Getting a Degree in Creative Writing
Do you love to write on a regular basis? Do ideas and word combinations flow from your fingertips? Do you have a natural way of telling interesting stories? Do you want to learn how to become a journalist? If so, you may do well with a degree in creative writing. This can lead to an assortment of careers, and it will give you a chance to explore something you love for a living. You cannot get a better setup than that. If you are thinking about going through a creative writing degree program, you need to get an idea of the work this degree may involve. That way, you can fully determine if this is a degree for you. Here is a look at life with a creative writing degree so you can make a decision about your future.
Typical Courses in Creative Writing Degree Programs
The courses that you take for your creative writing degree may be different than the courses that someone else takes. The list below reflects the curriculum at Sante Fe University of Art and Design, and it should give you a general idea of the lessons involved with this kind of degree. Here are some of the most common courses associated with a degree in creative writing:
Life with a Creative Writing Degree
The amount of money you make with a degree in creative writing will depend on several factors. One of those factors may be the size of company you work in. Possible earnings include:
Look over the creative writing degree mentioned above and determine if it is right for you. If so, you could be putting your literary skills to the test in a matter of a few years. Good luck!
Posted: May 10th, 2012 under Uncategorized - No Comments. Writing an Essay in ReverseSome students have trouble writing essays in the traditional sense, moving from top to bottom. They struggle to get words on the pages this way, which causes them to take significantly longer to write whatever they need to write. If you’re going to school at one of the top online universities, you need to know how to write well and efficiently at the same time. This is crucial in a fast-paced degree program like the ones available on the web. When I was in college, I actually wrote all of my essays in reverse, starting from the conclusion and working my way to the introduction. This may be unconventional, but it worked for me. Here are a few reasons why you may want to use reverse writing the next time you have to write an essay for college. Making Sure the Conclusion Is Big When I write for the web, I can’t spend a lot of time leading up to the point. I have to let people know what I’m talking about so they don’t move on to another website. In the case of college writing though, you actually want to do the opposite. You want to take people on a journey that eventually leads to a big conclusion. This is known as pyramid construction, and it is one of the most effective writing methods you could employ in college.
Creating Support for the Conclusion When you have the conclusion in place, you already know where you are going with what you are saying. If you write from intro to conclusion, you may struggle at the end to wrap everything together. I think my essays flow together a lot better when I write them from bottom to top, but that may just be me. The only way you will know if you can have the same experience is to test this idea and see what happens. Creating an Intro with a Hint..ro I just had to put hintro in there. It was too punny to leave out Conclusion…Even This Article Has One At the end of the day, I just think that reverse writing is more effective for getting a point across. You may have to work a little harder to get everything to flow this way, but you will at least have a solid foundation to work with. Try writing your conclusion, then your body, then your intro and see what happens for you. If everything works out well, you will end up with a killer essay that blows people’s minds.
Posted: April 19th, 2012 under Uncategorized - No Comments. Sounding Smart without OvercompensatingFor some reason, most people think that an essay in college has to sound stiff and boring, but that is not necessarily the case. While there is nothing wrong with sounding intelligent in a college essay, you also need to keep in mind the need to make your writing interesting to read. If you’re purely focused on sounding smart, you may actually come across as someone who is overcompensating for a lack of confidence or intelligence.
Remember: Smart Words Aren’t Necessarily Big Words Most people assume that they have to use large words to sound intelligent. “Stupidification” is a large word, but that does not mean it is intelligent or even real. You can’t always assume that you have to use 18 syllable words just to make a point. One or two syllables may suffice. See? The word “suffice” sounds intelligent, but it isn’t very long. You can use simple words that make a big impact, and that will make your writing much more successful in the end. Don’t Use a Word You Can’t Define One of the easiest ways to make yourself look stupid in an essay is to use a word incorrectly. That will have the opposite affect on your writing. (Yes, I used “affect” on purpose). If you don’t know what a word means, don’t use it. If you can’t think of any other word to replace it with, research the definition to make sure you are applying it correctly. Then you will at least know that you’re not going to sound like a total idiot in an essay. Write in a Readable Way Formal writing doesn’t have to be confusing. If you avoid slang and contractions, you will be able to come across in a formal way without sounding like you are trying too hard. Your essays still need to be readable, no matter how formal they may be. If your writing flows well, you should be able to sound intelligent without making your work confusing. I like to think that’s what I do around here, even though I make my writing a little more informal than a college essay would be. You get the point though (I hope). Correct Your Grammar Mistakes Grammar mistakes can turn intelligent points into distractions, which is something you never want to go through in an essay. You need to focus on making your grammar picture perfect if you are going to make an intelligent argument. Check all of the silly typos that make your essay sound stupid, and make sure that you have punctuation in all the right places. Wait a day before you edit so you can approach the work with a fresh mind. Then you will be able to look at it just like anyone else would. Fine-al Thoughtz Now that you know how to sound smarterer when you types up an essay onda computer, alls you gotta do is apply the principals to you’re next essay edventure. You may half to practice a lil’ bit; but eventually you should be abel to find a way to sound smart without overcompens8ing. Looks like Im off to works on my writting becuz it a-peers to be slippin’. Wish me luck!
