Spring 2024


Splash Biography



STELLA MCKAY, Aspiring English professor and writer!




Major: English

College/Employer: UC Berkeley

Year of Graduation: 2025

Picture of Stella McKay

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Junior at UC Berkeley, majoring in English and minoring in Creative Writing



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

H1251: Basics of Short Stories in Splash Spring 2024 (Apr. 21, 2024)
We will go over the fundamental building blocks of short stories. These basic building blocks can be used to write a short story in any genre, and can be modified to write novels, plays, and screenplays. This class heavily leans on lessons I have learned from creative writing classes here at UC Berkeley a well as independent research I've done for the class I teach to fellow UC Berkeley students. You will do writing in class and leave with the foundation of a short story of your own.


A1252: Generative Fiction in Splash Spring 2024 (Apr. 21, 2024)
In this one hour period, we will delve into various prompts to set you up for character creation, story formation, and world building. Come ready to write!


X1253: How to Yo-Yo! in Splash Spring 2024 (Apr. 21, 2024)
In this class we'll go over Yo-Yo history, and the benefits of hands-on hobbies/activities while you learn the basics of how to Yo-Yo. Yo-Yos will be provided!


H1254: Personal Narratives & Personal Essays in Splash Spring 2024 (Apr. 21, 2024)
Personal narratives are those stories we tell ourselves about who we are. Personal essays are how we put those stories on paper. In this class, I'll go over the importance of controlling your personal narratives and advice for writing personal essays (such as the ones college applications require).


X1125: Ethics and Origins of True Crime in Splash Fall 2023 (Nov. 18, 2023)
This class aims to answer the following questions: Where did true crime come from and why is it becoming so popular in modern media? What ethical dilemmas does the creation and consumption of true crime pose? How has true crime helped and harmed victims, and who are the victims in true crime?


H1126: Basics of a short story in Splash Fall 2023 (Nov. 18, 2023)
We will go over the fundamental building blocks of short stories. These basic building blocks can be used to write a story in any genre. This class heavily leans on lessons I have learned from creative writing classes here at UC Berkeley. You will do writing in class and leave with the foundation of a short story of your own.


H1057: Creative Writing and Storytelling in Splash Spring 2023 (Apr. 23, 2023)
Why are humans driven toward stories? Why do we desire to share our experiences? Why do we construct fictional stories and how has fiction infiltrated our personal narratives? How do we do it effectively, and what does it even mean to write effectively? How can we use stories to our advantage? In this class, we will explore many variations of storytelling through creative writing, including short stories, flash fiction, poetry, and reflective journaling. We will practice writing on the spot and sharing our work.