How to Become a Creative Writing Teacher
John Barth, novelist and retired creative writing professor, wrote in "The New York Times" that creative writing can be learned and it can, indeed, be taught. Some of the most celebrated authors have gone through creative writing programs and become teachers themselves. American writer Raymond Carver studied under novelist John Gardner at Chico State and short-story writer Richard Day Cortez at Humboldt State. Eventually, Carver ended up teaching at the prestigious Iowa Workshop, where Jay McInerney ("Bright Lights, Big City") was his student.
Most career creative writing teachers work in higher education and usually, not always, in graduate degree programs. According to "The New Yorker", there are currently over 800 creative writing programs in the United States that offer degrees.
(Reference 1 and 2)
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Things You'll Need
- MA, MFA or PhD in English, creative writing or literature
- Publishing record
Instructions
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Obtain an MA, MFA or PhD in creative writing. Do your research before applying to any program. Find out a program's overall ranking, the types of writers it has produced and the caliber of its instructors. Also check to see if these programs offer teacher apprenticeships.
(Reference 3)
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Read fiction, non-fiction, magazines and books on writing. Examine how a writer uses syntax (sentence structure) and diction (word choice) to create style, story and clarity.
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Write. The more you write the better you will be able to understand the craft of writing--and by doing so, you will be better able to teach it.
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Attend workshops. Get your work critiqued by your peers to help you figure out what is and isn't working in your writing. Listen to their comments, but know that it's your work and you have to decide what's best.
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Publish your work, thereby building your credentials as a writer. Start with sending out stories to literary magazines. If you have a completed novel that you feel is ready, shop it around to agents who will in turn shop it around to publishers.
(Reference 2)
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Gain teaching experience. If you are in a graduate program, most universities and colleges offer opportunities to be a teacher's assistant. Some programs also allow grad students to teach undergraduate courses in composition.
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Create a curriculum vitae, or CV, a resume that is used specifically for faculty jobs. Focus your CV on your education, teaching experience and publishing record. (Resources 1)
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Sign up with online job agents such as HigherEdjobs.com, Higher Education Recruitment Center and the Association of Writers and Writing programs (AWP). Once you find an open position, write a letter of application and send it off with your CV. (Reference 1, Resources 1 & 2)
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Tips & Warnings
Familiarize yourself with the publishing industry, not only for yourself but for your students as well. Stay abreast of the literary world. Don't become discouraged if you don't obtain a job quickly--continue writing, publishing and applying for jobs.
According to the AWP, there are far more degree holders than there are tenure-track positions. (Resource 3) Do not expect a full-time professorship out of the gate. You may have to teach other writing classes, such as composition and developmental English. Once you get work as a creative writing instructor, you must continue publishing to retain your job. This is known as "publish-or-perish" in the academic world. (Resource 2)
