# Creative English (CREO) courses

Santa Barbara City College · 2026-2027 Catalog · 14 courses

Source: https://catalog.sbcc.edu/sel/older-adults/

"Offered" lists sections in this catalog year's class schedules: Fall 2026, Spring 2027.

### CREO NC001 — Poetry Workshop

- **Units:** 0
- **Hours:** 16 (16 lecture)
- **Offered:** Fall 2026, 2 sections (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/fall-2026/creo.md); Spring 2027, 2 sections (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/spring-2027/creo.md)

Study and practice in poetry writing. In this interactive writing workshop, Older Adult students develop self-expression using both lyric and narrative styles. Focusing on a study of contemporary poetry, students will gain an understanding of traditional poetic forms such as the sonnet, villanelle, sestina, ode and elegy. Critical thinking and problem-solving are enhanced through guided critiques of published authors and classmate's work. All students will produce a portfolio of original poems. Course restricted to 98 repetitions

### CREO NC014 — Exploring Films of Our Lives: For Older Adults

- **Units:** 0
- **Hours:** 24 (8 lecture, 16 lab)
- **Offered:** Fall 2026, 2 sections (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/fall-2026/creo.md); Spring 2027, 4 sections (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/spring-2027/creo.md)

This course explores the writing, directing, actors, and awards of films set in locales around the globe. Older adult students exercise critical thinking and develop self-expression by comparing their reaction to films originally shown and their response to seeing the same movie today. Films reinforce self-esteem through the validation of memories of the original viewing of older films. Socialization and critical thinking are enhanced through group discussion. Students participate in the selection of films. Course restricted to 98 repetitions

### CREO NC120 — Modern and Classic Short Stories: For Older Adults

- **Units:** 0
- **Hours:** 16 (16 lecture)
- **Offered:** Fall 2026, 2 sections (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/fall-2026/creo.md); Spring 2027, 2 sections (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/spring-2027/creo.md)

Provides older adults the opportunity to enter into a sustained close reading of texts, allowing for a fuller exploration of the art of each work. To that end participants discuss characterization, plot, style, imagery, metaphor, narrative structure, point of view and theme. Texts are read aloud in class and students are invited to communicate their reflections and insights in response to each reading. Materials for the course - modern and classic short stories from the US, Britain, and other nations – are selected each term. Course restricted to 98 repetitions

### CREO NC303 — Explorations in Literature for Older Adults

- **Units:** 0
- **Hours:** 16 (16 lecture)
- **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026, Spring 2027 schedules

Older adults become more avid, savvy readers of literature by learning how to “close read." Through classroom readings, lecture, and discussion, students understand the dynamics of literature and how the study of literature applies to their lives. They also explore how literature reveals relationships between people and people's relationships to the world, as well as how it can often give a clearer view of its times than contemporary news reports or historical analysis. Course restricted to 98 repetitions

### CREO NC335 — Poetry, Prose and Plays: For Older Adults

- **Units:** 0
- **Hours:** 16 (16 lecture)
- **Offered:** Fall 2026, 4 sections (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/fall-2026/creo.md); Spring 2027, 4 sections (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/spring-2027/creo.md)

Older adult students learn techniques for close reading of literary texts. Examines the elements of storytelling: plot, character, theme, point of view and setting. Analyzes the effect of words, images, metaphors, patterns and cadences in the various works. Explores the effects of cultural context, values, irony and paradox on the reader. Titles will be determined in class and will include selections from poetry, prose and plays. Course restricted to 98 repetitions

### CREO NC434 — The Austen Mystique for Older Adults

- **Units:** 0
- **Hours:** 16 (16 lecture)
- **Offered:** Fall 2026, 2 sections (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/fall-2026/creo.md); Spring 2027, 2 sections (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/spring-2027/creo.md)

Older adults examine passages from the major novels of Jane Austen, view clips from film and television versions of her work, listen to and discuss comments of actors and directors who have worked on Jane Austen adaptations, and review her letters and biography. Course restricted to 98 repetitions

