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Which of these courses will be most useful for a future creative writer?

I don't want to take Creative Writing. Instead, I want to learn something else that could complement my future creative writing. What's your opinion if I had to choose only one of these courses below?

1) Social Anthropology
2) International Political Economy or International Politics
3) Media and Communications (mainly theory/critical analysis and not the practical/professional aspects)
4) Law
5) Psychology
Social Anthropology seems like the best bet to me out of those options. You learn to understand the differences between different cultures and societies as well as how or why they may have been formed, and that may help you to understand how to portray or comment on people of various and diverse backgrounds in your writing. It also enables you to encompass a large range of attitudes and beliefs by being able to understand multiple perspectives of a societal issue.

Also, the other courses only seem loosely linked to creative writing in general, and would perhaps be more suited to broadcasting, journalism and formal writing.
Reply 2
Original post by SagaciousSag
Social Anthropology seems like the best bet to me out of those options. You learn to understand the differences between different cultures and societies as well as how or why they may have been formed, and that may help you to understand how to portray or comment on people of various and diverse backgrounds in your writing. It also enables you to encompass a large range of attitudes and beliefs by being able to understand multiple perspectives of a societal issue.

Also, the other courses only seem loosely linked to creative writing in general, and would perhaps be more suited to broadcasting, journalism and formal writing.


Thank you for this. I have to admit, I was more inclined to choose that first one too, but there was another part of my mind saying I should also keep my options open in case I end up being a non-fiction writer (or a citizen journalist) instead of a creative writer.
Original post by Anonymous
I don't want to take Creative Writing. Instead, I want to learn something else that could complement my future creative writing. What's your opinion if I had to choose only one of these courses below?

1) Social Anthropology
2) International Political Economy or International Politics
3) Media and Communications (mainly theory/critical analysis and not the practical/professional aspects)
4) Law
5) Psychology

Have you considered linguistics, or English language or lit, or joint degrees with philosophy, psychology, etc.?

Just as an example of possible options, click on the English tabs on the following link:

https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/
Original post by Anonymous
Thank you for this. I have to admit, I was more inclined to choose that first one too, but there was another part of my mind saying I should also keep my options open in case I end up being a non-fiction writer (or a citizen journalist) instead of a creative writer.


You should absolutely definitely keep your options open. I don't mean to be a downer, but the chances of making a decent living by writing fiction is extremely small.
Reply 5
Original post by Anonymous
I don't want to take Creative Writing. Instead, I want to learn something else that could complement my future creative writing. What's your opinion if I had to choose only one of these courses below?

1) Social Anthropology
2) International Political Economy or International Politics
3) Media and Communications (mainly theory/critical analysis and not the practical/professional aspects)
4) Law
5) Psychology


Hi,

Social anthropology is the one that seems the most obvious link to me: it involves the study of human society and cultures through a comparative lens, so you're likely to engage quite directly with the sense-making practices, ways of being, and lifestyles of different people at a more micro level than even something like sociology. However, depending on how you would be interested in focusing your style of creative writing and what a given University offers to study, quite a few of those options might provide stimulation. I personally study History & Politics, but I've been able to engage with slave narratives, speeches, and all sorts of stories of agency and resistance that have inspired speech-making and creative writing of my own.

Do also note that Joint Honours degrees might be an option to complement your creative writing with other endeavors if you wish at many institutions. I study at Lancaster University and I've linked a website with options you could go for: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/

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