Teaching the three main genres' foundational techniques equips students to write their own creative work. For example, a fiction unit might emphasize characterization, setting and plot development, while poetry might teach the concepts of rhyme, rhythm and meter, as well as free-verse and formal poetry. Creative nonfiction might show students how to reflect on personal experience, use different types of imagery and choose a meaningful structure for their essays. Students should then be able to experiment with and practice these techniques in their own work.
Being able to read literature critically is key to understanding how creative writing works. Creative writing classes typically include intensive reading and discussion of poems, stories and essays that enable students to see technique in action. According to Ohio University's English department, this includes understanding the styles and traditions of different genres and gaining inspiration from different authors' use of technique. For example, students might read Flannery O'Connor's famous short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find" and discuss how O'Connor develops her characters. They then might write their own stories using her work as inspiration.
Many students mistakenly think that good writing is effortless and natural. In reality, all writing requires revision, sometimes even multiple drafts and total rewrites of a single piece. Understanding the writing process is a key objective for creative writing. Students should leave the class knowing techniques for brainstorming, composing a draft and determining a piece's revision needs. Since creative writing classes sometimes involve giving peer feedback through a writing workshop, students may also learn how to offer constructive and effective comments to improve a piece.
Ultimately, students in a creative writing class or program should be able to explain their creative values, strengths and future plans. This may include being able to identify authors who have influenced them, stating what genre they most enjoy writing in and sharing how they plan to pursue writing after the class's conclusion. For some, this might mean going onto a graduate creative writing program; others may want to continue writing on their own time. Regardless, students should leave the class with an appreciation for creative writing and a better understanding of their unique voices as authors.