6 Reasons to Take Creative Writing Classes

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”

—Richard Bach

Out of all the courses I took while working on my BA, my creative writing classes were my absolute favorites. I felt like I benefited so much from writing workshops, I took several non-credit workshops at Johns Hopkins University, since I didn’t want to feel like I was stagnating.

To me, there are two main benefits of formal creative writing education.

The first: getting guidance and critique from an established professional, professors’ feedback is extremely valuable.

The second: getting a variety of feedback from your peers.

If you want to write professionally, you need to learn the backbone skills of good writing, but you also need to hear a variety of opinions. Taking a creative writing class can be hugely helpful; I’ve taken a good number of them and I’ve never regretted it.

Workshop feedback helps you improve in a very direct way.

Having other eyes on your work is vital to see where you need to improve. People will notice things that you’ll never see on your own. It will improve your writing, there’s no doubt about it.

Even if you put your work aside for a while, which is always a good practice, there are some flaws you’ll just never notice until someone else points it out.

Prior to taking workshop classes, there was a huge element missing from my writing and I had no idea. From reading a great deal of classical literature, I didn’t have a lot of patience for lengthy descriptions of scenes and settings. It just wasn’t something that personally interested me. When I did describe things in my writing, I did it at the absolute minimum in the name of keeping my pacing quick and interesting.

In theory, that sounds like a good idea.

However, more than a quarter of the people in my class picked up on the fact that I barely described the setting at all. This turned out to be horrendously problematic because I was writing historical fiction. This was a wake-up call for me that I needed to really work on building the setting in my writing.

Your situation may not be as extreme as mine was, but it’s still invaluable to get feedback on the things we can improve in our work, both large and small. When tackling the question of if creative writing classes are worth it, any level of writing workshop — at a university, a library — will help you get feedback and improve.

The experience of workshopping prepares you for the professional world.

"Writing without revising is the literary equivalent of waltzing gaily out of the house in your underwear. "

—Patricia Fuller

I know we’re talking about creative writing, but there’s a very good chance you’re going to have to do some writing or editing of the non-creative variety in the future.

There are ways to survive professional writing and editing, but a lot of it comes down to being experienced with having your work ripped apart.

It sounds harsh, but if you’re out there and functioning on a professional level, it’s an expectation that you’ll be able to take harsh critique without batting an eye.

There’ll never be an easier time to meet other writers.

I do love connecting with other writers on social media and it’s a great tool for networking, but trust me, if you want more creative writer friends, college is the best time to get them.

You’re all going to be in that room together for quite a few weeks in a traditional creative writing workshop class. You’re going to be giving feedback on each other’s stories.

The simple act of workshopping usually sparks a lot of conversations, for writers’ personal lives often bleed into their creative work in subtle ways. At any rate, it’s really easy to strike up a conversation with your fellow writers, since you’ve already read their work.

Most of the creative writing workshops I’ve been in will have the desks arranged in a circle so that people can make eye contact and see each other during a critique. You’ll see your fellow students much more than you do in a class with the typical desk orientation that puts all eyes at the front of the room.

Sure, when you’re older and working full time, you can afford to go to your nearest city to attend open mic events, networking events, and so on. Unfortunately…by the time you can easily afford those things, you’re probably going to be too darn tired from work to really go with the kind of frequency you need to make a lot of friends.

It’s good to have a tribe.

It gives you the chance to learn from a true professional.

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”

—Stephen King

I can’t say I’ve ever been in a creative writing classroom that was quite this bright and vibrant, but students generally will arrange their desks into a circle come critique day.

I do always encourage students to see if they can find reviews of the professor they’re thinking about taking, since whether it’s an undergraduate or a graduate creative writing class, it’s still going to be an investment. If you’re debating between a few different professors, do a little research on each faculty member and see whose experience and writing relate more to what you also want to do. If you have more in common and it sounds like they teach in a learning style that’ll be palatable to you, they’ll make an even better mentor.

Nevertheless, getting to know your creative writing professor a little bit through conversations before and after class can be a great way to forge a connection with another writer who most likely has some sizable publishing experience.

They can give you advice based on their firsthand experiences, both as a creative writer and as a writer in the industry. Plus, you can ask questions and get answers in class.

Sure, you can also ask Google questions, but you often must comb through the results to make sure the answer you’re getting is truthful and factual. Independent research is all well and good, I always recommend doing it, but getting some of your questions answered by an experienced person is valuable.

If you take a creative writing workshop, you want to get as much out of it as you possibly can.

Any kind of formal workshop class is going to cost money; it’s an investment, so make sure you’re working that investment.

Talk to your classmates, make friends, forge connections, and don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions or speak with your professor outside of class. If you really want to learn as much as you can, try to set up an appointment with your professor during their office hours to dig even deeper into the course material.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions of your professor. Most of the time, they’ll be quite pleased to see your eagerness and commitment.

There are always some faculty members who have an overwhelming course load and won’t be quite as friendly about this kind of thing, but I’m actually very fortunate to say that I’ve never run into this problem with creative writing faculty.

I have seen it happen with faculty from other departments, but this is another reason why checking professor ratings is always a good idea. You can often get a good feeling for a professor’s personality and make sure you get someone who will nurture your eagerness to learn.

Creative writing classes push you to experiment outside of your comfort zone.

As writers, we can be creatures of habit. If your thing is fiction writing, you might not write a lot of poetry. It’s great to have a specialty, but there’s also value in working outside of your comfort zone.

Plus, a staple of intro creative writing classes and fiction workshops will be writing short stories. They’re a lot harder than longer pieces, so if you aren’t writing short stories often, most authors will tell you that you should be.

“I would also suggest that any aspiring writer begin with short stories. These days, I meet far too many young writers who try to start off with a novel right off, or a trilogy, or even a nine-book series. That’s like starting in at rock climbing by tackling Mt. Everest. Short stories help you learn your craft.”

– George R.R. Martin

Needing to complete assignments for classes will get you to finish things. If you prefer novels, taking a creative writing class will have you writing short stories. The idea may make you cringe if you’re very married to your go-to form of writing, but it’s an incredibly valuable experience.

If you’re an undergraduate, you don’t have to be an English major to enjoy these classes; even if you don’t plan to major in writing, a creative writing course can usually satisfy a reading or writing degree requirement, and it’s a great way to sharpen your writing skills.

So what is it like to take a creative writing class?

This is an oversimplification, but you will do a lot of writing. A firnak creatuve writing class puts structure around your writing. That can be a blessing, but a stressful one if you’re used to writing off the cuff and without a lot of planning.

It’s all part of the virtue and bane of writing constantly. Sometimes, you need an external force to push your pen into action. A creative writing class will undoubtedly do that.

I want to keep learning and improving; receiving constructive criticism from fellow writers is massively helpful in that pursuit. Ultimately, the experience of taking a creative writing class is fantastic. It can absolutely be hard sometimes, especially when you’re bearing your words before a large group. However, it’s incredibly helpful to your development as a writer.

I’ll never regret my creative writing classes. In fact, I plan to take quite a few more.