Comments on: Writing Salon: Creative Writing at BYU http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/ Critical Conversations to Redeem and Perfect Mormon Arts Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:30:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Heidi Harvey http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/#comment-171 Heidi Harvey Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:04:22 +0000 http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/#comment-171 8ymswso7u97eyfi0 8ymswso7u97eyfi0

]]> By: Paradox http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/#comment-139 Paradox Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:39:47 +0000 http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/#comment-139 Thanks so much for that! That's exactly what I needed to hear. Thanks so much for that! That’s exactly what I needed to hear.

]]> By: David Hulet http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/#comment-138 David Hulet Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:24:23 +0000 http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/#comment-138 Quasi-post length response to Paradox: >>If BYU is working on getting an MFA for creative writing, about how long do you think it’ll take to actually happen?<< Because I'm not directly involved in the creating itself, I don't have a solid answer on this. It depends on how many more times they hit snags on the way to the top. I think they are three? two? tiers from going all the way. The latest snag I know of involved expanding the vision slightly, and more inane paperwork. But it's in the works. >>But seeing as that’s not the case currently, I’m wondering whether or not to switch into Anthropology and pursue English as a minor.<< As for your choice of college path, I would say that you should stick with English. Especially with words like these: "The only thing worth writing at all is the thing you want to write most. The words that man must write or die, the words that speak from the very pit of the human soul, that taste of desire, the purest human experience and unadulterated truth--This is what we live to write. These are the words that, when spoken, are heard again and again, even if they're only read once; that bring tears for reasons that are unclear, but felt all the same... 'even if...it's just for a day.'" If you are like me and absolutely hate math and science, you want to stay away from stuff like Anthropology. As much as I wanted to be the next Indiana Jones and dig up cool stuff the change the world, I came up against a wall a year-and-a-half into the Anthro major once I had to take classes like "medical anthro" and "biological anthro." I mean EWWWW. So I switched to English. And that brings me to my next bit of advice. If you are just starting in the fall, then you should be just fine for when BYU gets the MFA done. I did the major in 4 semesters (2 years of Fall/Winter, with 3 classes done in Spring/Summer) and that was W A Y fast. I mean I was taking sometimes up to 3 literature classes at a time (that's like 33+ novels a semester). So if you are just starting, then you will most likely be fine. I was in the Anthropology major long enough to 1) get a minor :P and 2) realize the ONLY future there is teaching other college kids about digging stuff up, just like my professors. And I don't really want to do that. What about a psych minor? Those are fun. *waves his* >>What I’d really like to ask, point blank: do you feel that BYU is helping you to improve your writing and progress towards publication?<< Definitely yes. The creative writing faculty (ie, Steven Tuttle(my fave ever!), Margaret Young(even if she is part-time, she's still awesome and another fave!), Rick Walton(my #3 fave only because he's more picture books and I don't that much), Dean Hughes, John Bennion,... there's like a million more) are all STELLAR. Like way. Totally improved my writing. And honestly, any time I felt there was something lacking, I just created it. Quark has a creative writing group specifically tailored to sci-fi/fantasy writers, but myself and my co-conspirator Jackie Slade started a writing group with the specific goal of critique/feedback for publishing two semesters ago called Write_2_Publish (w2publish@gmail.com). I've also worked directly with her as the co-captain of Y Publish which runs the publication lab designed to help inform students where to publish and how to submit. So it's definitely better than when I arrived. Just today I got an email from the English Department about a newly created scholarship for Undergrad English Major Creative Writers, so that's another step in the right direction. I think by the time you graduate you'll be good to go as far as grad school. Let me know if you have any more questions I can spout off about :P Quasi-post length response to Paradox:
>>If BYU is working on getting an MFA for creative writing, about how long do you think it’ll take to actually happen?< <

Because I'm not directly involved in the creating itself, I don't have a solid answer on this. It depends on how many more times they hit snags on the way to the top. I think they are three? two? tiers from going all the way. The latest snag I know of involved expanding the vision slightly, and more inane paperwork. But it's in the works.

