Working Past the Point of Pointlessness

When we were read the various class standards for an entry level creative class, I found myself being quite critical at times. Some, I believed, were too broad or over-reaching to the point of pointlessness. I felt that way, that is, until I started thinking of my own standards. I realized it is good to be rather broad to reach the most people possible and though my standards listed here are rather specific, it is important to have goals that are far reaching in order to maintain a high standard that cannot be reached in a day or a week. Here are my 5 standards:

1. A truly open and creative workshop environment can only be achieved in a calm and thoughtful place, thus students should maintain a respectful discourse at all times when speaking to their classmates about creative works.

2. Students will be periodically asked to write about a specific topic or ideal in order for them to further explore aspects of their creative process, and sense of self, that may have been previously unchallenged.

3. Students will acquire public speaking skills through their involvement in class discussion and readings of both their work and the works of others.

4. Students will both read and learn about the form and content of various genres of creative writing in order to broaden their own writing voice and technique.

5. Students will expand their worldview by reading works from culturally diverse backgrounds and experiences.

These are a few of the standards that I would value to be important. Especially in an introductory creative writing class, I think it is important to set the tone that though the work is often fun, it is still a class that deserves a lot of dedication and respect. I am a big fan of looking into the works of others in order to find inspiration on how to make your own work interesting. Pushing the boundaries of your own comfort level can be extremely rewarding in that a work you had previously never considered writing can end up being the most powerful.

Public speaking is an area that is extremely difficult for most people. In a creative writing class where you must share your own work, this fear can be magnified due to the fact that a creative work is all your own. Through the practice of reading and speaking allowed, this fear is bound to be reduced, but only in a respectful environment.