Richard Deming, the director of the creative writing program, told the News that the department has increased its class offerings and is currently working on hiring more faculty. In particular, he said, they are conducting a national search for a fiction writer who can “be on campus” throughout the academic year.

“We are actively trying to address the need,” Deming said. “We want to be able to give people that chance to learn the art. If they really want to, our job is to help facilitate that.”

In the meantime, students are fighting for limited seats in legacy courses that have long ranked on “must-take” class lists. Creative writing courses, with the exception of “Daily Themes,” are held in a seminar format and are typically capped at 12 students. The introductory courses, “Introduction to Creative Writing” and “Reading Fiction for Craft,” are open to all undergraduates and require no prerequisites or application. 

To register for intermediate and advanced courses, however, students have to complete application forms and often submit writing samples.

This year, the department added two new courses, neither of which required an application. Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah, a Pulitzer prize-winning essayist, and Tyehimba Jess, a Pulitzer prize-winning poet, will be joining Yale this spring to teach “Writing Outsiderness and Interiority” and “Diggin’ in the Historical Crates: Breathing Poetry into the Archives” respectively. These courses, along with the introductory courses, admit students on a first-come-first-served basis.

Because this year’s registration process is staggered by class year, enrollment for “Writing Outsiderness and Interiority” was filled on Nov. 14, the first day of registration for seniors.

Two out of the five professors that teach courses that require an application told the News that they received more than 100 applications and all of them received over 70.

Professor Anne Fadiman, who teaches “Writing about Oneself” in the spring, wrote to the News that she received 109 applications — an increase from 97 last fall. According to Fadiman, the preregistration deadline is “way too early” which can be “a burden for many students.”

Professor Derek Green, whose course, “Writing the Television Drama,” expects between 80 and 100 applications each year, agreed that although early registration has not affected the quality of the applications, the process itself is a “distraction” given that it occurs mid-November when students have to study for midterm exams or write papers for their current classes.

All seven professors, including Green, said that they read the applications thoroughly and sought to create a group of students with a variety of backgrounds and interests.

Professor Amity Gaige, who is teaching two spring courses, “Introduction to Writing Fiction” and “Advanced Fiction Writing,” compared the review of applications to a “Venn diagram of all sorts of considerations.”

While Gaige gives priority to students majoring in English who are pursuing the writing concentration, her goal is to create a class that is both culturally and intellectually diverse. Gaige added that she also appreciates when a student takes “an extra step” when they apply, whether it be a well-researched writing sample or a note from a professor that has previously taught them.

Unlike Gaige, professor Jake Halpern ’97, who will teach “Young Adult Writing” in the spring, told the News that he does not give preference to any group of students and does not require writing samples in his application in an attempt to even the playing field.

“I found early on and what happens for me, at least when I took writing samples, is that students who took other writing classes just submitted a very polished piece of work they created in the previous writing class and used that to then gain access to the next rate class,” Halpern said. “And so what happens is you’re just creating a system where the students who take one writing class end up taking all of them and it makes it harder for students that have never taken a class.”

Instead, an application for Halpern’s course only asks for a student’s name, email, major and a few lines about who they are and what they might want him to know. He added that this allows him to create a class that has a “range of eclectic interests,” rather than just pre-professional writers.

Chidima Anekwe ’24 told the News that requiring writing samples in applications can be a “frustrating barrier” for students who are “looking for instructional spaces to begin assembling a writing portfolio in the first place.”

“As a result, students without considerable creative writing experience become essentially barred from or at least highly discouraged from applying to these courses, creating a strange and souring paradox: you need to get into the creative writing classes to learn how to produce work good enough to get you into the creative writing classes,” Anekwe wrote to the News.

Both Deming and Fadiman, however, acknowledged that moving the registration deadline to a later point in time is not an easy task since the decisions made by faculty influence how students schedule their other classes and determine staffing for lecture classes.

Deming, Green and Halpern all said that the University has added many course offerings over the years.

Halpern said that when he was a student at Yale, there were only a couple of fiction classes. Likewise, Green emphasized that until recently, the University did not have courses ranging from humor writing to young adult writing and screenwriting.

Deming also noted that, due to an increase in demand, his course “Introduction to Creative Writing” is offered for the first time both in the fall and the spring.

All seven professors, however, agreed that more classes should be added and more faculty should be hired to meet future demand.

According to Yale Course Search, the number of creative writing classes per year has increased from 35 to 44 since the 2016-2017 academic year. During the same period, the undergraduate population has increased by almost 1,200 students.

According to Fadiman, increasing class size would not solve the problem, since writing requires “intimacy.”

