10 benefits of a writing course

Spotted in NRC: Creative Writing alumnus Jante Wortel talks about the importance of doing a writing course. Whereas in the past the prevailing idea was that writers had a natural gift and a course would be damaging to their creative spirit, we now see the value of creative writing courses.

From Kunstbende to Bronzen Uil

Jante told the NRC that she had much to be grateful for to her course in Creative Writing in Arnhem, from which she graduated in 2017. In 2015, Jante won the Kunstbende final; after that, she was admitted to Creative Writing and now her first novel Weerlicht is on the shortlist for the Bronzen Uil, the Dutch-Flemish award for the best Dutch language debut of the past year. “Writing requires discipline”, says Jante. "If you do a course, you have something pushing you to write and you learn a lot in a short time."

The benefits of the Creative Writing course at ArtEZ

1. Develop your writing talent: The higher professional (HBO) course in Creative Writing offers you the tools to develop your writing in unique and valuable ways.
2. Discipline and perseverance: During the course, you have to write, even if you have no inspiration. By writing regularly, you cultivate your discipline and perseverance, even if inspiration is lacking.
3. Networking opportunities: You benefit from extensive networking opportunities and you are 'one handshake away' from literary agents, editors and other professionals in the field.
4. Diverse writing forms: You explore different forms of writing, from poetry and fiction to non-fiction and screenwriting, turning you into a versatile writer.
5. Ready for the future: The course prepares you for a dynamic literary future, in which writers collaborate, form collectives and are able to combine different forms of literary writing.
6. Practical business skills: You develop business skills that are essential for a successful writing career, including doing other work alongside writing and contract negotiations with publishers.
7. Personal supervision: You benefit from personal supervision from experienced lecturers, who are writers themselves and work closely with students to develop their individual talents.
8. Broaden your horizons: Not just as a writer, but also as a creative thinker: broaden your horizons and discover new ways of approaching literary work.
9. Wide-ranging professional field: You can use your writing talent in all kinds of ways and in many different places. There are Creative Writing alumni working as independent authors, teaching, work within the cultural sector, as programmers for theatres, festivals and events, or combining multiple roles within their professional practice.
10. Learn a craft: Understand that writing is a craft that can be learned and refined with the right techniques and supervision.

Read more at NRC.nl

Creative Writing

The Creative Writing course is not just about the printed word. Frank Tazelaar (head of course) notes that some students end up working for different media where they can use their writing talent, such as games and podcasts. Frank: “They are aiming for a professional practice in which they can combine different forms of literary writing.” So the image of the solitary writer in a study is changing. "Writers work together, they form collectives. Lecturers too – themselves often writers – work closely with students. The boundary between writers and readers is blurring. You see that mirrored in writing courses."