So I just had my first creative writing seminar at uni. We spent most of the two hours reading the module outline out loud ??? (I know I’m terrible but I have never seen the point in reading things like that out loud in class. I can read myself).
Anyway the one bit of writing we did was what they called “automatic writing” where without stopping, censoring, correcting etc. we had to write about someone we knew well and precisely describe what they were likely doing at that moment.
I learnt two things
1) it’s really easy to get off the point when I am basically just free typing
2) my typing speed was 1154 words in 15 mins. That is how fast I can type – crucially though it is NOT how fast I can write as stream of consciousness isn’t writing.
I hope we actually get to do something fiction/creative related next week. It was the first ever session so it was bound to a bit slow.
WTF is a module and sounds like maybe you need a new uni… Why would you do a read aloud? What? (she says snarkily without too much sincerity)
Also, I have tried many creative writing classes and some of them have been… not what I’ve hoped for, while others have been grand.
So maybe there’s not need to fire the uni, but don’t give up hope if one writing class doesn’t meet with your expectations. LOL.
Heh keep the snark coming 🙂
I am 100% in the “why would you do a read-aloud?” Camp. I understand reading a poem, that is important as it needs to be felt as much as read. I understand acting out a play to bring the lines to life. I do not understand reading an admin document out loud.
Not giving up though 🙂 I just paid them an ungodly amount of money for the year.
A module is how they split the classes. There are 3 modules a semester, and two semesters in a year so study a total of 6. The modules divide out separate areas of study. I have one on close-critical reading, another on analysing literature in its historical context and then the creative writing one.