Due to the notorious selectivity of the courses, students tend to apply for multiple creative writing courses, at times even more than five. According to professor Ryan Wepler, who is teaching “Writing Humor,” this is not necessarily a negative, since it means that application numbers are “inflated.” 

Wepler added that a number of students always end up dropping out of his course, sometimes even before the semester begins, whether it be as a result of scheduling conflicts or change of preferences. Professor Adam Sexton, who is teaching “Reading Fiction for Craft” both in the fall and the spring, echoed Wepler’s ideas, stating that such a practice is not uncommon, and so those who are waitlisted have higher chances of being accepted if they decide to keep their spot.

Despite the competitive nature of these courses, Gaige encouraged students to continue applying for classes and writing in their own time.

“The same system was in place when I was an undergraduate at Brown,” Gaige said. “I was rejected from a fiction writing workshop in my sophomore year, and I remember the abject disappointment of that. That was a long time ago … and I guess things haven’t changed that much.”

Gaige told the News that students should not get discouraged if they were not accepted to the creative writing course they wanted to take. Instead she recommended looking into courses from other departments that allow one to exercise their creative writing skills. She also suggested that students could join creative writing groups or run one themselves.

Ultimately, Deming praised the English faculty, stating that its dedication to teaching and bringing students into the “conversation” contributes to the popularity of these classes.

“People want to create the possibilities for their voice and be part of the conversation,” Deming said.

Applications for creative writing courses were due Nov. 4.

You are here

Creative writing]creative courses.

There are no courses for the criteria you have selected. Please change your criteria to find the course you are looking for.

Ask Yale Library

My Library Accounts

Find, Request, and Use

Help and Research Support

Visit and Study

Explore Collections

Yale Creative Writing by Yale Students & Alumni: Home

Recommend a book.

We welcome your recommendations of  published creative writing by Yale students and alumni! We will also consider purchasing these titles for the Bass Library general collection.

Recommend fiction and other creative writing by Yale students and alumni .

About The Collection

Bass Library celebrates creative writing by current Yale students and alumni. The books on this guide span a wide range of topics, genres, and class years.

While we do our best to collect creative writing by Yale student authors, we cannot collect everything. The titles shown here are a sampling, collected via librarian recommendations, publications on the Yale Alumni website, and personal knowledge of students and their work.

If you would like to see an author or title added to our collection, please fill out the recommendation form above.

Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi (Yale '09)

Rooted in foundational loss and the hope that can live in anger, Riot Baby is both a global dystopian narrative and an intimate family story with quietly devastating things to say about love, fury, and the black American experience.

The Burning God by R. F. Kuang (Yale GSAS '27)

R. F. Kuang’s acclaimed, award-winning epic fantasy that combines the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters, to devastating, enthralling effect.

The Final Voicemails by Max Ritvo (Yale '13)

Diagnosed with terminal cancer at sixteen, Ritvo spent the next decade of his life pursuing poetry with frenetic energy, culminating in the publication of Four Reincarnations . As with his debut, The Final Voicemails brushes up against the pain, fear, and isolation that accompany a long illness, but with all the creative force of an artist in full command of his craft and the teeming affection of a human utterly in love with the world.

Town Crier by Sarah Matthes (Yale '13)

The poems in Town Crier wryly express the pervasive nature of loss, how it suffuses all aspects of a life: memories, hopes, love, sex, lunch. The death of the author's dear friend, the late poet Max Ritvo, becomes the cornerstone of the book, a foundational pain along which the poems are aligned. 

Everything is Fine: A Memoir by Vince Granata (Yale '09)

Grief, mental illness, and the bonds of family are movingly explored in this extraordinary memoir 'suffused with emotional depth and intellectual inquiry' (Rachel Louise Snyder, author of  No Visible Bruises ) as a writer delves into the tragedy of his mother’s violent death at the hands of his brother who struggled with schizophrenia.

(S)kinfolk: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah by Tochi Onyebuchi (Yale '09)

Provoked by the fraught relationship between the African continent and American culture in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah , acclaimed Nigerian-American novelist Tochi Onyebuchi takes an emotional and intellectual journey through his own education in Blackness--his first loves, his introduction to politics, and his eventual commitment to the struggle.

The Guest Book by Sarah Blake (Yale '83)

An ambitious novel that weaves the American past with its present, Sarah Blake's The Guest Book looks at the racism and power that has been systemically embedded in the U.S. for generations.

For the Winner by Emily Hauser (Yale '17)

Some three thousand years ago, the warriors of Greece journeyed to the ends of the earth in the quest for the Golden Fleece. One woman fought alongside them. When the king of Pagasae left his infant daughter on the slopes of a mountain to die, he believed he would never see her again. But Atalanta, against the will of the gods and the dictates of the Fates, survived--and went on to bring to life one of the greatest legends of all of ancient Greece...

