Learning to Write…do you need a degree?

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

There are mixed messages in the writing community about getting a degree in Creative Writing, many professional writers think it’s unnecessary and you’re either born a writer or not, in other words you can’t be taught how to write. I do think there are gifted, talented natural writers in the world and then there’s those of us who work at it everyday. Do I think I will be a better writer when I have a degree in writing…hmmm. I think I will be more aware of my strengths as a writer and will be able to use those strengths to my advantage. Surrounding yourself with teachers and other students who share your passion for any subject can’t be a bad thing. When I worked for a local newspaper I worked with some wonderful editors and they had the ability to take my rough work and make it sound…well, professional. I also think there’s a time when you have to take everything you’ve learned and just throw yourself out there. You also learn by your mistakes, so every query, every rejection, every comment by a helpful editor or fellow writer is all part of the process. You can make the mistake of being a student forever and never putting your work on the line. What do you think?
Today, list all of your writing strengths and then list some things you need to work on. And for a fun diversion, check out this writing contest at Cool Stuff 4 Writers. Contest deadline is January 31. Now get back to work!

Lovingly,
The Writing Nag

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3 Replies to “Learning to Write…do you need a degree?”

  1. I thought I could write until I went to university and graduated in English.

    The course included journalism, poetry, and women’s writing, and taught me the discipline of writing to order. I found it hard not to divert my attentions to ‘more interesting stuff’, but looking back it was good training.

    There are, however, writers who left school at 15, and have taught themselves how to write by reading other works. It doesn’t make them less talented, but I can tell that they lack a certain amount of discipline in their syntax.

    I suppose my argument is: “How important is discipline?”

    Readers don’t seem to care, they, quite rightly, react to passion and enthusiasm. It is after all only the ‘chattering classes’ who criticise a writer’s work, and they are the ones who give Booker Prizes to people like Salman Rushdie!

    To answer your question…no I don’t believe that anyone ‘needs’ a degree, but it does wonderful things for self-confidence to have one.

  2. I don’t think you need a degree to learn to write well. I think that there are definitely some people who are born with a natural talent and fluency for writing, but those who are not gifted in this way can study and practice and hone their skills.

    Perseverance also pays off for those who continue to write and improve and never give up.

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