### CREO NC497 — Survey of Literary Classics: For Older Adults

- **Units:** 0
- **Hours:** 16 (16 lecture)
- **Offered:** Fall 2026, 6 sections (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/fall-2026/creo.md); Spring 2027, 6 sections (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/spring-2027/creo.md)

Presents older adults with the opportunity and guidance to read, analyze, evaluate and discuss literary classics. Assists students to place modern experience in a historical context and to view historical events with a modern perspective. Course restricted to 98 repetitions

### CREO NC630 — Screening Your Ideas: For Older Adults

- **Units:** 0
- **Hours:** 16 (16 lecture)
- **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026, Spring 2027 schedules

Older adult students explore the basics of screenwriting and examine story ideas for TV or motion pictures. The purpose of this course is to find out what makes an idea worth pursuing. Participants learn different techniques to develop their creativity through the study of characters, story and various genres. Students also analyze the opening scenes from a range of different films. Course restricted to 98 repetitions

### CREO NC634 — Writing Non-Fiction: For Older Adults

- **Units:** 0
- **Hours:** 24 (24 lecture)
- **Offered:** Spring 2027, 2 sections (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/spring-2027/creo.md)

Older adult students learn how to develop magazine article and book ideas and how to use fiction techniques to write memoirs and non-fiction articles. Students also learn about the magazine marketplace, e-Book publishing, and how to write effective query letters and book proposals. Course restricted to 98 repetitions

### CREO NC635 — Writers' Boot-Camp: For Older Adults

- **Units:** 0
- **Hours:** 24 (24 lecture)
- **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026, Spring 2027 schedules

Teaches older adults to improve their writing skills in fiction, creative non-fiction, film, or drama and helps students who have a story without an ending or an idea for an article they can’t start. Students learn about structure and how to eradicate writing blocks, turn rants into monologues, express themselves and challenge their intellects. True tales may be published for peers and grandchildren. Course restricted to 98 repetitions

### CREO NC642 — Getting Started, Getting Good and Getting Your Fiction Published: For Older Adults

- **Units:** 0
- **Hours:** 16 (8 lecture, 8 lab)
- **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/fall-2026/creo.md); Spring 2027, 2 sections (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/spring-2027/creo.md)

Older adult students learn that effective, publishable fiction requires intriguing characters, a good story line, a compelling narrative voice, convincing dialogue, energetic pace, palpable mood and a strong relationship to contemporary life. Provides instruction in vital techniques, an arena for practicing them until those skills are mastered and demonstrable ways for the student to develop an individual narrative voice. Course restricted to 98 repetitions

### CREO NC646 — Writing Your Life into Being: For Older Adults

- **Units:** 0
- **Hours:** 16 (16 lecture)
- **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/fall-2026/creo.md); Spring 2027, 1 section (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/spring-2027/creo.md)

In this interactive writing workshop, older adult students contemplate what other authors say about values such as integrity, acceptance, and success. Through visualization techniques and writing exercises, students reflect back on their lives and give voice to what matters most. Beneficial for students who want to write a memoir for family members, experiment with poetry or fiction, or explore life stories at deeper levels. Course restricted to 98 repetitions

### CREO NC673 — Writing Personal Histories: For Older Adults

- **Units:** 0
- **Hours:** 16 (16 lecture)
- **Offered:** Fall 2026, 2 sections (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/fall-2026/creo.md); Spring 2027, 4 sections (/c/santa-barbara-city-college/schedule/spring-2027/creo.md)

Teaches older adults to succeed in the memoir writing process. Students learn to collect and prepare their ideas, how to write and structure their memoirs and autobiographies and how to edit them. Students learn to develop a conversational, individual narrative voice for their memoirs and to create a framework for fictional works based on their autobiographies. Course restricted to 98 repetitions

### CREO NC674 — Write From the Start: For Older Adults

- **Units:** 0
- **Hours:** 16 (8 lecture, 8 lab)
- **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026, Spring 2027 schedules

Older adult students learn how to develop magazine articles and book ideas, including the use of fiction techniques to write memoirs and non-fiction articles. Includes information about the magazine marketplace and e-Book publishing. Students also learn how to write effective query letters and book proposals. Course restricted to 98 repetitions