rosemichael

Contributing writer for The Artifice.

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    Latest Topics

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    writing
    creative writing programs
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    Why study creative writing?

    Many great writers never studied the craft. Today, more and more students are enrolling in creative writing degrees. Edward Delaney has written in The Atlantic, on 'Where great writers are made', about America's top graduate writing programs – emphasising the importance of time (money) and something to react against. Is that it? Lynn Davidson writes movingly in her article 'A roof over my head' for Text journal about structure, and being part of an ongoing conversation. How has the current long apprenticeship evolved; in what ways does it tap into a tradition of writing mentorships and creative communities and what aspects might be evidence that we are seeing a different model emerging?

    • My sub major is creative writing and I would have to say, if I didn't do the introductory unit to this course I would not have found my passion and love for poetry, writing and reading in general. I believe without studying it or practising creative writing you won't achieve the best that you can achieve. You won't get a lot out of it if you did it here and there. Studying it takes it to another level and I love that. In the end a writer should not write or get published just to earn money, my tutor told me if you are going about your profession this way then you are doing it wrong. You must do it because you love it and because you want your words to be heard and read. As I said earlier, I would not have found my passion for poetry and writing if I did not do this course. You can learn so much about different authors, writing techniques and to be honest you would be surprised how much you learn about yourself also. Of course, having a mentor or someone who knows creative writing well is always a good idea. Having support is so important especially if you want to get published one day. It can be challenging at times, I've been told you will get turned down but it is part of the job and the journey. – claraaa 7 years ago
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    • I love this topic. I studied creative writing and got degrees in it, which I definitely think helped get me published. Why study creative writing? My question is, Why not? – Stephanie M. 7 years ago
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    • It's always good to broaden your knowledge and hear from others, and writing skills be no different; but obviously there are people who have achieved great success without writing courses. It's really whatever works for you. It might also be interesting to look into the growing number of free online resources that emerging writers are using to train themselves. – AGMacdonald 7 years ago
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    • I think it would be good to also look at how creative writing degrees can impact the creative well. Personally, studying creative writing ruined my enjoyment of writing. It was all about seeking validation, being criticised for your work even if you believe you put a lot of effort in it. I seek freedom with my creative writing, so it would be good to look at how these structures impact the freedom that should come with creative writing. – Zohal99 7 years ago
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    • I think it is also worth exploring the economics of creative writing programs. Some people leave with lots of debt and that can be destructive. That same price tag can keep promising writers out of programs as well. – Istickboy 6 years ago
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    • Creative writing is one of my favourite mediums of writing. The possibilities are literally endless, and I honestly see no reason as to why someone would reject it. – pamelaobeid 6 years ago
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    • Creative for me is something where you can be as creative as possible. Be it fiction or nonfiction writing or some poetry you would be writing on. The purpose of all the effort is that you express yourself. Whether you are expressing your thoughts, your emotions, or your feelings. – nathinjohn 6 years ago
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    • I think this is a clear example of educational institutions captializing on peoples hopes and dreams. Nowadays, if it exists, there is a course somewhere telling you how to do it right. – Gliese436B 6 years ago
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    • Creative writing is a wonderful thing to study and learn, and is often a way of expressing oneself that is even more spontaneous than speaking/lecturing. It helps people to really express themselves much more fully, as well. – mplo 6 years ago
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    • I think this is a great topic and could be very helpful to those who are on the fence whether to study their passion or not. I definitely would look at both sides in order to give a well rounded argument, but always come back to the bottom line that creative writing is a way to express yourself in ways that science and math cannot. – reschilke 6 years ago
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    • I study creative writing and love how it has introduced me to different styles of writing. I think it would be a great degree for someone who loves writing but doesn't know what they want to do. – evablandis 6 years ago
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    • Creative writing serves as a vassal for others to express themselves in a unique way. Being a creative writer can be challenging, but it is also a fun task. Writers can adapt their own techniques of conveying their tone of voice to a wider audience and, thus, adapting a new form of writing for others to follow. – jstibbetts 6 years ago
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    • I'd say with how education has been so fixed down to the formula that MUST be used to solve any problem, creative writing is an important factor for a student's development as it is a means of release and freedom. With creative writing, a student is able to express their thought, feelings, and ideals in any sense that they choose. In my creative writing course we would have to write a fiction or non-fiction story, have the rest of the class read it and each student had to write three notes for each reading whether it be their opinion on the story's characters, theme, or plot, or a question to the writer. By having others students look at another students work as well as giving input, it give the writer a sense of satisfaction in their work and the knowledge of where they need improvement. I think it also becomes more important when hearing thought from your peers rather than having a teacher critique your work, it gives a sense of equal standing. – Kevin Mohammed 6 years ago
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    • Studying creative writing has been helpful for me because it has introduced me to terms for literary techniques I had known previously only intuitively. I published my writing before I studied creative writing, but the writing process was difficult compared to now - I have new skills for turning ideas into prose without the torture of wondering so much how to do it. It saves reinventing the wheel in terms of understanding which technique suits your intention. – Bodhi 5 years ago
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    • Studying Creative Writing has allowed opportunities for my work to be given honest, constructive feedback in a "safe" environment. It has allocated time to read fiction and other disciplines to expand my knowledge of the written word. Unless someone is disciplined to study all of these things on their own, University programs can offer an opportunity to do all of these things. Not to mention most employers want employees to have a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree (or higher). – Dena Elerian 5 years ago
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    Latest Comments

    Jun 13, 2017
    rosemichael

    After commenting above, I remembered the article M Atwood wrote for the New York Times on what The Handmaid’s Tale means in the time of Trump – clearly coming down on the spec fic side … just as we’re all starting to agree it’s really no fiction at all!

    		 Oryx and Crake: Why Atwood Matters
    Jun 13, 2017
    rosemichael

    The wonderful David Jauss has a great chapter on contradiction as the lever of transcendence, where he pinpoints the way great writing or characters contains contradictory aspects … and transcend our immediate, short-focus either/or thinking.

    		 Working with The Shadow: A Writer's Guide
    Jun 13, 2017
    rosemichael

    A bit tangential, but isn’t it kind of interesting that Brian Aldiss once conceived of SF as the natural inheritor of the gothic, saying in Brilliant Year Spree that science-fiction was ‘the search for a definition of man and his status in the universe which will stand in our advanced but confused state of knowledge (science) and is characteristically cast in the Gothic or post-Gothic mode.’ Sublime spec fic!

    		 The Sublime's Effects in Gothic Fiction
    Jun 13, 2017
    rosemichael

    ‘Margaret Atwood doesn’t want any of her books to be called science fiction’ as Ursula Le Guin pointed out in The Guardian 2009, saying Atwood’s ‘arbitrarily restrictive definition [of not science-fiction] seems designed to protect her novels from being relegated to a genre still shunned by hidebound readers, reviewers and prize-awarders. She doesn’t want the literary bigots to shove her into the literary ghetto.’ Could the genre be coming out of the ghetto?

    		 Oryx and Crake: Why Atwood Matters