• Next: Book List >>
• Last Updated: Jun 30, 2023 4:08 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.yale.edu/StudentAuthors

Site Navigation

P.O. BOX 208240 New Haven, CT 06250-8240 (203) 432-1775

Yale's Libraries

Bass Library

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Classics Library

Cushing/Whitney Medical Library

Divinity Library

East Asia Library

Gilmore Music Library

Haas Family Arts Library

Lewis Walpole Library

Lillian Goldman Law Library

Marx Science and Social Science Library

Sterling Memorial Library

Yale Center for British Art

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

@YALELIBRARY

Yale Library Instagram

Accessibility       Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion      Giving       Privacy and Data Use      Contact Our Web Team    

© 2022 Yale University Library • All Rights Reserved

Yale College Undergraduate Admissions

• A Liberal Arts Education
• Majors & Academic Programs
• Teaching & Advising
• Undergraduate Research
• International Experiences
• Science & Engineering Faculty Features
• Residential Colleges
• Extracurriculars
• Identity, Culture, Faith
• Multicultural Open House
• Virtual Tour
• Bulldogs' Blogs
• First-Year Applicants
• International First-Year Applicants
• QuestBridge First-Year Applicants
• Military Veteran Applicants
• Transfer Applicants
• Eli Whitney: Nontraditional Applicants
• Non-Degree & Alumni Auditing Applicants
• What Yale Looks For
• Putting Together Your Application
• Selecting High School Courses
• Application FAQs
• First-Generation College Students
• Rural and Small Town Students
• Choosing Where to Apply
• Inside the Yale Admissions Office Podcast
• Visit Campus
• Virtual Events
• Connect With Yale Admissions
• The Details
• Estimate Your Cost
• QuestBridge

Search form

Creative writing at yale.

This may be one of the more niche posts I’ve made on this site, but it’s something I would have appreciated as a Baby Bulldog, so it’s worth a shot. If you’re an early admit (congrats, bowwowwow, boola boola, all that JAZZ!!!) or a prospective applicant (also very good!), and you might be interested in creative writing, this is the post for you.

I was very into writing fiction as a high schooler. Classic story: wrote exclusively Dursley-focused Harry Potter fanfic in my tween years (someone had to corner that market), then got a little older and started working on original stuff. I did competitions, summer programs, independent study—you name it. When it came time to apply to colleges, a robust creative writing program was important to me.

One of my biggest concerns in committing to Yale was that I wouldn’t be able to pursue writing in the way I wanted. While Yale does have a creative writing concentration within the English major, it doesn’t offer a stand-alone creative writing major. (And if you do go the CW concentration route, you need to complete 11 normal English courses in addition to the four writing courses you take.) Also, a lot (but not all!) of Yale’s CW courses are application-based, requiring you to submit a writing sample and a statement of purpose. This is because CW classes are often small workshops, so they need to cap off around 12-15 students.

I haven’t been accepted into every CW class I’ve applied to, and I probably haven’t taken as many classes as I could have at a school that offered a CW major. BUT I have managed to take five CW classes over five semesters, and really loved each one. Of these five, only two required applications, and they all spanned genres—fiction, journalism, playwriting, and poetry. 

After two-and-a-half years here, I can say with great confidence that Yale is a wonderful place to be a young writer. For one thing, the faculty is stellar. (Fiction Professor Susan Choi just won the National Book Award !), and the English department is constantly attracting cool literary people to campus. For another, if you’re into journalism, you really couldn’t be at a better place— The Yale Daily News runs like a national paper, and student editors are working almost full-time hours. Additionally, there is a huge range of publications on campus, including my personal favorite, The New Journal , which often publishes long-form creative nonfiction. Also, Yale students really and actually read these publications. It’s not unusual to see students pouring over the YDN at breakfast, cereal spoon hovering mid-air.

But the best part of creative writing at Yale is the other students. In my experience, there’s no competition among student writers here, even though everyone is definitely working at the top of their game. Students really support each other’s projects, whether that’s one-on-one workshopping, connecting a friend with the editor of an on-campus publication, or passing along internship opportunities or class recommendations. I know that writing in college, especially among young people who are often competing for the same fellowships or coveted spots in certain seminars, can be a cut-throat pursuit. But, in my experience, that is far from the case at Yale. 

More Posts by Lily

Be Honest: How Far is the Beach?

New Haven Through the Seasons

Yale's Secret Koi Pond

The Film Archive Pt. 2: Watching Film at Yale

Outdoor Fiction Workshop!

New Haven Cafés Celebrate Spring

The Film Archive

Mario Kart on the Beinecke!

