For
TEACHERS

Helping creative writers to apply their skills for a sustainable livelihood

What’s different about Method Writing teaching?

I believe that creative writers have a tremendous skillset that is currently underused, and not visible enough in the world of work. It’s a missed opportunity at a time when creative livelihoods are seriously squeezed. And yet there’s a shortage of writers in some high-earning areas! I was talking just the other week to a writer recruiter who was struggling to fill a job, because a writer she’d hired just a year ago had already been head-hunted.

The problem is that jobs and livelihoods are changing superfast, and teachers can’t keep up. Even in my higher education department, there was little knowledge of web writing, multimedia, technical writing, and other creative areas that bring a lot of opportunity for skilled writers.

Meanwhile, I’ve worked in different writing industries, including BBC online journalism, film and audio scripting, SEO copywriting, interpretation. And I have writer colleagues in other areas using a similar range of skills.

Creative writing, new media and writer livelihoods

We know that the employment picture is much more varied and interesting than creative writing departments imagine. Multimodal writing comes naturally to the new generation of writers coming through, and is inspiring to those of us interested in new as well as traditional media.

But there’s still a gap in learning and teaching.

I feel strongly that creative writing skills are important, valuable, transferable and can have serious social impact. In other words, they’re essential. And if the current squeeze on literature and drama departments in the UK is anything to go by, they’re not getting their case across.

To achieve this, teachers need to recognise the bigger context of creative writing skills, and how they shape and influence so much around us, from politicians’ speeches to TV shows, from product descriptions to the in-house newsletter.

Meanwhile, writers need to assert professional expertise, and gain the knowledge they need to thrive! While having fun in a creative line of work.

If you’re interested in themes such as writing for business, multimodal writing, transferable skills or writer employability, I’d love to hear from you. My professional writing background includes news, radio journalism, features, stage and radio scripts, content, copywriting and writing for the web. I’m also into spoken word, film, and cross-genre creative forms, and their role in placemaking and community building.

So I set up Method Writing to help integrate some of these themes into a hub for creative writers.

If this chimes with you and you’re interested in workshops or bookings, get in touch! Email info@method-writing.com

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