By Julia H. Jackson
Maybe you are familiar with the writing major’s curse: once the semester ends, and there are no looming deadlines or in-class essays, your motivation to write suddenly shrinks. It’s a bit of a paradox, really, because there are few students who long for homework assignments, and yet the regularity of a school schedule does insure productivity. But what happens when classes end, and you sit down to a blank page or a glaring computer screen, only to realize that you have no idea what to write? Today we suggest 5 Ways to Write Outside of Class, ideas that hopefully will rev your creative engine, and, who knows, beef up your resume while you’re at it.
5. Journalism and Media Internships
Whether you are a diehard poet or a regular blogger, your interest in writing already makes you stand out as a potential journalist. Although many say that the era of print journalism is dying out, some skills, such as pitching stories, interviewing subjects, and working under deadline, are universal in any medium. Regardless if you live in a bustling metropolitan hub or a small college town, there is always a reliable news source nearby. Some independent corporations offer internships in specialized fields, such as The Kaiser Family Foundation’s Media Internships in Health Reporting , while most newspaper chains such as The Washington Post have regular, term-length internship programs.
Even if a paper or organization doesn’t advertise an internship program, it never hurts to ask. Many small news organizations and publications rely on a small staff, and might offer to train you if volunteer your services.
4. Volunteer at Your Local Theater
This is a great opportunity for future Tony Kushners and Suzan-Lori Parkses . Sometimes the best way to become a better writer is to expose yourself to as much as possible: drama, comedy, one-acts, solo performances, dance, music, and community theater. Many theaters host rotating theatrical seasons, or might feature celebrated playwrights or artists-in-residence. Prominent theaters, such as the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky, offer internships in everything from dramaturgy to education to acting. If you’re not certain yet what kind of theater interests you the most, you can always volunteer as an usher, which, as I’ve been told, is a great way to get free theater tickets.
3. Become a Tutor
For many people, the best way to learn is to teach, because it reinforces what they already know. Many elementary and middle schools may need counselors for after-school activities, or might offer tutoring workshops for kids in specialized areas. Some university programs, such as the College of Creative Studies at UC Santa Barbara, offer arts programs for local kids, and rely on a young staff to help teach fun classes such as poetry, photography, and painting. Smaller schools might also offer opportunities to work as a teaching assistant, which is a valuable experience for potential teachers.
2. Check out Your Local Radio Station
Many college radio stations reserve time slots for beginner deejays and novice news producers. If you are interested in digital media or the music industry, radio is a great place to start. Prominent National Public Radio member stations, such as KQED in San Francisco, WNYC in New York, and WBEZ in Chicago, often accept interns and volunteers on a rolling basis. Smaller stations, such as San Francisco’s KALW, produce local news programs and often train volunteers how to report, as well as how to engineer audio. If anything, the opportunity to weave writing skills into serving your community always looks good on your resume.
1. Join a Writing Workshop
I know what you’re thinking—another class? Writing workshops aren’t exactly equivalent to classes, although they can be if you want them to. Many communities host writing classes and clubs through social organizations, and some site-specific courses, such as San Francisco’s Writing Salon or New York City’s Gotham Writing Workshop, are popular. Or, you can start your own group—why not? Gather a group of friends, set up a writing schedule, and make time to swap stories and offer feedback.
Writing, unlike, say, medicine, isn’t a craft that must be studied chronologically in order to be understood. Therein lies the inherent dilemma: how can one seemingly absorb all the skills necessary to be a successful writer while maintaining an original style and personality? We hope that our 5 Ways to Write Outside Class have offered some insight into the world of writing beyond school.
What gets you to write? Share your tips with us!
By Julia H. Jackson
You’ve just written an award-winning, life-changing short story. At least, you’re pretty sure you have, but you haven’t shared it yet, so you can’t be quite sure when the awards start rolling in, or when your life starts changing. You want to share what you’ve written, and maybe get some feedback, but the idea of sending your little manuscript to the big wide publishing world is a little like feeding a minnow to a shark. Just what does it mean to submit one’s work? Today, we’re offering 5 Tips for Submitting Your Work because we’d love to see your name in print just as you would.
1. Do Your Research
Choose your contests and intended publications carefully. If you are submitting to a publication, reflect on its title, major themes, and choice of work. Dog Fancy magazine probably wouldn’t want your 20-page vampire story, nor would The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction go for your Shakespearean sonnet. Magazines and journals rely on subscribers, and it is always a good idea to give them the impression that you’ve taken the time to read an issue or two. What kinds of pieces do they normally publish? Do any themes emerge? Do they publish poetry, fiction, nonfiction, art?
2. Follow the Directions
At the risk of sounding like your English teacher, following directions is always key for any writer. Many publications receive a disproportionate amount of submissions compared to the time they have to read, so editors might set aside a list of submission guidelines. These guidelines serve not only to weed out the incomplete submissions, but also to streamline the selection process. Pay attention to details such as word and page count, typeface and size, genre preference, deadlines, number of submissions, and method of submission. Although digital submissions are increasingly common, there are still some publications or contests that may require paper submissions sent via snail-mail.
Here’s an example of submission guidelines, taken from The Atlantic Monthly’s annual student writing contest:
“SUBMISSIONS should not exceed three poems or 7,500 words of prose. No entrant may send more than one submission per category, and entries must be postmarked by December 1, 2009.
MANUSCRIPTS should be typewritten (one side only, please) double-spaced, and accompanied by a cover sheet with the following information: title, category, word count, author’s name, address, phone number, e-mail address (if available), and academic institution. Of this information, only the title should appear on the manuscript itself.”
3. Don’t Submit Your First Draft
Remember that award-winning, life-changing short story? Remember how it started? Part of being a writer is finding your own writing process. Regardless if you’re the next Ernest Hemingway or Jhumpa Lahiri, your work can always benefit from a little feedback. Before sending your story off, share it with a trusted friend, teacher, or classmate. Double check to see that the piece you have meets the contest’s criteria, and that its topic or themes are relevant. Take pride in your hard work, and eventually others will too.
4. Cast a Wide Net
There is definitely an element of luck that goes into the world of publishing. But one trait all writers must posess is an almost die-hard persistence. Set realistic expectations, and try not to limit your options. Want to submit to The New Yorker? Great, but don’t forget the plethora of smaller, independent publications that might be searching for a new voice.
5. Try, Try Again
In an interview with Poets and Writer’s Magazine, poet and frequent contest-winner Gregory Loselle commented that rejection is tough, sometimes a real dedication to the piece at hand pays off: “Another positive experience I’ve had more than once this year is that two poems which had consistently not won awards—after many, many tries—and which I was thinking of ‘retiring’ from submission, turned out to be prize winners. I would suppose that it’s just a question of the work finding its destined reader—and of not giving up hope.”
Loselle brings up an important idea: audience. Remember that many times, the best writing is not written for an intended person or publication, but for the sake of storytelling itself. Take your rejections and acceptances with a grain of salt, and try to get something from the experience either way.
Whatever happens, don’t be afraid to take a chance. In the words of Sylvia Plath,“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”
Have you been published before? Want to share some advice? Keep us posted! Let us know when we can read your award-winning, life-changing short story.
