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The Completely Sensible Expansion of Creative Writing Courses

In Response to Barry Spurr - by Lena Folkert

By Lena FolkertPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 13 min read
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The Completely Sensible Expansion of Creative Writing Courses
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Author's Note: At the conclusion of my most recent writing course, I was required to write a Critical Essay based upon one of our class readings. Among these readings, was an article by Barry Spurr, which you can read by clicking here. The title of this article pretty much tells you all you need to know of his opinion: "The Inane Expansion of Creative Writing Courses." This vicious and unsupported attack from Mr. Spurr simply demanded a response, and because this is something very near and dear to all of us Vocal Creators, I have decided to share the finished product of my response to Barry Spurr with my fellow Vocalites (as I like to call us 😉). Under no circumstance, ever, should anyone (especially those with the desire) be deterred from writing or learning about writing. I have added in some appropriate quotes, pictures, and additional formatting to make this digital reading more pleasant.🖤

🖤 Thank you for taking the time to read this essay. If you enjoy it, please Like, Share, and Subscribe! And check out my profile by clicking HERE. 🖤

🖤 And for any curious of my final grade: "A" - Nailed it!! 🖤

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"The Completely Sensible Expansion of Creative Writing Courses"

-- An Essay Response to Barry Spurr By Lena Folkert

“Writing is not thinking written down after all of the thinking is completed. Writing is thinking.”

– Donald M. Murray

The academic field of Humanities is no stranger to critique, and the ongoing debate over the validity and effectiveness of creative writing courses in school curricula has a long and established history. In his article, “The Inane Expansion of Creative Writing Courses,” Barry Spurr joins in the argument against the proliferation of creative writing courses in all levels of academia. Though his writing and credentials claim an air of authority, his antagonistic argument lacks originality and provides little to no evidence to substantiate his claims.

Spurr focuses his argument around three challenges against the field of creative writing instruction. The first challenge involves the long-standing debate over whether or not the skill of creative writing can actually be taught. Spurr's second challenge assumes that those who are forced to take these courses only walk away with a resentment toward this are of instruction and are no better prepared to write, and his final challenge attacks the field as a whole, claiming that those who do willingly choose the field of creative writing as as an area of focus in their continuing education will most likely fail to achieve financial success and notoriety in their field and are no better prepared or trained for any other career or life skill outside of writing (Spurr).

Though it one could say that the expansion and demand of this field of study serves as enough evidence to speak to its validity, this argument fails to receive Spurr's acknowledgement. Nonetheless, there is plenty of other evidentiary support for the increasingly varied creative writing courses throughout the educational system, including recognized studies, experiments, and journals by well-established proponents in the field.

However, I believe that the true testament to the validity of creative writing, both as a degree focus and a supporting area of study for other academic pursuits, should be largely recognized and substantiated through the successful betterment of the students who complete these courses. This betterment is one of an intellectual, emotional, and interpersonal nature, recognizing that the successful completion of a creative writing course can lead to a greater understanding of the self and others, as well as a greater desire and ability to empathize with, communicate with, and embrace people and cultures outside of the self.

“The Six Golden Rules of Writing: Read, read, read, and write, write, write.” — Ernest Gaines

A student who undergoes creative writing instruction is exposed to much more than the engagement with their own pen and paper, but any true creative writing course also requires the vast reading and engagement of texts in a broad and varied variety. This interactive exchange with others’ writings, both published authors of notoriety and the other students in the course, create an environment which engenders mutual understanding and growth and naturally leads to more empathetic and understanding individuals who are able to utilize higher thinking and reasoning skills that prove useful for future relationships, careers, and life in general.

By Josh Berendes on Unsplash

I remember an occasion from my second semester of college when I was required to write a series of poems based upon childhood experiences for one of my core English courses. My initial response was one of excitement as it seemed a nice change of pace from the seemingly endless barrage of dystopian-themed literature that I had been inundated with since my first exposure to The Giver in second grade. I remember feeling distinctly energized after receiving the assignment, but as the reality of the situation fully presented itself, I began to dread the prospect of exploring and re-experiencing my numerous childhood traumas with an eye to finding my inner rhymer.