>>But seeing as that’s not the case currently, I’m wondering whether or not to switch into Anthropology and pursue English as a minor.< <

As for your choice of college path, I would say that you should stick with English. Especially with words like these: "The only thing worth writing at all is the thing you want to write most. The words that man must write or die, the words that speak from the very pit of the human soul, that taste of desire, the purest human experience and unadulterated truth--This is what we live to write. These are the words that, when spoken, are heard again and again, even if they're only read once; that bring tears for reasons that are unclear, but felt all the same... 'even if...it's just for a day.'"

If you are like me and absolutely hate math and science, you want to stay away from stuff like Anthropology. As much as I wanted to be the next Indiana Jones and dig up cool stuff the change the world, I came up against a wall a year-and-a-half into the Anthro major once I had to take classes like "medical anthro" and "biological anthro." I mean EWWWW. So I switched to English.

And that brings me to my next bit of advice. If you are just starting in the fall, then you should be just fine for when BYU gets the MFA done. I did the major in 4 semesters (2 years of Fall/Winter, with 3 classes done in Spring/Summer) and that was W A Y fast. I mean I was taking sometimes up to 3 literature classes at a time (that's like 33+ novels a semester). So if you are just starting, then you will most likely be fine. I was in the Anthropology major long enough to 1) get a minor :P and 2) realize the ONLY future there is teaching other college kids about digging stuff up, just like my professors. And I don't really want to do that.

What about a psych minor? Those are fun. *waves his*

>>What I’d really like to ask, point blank: do you feel that BYU is helping you to improve your writing and progress towards publication?<<

Definitely yes. The creative writing faculty (ie, Steven Tuttle(my fave ever!), Margaret Young(even if she is part-time, she’s still awesome and another fave!), Rick Walton(my #3 fave only because he’s more picture books and I don’t that much), Dean Hughes, John Bennion,… there’s like a million more) are all STELLAR. Like way. Totally improved my writing.

And honestly, any time I felt there was something lacking, I just created it. Quark has a creative writing group specifically tailored to sci-fi/fantasy writers, but myself and my co-conspirator Jackie Slade started a writing group with the specific goal of critique/feedback for publishing two semesters ago called Write_2_Publish (w2publish@gmail.com). I’ve also worked directly with her as the co-captain of Y Publish which runs the publication lab designed to help inform students where to publish and how to submit. So it’s definitely better than when I arrived. Just today I got an email from the English Department about a newly created scholarship for Undergrad English Major Creative Writers, so that’s another step in the right direction. I think by the time you graduate you’ll be good to go as far as grad school.

Let me know if you have any more questions I can spout off about :P

]]> By: Katherine Morris http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/#comment-131 Katherine Morris Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:18:26 +0000 http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/#comment-131 David: Thanks for the post. onelowerlight: I know exactly what you mean. Interestingly enough, some of my best ideas for stories have come from general education classes. Probably more so than creative writing classes. I've been having all kinds of inspiration in my physical science class this semester, for example, because I've been learning about physical laws and how the world works. Same with the BYU forum last week where famous string theorist Brian Greene came and spoke. Listening to him made me feel as though I were catching a glimpse of the universe. Those experiences are very conducive to getting the creative juices flowing. David: Thanks for the post.

onelowerlight: I know exactly what you mean. Interestingly enough, some of my best ideas for stories have come from general education classes. Probably more so than creative writing classes. I’ve been having all kinds of inspiration in my physical science class this semester, for example, because I’ve been learning about physical laws and how the world works. Same with the BYU forum last week where famous string theorist Brian Greene came and spoke. Listening to him made me feel as though I were catching a glimpse of the universe. Those experiences are very conducive to getting the creative juices flowing.

]]> By: onelowerlight http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/#comment-127 onelowerlight Mon, 31 Mar 2008 05:06:12 +0000 http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/#comment-127 Inasmuch as college in general makes me think and gives me material to write about, I'd say that BYU is doing an excellent job preparing me for publication. But I'm getting most of that out of the political science department, not the English department--not because the English department isn't that good, but because the political science department expands my mind and gets me asking questions about the world. I think creative writing is like stargazing: if you look at a star really, really hard head on, it tends to disappear right in front of your eyes, but if you turn your head and look at it out of your peripheral vision, it becomes one of the brightest objects in the sky. I study things other than English to give me materials to write about, and I learn how to write by practicing and studying the craft on my own. Inasmuch as college in general makes me think and gives me material to write about, I’d say that BYU is doing an excellent job preparing me for publication. But I’m getting most of that out of the political science department, not the English department–not because the English department isn’t that good, but because the political science department expands my mind and gets me asking questions about the world. I think creative writing is like stargazing: if you look at a star really, really hard head on, it tends to disappear right in front of your eyes, but if you turn your head and look at it out of your peripheral vision, it becomes one of the brightest objects in the sky. I study things other than English to give me materials to write about, and I learn how to write by practicing and studying the craft on my own.