Posted: April 5th, 2012 under Uncategorized - No Comments. Making Money as a Technical WriterTechnical writers are professionals that write about technical information, like science, technology, medicine, and architecture. These individuals have to write at a higher level than other writers because they are usually hired to construct manuals or rule books. If you have a knack for writing formal papers in college, you may also have a knack for this line of work. Here is an overview of how this process may work so you can make a plan for your future. Most technical writing jobs are available on the internet through sites like oDesk and Elance. I find most of my technical writing work through oDesk, but I have even found work through Craigslist on occasion. You may have some companies in your area that need writers to help them out, so call around and see what sort of opportunities are available for you. Then you will know whether or not you need to have a degree to work for the company or not. How Much Can You Make? The amount of money that you can earn as a technical writer will depend on the kind of work you do. I used to have a technical writing job that paid $.07/word for every article that I wrote, meaning that a 500 word article was worth $35. I stopped working for the company because I found other ways to make more money for the same time I spent on that project, but from what I remember, the income was pretty nice in this profession. Listed below are some of the salary statistics from across the country to prove this point even further. Earnings Based on Years of Experience
Earnings Based on Specialization
As you can see, this would provide you with a great income to supplement your college education, and it may even turn into a full time career for you. That all depends on the kinds of work you find and the amount of experience you have in certain fields. If you land a good job early on, you could make more than a lot of certified nurse assistants make. It’s all a matter of finding someone that will pay well for the writing services you have to offer. What Does All of This Mean? It means that learning good writing habits now could lead you to a well-paying job in the future. I never thought much about this until I started making money as a freelance writer, and then I really saw my grammar stills being put to good use. If I had more patience, I would probably take on technical writing jobs all the time because of the great pay. If you have the ability to write effectively, use it to generate an income for yourself. You may be surprised by how much of a difference that could make in your life.
Posted: March 22nd, 2012 under Uncategorized - No Comments. Writing with Passion When You Have NoneI write every single day of the week for anywhere from six to twelve hours a day. That is a lot of time to devote to the keyboard, so you’d think that I would at least enjoy what I do. Sadly, you couldn’t be further from the truth. I may act like I love to write, but my true passion is math and design. I have never enjoyed the writing process, but I’ve always been good at it. That’s why I chose to pursue it as a career. If you hate writing like I do, you probably have trouble conveying your ideas in college essays because the hate comes across as a lack of care. I have been down this road many times in my day, so I thought it may be nice to provide some quick writing tips for people who hate writing. Whether you’re applying for minority scholarships or you’re writing an essay for class, you will need to learn how to fake it with the best of them. Here are some tips that should help you fool the school and anyone else that comes across your writing in the future. When you hate to write, you will inevitably stop in the middle of what you are doing to “come back to it later.” This may work in some situations, but it is not ideal in most cases. Instead of doing that, you should write down all of your thoughts in one sitting so that they flow together consistently. I started writing this article at 12:24, and I plan to finish it before 12:36. Seeing that it is 12:26 now, I’d say I’m making pretty good time. I always write from beginning to end, without any pauses in between. That is what keeps my thoughts moving on the page, and it is ultimately what makes me efficient at my job. Don’t Procrastinate I am the princess of procrastination, and I have been that way since I can remember. I always assume that there is way more time in the day to do things than there actually is. Of course, I always pull off a project in the end, even if I push it off to the last minute. Nevertheless, I have learned that this is a vicious cycle to get into. If you hate to write, you need to just get it over with. Rip it off like a Band-Aid and push through it early on. Then you will have time to review your work and relax in the wonder of your writing freedom. Use Elevated Language As much as you may want to half-ass your work when you hate doing it, you need to maintain the quality standards for your writing. I’m not saying that you have to write like Charles Dickens or Emily Dickenson, but you do need to write like the college student you are. None of this three words per sentence crap or paragraphs that have a statement without a supporting sentence. Your professors will know when you just bullshit to get through something. You can’t let them see the frustration in your writing. I am well aware of how hard it is to write when you don’t have a passion for it, but it is something that you will have to do throughout your life. You might as well learn how to grin and bear it now so you can fake your way to success. I do it every damn day, and I feel pretty proud to say that. You just need a little practice to do the same. PS: It’s 12:37 now. I’m a minute late, but I don’t think I did that terribly for 630 words
