Thursday, October 18, 2012

Studying at MIT

This is my unedited post. Check out my edited post here and see if you can spot the difference

Creative writing has never been one of my strong suits, but that didn’t stop me from enrolling at the MIT Creative Writing course. I started there at the beginning of 2011 after coming back from Aussie. I didn't want to do just any job so I had two choices: either study or jump on the benefit. Manurewa WINZ is evil, evil, evil, so I was looking at courses. I saw that Witi Ihimaera author of the Whale Rider was one of the writers teaching Creative Writing at MIT so I applied. Along with him there was Robert Sullivan, Albert Wendt, Sue Orr and more. To get accepted I had to give them a 15 page sample of my own writing. I don’t think it really matters what you write, just that you can show you want to write. The desire to write is all you need to pass this course and succeed in writing as a profession. If you have a passion for creative writing it’s a good idea to study at MIT in Otara. If you are having domestics at home, CYFS is right next door. If you still don’t have a job after finishing your studies don’t worry as Otara WINZ is next door to CYFS. If you like picnics (like I do) there is also a big park next to course where you can sit under some trees and have some drinks, while you think up new ideas. 


   After almost 2 years at MIT I have had some good opportunities for growth and experience come my way. I've had poems and short stories published as well as books with my illustration work. Other classmates have even received funding grants to travel, perform poetry and write like Daren Kamali who won a writers residency in Hawaii like a boss. Some producers and people in the film industry have also expressed interest with some of the students writing. Our tutors are all well-known published writers and regularly travel like Robert who is having a nice time in Germany at the moment as you can see from past blogs. He was going to skype teach us but the MIT internet was crap so we had a reliever tutor who taught us about writing online. Each tutor brings something different to the class.


    Sometimes we write poetry, which is not only self-therapeutic but it can also lead to getting published. Some students take that even further and perform their poems to an audience. Students also have to write short stories which are mainly so you have material that you can come back to after you graduate. Some of the best novels started with a short story. Then we write academic essay's which are really not my favorite but necessary. We also just started blogging and learning the digital side to writing. I have a background in illustrating and would like to create graphic novels and here everyone has a chance to find their own path because there are also optional papers that allow you to try other creative arts at MIT such as Visual arts and Performing arts. I also did an optional business paper on how to manage yourself as an artist which was really helpful. This all leads up to the final year, where we spend the entire time working on a novel. Something I'm really looking forward to.


    If you think creative writing is something you might be interested in, then enroll in MIT to achieve a bachelor in Creative arts. It may not make you rich but, if you have the desire to write for a living then you will gain a kind of education only MIT can give. Then you might get rich.


1 comment:

  1. Great post Munro. I so love your sense of humour. You have however, captured what it is really like from an MIT students prospective. Cheers bro.

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