Celebrating the Super Bowl and Valentine's Day with Yale Dining

Table of contents

• Made with Copyfolio
• Portfolio Tips

13 Creative Writing Portfolio Examples & How to Create Yours

Just as you need inspiration for writing, it also helps with putting together your writing portfolio . We’re here to provide you with exactly that, in the form of 13 creative writing portfolio examples.

They’re portfolio websites from different kinds of creative writers: some do poetry, some scriptwriting, some copywriting… One thing is for sure though: you’ll leave with ideas, excitement, and a clear vision of how to make your ideas come to life in your own portfolio.

Read until the end because we'll also show you how you can build yours easily, in 5 simple steps.

13 creative writing portfolio examples & why they’re excellent

1. macy fidel.

Macy used Copyfolio's Premier template and "Cardboard Clip" color palette to create her portfolio

This portfolio is great because...

• It has a crystal-clear tagline: you'll know at first glance what Macy does
• The projects are upfront: you don't need to search and click around to check out Macy's writing skills and style
• The homepage has a great about section with a CTA: you can find out a little more about her and know exactly what to do if you'd like to know more
• The bold background color makes it memorable amongst simple white portfolio websites

2. Esa Haddad

Esa's portfolio was made with Copyfolio's "Wallscape" template

• It beautifully shows how a creative writer can do more than just that. He's also a communications professional, doing technical and academic writing next to his creative and poetic endeavors.
• With a black background and white text , this site stands out. Having such a canvas makes it easy for bolder headlines and images to pop, leading the eyes nicely along the page.
• It has an easy way for you to get in touch. All you need to do is click the LinkedIn icon to visit his profile or navigate to the contact page to find out more.

3. Julia Tula

Julia created her portfolio with Copyfolio's "Artboard" template

• It has an aesthetic and consistent design. Using simple squares for thumbnails, in colors matching the color palette pulls the whole site's design together.
• Julia shows a great variety of creative writing pieces in her projects, including discussions about the theory of creative writing, creative non-fiction short stories, and fiction writing as well.
• It showcases Julia's brilliant writing skills with every word she's written on the site. From the tagline, to her about me section, it's all written beautifully.

4. Larissa Vasquez

Larissa created her site with the legacy version of Copyfolio's "Billboard" template .

• It sets the mood for her writing portfolio with a white, beige, and brown color scheme.
• The homepage features a photo of scraps of paper on the top —very fitting for a writer.
• Choosing a photo of herself with similar colors , then creating custom beige and brown project thumbnails really pulled it all together.
• It has a simple layout. On the homepage, Larissa added a short introduction, then dove right into her writing samples . This makes it easy for everyone to read her pieces and see her writing skills shine.

5. Andrea Arcia

Andrea created her portfolio with the legacy version of Copyfolio's "Letterpress" template

• Andrea used a constantly changing, but cohesive layout to keep you interested and engaged, even with a lot of text on the page.
• She started out with three projects in a portfolio grid but then went on to use columns to display text, adding images every second block. This is a great way if you want to introduce projects or showcase longer stories or poems without overwhelming your visitors.

6. Hannah Rogers

Hannah created her writer website using Copyfolio, and the “Typewriter” template .

• You'll know who Hannah is and what she does right away. She's a versatile creative writer and editor, currently sailing with Firmenich.
• It's easy to learn about her background too : after finishing her degree in English and Creative Writing, she perfected her skills, now offering copywriting, concept content creation, editing, and more.
• Her fields of expertise are also clear : creative writing, brand storytelling, and editing. Displayed with short descriptions for each, it's the perfect way to introduce them.
• It has great creative writing project displays . In the title, you can see her role (e.g. writer, creative lead, producer) —then you can check each piece published online if you click through.

Overall, the portfolio flows well, it’s clear at every step where you need to look, and she showcases her expertise wonderfully.

7. Shweta Shreyarthi

A brilliant structure and clear layout, if we do say so ourselves. She created it with Copyfolio .

• Shweta decided to use a crips white canvas, simple black text, and black and white photos as the base of her site. But to shake it up a little, she’s using an orange accent color, and a pastel but colorful background photo for a few of her sections.
• She has an amazing creative writing portfolio page , where she outlines what she does: she’s a creative communicator, using her copywriting and content creation skills in her work.
• Her expertise is illustrated with work samples , and supplemented with short explanations. You can explore her work in different categories: social media, executive communications, proposal writing, website copywriting, and more.
• The portfolio has a great variety of projects. In each category, she included 2-4 samples for visitors to check: illustrating them with a picture, writing a very brief description (with the client + category), and adding a clear CTA with a link.

8. Magd Elzahed

Magd made her creative writing portfolio with Copyfolio, using the “Typewriter” template .