Posted: March 8th, 2012 under Uncategorized - No Comments. How Web Writing Differs from Printed WritingMy husband is taking a writing for the web class right now online, and they have been talking a lot about the differences between internet writing and printed writing. The information you read in a book or magazine is a lot different than the information you read on the web, both in format and in actual content. This is something that you may not notice at first, but you will if you ever decide to write for the internet. Whether you write for a blog or for a legit website, you will need to change your structure to match the way the internet works. The overview below explains how web writing differs from printed writing so you can adjust your compositions accordingly. Audience Differences One of the biggest differences in web writing and printed writing is in the audiences that read the pieces. On the internet, people are looking for quick answers and entertainment. They want to be able to scan through a piece of writing and pull all of the information they want within seconds. In print, people are more willing to actually read long paragraphs to find out information and answer their own questions. This impacts the way that writers communicate their ides because they have to address the needs of their audience. The only way to do that is to understand how they think and change their styling accordingly. Everything on the internet is broken down into chunks. Chunks are then broken up with headings, pictures, bullets, and more. You can see that in this article alone. I have headings that break up all of this text so you can read about what you want, not search for what you need. Printed works are often broken up into chapters and small paragraph sets, but only if they are really long. An essay for a class is not going to have headings like this because people are most likely to read it from front to back. They know they have a lot ot read, and they are willing to put time in to do so. Content Differences Web-based content has to respond to readers and search engines at the same time. Thus it has to contain keywords that a search engine can pick up on so that other people can find the work. With printed writing, you do not have to think about search engines in the slightest. All you have to do is write the information that you want to write and print it off for someone to read. That makes printed writing a lot easier as a whole, but it also make it less interesting in some ways. You have to keep that in mind as you write in the future. Language Differences Writing for the web tends to be more colloquial than writing for printed documents. Most web readers prefer slightly informal language because that is easier for them to comprehend. They do not want to have a thesaurus nearby just to read a paragraph or two. If you ever write for the internet, you need to make sure you “dumb down” your work a little bit to reach a larger audience. Web writing is not for everyone, but it is interesting to learn about. I have made it my career, and I have actually gotten to the point where I struggle with essay writing for the real world. You just have to get used to the formatting you are using at any given time, as that will make a big difference in the success of your work. With the right adjustments, you can reach large audiences with ease.
Posted: March 1st, 2012 under Uncategorized - No Comments. Typing Tips for BeginnersWhen I first started my career as a freelance writer, I was far from the fastest typist in the world. I was one of those people that would peck at the keyboard just hoping my fingers would form words for me. Over the past few years though, I have gotten significantly better at this unique art form, to the point that I can now consider myself a pretty decent typist overall. I still have a lot of room for improvement, but I don’t think what I do is half bad. Seeing that I’m the kindest person to ever walk the face of the earth (wink), I figured I would share some of my typing tips with other beginners like I used to be. Here are some of the tricks I have learned while typing for a living. One of the worst things you can do when you are a slow typist is stop to correct your typos. I used to do this all time, and I would take hours on end to write a simple paragraph or two because I misspelled everything along the way. Just get all of your thoughts down in a document at once, and then you will be able to go back at the end and fix it. It takes a lot less time to reread a document and make simple corrections than it does to go through it while you type. Let it all come out first, and then you can spend time editing whatever you need to edit. Use AutoCorrect AutoCorrect is a unique feature in Microsoft Word that will automatically correct typos when you type them in so you don’t have to later on. This may not teach you to type well, but it will help you get through your typing quicker. I use this religiously, and it saves me a ton of time when I type. If you continuously make the same mistakes over and over and over again on the computer, you can use AutoCorrect to fix them for you. Then you will be able to get done with whatever you need to do as quickly as possible. Practice, Practice, Practice The more you type, the more familiar you get with the keyboard. Three years ago, I couldn’t have told you where any of the letters were on the keyboard at all. Now I can type without even looking down most of the time. I don’t always end up with the words that I meant to write, but I usually end up with something pretty close. Try playing typing games online if you have a hard time using the computer, or volunteer to type up some University of Phoenix reviews for your friends. Just do whatever you have to do to get familiar with the keyboard. You’ll be much better off that way in the end. Find Your Rhythm There is supposedly a right and wrong way to type, but that doesn’t make a lot of difference when it comes to your results. If you find a method that works for you, use it. It doesn’t matter how stupid it may look to other people. I had a friend of mine that used to type with one or two fingers, and he was fast as hell on the computer. You just have to figure out what your rhythm is and fall into it every time. With the right amount of practice, you can type like a pro with little effort at all. Take my advice and see if it does anything for you in the future.
