The Creative Writing Annual, originally titled English 105 Magazine, was established by Dr. John Robert Moore as a project for his English 105: Advanced Composition for Freshmen course in 1931. Moore (1890-1973) was a professor in the Indiana University Department of English from 1922 to 1961 and afterwards a Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus until his death in 1973.

The goal of the magazine was to inspire students enrolled in the course to write high-quality work with the understanding that it would be read by a broader audience. The magazine also provided opportunity for students interested in editing to have their experience of collecting and composing a volume of their classmates' work. While Moore wrote prefaces for the first five volumes of English 105 Magazine, including critiques of each new volume in comparison to the last and reiterations of the statement of intent from the first published volume, the writing of a preface or editor's statement eventually also fell to his students. He continued to serve as faculty advisor to the publication throughout its duration.