• It has a distinctive and consistent branding , with the black-and-white top section and typewriter-like serif fonts.
• Shows Magd's mission upfront. She makes it clear that her aim is “to bring your ideas to life through the power of language.”
• an on-brand picture to illustrate it,
• a clear title with the name of the client,
• a short description of what the project was about,
• and a call-to-action button.
• Makes it easy to find out even more about each project if you're interested. Clicking on the buttons takes you to a page going into more detail on what exactly the project entailed, what her task was, and how the final results turned out.
• It has a lot more information available on additional pages: you can read about her journey, services, references, and more.

9. Charlie Labbett

Charlie's portfolio website was made with Copyfolio's "Typewriter" template

• The dark background makes it different from most creative writing portfolios. It also helps the lighter text and silver graphics to pop and draw your attention to them.
• Has a clear tagline , from which you'll know that Charlie's focus is writing horror, science fiction, and fantasy stories within the realm of creative writing.
• It showcases multiple types of writing projects: extracts from longer-form pieces alongside some poetry work. This shows how versatile his writing skills are.

10. Melissa Wade

This lovely portfolio website was built with Copyfolio, using one of the legacy templates, “Agenda” .

• It showcases the many talents Melissa has. She’s an Amazon best-selling author, content creator, brand ambassador, and more.
• Right at the start, she grabs readers’ attention with a strong headline. How? By talking not about herself per se —but about what she can provide them .
• She also added a nicely designed banner. On it are the things you’d typically write in that tagline: what it is exactly that you do, illustrated with more pictures of her and her book.
• The portfolio site uses pictures with harmonizing colors. The pink in her blouse matches the background of the banner and the colorful wall. It helped her create a professional look and stylish design.

11. Lara Ramirez

Lara built a fun and creative writing portfolio using Copyfolio’s “Journal” template .

• It sticks to one, cohesive color palette. See how she chose just a handful of colors, all matching her site’s palette, and only used them throughout the site? Follow her lead to ensure a great look for your own creative writing portfolio too!
• It features fun and unique design elements. Using simple blobs and flower shapes as the background of photos and mockups gives the portfolio a youthful and fun personality.
• Lara used mockups in her project thumbnails , which is an amazing way to elevate a portfolio and make it look even more professional.

12. Deeya Sonalkar

This creative writing portfolio website was made with Copyfolio’s “Journal’ template , combined with the “Charcoal” color palette.

• It sets the tone for a true creative writer portfolio with a Hemingway quote: “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
• Deeya builds rapport with a portrait and a short introduction talking about her life-long passion for writing.
• It showcases her various projects , with the thumbnails mostly leading to websites and social media profiles she’s worked on. So visitors can see her words live, in action.
• The website has a consistent design , only using black-and-white images, and simple black text on a white background.

13. Genie Smith

Genie created her portfolio with one of Copyfolio's legacy templates, "Agenda"

• Genie uses images intentionally , to set the mood: hands in black and white, a typewriter, windows, etc.
• It has a deeper purpose other than just showcasing creative writing work . Formerly dealing with mental health issues, Genie turned to writing to help her heal herself —and to help others.
• The layout leads you along the page, keeping you interested . First, you can learn about the big picture of her life and work, then learn more about her, and in the end, check her writing pieces.

How to build your creative writing portfolio based on these examples

Checking out examples and getting ideas is an important first step… But then you’ll have to actually get started. Don’t worry, we’ll help you with the building process: we’ll outline how to create a stunning creative writing portfolio in just 5 easy steps.

1. Choose a platform & create an account

The first and maybe most important choice you’ll have to make is choosing a platform to build your portfolio website. Our recommendation is Copyfolio, a portfolio website builder that was designed for writers. It’s incredibly fast and easy to use, giving you all the help you need to create something powerful.

When you sign up, you can pick your profession (e.g. creative writer) and the goal of your site. Based on these, Copyfolio will generate a starter site for you.

The page and types of sections on them will be determined by your goal, while all the content inside the sections will be based on your profession. And yes, the latter applies to newly added sections too!

This will give you lots of ideas about what to write and where. All you'll have to do is personalize the text here and there and upload your own pictures. This leads us to the second step, to...

2. Personalize the content of your pages

You'll have an almost-complete site on your hands, but you still have to make it yours. So go over your pages and personalize their contents.

The most important part will be the top of your homepage. That's what everyone sees at first —and whether they'll keep checking your portfolio will depend on it too.

If you chose a writing portfolio template with a photo at the top, then try to find a nice picture of yourself to upload there. That'll help build rapport with your visitors.

If you're not comfortable putting yourself out there like that, you can choose a template with no picture, or upload a decorative one like Macy or Julia did above.