Posted: February 23rd, 2012 under Uncategorized - No Comments. Weird Words to Use So You Don’t Sound InaniloquentMy husband likes to pass his free time by with StumbleUpon, and he came across this list of weird words that made me, the writer, a bit intrigued. I can’t say I’ll use any of these in my articles in the future, but they are definitely cool to know. If you have been looking for a new vocabulary to pepper into your college essays, one of the words below may be just the thing you need. The list is actually a lot longer than this, so you can find the full version on TinyOnline. Here are 50 unusual words that you probably don’t know about.
Try working one or two of these into your day to day vocabulary, just to see how people react. Use them with your friends and see if they try to play it off like they know what you are talking about. If you carry yourself with the right confidence, you can actually convince people you are a lot smarter than you really are. I hope you got a few laughs from all of this, and you may have even learned a thing or two along the way. I know I certainly did.
Posted: February 16th, 2012 under Uncategorized - No Comments. 4 Forgotten Features of Microsoft WordI use Microsoft Word literally every day of the week, and I have been doing so for almost three years now. Over that time, I have become quite familiar with the program, more so than most people that I know. Most people know the basics of Words, like how to change the style of the font or how to make something bold. What they don’t know is how to use the hundreds of special features embedded into the program. There is a reason why Microsoft charges a ton of money for a copy of this software. It is because it comes packed full of features to make your writing the best it can possibly be. Here are four features in MS Word that I think most people don’t know how to use to their full advantage. I have talked about using AutoCorrect in some of my other blogs, but I don’t think I have harped on it much around here. AutoCorrect is a special feature of MS Word that corrects typos for you as you type. I always spell the word “something” as “soemthign” because my fingers get ahead of one another, but I have my AutoCorrect set up to fix that. Thus I do not have to edit that word every single time I mess it up. The program does it for me. The next time you misspell something, right click on it and pull up the AutoCorrect options. You might be surprised by how much of a difference it could make for you. A-Z Sorting I am a big fan of lists. I use them all the time in my blogs. Most of my lists are not written in alphabetical order though, and that sends my writing OCD into overdrive. With the A-Z sorter on MS Word, I can easily highlight my list and organize everything with the touch of a button. For newer versions of Word, that option is in the “Paragraph” section, and it has a picture of an A on top of a Z with an arrow by the letters. If you want to organize a ton of information in a short period of time, you will fall in love with this button. Drawing Tools If you ever insert pictures into your Word documents or use one of the shapes already in the program, you may not realize that you can do a lot of stuff with those objects. Once you put something like that into a Word doc, you should see a colored tab in the upper right hand corner of the program. Click on that and you will get the chance to edit every aspect of how the image looks. You can change the frame around it, create a 3D effect for it, add a shadow underneath, or do whatever else you want. I actually prefer this over a lot of image editors out there, so I would strongly recommend that you explore those options when you start using Word extensively. Find/Replace Don’t you hate it when you write an entire essay and then realize that you spelled the main character’s name wrong? I have done this with my articles countless times over. Rather than looking all over the document for the messup, you can just use the Find/Replace option to change everything at once. You can access this through the “Editing” section of the software, or you could just hit Ctrl+F for Find or Ctrl+H for Replace. Then you can make note of whatever changes you need, and you can fix everything at the same time. Explore Microsoft Word a little closer and see what all it has to offer. It may make you a better writer for your online accounting courses in the end.
