Tanya Stanley

Writing as Continuing Education

Instead of having the course objectives remain in the syllabus for accreditation purposes only, the creative writing course integrated the course objectives into the discussions and workshops.  Course objectives one, two, and three helped me realize the truth about being a writer and about the creative writing genre.  Prior to taking the course, I felt uneasy about creative writing because I never believed I could write creative fiction. 

I always enjoyed reading short stories, poetry, and novels, but I never considered trying to write one of them.  Objective one focuses on unlearning the conventional image of a writer.  Before taking the class, I always worked alone in complete silence whenever I would write.  I could not have any distractions if I wanted to write because I could not seem to focus on my task.  After taking the creative writing course, I am able to write at work with an office full of chatty people and also at home with the television blaring instead of only being able to write when I am alone at work or home.  Minot’s chapter “The Making of a Story” provided me with insight on what most writers believe; Minot suggests the “common delusion with writers” is thinking their drafts are perfect (178).  If we as writers are always receptive to constructive criticism, we can learn from our mistakes and build a better work of art.

Minot also says needless material within a fiction piece creates a false lead for the reader and leaves an implied promise, which remains unfulfilled (178).  While revising my fiction piece, I focused on the different aspects Minot discusses and tried to eliminate those errors.  During one of the last revisions, I found my piece to be too long for the assignment, and I had to cut large blocks of text throughout the work; however, with Minot’s suggestion, I read the material without the deleted text, and the story did not lack from the deleted sections.

Unlearning “the conventional image of a creative writer as a tortured, neglected genius working alone in a garret producing masterpieces overnight” helped me to acquire a new convention for myself as a writer (Objective 1).  During the class discussions and the workshops, we not only dismissed the conventional image of a creative writer, but each of us experienced a hands-on understanding of the once-believed convention—not one student ended up chain smoking in solitude in order to complete her masterpiece.  We all worked together in a productive manner during the workshop, and we communicated via email with our peers during the draft exchanges.  By participating in the workshops and draft exchanges, we recycled the conventional image of a writer and produced the alternate image of writers—writers who work together productively and cooperatively to help one another improve their work (Objective 2).

Through the workshop process and the draft exchanges, the creative writing group improved.  I know many of the students felt anxious and scared about presenting their poems and fiction scenes as I was.  The idea of the workshop was unsettling to me.  Jonathan Moeller, a student from a previous semester, says as “a novice at writing I was uncomfortable with sharing my work with my peers” (2006).  Like Moeller, I believe most students feel uncomfortable about presenting their own work, but after one or two workshops, I think students become more comfortable with sharing their work with each other.  At the beginning of Christina Holmes’s presentation, the course’s first workshop, many students did not participate, but they became more comfortable with the workshop style after some of their peers began commenting on Christina’s work.  By the end of the semester, the class could have probably continued the length of the workshops without hesitation.

Most people have anxiety about sharing their writing with their peers; however, if a writer practices sharing her work with as many people as possible, her anxiety will dwindle and hopefully dissipate.  In chapter eleven, Minot provides a section stating the importance of support groups during the writing process.  In the past, I have submitted my work online and read the comments the virtual tutor provided, but having a workshop provides the writer with several different perspectives and insight on the spot.  After a successful workshop, all of the participants benefit by walking away with more knowledge about writing and the writing process.  I believe Minot’s most important piece of information regarding workshops is having the reader find out “precisely what came through to the reader” (144).  When we read our own work, we know what we are trying to say, but others may not understand what we are trying to convey.  I believe I learned the most about poetry and fiction from my peers and the workshop-style setting, while objectives one, two, and three helped me form this conclusion.