3. Add your creative writing samples

Once the basics are done, it’s time to add your projects. Creative writing samples give viewers a chance to see your writing skills in action and as such, they’re an essential part of your portfolio.

(Need a little help with writing yours? Check out our writing sample templates !)

Make sure you choose thumbnail images for them that all go together color- and design-wise, and add 4-6 of them for a good variety.

In Copyfolio , you can add 3 types of projects: case study pages, PDF files, or external links. Whichever you choose, we'll add a thumbnail image for you. When someone clicks on it, the project will open, in the case of PDFs and external links, in a new tab.

4. Set a custom portfolio URL

To put the cherry on top of a professional creative writing portfolio website, you should set a custom URL for it.

If you're not a freelancer, you can simply customize the ending of your URL. In that case, it's going to look something like this: https://copyfol.io/v/dorka —that's the link to our writer's own site, actually.

If you have bigger plans for personal branding, expanding your career, or going freelance, it's best you get a proper domain. You can buy one right in Copyfolio that'll be automatically connected to your site. Or if you've bought one already somewhere else, you can easily connect that too.

+1: Customize your extra settings : SEO, favicon, and more

This 5th step is not essential —that's why we named it a +1. But these little things can add a lot to the overall feel and performance of your portfolio. So if you have the time, we recommend you to go through them and customize each to your brand.

Extra things you could do are:

• Optimizing your SEO settings. You can write custom meta titles and descriptions for each page + upload a preview image that appears when the page is shared online.
• Set a custom favicon. It's the browser icon that appears next to the name of your page and it helps people to recognize your site amongst all the tabs they have open.
• Write a blog. All it takes is adding a blog section and clicking the "Add new blog post button" and your blog is ready to go. It's amazing to showcase your writing skills and share your musings with the world.
• Finetune your design. In Copyfolio, you can switch up the look of your site in one click, using global palettes and presets. Play around with the colors and fonts to see which one matches your brand the most.

Create your creative writing portfolio with Copyfolio!

Sounds pretty easy, right? And even if you have questions along the way, the blog and the in-app prompts and guiding questions will be there to give a helping hand. The Copyfolio Team is also always just an email away.

Give it a try, create your creative writing portfolio for free with Copyfolio today!

Dorka Kardos-Latif

Digital marketer & portfolio expert, the face behind all content on Copyfolio 👋

More articles like this

5 Portfolio Design Tips for a Consistent Website Design

Check these 5 simple tips to make sure your portfolio has a top-notch and cohesive design.

21 Social Media Portfolio Examples & The Guide to Build Yours

Check inspiring examples, learn how to navigate projects under NDAs, and find out how to create a social media portfolio quickly and easily with Copyfolio!

Get the Reddit app

The subreddit for the University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, PA.

How’s the creative writing here?

I’m a rising senior, and I’m considering this school for a reach. I’m an aspiring writer, though, and don’t want to go somewhere without a strong writing program. So can anyone offer some insight on said program here and how good or bad it is?

By continuing, you agree to our User Agreement and acknowledge that you understand the Privacy Policy .

Enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app

You’ve set up two-factor authentication for this account.

Enter a 6-digit backup code

Create your username and password.

Reddit is anonymous, so your username is what you’ll go by here. Choose wisely—because once you get a name, you can’t change it.

Reset your password

Enter your email address or username and we’ll send you a link to reset your password

Check your inbox

An email with a link to reset your password was sent to the email address associated with your account

Choose a Reddit account to continue

How to Build a Writing Portfolio with No Experience (+ 10 Great Examples)

Jessica Michael

So you're a writer, and you want to take your writing career to the next level. What kinds of tools do you need to start landing jobs and clients ?

One of the first things you'll need is an online writing portfolio. In this article, we'll share how to build a writing portfolio that will impress clients and employers, even if you have no experience.

What is a writing portfolio?

At its most basic, a writing portfolio is a collection of your writing samples that you can share with potential clients and employers. Often, it will also include information about you, your work and educational background, and the types of writing services you provide.

Most writing portfolios are online writing portfolios hosted on websites. This makes it exceptionally easy to share and to update. It also makes it into a marketing tool, as you can connect your social media and add things like email sign-ups to your portfolio.

What should a writing portfolio look like?

A writing portfolio can be a website with a single scrollable page that includes bio, work samples, and contact information. Or, it can include multiple pages that display your work and other information separately. You can make your portfolio as complex as you like, as long as it's well-organized and easy to navigate.

It's important to remember that the purpose of an online writing portfolio is to showcase your writing skills, so you don't want to create a portfolio design that's so elaborate that it's hard to tell what it's about. That being said, writing portfolios that create visual interest through photos, graphics, logos, and color schemes are more impactful.

