Teun writes to surprise himself
- Creative Writing
Language often falls short. That’s what writer Teun Renkema believes, as he graduates from the bachelor’s in Creative Writing this month. But sometimes it works. And tells exactly what you mean.
A weird novella
For a year, Teun worked on a novella. He knew from the start he wanted to write one. But he had no idea what it would be about. So he just started. Writing, for Teun, is a solitary activity. It happens in his head. So he did it from a caravan in the woods. In silence. Away from everything. Every day he wrote 500 to 1000 words. With no plan, no plot. Until the story started shaping itself.
Later, he glued the scenes together. Cut parts out. Added new ones. Slowly, it took shape. A weird story, he calls it. But it holds.
Teun writes to surprise himself. He looks for sentences that make him wonder: where on earth did that come from? Like this one, from his novella:
I found myself in an exceptionally symbolic, poetic state. Which can be very dangerous. Especially when crossing the street, or working with heavy machinery.”
Creative Writing is learning from each other
Sharing your work is a key part of the Creative Writing bachelor at ArtEZ Academy of Art & Design Arnhem. You see what works in other people’s texts. And what doesn’t. That helps you look more critically at your own writing.
On 24 June, Teun will read a fragment from his work at the Creative Writing finals evening in the Rembrandt Theater, alongside his fellow students.
More about the bachelor Creative Writing
