Hi sorry to bother you again but I would like to know some of the things about creative writing majors. What kind of things do you do? Is it hard? Is it time consuming? What are somethings you can do with your major? Finally what kind of work will one be doing in the classes?
Rebekah Discusses Her CW Degree
I had previously responded privately, but these questions are pretty widespread so I’m going to answer it publicly in case anyone else has these same questions. I have to stress that creative writing programs vary from school to school, and whether or not it’s the right decision depends on the individual, but I’m going to share my personal experience of getting my creative writing degree.
What kinds of things do you do? What kind of work will one be doing in the classes?
My first year of college mainly consisted of basic requirements - composition, math, science, history, ect. But I managed to secure a scholarship that allowed me to work one-on-one with one of my future creative writing professors my freshmen year. So I met with her weekly to discuss my writing, and work on one freshmen project, which in my case was a draft of a novel. This was incredibly beneficial because I got to know one of my professors before actually taking her classes, but it’s not something every school offers.
In later semesters, however, I started taking writing workshops. Class sizes were around 12-15 people, and we’d usually have about 4 major writing assignments per semester. Each class period we would workshop 2 of the students’ work, until we’d gone through everybody. Then, we’d start the next cycle of workshops.
Workshop structure depends on the professor, but how it traditionally worked was the writer was not allowed to speak during their workshop. The class discussed their work, while the writer took notes of the feedback. Then, at the very end, the writer was allowed to ask questions. The class would then turn in copies of the story with their margin notes for the writer to review. The professor also reviewed the work and would give different parts of the story a score of 1-5, and then she took the average to get an overall grade.
My professors were usually good about grading you against yourself. If you improved, you would get better marks.
In addition to the workshops, I took lots and lots and lots of literature classes. This is just as important as your writing classes, because you get exposed to various authors and types of books, and you learn how to analyze and discuss them from a critical perspective. For me personally, I pursued a minor in psychology so I took several psychology classes throughout my college career as well. I would advise picking a minor unrelated to writing that interests you to expand your knowledge into other subject areas.
Your school will likely offer workshops in fiction, poetry, and possibly script writing, so I encourage you to go outside your usual comfort zone at least once. I had to take a poetry workshop, but I ended up being grateful for the requirement because it taught me a lot about writing lyrical and poetic prose that enhanced my fiction. I even had a class where you specialized in either fiction or poetry, and once a week I met with my fiction counterparts to discuss fiction, and during the second session of the week, we’d meet with the poetry group to discuss both. This was one of my favorite workshops that I remember.
As you go through your semesters, your professors expect more of you, but the workshops also become more fun. My senior workshop only had 5 students, and our professor had us meet every class period at a coffeeshop on campus. These sessions were more laid-back, and our professor was pretty quiet during the workshops, letting our peers do most of the talking. We’d schedule private sessions with her during office hours to get her real opinions, and she’d always give us in-depth write-ups on our work.
The creative writing major amounts to a lot of writing, of course, but sometimes you’re not free to write the things you really want to write. Most college professors are biased against fantasy or any sort of genre because they want students to focus on characterization within simple plots, before they try to take on anything too complex. It’s a good method, but sometimes it made me less enthusiastic when it came to turning in assignments. I wrote many things I was very proud of, but I didn’t always have fun writing them.
It was an intense four years, but I wrote more during those four years than I ever have, because not only was I writing for classes, I was writing fan fiction on the side as a means of escape. I think those assignments challenged me to get better, and I had the wisdom of professors that had actually published books. They were nurturing, though sometimes frustrating to work with. But I owe them a great deal for the lessons they taught me. Lessons that I still use in my own writing, and lessons I share with all of you guys.
Is it hard? Is it time-consuming?
Yes and yes lol. But to be honest, it’s also a lot of fun. You’re a liberal arts major, so you’re taking classes in literature, history, philosophy, and other subjects you might find interesting. Those classes sometimes require a lot of essay writing and heavy reading, and it might seem like such a burden at the time, but looking back on it, each of those classes was valuable to my background as a writer.
And college should be hard. If it’s too easy, you might as well save your money for something else.
What are some things you can do with your major?
If you’re serious about being a writer, you might go to grad school and get your MFA (master of fine arts). If you enjoy your undergrad degree, this could be a logical step. Those who get their MFA often become writing professors, and while there’s no guarantee of publication, often times those with MFAs grow into fantastic writers because they’ve spent so much time on such intensive study. Usually they’re the ones that write all those writing craft books that we see so much of (and that I personally love reading). But don’t misunderstand me - you can still be very serious about being a writer without pursuing an MFA.
If you decide early enough, you might also go into publishing. If this is something you find interesting, you can explore internships during your summer vacations, or even work on the school’s literary journal (they most likely have one if they have a creative writing major). There are also programs you can enroll in after you graduate that last about 6 months that teach you all about the industry and get you up close with professionals in the business that you can network with and get advice from.
A creative writing degree isn’t necessary to work in publishing, but I think studying the craft of writing for four years helps you in evaluating what’s actually good and perhaps what might sell, so I think it’s a good match.
As for me, my creative writing major made me into a better communicator. It strengthened my writing skills, and it took my shy, reserved personality and helped me grow into someone that’s more confident and composed in expressing herself. I’ve touted that my degree is in English more often than Creative Writing because employers love English degrees. Sure, we don’t have practical, technical experience, but it usually means we’re well spoken, analytical, and creative, and these days those things are assets.
I didn’t have a lot of success right out of school in terms of employment, but after a couple of years, I discovered how much I loved working in libraries, and five years later I’ve worked my way up from shelver to a more senior position. Because I work with books, I never lose my motivation to be a writer, and I still use all of the knowledge I gained in college to help me pursue that. Did I need a creative writing major to work in a library? No. Could I have chosen a major that would have directly resulted in employment? Perhaps, and perhaps I’d be more well off if I had, but I don’t regret the path I’ve chosen. I value that education, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Do I recommend being a creative writing major?
I can’t possibly advise anyone without knowing them personally, but I can say that you shouldn’t use a creative writing major as a stepping stone to being a successful, famous author. It isn’t as though you’ll be meeting with agents, editors, or publishers your senior year like a job fair. Creative writing degrees help you become better writers. They don’t help you get published.
You can still go to school for something else and make time for writing. You can still educate yourself and improve your writing without a creative writing degree. You can still be a successful writer without a creative writing degree. Being a creative writing major doesn’t guarantee you’ll be able to live off your writing. It doesn’t guarantee you employment.
What it does do is challenge you as a writer, and it gives you access to published authors that are interested in you, and want to see you get better, and who care about your writing health. It helps you improve your interpersonal and analytical skills, which are certainly good things to have when you do enter the job market.
Don’t be afraid of voicing your concerns with your professors. One regret I do have is not confiding in them about my employment worries sooner. If you’re in the midst of a creative writing degree, and you’re starting to get scared how you’ll find a job, talk to your professors. There are lots of jobs in this industry you can do with your degree, and they can help you find the right connections and resources to get started on the right foot out of school.
This was long, but I don’t want anyone to misconstrue my experience as either solely good or solely bad. My education has its advantages and disadvantages, just like all degrees. It’s ultimately up to you, and the goals that you have will determine whether or not it’s a good fit for you.
I’m always happy to answer any questions about the creative writing major. I do request that if anyone has additional questions, please ask off-anon or use the message feature so I can answer them privately.
Good luck to my original asker!
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