More writing success
I am currently about a quarter of the way through my Master of Arts in Creative Writing course at Tabor university in Adelaide, South Australia. I am undertaking this course to hone my skills in writing and to focus my attention on giving my writing career a solid basis on which to grow. I am tackling writing projects that normally I wouldn’t bother doing, like writing essays on set topics.
A few days ago I received back two essays I wrote last semester. Both were written for the unit of study called Literature and Christian Faith. This study looked at various major English texts ranging from Chaucer to Shakespeare through to Beckett (Waiting for Godot). The tutorial paper I presented was to look at the Christian and Biblical themes of George Eliot’s novel Silas Marner. It had been some 40 years since I last read this novel and I thoroughly enjoyed rereading it and studying it. My tutorial presentation went over well with some good discussion between others in the group. I also enjoyed writing the paper and I received a Distinction for it.
My major essay topic requirement was to pose a question of my own choosing. Because I am a graduate I did not have to address the set questions. I chose to write an essay on the theme of condemnation based on a verse from the Bible (Romans chapter 8 verse 1). In my paper I assessed the portrayal of some of the characters included in the following texts:
- The Canterbury Tales by Goeffrey Chaucer
- Othello by William Shakespeare
- Paradise Lost by John Milton
- Silas Marner by George Eliot.
My main focus was to assess how the characters either condemned themselves or each other through their words and actions. I found the whole exercise both stimulating and inspiring. I was very pleased with the result – another Distinction. This means I gained distinctions for all three papers for the unit, giving me an overall Distinction for the subject. All that effort was worth it.
Writers must also be readers. Writers can gain so much by reading the classics. By reading and studying good examples of writing, especially those that have stood the test of time, writers are able to improve their own skills.
Good reading and good writing.