Why Is Creative Writing An Important Field Of Study? Creative Writing is still a fairly new focus in the academic world. Since it found its place as a part of the English major, its importance and validation has been continually debated. Because of the influence of popular culture, today’s students have been strongly discouraged from pursuing studies within English or Creative Writing; what they aren’t being taught is the many benefits it presents. There is a strong stigma surrounding the English major, stating that it is impossible to get a good job with this degree. Complex website, one of the most popular amongst students, listed Creative Writing as the number one most worthless college major. Similar websites, such …show more content…
Both of these help to develop not only creative writing skills, but creative thinking skills as well. They teach students to go outside of cultural norms and discover new ideas. Steve Healey explains in Key Issues in Creative Writing that, “Creative literacy develops many proficiencies including the ability to use language to produce complex affective states in an audience; the ability to think and communicate in associative, metaphorical, non-linear, non-characters, personas, voices’ the ability to manipulate or destabilize received meanings and to produce new meanings. (63) …show more content…
The New York Times Magazine released a special annual issue at the end of 2010 devoted to, ‘The Year in Ideas’ within one of its articles it discusses how a small legion of companies and individual consultants are selling ‘creative thinking’ and how ‘businesses have become so obsessed with generating new ideas for products and services, or finding creative solutions to problems, that they’re willing to spend enormous amounts of money to hire these outside ‘idea entrepreneurs’ to think creatively for them or teach them how to become greater creative thinkers (qtd. in Healy 61). Another reader may argue that a person doesn’t need to study Creative Writing to be a creative writer or thinker, and the discipline itself is pointless. However, Thom Vernon discusses the public good of Creative Writing in The Creativity Market: Creative Writing in the 21st Century, “We enter an author’s literary spaces in order to transform raw perception and sensation into experiences of qualities that also happen to nourish the public good: recognition, trust, empathy,
The purpose of Baker’s essay and its placement in The Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers is to encourage young writers to realize that writing truly is a privilege. It is also placed in the book to show college English students that writing does not have to be a grim task and that thinking of it in that manner will only make the student average.
In Downs and Wardle’s article, they argue and identify the flaws in teaching writing in college. Demonstrating the misconceptions that academic writing is universal, but rather specialized in each case. Citing studies and opinions from esteemed professionals, Downs & Wardle state their points and illuminate the problem in today’s many colleges.
Learning to read and write are both considered to be fundamental human skills, that we begin to learn from the day we start school. As time advances, as do our minds, and we are expected to evolve in our reading and writing skills. Finishing high school is a large milestone for the lives of young adults; however, there is so much to learn in order to reach the next big milestone. To be a writer in college can challenge our preconceived thoughts on how we write. Although some skills remain unchanged, high school graduates are faced with overcoming new ways of doing a skill that seems so simple that it is practically innate. The definition of writing skills for college students is much different than high school. However, considering we have come so far it is time to go over the information we already know and challenge ourselves with ideas that we are yet to learn more about.
Many times, high school students are assigned to write essays based on inspirational figures or literature read in class, often requiring the same rhetoric following fastidious rules of English and sprinkling decorative wording across pages. Obeying the formats demanded by teachers is easy enough, but it is not creatively challenging. Author of "What Should Colleges Teach?", Stanley Fish, claims it is to learn the proper ways of composition alone that allows students to flourish; however, I question if it is possible to follow these principles too closely. Can it be so that the curriculum being taught in high schools fail to allow students to realize the potential creativity that can be involved when writing? Instead students are possibly turned
English Composition II has unexpectedly improved my writing into an academic level. As I studied various English reading and writing courses, this class “English Composition II” did not immediately caught my eye. However as I researched about the concepts of this class, the decision to make was not so difficult since I was lacking in critical thinking and the interpretation of works. Also as a Business Major, it made sense that the subject of English would be of interest to me and as a career requirement. During the first weeks, I thought that I would be fully prepared for this course after taking an accelerated course in English during the spring semester. However, after attending class for about a month, I certainly did not expect to learn an entirely new process of writing
English has never been my best subject. Reading books can be exciting, but the writing aspect of English can be dreadful. Somehow, however, I passed all my advanced English classes with at least a B, and my teachers always considered me to be “above average.” My impartiality toward English shifted to an indifference near the end of my high school career; my indifference then shifted to appreciation. This appreciation is attributed to American Studies and Honors Writing, the most difficult English classes at Belleville East Township High School. American Studies and Honors Writing have strengthened my writing skills beyond what I believed possible. I still do not believe that I am the best writer, and English may never be my best or favorite
In “Writing to Learn: Writing across the Disciplines,” Anne J. Herrington finds different sources stating that writing is to be taken serious. Janet Emig says, "writing represents a unique mode of learning-not merely valuable, not merely special, but unique” (1) meaning that writing is far more essential than we ought to make it seem. Anne Herrington wants educators teaching in economics, history, chemistry or any other subject to guide their students into understanding why progressing their writing skills will be more helpful to them. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the educator; whether he/she wants their students to use writing as a way for students to adapt to different disciplines.