“It is only by writing, not dreaming about it, that we develop our own style.” — P.D. James

After wasting hours of fruitless and frustrating efforts and succeeding only to fill my waste basket with crumpled up papers and broken dreams, I felt the full weight of a great discouragement as I began to embrace a realization that every aspiring writer dreads – I had no talent for writing. Full of sadness and shame, I wrote down a random string of words that rhymed and seemed to describe a typical childhood. As I handed that assignment in, I knew full well that it served as proof on a paper platter of my inability to write beautifully, and I hung my head low with the prospect of searching for a new career and a new dream.

My professor (one of my favorites so far), however, handed the assignment back to me, knowing enough of my previous work to recognize the poetry for what it was – hollow and forced. He prompted me to read some recommended poetry before attempting the assignment again. I took his advice to heart, both frustrated and grateful to have a professor who tried to reach his students’ hearts. I explored the recommended poetry and through their words, rhymes, and insights, I discovered an ember that still burned deep within myself – a passion for beautiful prose that refused to be extinguished. My mind was prepared. It was no longer homework, dull and required. It was self-exploration. It was writing for writing’s sake.

“Write what disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about. Be willing to be split open.” — Natalie Goldberg

Looking back, I see that the poetry that I turned into the professor two days later still lacked refinement, but it was decent. It was an improvement. It was redeeming. Most importantly, though, it was a beginning of self-insight and understanding. It was a beginning of higher-level thinking, reasoning, reading, communicating, and interpersonal skills. I had already been a great reader, but through the prompting of that professor, I began down a path of engaging with reading and writing in a whole new way, developing skills within myself that far surpass those that are normally attained with a degree in any focus.

The extra care and effort of that dear professor in reaching this student’s heart resulted in resurrecting a passion that I thought had died. There is no denying that by his extra consideration and influence, I received inspiration to further explore myself and my writing, bettering myself not just as a writer and a reader, but as a communicator, a thinker, and a person.

I present this personal experience as a means to support the following: that under no circumstance should we forget the importance of an effective and passionate teacher’s influence, or the weight and importance of the expectations that are placed upon the students being taught. To claim that creative writing cannot be taught but is innate is to embrace narrowmindedness in all its dark glory.

“It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.” — Ernest Hemingway

Of course, in the end, it is an undeniable fact that it is the writer alone who can produce great writing, but in the same way that any great painter or musician must have once received instruction, any great writer must also receive instruction and motivation at some formative point.

It is the effectiveness of the instructors and the lives of the individual students of creative writing courses who provide the proof of the validity and enduring impact of this field of study, and it is not just the students' status or financial success that we should examine, but we should take a deeper look within the students’ daily lives. For it is within their success as better people, parents, students, friends, and workers that we find this proof of their betterment, not in their collection (or lack thereof) of writings, recognition, or writing-based careers. As Paul Munden noted, “far from being self-centered, or pursuing work of little value to anyone themselves, creative writing graduates have a strong sense of community and social purpose, which universities (and governments) would do well to recognize” (Munden).

"Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit." –John Steinbeck

There are also concerns over the effect of forcing creative writing courses upon students who have not sought them out. Spurr compared the compulsory instruction of creative writing to compulsory musical instruction of piano or other instruments and noted that the majority of students who are compelled to take music lessons never become great musicians or composers (Spurr). This claim may be partially true, but it has long been supported that instruction in the fields of music and art, whether voluntarily or compulsorily, leads to an increase in creativity and the use of logic and reasoning to solve problems, as well as greater self-understanding and empathy throughout the lives of the students (Didin et al).

By Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

We do not expect each of these students to make a successful career out of this instruction, nor do we gauge the importance of these courses strictly by the number of students who go on to be successful in these areas. Instead, we recognize that the skills, both practical and personal, that are developed and learned through musical instruction can serve the students well throughout their lives as they navigate other fields of study and their encounters with those with whom they share interpersonal relationships, as well as their greater understanding and acceptance of themselves (Munden 167).

Just as instruction of art and music have a greater impact upon their students than simply an improvement in their musical ability or passion, creative writing instruction aids students to effectively communicate their thoughts with the outside world, producing more effective speakers, thinkers, and communicators. Additionally, creative writing instruction aids in helping students to understand themselves more fully and find their own narrative voice. We, therefore, should rejoice when a student is inspired to further their instruction in these areas and become "successful" writers, but we should not expect this outcome as that is not, nor should be, the main goal of creative writing instruction (Graham).

