An ideal creative writing workshop might include a few students, all dedicated readers and writers, but the proliferation of creative writing courses has meant large classes, with some students who only need a writing credit, do not read often, and feel overwhelmed by the terminology, genres, and process. Graphic literature provides students with compositional options that may not occur with traditional texts and allows them to use analytical skills they do have to read and write short stories.
Graphic literature can be used as a bridge between genres college students are more familiar with, such as film and television, and traditional creative writing texts, including short stories and novels, especially for students who do not read for pleasure, but choose to enroll in a creative writing course.
In relation to the other presenters on this panel, I will build upon the established theory to explain specific pedagogical approaches I use in Introduction to Creative Writing courses to allow non-majors to become proficient in the analysis of published works and development of their own writing. I will introduce both graphic and traditional texts to which students respond enthusiastically as well as writing prompts and assignments for the genres of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction.
About the presenterMaureen McVeigh Trainor
Maureen McVeigh Trainor teaches Composition, Creative Writing, and Popular Culture Research Writing at West Chester University.