The Scholarship of Creative Writing Practice: Beyond Craft, Pedagogy, and the Academy

The first study to explore deeply and intimately the complex and multifaceted nature of creative writing practice, The Scholarship of Creative Writing and Practice offers a new route in scholarly inquiry for creative writing studies, probing beyond pedagogical methods (with which most of the field's scholarship is occupied) to explore the writing life as it is experienced by a wealth of international writer/academics. With academic creative writing programs beginning to adopt a more pragmatic, industry-focused stance, students of writing increasingly need and expect to complete their degrees moderately prepared to monetize the skills they have learned – so there is now more than ever a great responsibility to present studies, methodologies and experience that can inform students and instructors. In response, Sam Meekings and Marshall Moore have pulled together academic investigations from some of the most prominent names in creative writing studies to take stock of the diverse definitions and pluralities of creative practice, to examine how they have carved out a 'writing life', what work habits they have adopted to achieve this, how these practitioners work as creatives both within and outside of the academy and to put forward strategies for a viable writing life. Offering intelligent, philosophical, pragmatic and actionable methods for robust writing practice, this book provides a multi-national perspective on the various aspects of practice and process. Essays explore what writing practice means for individuals and how this can be modeled for students; how the mythic nature of creativity can be channeled though practical working habits; practice through the lenses of social responsibility, sensitivity, empathy and imagination; writing during times of duress and the barriers writers encounter in their craft; the demand of author platforms; the role of the creative writing academic/writer; and the process of learning from published and practicing authors. Wide-ranging in its investigations and generous in insight, The Scholarship of Creative Writing and Practice presents creative, imaginative and transdisciplinary approaches to this under-researched area. Cover Halftitle page Title page Copyright page Contents Contributors Introduction Marshall Moore Falmouth University, UK Sam Meekings Northwestern University in Qatar References 1 Three New Myths for Inspiration Kim Wilkins University of Queensland Make ‘Bad’ Art Share the Joy Find the Romance in Labour Conclusion References 2 On the Plurality of Practices Andrew David King University of California, Berkeley Introduction: Worlds and Practices Divided by a Common Language The Absent Centre of Academic Creative Writing Pedagogy Lessons from Other Fine Arts Pedagogies Conclusion: Practice Beyond Pedagogy References 3 Travel Guide to the Unconscious Practices of Creative Writers Jason Wirtz Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY) Automaticity The Muse Writing Leading the Writer Writing as an Independent Mode of Thought Departing Thoughts References 4 Faculty Creative Writing as Nationally/Notionally Funded University Research Darryl Whetter Université Sainte-Anne, Canada Universal Professor-Writer Questions in This Canadian Particular New Grant Footprints in the Canadian Snow Traplines Fossilisation (Grant) ‘Parts and Counterparts’ Conclusion: (Un)‘Inherited Design’ Notes References 5 Write a Novel in Twelve Easy Steps Lania Knight Open University, UK References 6 The Writer as Citizen Creative Writing, Social Action, and Political Responsibility Jen Webb University of Canberra Beyond Binary Thinking Writing [as] Ethics Art/Life Conclusion: Writing/Righting the World References 7 But What about the Imagination? Representation, Other People’s Stories, and Fiction Writing Dr Tresa LeClerc University of California, San Diego Introduction Background Ethnography’s Use in Fiction Creative Practice Methodology The Imagination The Imagination and Literary Representation Conclusion References 8 Drafting, Revision, and an Author’s Duty of Care My Novel ‘Housework of Desire’ and the Near-Destruction of a Thirty-Year Friendship Shady Cosgrove University of Wollongong NSW Creative Process The Writer and Duties of Care Freedom, Unknowing, and Revision References 9 A New Vision of Beauty in Creative Writing Practice Belinda Hopper Macquarie University, Sydney Robinson’s Definition of Beauty The Resistance to Beauty Robinson’s Aesthetic Inspiration Recapturing Beauty Through Metaphor Beauty in Robinson’s Fiction Creative Writing Advice References 10 In Pursuit of the Writer’s Life Despite the Academy Xu Xi 許素細 with support by research associate Grace Keith, College of the Holy Cross Appendix 11 Writing and Anxiety What Are Writers When They’re Not Writing? Sam Meekings Northwestern University in Qatar References 12 The Value in Authors’ Writing Self-Reports Helping Student-Writers Learn the Practice of Writing from Those Who Practice Tamara Girardi HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College Writers On Writing Interview Talking Points Findings Conclusion References 13 Author Platform and the Boundaries of Creative Practice Marshall Moore Falmouth University, UK Introduction A Brief but Relevant Autobiographical Interlude An Evolving Definition The Landscape Is Changing Conclusions and Recommendations Notes References 14 Navigating Academia as a Couple, as Parents, as Writers Stephanie and John Vanderslice University of Central Arkansas, USA Lean into your Natural Writing Time – Hard. Choose your Supervisors Carefully Think Creatively About Daycare Bring the Kids Along! Keep your Perspective References