How to create a writing portfolio

As you choose your layout, design elements, and color scheme, you want to keep your brand identity in mind and create an aesthetic that matches. You'll also want to keep it consistent across your site. This is easier if you use a website builder with pre-designed templates and themes, so you don't have to think about it.

Website builders that feature templates for portfolios, or website builders such as Journo Portfolio that are specifically for portfolios, make it easy to upload your information and design a professional-looking and complete portfolio within a short period of time.

All you have to do is gather the material you want to upload to your portfolio!

What to put in a writing portfolio

1. about me.

An About Me section or page talks about your writing experience, educational background, and writing style. You can add a few personal details to make it more personable and we always recommend a professional bio photo.

2. Work Samples

This is the most important part of a writing portfolio, whether you're designing a creative writing portfolio, a content writing portfolio, or a digital marketing portfolio. You'll only want to include your best work here.

3. Contact Info

Clients and employers need a way to contact you if they want to work with you, so add a contact page or email address .

4. Services

Some writers like to include a detailed breakdown of the services they provide, with or without pricing included.

A more detailed CV is great to link to your writing portfolio if you are looking for in-house work or you have relevant expertise stemming from your work experience.

6. Social Media Buttons

Including links to your social media accounts turns your writing portfolio into a marketing tool. Just make sure you only link to your business accounts .

A blog is another great way to use your portfolio for marketing, and it can add more writing samples for clients to check out.

8. Embedded video or audio clips

This feature is especially important if you write content for multimedia platforms such as scripts or ads. Make sure the website builder you choose allows for this option.

9. Testimonials

Nothing is more convincing than testimonials from previous clients, employers, or editors!

10. Case studies

Case studies take one project from inception to completion, showing each step along the way. This shows clients that you can take on more complex projects and gives you a chance to show how you work.

How to build a writing portfolio with no experience

Creating a writing portfolio with no experience can seem overwhelming, but you probably already have most of what you need, like an About Me and contact information. You may even already know what kinds of services you want to provide and have created social media accounts for your work.

The most common issue is not having enough work samples.

There are a few great ways to create work samples for your writing portfolio even if you've never been published.

Mock work samples- As long as you define that the work sample is a mock-up, these work great for building out writing samples for the type of work you want to do. If you're stymied, there's also multiple online programs that can help you build out mock samples.

Mock case studies- Similar to above, you can use a faux company to create a detailed case study that exemplifies the type of work you do.'

Including a blog- Including a blog on your site means you can self-publish articles through your portfolio that can act as samples.

Guest posting- You can also guest post on other people's blogs to add to your credentials.

Writing projects through school or training- You may already have some impressive writing samples from your schooling or through writing certification programs you've taken.

Remember, most people are going to be looking at the quality of your writing and not the number of publications you've been in or the number of companies you've worked with. Spend time developing quality work samples and you'll soon find yourself landing clients and getting published!

10 brilliant writing portfolio examples

1. beth fand incollingo.

Beth is a freelance content marketing writer who specializes in Health and Sciences writing and messaging for universities and academic institutions.

Best Features: Beth has divided her work samples onto separate writing portfolio examples pages. Her health and sciences articles, university articles, and human interest articles all get their space to shine. This not only shows potential marketing clients that she has a depth of experience in multiple areas, but it also makes it easy for them to find writing samples specific to the type of work they want her to do.

Pro Tip: Create consistency across portfolio pages by using the same grid design. This keeps pages clean and connected.

2. Anthony Coppola

Anthony Coppola is a certified technical writer and screenwriter.

Best Features: In order to create technical writing samples for his online writing portfolio, Anthony invented a mock software company named SEIFER. He then wrote multiple examples of technical writing products such as a user guide and brand style guide to showcase how he would handle those types of technical writing projects from a client.

Pro Tip: Using one mock company to showcase a variety of writing skills while maintaining brand consistency is a great way for new or transitioning writers to create writing samples for their portfolio.

3. Triana Garrett

Triana is a content writer and ghostwriter with over 5+ years of experience in a multitude of industries.

Best Features: Triana has used her writing portfolio to not only display her writing samples but to create a clear brand identity. Using an elegant and intriguing black and gray aesthetic, she creates visual interest across pages. She also has a recognizable brand voice that she uses throughout her text. 

Pro Tip: If you have wide ranging experience or an extensive professional background, try linking your CV with all the details rather than attempting to stuff all that information onto your About page. This keeps your portfolio clean while still giving clients access to your full credentials.

4. Rochelle Messner

Rochelle Messner is a copywriter with over a decade of experience with both in-house and freelance copywriting.

