While some parents might prefer their children to become doctors or lawyers, teachers often prefer their pupils to pursue a career in the creative writing field. After all, a job in writing is usually a safe bet, and can pay well in today’s world. Furthermore, creative writing teachers can enjoy the company of their students, teaching them to be patient and how to think critically.
What is creative writing, and why should you study it?
Creative writing can be described as ‘the practice of becoming aware of, exploring, and portraying the complexities of human nature through the power of words’
- TESOL
- Drama
- Nonfiction (including literature and journalism)
- Poetry
- Fiction
- Linguistics
- Rhetoric
- Aesthetic Studies (such as poetry criticism, creative non-fiction, and fiction criticism)
- Creative Writing
- English
- Literature
- Composition
In other words, creative writing is basically about using words to create an imaginative story, poem, or article. It often deals with issues such as love, relationships, and the human condition. To put it shortly, creative writing is all about words — finding the right words to convey an idea, feeling, or experience. For example, if you want to write about your first kiss, you’d need to find the right words to describe what it feels like. Creative writing is all about putting yourself in the shoes of another
- Nonfiction (including literature and journalism)
- Poetry
- Fiction
- Linguistics
- Rhetoric
- Aesthetic Studies (such as poetry criticism, creative non-fiction, and fiction criticism)
- Creative Writing
- English
- Literature
- Composition
Since its origin in the 19th century, creative writing has been a key foundation of English-speaking education. Whether you’re a high school or university student, a future teacher, or a working professional, you’re bound to come across creative writing at some point in your life. What is more, since the 21st century, the field of creative writing has expanded significantly, allowing for more job opportunities. According to the 2019 Creative Writing Jobs report by Future Inc. (a career consultancy), there were over 100,000 creative writing jobs available in the United States alone, offering lucrative employment opportunities.
The Growth Of Creative Writing Education
Back in the 1800s, creative writing was considered an ‘optional extra’ in most secondary schools. Even then, it was an invaluable skill for a student to possess. Thanks to the expanding field of computing, however, more and more schools are incorporating computer-based learning into their curriculum. Thanks to software like Scrivener, which allows for collaborative writing among students, teachers can now assign specific scenes in a story or novel to individual students, and allow them to work together to produce something unique. Students are frequently surprised by how much they’ve improved their writing skills simply by working on multiple stories with feedback from seasoned writers.
Furthermore, as noted above, since the 21st century, the field of creative writing has expanded significantly, offering lucrative employment opportunities. In fact, in 2022 alone, projected to be the worst year of the Great Depression, there were over 150,000 job openings for writers and editors
- In Fiction
- In Nonfiction
- In Poetry
- In Screenwriting
- In Television and Radio
- In Journalism
- In Advertising
- In Book Publishing
- In Magazine Publishing
- In Newspaper Publishing
- In Digital Publishing
The takeaway from the above is that you shouldn’t underestimate the power of words. Perhaps more importantly, you should also not underestimate the learning that can take place through writing. If you’re looking for a career in creative writing, then consider all the above, and be sure to grab a copy of Scrivener for your Mac or PC, or consider one of the many good WordPress blogs that can help you learn how to write and show your work to the world.