I did a course in my second year at University in creative writing. It was called Storytelling for Page and Screen, and I found it extremely interesting and, as an aspiring writer, very helpful.
We had two assignments; a short story and the first scene of a screenplay for a film or play. These were submitted to our tutor - who was a highly successful and published author - and then given back to us full of suggestions and constructive criticism. We also spent a lot of time in our classes writing little bits and pieces and peer-reviewing our work. Once you get over the initial awkwardness of having to read your raw, unpolished work to a room full of your peers and a successful author (and that takes time), it actually becomes fascinating and even, dare I say it, quite fun.
I really enjoyed that course and spent most of my second year wishing I had taken joint honours English Literature and Creative Writing (still a bitter regret of mine). I used to sneak the notes of a few of my classmates who did the Creative Writing joint module and ask them questions all the time. They seemed to have a great time, and I didn't speak to anyone from that course who said they didn't enjoy it and find it helpful.
So you can imagine my surprise when Hanif Kureishi, an author and playwright, recently rubbished creative writing courses as a 'waste of time' at the Independent Bath Literature Festival. This is particularly shocking when we consider, well, that Kureishi actually teaches creative writing courses himself at Kingston University. He said some pretty nasty comments, including calling most of his own pupils "talentless" and stating; "A lot of my students just can't tell a story. They can write sentences but they don't know how to make a story go from there all the way through to the end without people dying of boredom in between". Ouch.
OK. So he might teach some rubbish writers. But surely the courses will help them to learn how to become better? Surely that's the whole point?
Well, according to Kureishi, no. He goes on to say writing is a "...difficult thing to do and it's a great skill to have. Can you teach that? I don't think you can". Essentially his argument is this: you either have it or you don't. And if you don't have it, it can't be taught to you.
I fundamentally disagree. Some people will always be somewhat better than others, but as a general rule the more you practice something the better you become. And if you're interested enough in creative writing to be doing an MA in it in the first place, you're obviously relatively good. I did English Lit at University because I loved reading, and then writing about it. I wanted to do creative writing because I wanted to create my own work that someone would one day read, and then write about. I had that spark of interest that drove me and the choices I made. And the same is true for Kureishi's students; 'talentless' as they perhaps are at this precise moment. They're doing a master's degree in the area they are passionate about. That shows a kind of dedication that can only be reached through intense personal interest.
There's no doubt that writing is difficult. I won't deny that and nor would anyone with half a brain. I've been writing stories since I was a little child and I always remember it being tough. It can be frustrating and infuriating and of course it is intensely time-consuming. But it can be done, and it is done, every single day. And it is done well.
A good writer will work at it as often as they can, and will constantly take on advice from teachers. Constructive criticism and peer-review is really vital for writing. You need to be able to present your work to other people, to gage their reactions, and to register your target audience. Creative writing courses are fantastic for this: they give you the unique opportunity to hone your skills with the aid of someone who has already made it, and others who, like you, are trying to make it. You need to be able to know the rules before you can decide which ones you want to break to suit your writing style. Or if you even want to break any at all.
I'd also like to remind everyone (including perhaps Kureishi himself) of an important fact: art is subjective. Bad writing exists, but there are many grey areas in creative works. Authors have different styles and different ways of expressing themselves, and people respond to that in different ways. Trust me: I've done Literary Criticism (lucky me!) and believe me, opinions always differ. We need to keep this in mind when discussing 'talentless' writers - maybe they're only talentless in your opinion.
I'll end by suggesting another way of looking at this: creative writing courses aren't a waste of time, they're just too much money. I'd agree with that. But then, I think all courses are too much money, so that's neither here nor there.
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