Posted: February 9th, 2012 under Uncategorized - No Comments. Could You Make Good Money as a Freelance Writer?Freelance writing is a great job option for college students because it is something that they can do when they are away from class. I actually started this career when I was an architecture student because I was having a hard time finding a job that could work around my college schedule. Now I do this for a full-time income, and I make damn good money at it. Not all freelance writers make high salaries, but most people at least make more than minimum wage in this profession. If you are thinking about becoming a freelancer in the near future, you may want to learn about the money you could make in this line of work. Here are some charts and explanations to help you figure that out. Different Kinds of Payments for Freelance Writers Freelance writers do not always get paid by the hour like most other workers are. I have actually never had an hourly job. Instead of getting paid by the amount of time I spend writing, I get paid based on the amount of writing that I do. This gives me motivation to work more efficiently because I will be paid more money. Fixed price work is usually issued by the word, so I get paid a certain amount of money for every word that I write for a customer. The pay rate will vary from client to client, as will the time needed to complete an article. The problem that I have with hourly pay is that writers usually try to milk that for all it is worth. Two of my clients refer to me as a robot because I literally get through three times as Freelance Writer Salary Statistics It is impossible to say what the average freelance writer salary is because there are so many factors that go into influencing that. Heck, I can’t even tell you what my average salary is because there is so much of a variation. Nevertheless, PayScale.com has figured out some common salary ranges of this profession that you may want to keep in mind. The results might be surprising… Salary by Years of Experience
Hourly Rate by Years of Experience
See? There is some pretty decent money to be made in this profession. You can write on the side while going to school and pay all of the bills you have in a month. That’s a winning solution all the way around. Think about this job carefully, and figure out if it is right for you. You may also want to check out some of my other articles about freelance writing, just in case you want to get started in it:
Posted: February 3rd, 2012 under Uncategorized - No Comments. Turning a Rough Draft into a Final CopyWhen it comes to writing essays for college, you will inevitably come across the process of turning a rough draft into a final copy. This involves a lot of editing, writing, reading, and rewriting, but it is what has to happen to ensure that your work is up to pr. Some people go through 20 drafts before they get to the right one and others just tweak the first before submission. It just depends on how well you established a starting point. Here are some tips to help you go from the first stage to the final stage of essay writing as smoothly as possible. Some people jump immediately into the editing process after they have written a rough draft. This is not a good idea. Editing takes time, which is why you cannot rush good essay writing. You have to go through the steps necessary to get the project finished correctly. If you leave the essay and come back to it the next day, you will be able to look at it from a fresh pair of eyes. You will not read it in a way that suits your thought process. You will read it like an outsider. That will give you the best perspective into the changes that need to be made. Take at least an hour pause before every round of edits so that you don’t skim over blatant mistakes in your writing. Assess the Flow of the Writing One of the biggest problems that people have trouble with is writing with a logical flow. If you do not have a sense of fluidity to your essays, you will not get a good grade on them. Period. College professors like to see coherent thoughts that transition from one to the next with ease. If people cannot progress through your writing without pausing to figure out where they are, you need to rethink what you have to say. This will make you a better writer and a better thinker in the end. Make Sure All the Points Are There When I was in college, I remember always turning in papers and then remembering that I forgot to add something afterward. It may have been a resource that I wanted to use or a point that I really wanted to make. Don’t fall into the same trap I did. Go through your essay prompt and make sure that you address every single criterion that happens to be on there. If you’re missing something or you have not taken a certain topic far enough, edit before the final copy so that you can get the best grade possible or the most essay scholarships possible. Get a Second Opinion It is always a good idea to have someone else read over your writing before your professor does. That way you can get feedback from someone who doesn’t know what you “meant to write.” You may think that you addressed a point perfectly in your writing, but someone else may think that it wasn’t clear at all. If you get a second opinion, you can correct all of those little errors before they come up in your grading. You can get a second opinion from a peer, another professor, a friend, or anyone else that is willing to provide you with some constructive criticism. As long as you take the advice as feedback and not hatred, you should be able to make the adjustments you need for the perfect final draft. This all takes time, but it is well worth the A you get from it in the end.
Posted: January 29th, 2012 under Uncategorized - No Comments. |