]]> By: Blank Slate » How I write http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/#comment-126 Blank Slate » How I write Mon, 31 Mar 2008 04:32:43 +0000 http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/#comment-126 [...] commenting on David Hulet’s post on the recent BYU writing salon, I realized the topic was something I wanted to write about some [...] […] commenting on David Hulet’s post on the recent BYU writing salon, I realized the topic was something I wanted to write about some […]

]]> By: Ben Crowder http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/#comment-125 Ben Crowder Mon, 31 Mar 2008 04:17:23 +0000 http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/#comment-125 In answer to the how-we-write part: for me, spurts (squeezed out by deadlines) have been most common, but I agree that a regular, set time each day is far more productive. On the smaller scale, whether I outline, freewrite, or just start typing (or all three) really varies from piece to piece. But usually I freewrite to snag the idea, then write down the flanking idealets that trail it down, and for the rest of the piece I alternate between outlining and writing, switching whenever I get stuck. In answer to the how-we-write part: for me, spurts (squeezed out by deadlines) have been most common, but I agree that a regular, set time each day is far more productive.

On the smaller scale, whether I outline, freewrite, or just start typing (or all three) really varies from piece to piece. But usually I freewrite to snag the idea, then write down the flanking idealets that trail it down, and for the rest of the piece I alternate between outlining and writing, switching whenever I get stuck.

]]> By: Paradox http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/#comment-124 Paradox Mon, 31 Mar 2008 02:48:14 +0000 http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/#comment-124 If BYU is working on getting an MFA for creative writing, about how long do you think it'll take to actually happen? Because if BYU had an MFA, I'd have no doubt of my major for my first year of college in the Fall. But seeing as that's not the case currently, I'm wondering whether or not to switch into Anthropology and pursue English as a minor. What I'd really like to ask, point blank: do you feel that BYU is helping you to improve your writing and progress towards publication? If BYU is working on getting an MFA for creative writing, about how long do you think it’ll take to actually happen? Because if BYU had an MFA, I’d have no doubt of my major for my first year of college in the Fall.

But seeing as that’s not the case currently, I’m wondering whether or not to switch into Anthropology and pursue English as a minor.

What I’d really like to ask, point blank: do you feel that BYU is helping you to improve your writing and progress towards publication?

]]> By: onelowerlight http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/#comment-123 onelowerlight Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:25:21 +0000 http://mormonrenaissance.org/2008/03/29/writing-salon-creative-writing-at-byu/#comment-123 Interesting recap on the writing salon. I also enjoyed it. I think that people misinterpreted my question on "how do you balance family with writing," though. I wasn't looking for a formula, I was just trying to take a realistic, long-term look at the subject. A lot of people say that writers usually don't make enough to live on, so I wanted to examine that a little bit closer and discuss the practical side of writing and being a writer. I did feel that the panelists answered the question quite well, and I was satisfied with their comments. I think it's a valid question we should all be asking, at least of ourselves, and I don't know why people questioned whether I should be a writer just because I'm asking for a different point of view on the subject. But it was a good discussion nonetheless. Interesting recap on the writing salon. I also enjoyed it. I think that people misinterpreted my question on “how do you balance family with writing,” though. I wasn’t looking for a formula, I was just trying to take a realistic, long-term look at the subject. A lot of people say that writers usually don’t make enough to live on, so I wanted to examine that a little bit closer and discuss the practical side of writing and being a writer. I did feel that the panelists answered the question quite well, and I was satisfied with their comments. I think it’s a valid question we should all be asking, at least of ourselves, and I don’t know why people questioned whether I should be a writer just because I’m asking for a different point of view on the subject. But it was a good discussion nonetheless.

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