Qualifications - Writers Forum

Drezzal · 11-06-2007, 11:19 PM

All writers say that they learn their experiences in writing through reading books but who here has high qualifications or who has rarely any (or no) qualifications ? Also, have you had a book published ? Would you say schools made you a better writter or just plain old experience ?

I was just wondering on this subject to see if qualifications really do make a fidderence

P.S| Sorry if this is the wrong place to put this mods

JohnN · 11-07-2007, 06:05 AM

I think formal education, such as doing a degree in English will give you experience with great literature. In that sense it will help you become a better writer.

You will not only read great stuff, but analyse it etc, which will help when you come to write your own stuff. I tend to write non-fiction and did a degree in politics. It doesn't really help with my english but it does give me a good grounding in certain issues.

I think formal education is worth getting. Its definitely not enough to make you a great writer but its a good first step.

RomanticRose · 11-07-2007, 06:19 AM

I majored in Psychology with an English minor.

The psych helps me to write more realistic, three dimensional characters.

Yes, I am published under several pen names.

l'etranger · 11-07-2007, 12:09 PM

Creative Writing courses, studying literary theory, philosophy, psychology - whatever - is just an add-on, so to speak. Nothing they teach you in school can make you a good writer. You've got to have some form of natural talent. And then, of course, reading as much as possible is the best way of improving your writing.

That said, life experience is equally important. Dostoevsky was sent to Siberia to do labour, much of the absurdity in Kafka's writing stemmed from his experiences working a menial insurance job, and so forth. You get the picture, I hope.

Jeff Colburn · 11-07-2007, 12:38 PM

I took a lot of English classes in high school and college, but majored in Criminology.

I also read a lot of poetry, good poetry that is. Rilke, Shelley, Byron, Jewel (the singer) and others will show you how to use only the words you need. Poets have a way of selecting the perfect word to express an emotion or thought. They don't have the room to use fluff or fillers, so read them and study how they write.

Have Fun,
Jeff

Davedurdans · 11-07-2007, 03:38 PM

I was editor of a uni magazine. Nothing too big but it gave me valuable experience of proofing work.

HarryG · 11-10-2007, 01:44 PM

Once you learn spelling and grammar, you’ve grown wings.

A degree in English literature and the study of creative writing will clip your wings, but you will know how to fly straight.

If you’ve lived a lot of life, you will be able to soar up high and watch everything below; if you’re just starting off, you’ll be flapping around a bit while you’re learning.

If your father is a publisher and your mother a literary agent, you’ll fly through a very short, lit tunnel.

If you write well and present yourself professionally, you will fly through a dark tunnel and frequently bump into the sides, but eventually, you should see the light at the end.

If your writing is unsure and your presentation poor, you will fly through an everlasting dark tunnel, and you will hurt yourself along the way and never find the light.

If you’re a lucky fucker, and your writing is adequate, you’ll fly above the tunnel and be published.

Truth-Teller · 11-10-2007, 07:00 PM

Lmao.

Nice.

Loulou · 11-11-2007, 03:13 AM

Not sure how to answer your query Drezzal, cos it's a good one.

I'm only educated to A level standard (equivalent I think to finishing High School, not sure?) and have no degree. My A levels were in English Lit, English Language and Film Studies, but I only got two B's and a D, being pregnant at the time, which was decidedly foolish.

I'm published in the sense that I write a column for a newspaper. But it's in no way literary, just a short slice of life each week. I achieved this purely by luck - I sent some stuff I'd written to the paper six years ago and they invited me to write a couple of things.

For me it's been luck. I'm of average intelligence, average writing ability, but I can be pushy if I need to. What I do have is life experience. What use are ten degrees and five years of training and workshops if you've never actually lived? What will you actually write about?

Perhaps a degree would have given me a better understanding of langauge and better reading abilities (I'm barely literate) but it wouldn't have given me ambition or life experience.

PseudonymJ · 11-11-2007, 09:19 AM

I disagree with the general rule that greater life experiences make a better writer.
I believe people with no experience of a subject can write on a par with, even better than, people who have. Mainly due to the outside perspective they have on the whole thing.

Mike C · 11-12-2007, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PseudonymJ

I believe people with no experience of a subject can write on a par with, even better than, people who have. Mainly due to the outside perspective they have on the whole thing.

What utter rubbish. The less you know about something, the better you'll write about it? Wishful thinking from a moron, obviously.

Example: name two writers who wrote about the Spanish Civil war. Let me do it for you; Hemingway and Orwell. Name two who did it better? None. They were there, they experienced it.

Where do you think the phrase "Write about what you know" came from?

HarryG · 11-12-2007, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PseudonymJ

I disagree with the general rule that greater life experiences make a better writer.
I believe people with no experience of a subject can write on a par with, even better than, people who have. Mainly due to the outside perspective they have on the whole thing.

I don’t want to be too harsh and Mike has already answered as well, but this needs another comment.

Proper writing is about conflict, mainly; as an example, if the main character experiences fear, then the author should, and will have to write about what he knows about. It would help the author a great deal if he has felt that fear himself, an extreme example would be the paralyzing fear when attacked by a madman armed with a knife.

When writing about bereavement, it must be difficult to portray unless you have experienced it yourself.

Or love? Could anyone write about that without having been there? And unrequited love? And hatred at a level when you could kill someone?

What about an early morning on the ski slopes, after fresh snow? The first dive off the Barrier Reef?

The last right hook with your remaining strength when your opponent’s eyes glaze over and you know he’s not going to get up again?

That feeling that you’ve made love for so long that your balls are going to fall off.

Or that first fag and coffee in the morning (I’m sure most of us could write about that)?

And you don’t have to be a hundred years old to have sufficient experience.

Truth-Teller · 11-12-2007, 12:25 PM

Where's Lin to back up Psuedonym?

PseudonymJ · 11-12-2007, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike C

What utter rubbish. The less you know about something, the better you'll write about it? Wishful thinking from a moron, obviously.

Example: name two writers who wrote about the Spanish Civil war. Let me do it for you; Hemingway and Orwell. Name two who did it better? None. They were there, they experienced it.

Where do you think the phrase "Write about what you know" came from?

I apologise for the sweeping generalisation of my comment. I should of added 'Some of the time..' at the beginning. Experience doesn't automatically equal better writer. Its not as black and white as some people seem to think.

Obviously if you are talking about non-fiction related writing you are abosolutely right.
What i was getting at (and i'm sorry for not making this very clear) is more applicable to the unlikely situations commonplace in books.

An author that hasn't experienced something brings something different to the table, something that an experienced author might not. That thing - pre-conceived ideas, expectations, imagination. Something that a 'non-experienced reader' could relate too.

Sorry for the lack of clarity in my arguement, but i have a university assignment to complete and really don't have the time at the moment.

Although i didn't appreciate being called a moron, i thank you for trying to enlighten me.

Mike C · 11-12-2007, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PseudonymJ

I should of added 'Some of the time..' at the beginning. Experience doesn't automatically equal better writer.

Should have added...

Experience doesn't automatically equal better writer, quite obviously, but if two people with equal writing ability write about the same thing, one from a position of knowledge and experience, and one from a position of ignorance, are you really suggesting the ignorant one will produce better work? To do so would be truly moronic.

PS

Quote:

Although i didn't appreciate being called a moron, i thank you for trying to enlighten me.

I wasn't trying to enlighten you. I called you a moron because I thought you'd get upset if I called you a fucking idiot.