creative writing classes

creative writing classes

The Benefits of Creative Writing Classes

1. Introduction

Creative writing classes are based around teaching the process of this mental exercise. Understanding and expression through narrative is a fundamental component of human existence. “The world is not merely to be looked at or to be described, it is something to construct. Our findings, our knowledge, our ideas are to find a place in what we are pleased to call the mind of the race” (MacPherson, 1933). Creative events occur through thoughts or acts that one usually wouldn’t attribute to being defined as artistic. The act of a mother trying to soothe a crying baby develops an idea of a woman in a harsh world where her emotions are all but consumed by the effort of maintaining a tough exterior. An individual discovering a betrayal by a trusted friend can create a mental review of events leading to the unexpected discovery of a plot between two characters in a story he was reading. These are all examples of constructing events that can be a part of anything from gossip to a life-altering revelation. All are ideas that can be expanded into a story or poem created for personal satisfaction.

The benefits of creative writing classes demonstrate that the social “stigma” of not knowing what you want to do in your life, not being able to earn a living and support a family, will be less of a factor when an individual is happy. Creative writing classes stand to confirm the same belief. Whether the student is aiming to become a professional writer or simply wants to learn how to express themselves more effectively, the creative writing course is a gateway to satisfying a range of individual educational needs. These desires often come from the need to escape the external world. Faulkner says, “the writer writes in order to teach himself, to understand himself, to satisfy himself” (Faulkner, 1983). The usual writer has an individualistic personality. They tend to enjoy creative thought, have a keen interest in understanding others, and pay attention to the details of their lives, due to their hardly ever mistaken belief that the events in their life happen for some circumstantial or contributory reason.

2. Developing Writing Skills

Learning to write is like learning to speak a new language. For most students, writing is a complex process that requires time and practice to develop proficiency in content, organization, and structure. Many struggle to translate their thoughts to written form, laboring over specific vocabulary and linguistic conventions. Yet, effective written communication is essential to success in nearly every occupation, making the teaching of writing more important than ever. For those who flock to college campuses to learn creative writing, there’s an added bonus. Believe it or not, creative writing can even be taught. First, students will learn the importance of revision. Many young writers shun the editing process, feeling that revision is a chore. Creative writing classes will introduce students to different forms of self-editing and encouragement to see that multiple drafts are a reflection of the effort they put into improving their work. Rewriting will become second nature to the student and they will find that writing is a means of understanding an idea that they had previously eschewed or were unable to grasp. By this extension, the methods of analysis and critical thinking are invaluable skills beyond the creative writing process. Students will then internalize the concept of audience and how their writing will change for different readers. Theoretical discussions in class about what makes effective writing can also clear up student bias as to what good writing is, giving a more concrete understanding of what they want to achieve with their own work. As students learn these basic concepts through simple explanation, they will also be able to apply the skills to more difficult readings and advance their understanding through the discussions over them. It is the analysis and the understanding of the tools of the trade that will most benefit students of creative writing. By learning the art of well-constructed writing, the student can learn to apply the same standards to all methods of communication, understanding that the knowledge is not bound solely to one form of expression.

3. Exploring Creativity

This is one of the most important aspects of a creative writing course. It can be difficult to measure and gauge how much creativity students have been able to utilize, but the RAF/Brooklands College system and the students’ feedback suggest that they have been able to explore levels of creativity previously hidden. For example, one student wrote an autobiography, but chose to write it from the standpoint of his dog. Another wrote a short story based in a world where the Germans had won World War II, and the students were a resistance movement attempting to undermine the Nazi rule in England. With tasks like these, the students were forced to engage their minds in a way that would not be possible with a non-fiction based task. And quite frankly, it was fun. With creative tasks such as these, students are likely to be emotionally more committed and thus more inclined to learn and develop their ideas in order to produce the best piece they can. And it is producing a high quality of work.

4. Receiving Constructive Feedback

Constructive feedback is an essential component of the creative writing classes offered at Gotham. In the class, feedback is given in two ways: through written critiques on student work and through discussing student pieces in a workshop forum. In both instances, the goal for the feedback provider is to help the writer improve the work. Writers find that the feedback they receive is invaluable and it assists them in making revisions and in learning to assess their own work. A benefit of receiving constructive criticism on writing is the increase in skill level. The majority of our students report an improvement in their writing within the first two weeks of receiving and applying feedback. This is due to the fact that feedback points out both strengths and areas in need of improvement. With this knowledge in hand, writers are able to make positive changes. An equal benefit to increased skill level is increased confidence in writing. When students see their work progressing and understand why, they gain confidence in their ability to continue that work.

5. Building a Writing Community

The most important thing that any art community provides is support. The life of a writer isn’t an easy one, and anyone who has been pursuing this career for a while can tell you that it’s the encouragement of friends and peers that keeps them going in the rough times. Now, when you’re cringing at the thought of letting anybody you know read some of the atrocious writing you did in the early days of your development, it’s especially important that you have people who can recognize the potential of what you’ve done. This potential is something that friends unacquainted with the writing process may not understand, and all too often new writers are discouraged by the criticisms of those who do not understand the nature of constructive criticism. An art community is a shelter against such people and statements because it’s a place where everyone is seeking improvement in their work.

When you join a creative writing class or workshop, you’re doing more than committing to a weekly meeting. You’re putting yourself in a position to cultivate an art community, which is an essential element of growing as a writer. You should always be looking for ways to involve yourself in the art community in your area, or to form one if it doesn’t exist. You need to be in a place where you can share your work and ideas, gain new perspectives, and learn from the experiences of others. Writing is an art of communication, and it’s in the nature of most artists to want to be understood. Helping the writing process of others is an enlightening experience, and you can observe, in real time, the effects and success of your editorial suggestions. Usually you are too close to your own work to truly visualize the impact that it has on an outside reader, but when you are offering feedback to another writer, you’ll learn to see your work in this way. Then, taking this added perspective back to your own writing, you may come to better understand how to manipulate and guide the impressions your work leaves on its readers. A creative writing class environment will contain many different minds from various walks of life. You’ll learn to view your work through others’ eyes and see new possibilities for what you have written. It will almost be like writing by committee, an inefficient process when done by oneself, but incredibly effective when done with a collective mind towards a single goal.