The Need for More Creative Writing

The go-to icebreaker for college students is, and will forever be, “What’s your major?” The question is a good one, we think, because it’s supposed to signal the person’s interests, and because it invites easy follow up questions, like Why did you choose that? and What do you plan on doing with that? At American University, the answers are less varied than at many other schools. Political science and international relations dominate the scene here. Creative writing does not.

In an earlier post, Lily mentioned that 25 undergraduates minor in creative writing (it’s not offered as a major), which is one-third of one percent of AU’s undergrad population. So it’s not surprising that the number of CW courses offered is small – between three and four, and they don’t vary by semester. There are workshops in poetry and fiction, and sometimes a course in nonfiction writing, called Advanced Composition.

But for a school that places such an emphasis on writing in the first year, with its extensive College Writing program, the subject soon falls by the wayside – whether you like to write or not. No major exists that stresses persuasive writing; a journalism degree is the closest thing. Lit majors – the only BA the Literature Dept. offers – can go all four years without taking one writing class. Missing is the ever-versatile English degree, a staple of most schools. By intertwining reading and creative writing, English degrees generate an original thinking that no other combination can.

While the selection may be slim, the CW courses American does offer are some of the most enriching and well-taught classes available. The writing professors here receive some of the highest student feedback throughout the university. Their mantra is one we stand by: your writing improves from getting feedback and giving it. You critique your peers’ work, and they critique yours. Yet, no professor’s methods are exactly the same. They set different limits, assign different readings, and question your writing in unique ways. Their strength lies in their variety.

At the same time, a lack of variety is what limits them. Alongside fiction and poetry workshops should be special topics, like the informal essay, genre fiction, and experimental poetry. Persuasive writing – a skill useful in almost any job, and critical in many – also needs more emphasis. One of the Lit Dept.’s hidden gems is Advanced Composition, which teaches you that all persuasive writing is creative, but since it doesn’t count toward any degree, it’s regularly overlooked.

Writing, in so many instances, comes down to the act of convincing. Be it a memoir or a magazine feature, a poem or a short story, the writer’s goal is getting us to see something in a new light. Both professionally and personally, that’s a skill worth having. So don’t be put off by the few CW minors. One class in creative writing will benefit any Poli Sci or IR student, but also anyone talking at a dinner table, going on a date, or sitting at an interview. In forcing you to think differently, creative writing improves your mind. An English major that emphasizes creative writing is a start; a university that emphasizes it is a dream.

Post by Nate Shelter