Best Features: Because Rochelle has worked across multiple industries, she focuses on the types of copywriting that she does with a list of her services on her home page. She's also created separate writing sample portfolio pages that are likewise divided by project type (blog writing, website copywriting, etc). These are nested under Copywriting Services in her Nav menu which keeps it clean and easy to find.

Pro Tip: Rochelle's home page features a great graphic logo that immediately gets your attention and defines her brand. Even though a writing portfolio is about writing, it's important to create visual interest for visitors to your writing portfolio website.

5. Rachel Oliver

Rachel is a brand strategist and creative copywriter who has worked with national broadcasters and charities.

Best Features: Rachel has made her writing portfolio super accessible by including an FAQ, defining in detail her writing process, and including a "Why work with me?" section that talks about her work philosophy. This makes her portfolio seem conversational, and with the inclusion of buttons that lead to her contact page, she is just an email away.

Pro Tip: Rachel offers a free 30-minute consultation, which she makes easy to book by including a button that leads to her contact page. Making it easy to connect with you makes it much more likely that a potential client will reach out.

6. Alanna Reid

Alanna Reid is a creative writer and screenwriter in the UK.

Best Features: Because Alanna's creative writing portfolio focuses on their creative fiction, nonfiction, and screenwriting, they've designed a portfolio that's equally unique and imaginative by featuring a collage art header and footer. They keep the rest of the design simple, so the art can speak for itself, which also keeps the website easy to read.

Pro Tip: Alanna includes an impressive award they received on their homepage, so it's one of the first things a visitor sees. Showcasing your accolades and awards on your landing page is a great way to immediately establish validity for your work.

7. Amy Rutter

Amy is a copywriter and copy editor with a post-graduate diploma in magazine journalism.

Best Features: Amy takes full advantage of her About Me page by building it out into sections. She covers her educational background, why she started writing, and her writing experience. She even includes a "Three fun facts" section, which gives potential clients a little more info about her personality. She sticks to her own well-developed brand voice, which is a great way to show clients that you understand brand messaging while letting them get to know more about your style.

Pro Tip: Amy includes brand photos as part of her online writing portfolio. It may cost a bit to work with a photographer, but it helps evoke an immediate sense of professionalism. 

8. Amanda Monterroso

Amanda Monterroso is a freelance content writer and copy editor with a background in creative writing.

Best Features: Amanda includes a Services page where she outlines the writing services she provides. She includes a brief intro with each service that provides information on her approach as well as a list of the types of projects she works on (white papers, social media copy, etc). This makes it easy for a potential client to understand what Amanda has to offer and how she approaches her work.

Pro Tip: In case there isn't an example of the type of project a client may be looking for on Amanda's Portfolio page, she includes her contact information at the top if someone would like to request a specific sample. This is a great way to make sure you're not ruling anyone out if you don't want to include every project you've worked on.

9. Mike Anderson

Mike Anderson is a content marketer, freelance writer, and award-winning journalist based in Iowa.

Best Features: Mike’s created a visually impactful online writing portfolio by using photography and design elements to create interest. He uses large photographic headers on each of his pages that are connected by theme and aesthetic. He also makes use of a carousel scroll section for featured articles on his Home page.

Pro Tip: Mike includes many work samples and articles on his Portfolio page. While this might be difficult if you are just starting out, as you build your experience, you can use your portfolio to organize all of your work and create pdf backups for the future.

10. Ashley Carter Cash

Ashley is a narrative nonfiction writer who also writes advertising copy for clients in the spirituality, lifestyle, and addiction recovery spaces.

Best Features: Ashley's Home page is stunning with a crisp white background showcasing photo buttons in an asymmetrical grid design. Each photo links to an article, and hovering over a photo reveals a text description of the accompanying story. She also includes an embedded podcast interview with her, which creates a dynamic multimedia presence on her website.

Pro Tip: Ashley makes good use of an email sign-up option by enticing visitors to sign up for her VIP List for exclusive perks. This is a more compelling way to attract subscribers because it implies a return for their sign-up.

Ready to build your online writing portfolio website?

Now that you know how to build a writing portfolio and you've seen some great writing portfolio examples, it's time to design your own. Journo Portfolio is the online writing portfolio website builder that has all the features you need for your site, like automatic article backups and pre-designed templates that have writers in mind. Get started today!

Jamie Mendes

Your writer's portfolio: how to craft the perfect about me page.

The Complete Guide to SEO for your Journo Portfolio Website

What’s the Difference Between Content Writing and Copywriting in Digital Marketing?

Curated by journo portfolio.

Subscribe to a monthly email of useful links, tips and advice for people interested in portfolio-building.

No spam, ever. We take your data privacy seriously and you can one-click unsubscribe at any time.

Prefer English?

Yale Creative Writing

• English Department