Creative Writing

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 Many students may think that the Writing Center is just for academic papers, and that makes sense. We are part of a university, so we should focus on collegiate work, right?


Well, actually, much of collegiate work is creative, especially for students who are Creative Writing majors or minors. Stories and poems can just as difficult to write--if not more so--as essays and research papers. And it is even more difficult for most people to share their creative works than it is to share academic papers. Creative writing allows us to reveal very intimate parts of ourselves, and when we are unwilling to show those parts to others, it can become very arduous to get any kind of feedback.

But I am here to tell you, writers, that the Writing Center is here to help. A large majority of our tutors are/were Creative Writing majors and minors; we understand the struggles of writing creatively and we have experienced the fear of showing our most private thoughts to entire classrooms through our writing. Any of us would be happy to work with writers on a creative piece with the utmost respect and sensitivity. Plus, it would really be a refresher from our usual onslaught of essays and narratives.

We know how scary it is to have a creative piece reviewed, but we struggle with the same emotions about our creative writing. We love it, we hate it, we swear never to show it to anyone. But getting feedback from an audience is the most effective way to become a better writer. And when your writing is successful, anything is possible. Who knows--maybe you'll even get a book deal.

So bring in your short stories and your long stories, your poems and your flash fictions, your memoirs and your novels. Let us take a look at your creative writing and help you make it great. We won't judge, and we won't laugh (unless it's a comedy; then, we'll laugh unreservedly). But we will help, and maybe even give you the confidence you've been missing.

All the best in your creative endeavors!

--Sarah