Major: MFA Creative Writing and Poetics
BA: IAS Culture, Literature and the Arts
I love language. I love the way words sound when skillfully combined. I love the clarity that can come from writing well. What I don’t love is struggling against words that don’t want to play along. Writing can be frustrating, but it can also be satisfying and even fun, if you let it
Improving one’s writing skills is an ongoing process. Whether working on fundamentals, trying to eliminate bad habits, or discovering style and voice, it takes practice and hard work to get better. That’s as it should be. What skill can be improved without practice? What skill can help you as much as writing effectively can?
I love writing about topics that I enjoy, such as games, game design and theory, and history. I also enjoy creative writing of all sorts. I spent ten years as a professional technical writer, so I also know about breathing life into topics that seem dull at first glance. I understand the importance of structure in writing, particularly in academic work, but I also value spontaneity and attention to style.
My experience teaches me that writing is a personal process. What works for one person won’t necessarily work for the next. I think of learning to write as an expedition into the wilderness. A tutor can be your base camp: provisioning you with helpful tools, pointing to well-travelled paths, and alerting you to dangers. The journey itself is yours to make, but a good tutor has your back.