Is college writing painful and hard to come up with good ideas? English writing is different than other languages, we must follow a series of rules to complete an assignment. First, we need to understand the basics in grammar in order to use them properly in our writing assignments. If we excel in grammar, our essay will be much more lucid and logical to read than it was originally. Writing is a skill that must be mastered through practice; thus, one cannot be proficient at it if he or she does not have enough practice. Despite how hard it is for me to formulate ideas for my essay, every time I sit and concentrate on writing, a multitude of ideas begin to flood my brain. I do not have a tremendous amount of experience in writing because in my country we do not write as much as students do in the United States due to a heavier emphasis on mathematical courses verses English literature. However, what I have come to learn is that writing plays an important role in achieving success in the academic life of a college student.
Writing is an important part of everyone’s life, whether we use it in school, in the workplace, as a hobby or in personal communication. It is important to have this skill because it helps us as writers to express feelings and thoughts to other people in a reasonably permanent form. Formal writing forms like essays, research papers, and articles stimulates critically thinking. This helps the writer to learn how to interpret the world around him/her in a meaningful way. In college, professors motivate students to write in a formal, coherent manner, without losing their own voice in the process. Improving your writing skills is important, in every English class that’s the main teaching point; to help students improve their writing skills. Throughout my college experience I have acknowledge that
Personal and creative expressions are an alternative approach to traditional academic writing. They employ personal experiences to convey anecdotal narratives. Personal narrative in scholarly writing allows for a broader spectrum of emotion, such as empathy, compassion and humanity. This style no longer confines argumentative research to the empirically verifiable. For the reader, creative and personal expression allows for a broader chance of identification with the text. In the 1970s, consciousness-raising was focused on women’s personal experiences (Lecture Slides: January 12). Through personal narratives, consciousness-raising provided an environment in which individuals are able to develop a collective significance
I personally do not enjoy writing like most people would feel about reading a dictionary. I am cautiously treading water with every word I type. I have always found writing to be a tedious process. I have never found ease in wording something the way I want to; therefore, it usually sounds so much better in my head. I’ve never considered myself to be comfortable with writing in general. For example, I always had a hard time telling if I needed a comma in a sentence or not. Sometimes it was obvious, but it seems more confusing most of the time.
Creativity, it’s a broad topic of just new things and ideas among people. The definition of creativity is the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work. PBS describes creativity as, “The new ideas and new connections between ideas, and ways to solve problems in any field or realm of our lives. The concept of creativity is often hard to grasp because creativity isn 't a tangible thing its just and idea. Also, because it’s hard to differ between a truly original idea and an idea that is just shaped from others. With all this being said, it can be hard to figure out where creativity comes from.
Since we are born we have imagination and as we grow up this imagination may increase or decrease. Creativity strongly relies in our imagination. Depending on different circumstances people learn to express their creativity openly while other people close themselves and believe they do not have creativity. Creativity is a natural talent that every single human has. Creativity can be used to solve a complex problem in a different manner or just to find innovative ways to have fun. Creativity is thinking out of the box. Even though creativity cannot be taught from scratch there should be a class that is specific for creativity.
Vonnegut believes that, “The primary benefit of practicing any art, whether well or badly, is that it enables one’s soul to grow.” The use of creative writing allows you to become aware of your inner thoughts, it allows you think about yourself. Many writers find inspiration for their creative writings in many different ways. Some writers like to go to an art gallery, cook, or even be in complete isolation and boredom. Adam Turia prefers to be outside because it loosens up his mind and allows his creativity to flow. Where ever your inspiration comes from, there is always one thing that remains the same. People are most creative when they are happy or in complete boredom and isolation. You are content with yourself, or maybe you’re not, maybe you use writing as a way to express your feelings or as a type of therapy. Many people keep journals and use creative writing to write in them every single day. To the everyday journalist, creative writing is looked at as a way to express your emotions without anyone seeing them. Either way you choose to use creative writing, you are paying attention to yourself and your emotions. This is how creative writing allows you to become one with your soul and enables you to grow into the person you strive to
Taking a creative writing class was a good way for me to express my thoughts and feelings onto paper, as well as read my other classmates stories. Reading stories created by other people lead me into their mind brain to experience what type of writer they were, it was an overall exquisite class. I believe that every person has a way of expressing who they are through writing stories of their own, fiction is the best way to express your creative imagination. This class that I took for two years helped me become a better writer and helped me understand the types of writers we have.