Creative Writing

The Creative Writing Program

Creative Writing Gallery
The Creative Writing Program at Seton Catholic Central High School was first launched in the 2009-2010 academic school year when English teacher Kevin Lucia began teaching the elective “Introduction to Creative Writing.” Utilizing funds raised through a Barnes & Noble Book Fair, Mr. Lucia also launched the first year of SCC’s “Visiting Writers’ Series,” modeled after a similar series he experienced as a graduate student in Binghamton University’s Creative Writing Program. Each month, a different professional writer, poet or author visited with Mr. Lucia’s Creative Writing students and the general student body of Seton, sharing their experiences and knowledge of writing for publication.

In the 2010-2011 academic year, Mr. Lucia was awarded two educational grants, an Arts & Partners Grant from The Discovery Center and a Diocesan Educational Enrichment Grant. Utilizing these funds, the Visiting Writers Series was expanded and a year-ending Writing Workshop added. This workshop was conducted by New York Times Bestselling Author F. Paul Wilson and USA Today Bestselling Author Tom Monteleone. As a part of the grant, a literary journal featuring the finished works of Mr. Lucia’s Creative Writing class, entitled Beautiful Chaos, was printed. In the 2011-2012 academic year, Mr. Lucia was again awarded an Arts & Partners grant from The Discovery Center. F. Paul Wilson and Tom Monteleone again returned to conduct another Writing Workshop at the end of the school year.

Unfortunately in the 2012-2013 school year, the Arts & Partners grant was dissolved due to lack of state funding. Through several different fundraising venues, Mr. Lucia was still able to raise enough money for a year-ending Writing Workshop for his Creative Writing Class, this time conducted by critically acclaimed urban fantasy author Maurice Broaddus. In following years, authors Mary Sangiovanni and Ronald Malfi taught Seton’s year-ending Writing Workshop, in the years of 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, respectively.

Due to lack of funding, no Writing Workshop was held in the 2016-2017 academic school year, though Seton was honored with a visit from bestselling author and winner of the Grandmaster of Horror Award, Brian Keene, as part of his nationwide tour for his thriller novel Pressure. The 2017-2018 academic year began with a visit from the editor of Lamplight Magazine, Jacob Haddon, with several more author visits planned, as well as another year-ending Writing Workshop.

SCC Literary Magazines

Divine Muses 2008
Beautiful Chaos 2010-11

Past Visiting Authors

Joshua Palmatier
website: Joshua Palmatier | Amazon page

Norman Partridge
website: American Frankenstein | Amazon page | Wikipedia page

Norman Prentiss – Horror/Suspense
website: Norman Prentiss | Amazon page

Paul D. Smith – Fantasy
Amazon page

Phil Tomasso (writing as Thomas Phillips) – Suspense/Thriller
website: Phil Tomasso | Amazon page

Rio Youers – Horror/Thriller/Speculative Fiction
website: Rio Youers | Amazon page

Past Workshop Instructors

Ronald Malfi
website: Ronald Malfi | Amazon page | Wikipedia page

Tom Monteleone – Horror/Thriller/Suspense/Science Fiction
Amazon page | Wikipedia page | Cemetery Dance: Thomas F. Monteleone

Mary SanGiovanni
website: Mary SanGiovanni | Amazon page

F. Paul Wilson
website: RepairmanJack.com | Amazon page | Wikipedia page

Norman Partridge Blogs his Interview by SCC Students

A Dark Harvest at Seton Catholic Central High, Part 1
A Dark Harvest at Seton Catholic Central High, Part 2
A Dark Harvest at Seton Catholic Central High, Part 3
A Dark Harvest at Seton Catholic Central High, Part 4