Do Creative Writing Courses Kill Creativity?

 
I’m a totally self-taught and self-educated writer, an autodidact. I’m not the first and no doubt I won’t be the last. Recently I was asked my opinion of creative writing courses and what I thought of the burgeoning creative writing industry. My initial reaction was to launch a fiery polemic against the nature of the global creative writing industry and how it exploits the dreams of millions of hopeful people who fall prey to its seductive promises. 

     But, strangely, for me anyway, I checked myself and said I would get back to them once I had mulled over the topic. Well I’ve had a chance to mull over the entire phenomenon at some length and have come to the considered conclusion that creative writing courses sterilise true creativity and turn it into a well worked, successful, but somewhat dull formula.

     So let’s take a look at the most famous author to have attended a creative writing course; Ian McEwan. As most people know he was the first student to attend the Creative writing course at the University of Anglia, and was taught by the novelists, Malcolm Bradbury and Angus Wilson. But, although a fine technician and elegant stylist, Ian McEwan does not appear to have an original idea in his head. His books are testament to an author who has had all the creativity taught out of him. I imagine him settling down to write a novel, re-running those lessons over and over in his mind every time he attempts to construct a sentence, paragraph or chapter. The death knell for any writer trying to be original.

     Originality is what makes a writer; this is what captures the reader’s imagination, and what sets him or her apart from their peers. Pages and pages of well-written minimalist, but emotionless prose can hardly compensate for a lack of ideas, vision, and literary verve.  For me a creative writing course is the literary equivalent of a straightjacket, leading even the most talented writers into an ideas free cul-de-sac. By their very nature creative writing courses nullify any hint of originality in a writer by paralysing their instinctive creative urges and stifling any raw talent that they may possess.  Ultimately it’s like painting by numbers or learning times tables off by heart.

     But once Anglia had set the ball rolling and some former students gained an Andy Warhol amount of literary fame, the industry exploded. Just google the words creative and writing and you will be bombarded with offers from a myriad of institutions, colleges, universities, and some downright dodgy organisations. And, for a price, they all promise to teach the individual the elusive art and craft of writing.

     And the popularity of such courses is also a worrying social trend. Why do so many people feel the need to have their hand held when learning how to write? Writing is not like learning how to be a demolition expert or an electrician, it doesn’t matter if you make a few mistakes, you’re not going to kill yourself or anyone else for that matter. So to all you aspiring wordsmiths and budding authors, I say to hell with the creative writing course, most of which only serve to keep failed novelists and poets in beer, throw caution to the wind. Go to that cheap rented room and get the word down, alone. Yes, you’ll make mistakes, yes you are more than likely doomed to failure, but at least you will have done it all by yourself!

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Last update : 15-11-2007 20:18

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