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." –William Butler Yeats

If then, we understand that the value of this instruction is present, but the students are coming out of the courses with little appreciation or skill acquired, we may perhaps find that it is the skill of the instructor or the validity of the individual curriculum in use that merits revisitation, and not the validity of the course itself. Additionally, we must recognize that each student may require additional or unique instruction to reach more of their potential. We must recognize that the inability or lack of desire to adapt to the students’ individual needs reflects the failure of the teacher and curriculum, not of the student (Graham).

There have been studies conducted on methods to expand the efficacy of creative writing courses, using alternate teaching methods that may merit investigation by administrators and individual teachers who seek to improve their instructional methods and curricula (Bayat, Seher). “By remaining ignorant of other ways of teaching and adhering to a single method of instruction… teachers miss out on an opportunity to reach all their students” (Bishop, Starkey 121).

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." ― William Arthur Ward

Of course, like any field of instruction, we should be careful what we expect of the courses and students of the creative writing field, recognizing that every field has its limits of success and reaching ability. This understanding of both the inherent value and limits of instruction in these core areas extends to all of the Humanities, but especially to creative writing, and it substantiates the need for instruction of such nature, rather than refuting it.

By NeONBRAND on Unsplash

Perhaps, this debate over the validity of creative writing instruction, like any great philosophical debate, is destined to continue indefinitely, but I believe that the merit of creative writing courses can be best evaluated by spending less time examining the writing and careers of the students, and more time examining the individuals themselves - not their successes in achieving notoriety or financial success - but their success in life.

“There are many, many ways in which writing and living are creatively entwined." -- Paul Munden

Spurr, and those who share his opinions, would have us believe that because a vast number of creative writing students do not go on to be great writers with a career or portfolio full of writing accolades, that we must conclude that the field of creative writing instruction is “inane,” but we must approach instruction of all sorts with a more insightful eye than this; for if we do not, than we are simple-minded creatures who do not see the inherent value that lies beneath the surface of all effective instructional methods.

As Munden states at the end of his essay, Creative Living: How Creative Writing Courses Help to Prepare for Life-Long Careers, “there are many, many ways in which writing and living are creatively entwined” (Munden 170). The far-reaching benefits of creative writing instruction in the secular, professional, and personal life should serve as enough proof that the ever-increasing expansion of creative writing courses is not inane at all, but it is actually quite sensible and should be both expected and embraced.

“A writer is a world trapped in a person.” — Victor Hugo

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Sources:

Bayat, Seher. “The Effectiveness of the Creative Writing Instruction Program Based on Speaking Activities (CWIPSA).” International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, vol. 8, no. 4, June 2016, pp. 617–628. EBSCOhost, search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.nicholls.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,cookie,url,uid&db=eric&AN=EJ1109868&site=eds-live&scope=site.

BISHOP, WENDY, and DAVID STARKEY. “Pedagogy.” Keywords in Creative Writing, University Press of Colorado, 2006, pp. 119–25, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt4cgr61.28.

Didin, Elifcan, and Aysel Koksal Akyol. “The Relationship of Art and Music Education with Adolescents’ Humor Styles and Interpersonal Problem Solving Skills.” Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, no. 72, Jan. 2017, pp. 43–61. EBSCOhost, search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.nicholls.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,cookie,url,uid&db=eric&AN=EJ1232386&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Graham, Steve. “Changing How Writing Is Taught.” Review of Research in Education, vol. 43, no. 1, Mar. 2019, pp. 277–303, doi:10.3102/0091732X18821125.

Munden, Paul. “Creative Living: How Creative Writing Courses Help to Prepare for Life-Long Careers.” English: Shared Futures, edited by Robert Eaglestone and Gail Marshall, NED-New edition, Boydell & Brewer, 2018, pp. 162–70, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1ntjh4.24.

Spurr, Barry. “The Inane Expansion of Creative Writing Courses.” Quadrant Magazine, vol. 63, no. 5, May 2019, pp. 46–49. EBSCOhost, search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.nicholls.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=136228745&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

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About the Creator

Lena Folkert

Alaskan Grown Freelance Writer 🤍 Lover of Prose

Former Deckhand & Barista 🤍 Always a Pleaser & Eggshell-Walker

Lifelong Animal Lover & Whisperer 🤍 Ever the Student & Seeker

Traveler 🤍 Dreamer 🤍 Wanderer

Happily Lost 🤍 Luckily in Love

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