My Discipline

Altmann, Gerd. "Book, Books, Bookshelf, Read, Literature." 6/22/08 via pixabay. CC0 Public Domain License.

In this post I attempt to explain the philosophy of the Creative Writing degree as well as my decision to pursue it as my major here at the University of Arizona.

• What do students in your program learn how to do?

Creative Writing majors differ in many ways from English majors. English is more of the study of literature, understanding complex symbols and literary analysis. Creative Writing is more of the study of writing itself. You learn how to develop your thoughts, use specific diction, and develop a sense of style in your own writing. 

• What do people who get degrees in this field usually go on to do for work?

Most people think that a Creative Writing major can only get you to one place... Becoming a writer. But you can pretty much do anything you want with a Creative Writing degree, which is why I chose it over an English degree. Every company, business, and organization needs people that know how to write - otherwise there's no way to communicate with their customers or audience. In fact, after searching through the University of Arizona's Creative Writing page, I found a list of all the occupations that alumni hold. You can click here for the link. 

• What drew you to this field?

In high school I always excelled at my English and journalism classes so when I entered college I was immediately drawn to this field. I also really enjoy to read; some of my favorite books are the The Stranger by Albert Camus and Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri. People kept telling me that an English or Creative Writing degree won't get me anywhere but I guess I'll just see where I end up. 

• Who are the leaders/most exciting people involved in your field right now? Why? 

I would say a well-known person in the writing field right now is author John Green. Some of his most notable works are Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars. Two of his books have been turned into movies, and a third is in the works. Since he's a young adult novel writer, he has a large fan base and even posts weekly Youtube videos addressing his brother who lives in another state from him. Most of his books connect with teens on a very relatable and emotional level, hence why they're so popular. 

The New York Times has always been a very prominent force in the art of writing. While it is technically considered journalistic writing, they are influential in upholding writing standards to all artists and authors. 

• What are the leading academic/scholarly journals in your field? Where are they published? 

A leading academic journal would be The New Yorker, which is a magazine that produces essays, criticism, fiction and other writing works. It is published by Condé Nast in New York City. 

Another one would be The Atlantic, which is a monthly magazine that focuses on politics, business and other current events happening in America. It is published by Atlantic Media and is based out of Washington D.C.

The Paris Review is also a leading journal in the field of Creative Writing, as it focuses on original writing and art pieces. It is published by Antonio Weiss and is headquartered in New York City. 

EDIT:
After reading Mike and Andrea's blogs, I feel a little more confused with my choice. I'm not entirely sure I want to do Creative Writing, I just kind of picked it because that's what I'm good at it and the general education requirements were broad enough so if I really wanted to I could switch to another major. Honestly now I'm kind of intimidated after reading my peer's blogs. Andrea talked about how she knew exactly what she wanted to do since high school after competing in some contests. Mike's computer science degree can get him pretty much anywhere because it's such a growing field. Creative Writing on the other hand isn't as sought out and you have to work on your resume and gain more experience to be more valued. However, I'm glad to be surrounded by such determined people.