Cartoon from the Issue of March 15, 2010 : The New Yorker
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Showing posts with label New Yorker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Yorker. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Can Creative Writing be taught?
It has long been a question between writers and academics, Can Creative Writing be taught? To throw in my tuppence worth, I believe experienced writers can share their techniques and their learning from their journey so far with students, thereby cutting the gestation period to fruition of any writing talent a student may have. Even if there is no latent talent there, a full creative writing course will help any student read with more comprehension and perception. That's worth all the effort a good CW course will ask of a student.
This question has been around for a long time and has been tackled by many insiders and outsiders of university Creative Writing programs - so I point you towards this New Yorker article http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2009/06/08/090608crat_atlarge_menand?currentPage=all
An anecdote: Once, as president of an august writing body, I addressed a group of novice writers in an out of town writing group. They listened very politely to my motivational speech about giving your all to writing - putting creative writing before all else, including making money, personal relationships, supporting family, etc. Afterwards, over tea and cake, a mature gentleman came up beside me and said, "We're just a suburban tennis club, you know - We're not bloody Wimbledon!" That night, I learnt a lot!
This question has been around for a long time and has been tackled by many insiders and outsiders of university Creative Writing programs - so I point you towards this New Yorker article http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2009/06/08/090608crat_atlarge_menand?currentPage=all
An anecdote: Once, as president of an august writing body, I addressed a group of novice writers in an out of town writing group. They listened very politely to my motivational speech about giving your all to writing - putting creative writing before all else, including making money, personal relationships, supporting family, etc. Afterwards, over tea and cake, a mature gentleman came up beside me and said, "We're just a suburban tennis club, you know - We're not bloody Wimbledon!" That night, I learnt a lot!
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