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What are the best college majors for pursuing a writing career?
I'm a sophmore in highschool who is very passionate about writing! In fact, its the only thing I want to do all day, everyday forever! But as I get closer to graduating and thinking about college, I'm not sure which majors would be best for me to take in order to enhance my writing skills. So which majors do you think would be best? #high-school #writing #author #college
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Thomas’s Answer
Hello Amaiya,
I've been a journalist for three years, a professional writer for ten years, I've written a novel, and currently make a living writing.
If you want to write for work, you need to do one thing: write.
Choose a major that will force you into writing. As much as possible, as diverse in style as possible. Some may say a journalism major will do that. Some English. For me, it was history.
Remember that writing is about communication; what do YOU want to communicate? Do you want to tell other people's stories? Maybe history or journalism or psychology. Do you want to explain the world? Maybe a scientific field. Do you want to explore the world? Maybe philosophy. I would encourage you to try history or a foreign language or the Classics. Whatever you choose, I'd make it something that will offer the most new ways of looking at the world.
Often journalists fall into their beat, Glenn Greenwald was a lawyer before he won a Pulitzer in journalism; often authors writing about what they know leads to vast success, Michael Crichton was a medical doctor before a multi-millionaire best-selling author. Think about how many award-winning blogs were started by "non-writers." The experience you gain in life, your natural talents and inclinations, these will guide your path as a writer as much as anything you study in school. Don't feel like everything hinges on this decision.
Frankly, if writing is what you want and will do, it doesn't matter what you study. Just write. Get good at it. In as many ways as possible.
I would 100% recommend you think about 2 things:
1. Develop a skill in "useful" writing. For two reasons: first, being able to write press releases/basic ad copy/speeches can be helpful to your job prospects. Distinguishing yourself by having basic reporting skills or knowing APA style, for instance, can get you promoted or assigned to creative projects before you know it. Second, and I can tell you, knowing the mundane stuff like writing reports, and interpreting and summarizing data can be very helpful both as a journalist and as a novelist. These practical writing skills have made my fiction smoother and my columns easier to read.
2. Consider that going to college is not the only path to a career in writing. Like I said, if you want to write, there is nothing stopping you. If you don't know what you want to do yet, investing thousands in debt for it may not be for you.
Good luck!
I've been a journalist for three years, a professional writer for ten years, I've written a novel, and currently make a living writing.
If you want to write for work, you need to do one thing: write.
Choose a major that will force you into writing. As much as possible, as diverse in style as possible. Some may say a journalism major will do that. Some English. For me, it was history.
Remember that writing is about communication; what do YOU want to communicate? Do you want to tell other people's stories? Maybe history or journalism or psychology. Do you want to explain the world? Maybe a scientific field. Do you want to explore the world? Maybe philosophy. I would encourage you to try history or a foreign language or the Classics. Whatever you choose, I'd make it something that will offer the most new ways of looking at the world.
Often journalists fall into their beat, Glenn Greenwald was a lawyer before he won a Pulitzer in journalism; often authors writing about what they know leads to vast success, Michael Crichton was a medical doctor before a multi-millionaire best-selling author. Think about how many award-winning blogs were started by "non-writers." The experience you gain in life, your natural talents and inclinations, these will guide your path as a writer as much as anything you study in school. Don't feel like everything hinges on this decision.
Frankly, if writing is what you want and will do, it doesn't matter what you study. Just write. Get good at it. In as many ways as possible.
I would 100% recommend you think about 2 things:
1. Develop a skill in "useful" writing. For two reasons: first, being able to write press releases/basic ad copy/speeches can be helpful to your job prospects. Distinguishing yourself by having basic reporting skills or knowing APA style, for instance, can get you promoted or assigned to creative projects before you know it. Second, and I can tell you, knowing the mundane stuff like writing reports, and interpreting and summarizing data can be very helpful both as a journalist and as a novelist. These practical writing skills have made my fiction smoother and my columns easier to read.
2. Consider that going to college is not the only path to a career in writing. Like I said, if you want to write, there is nothing stopping you. If you don't know what you want to do yet, investing thousands in debt for it may not be for you.
Good luck!
Updated
Carrie’s Answer
Great information on this thread, for sure! Another thing to keep in mind as you write various types of text, especially for news or business... what is the purpose of this written piece? What do you want the reader to come away knowing/understanding/believing?
Also be sure you understand the intended audience. I've seen many beginners trying to write for business/marketing skip this step, and it can lead to pieces that miss the mark and aren't usable. For example, if you're writing for an audience of IT professionals, assume they have knowledge in this area and don't need simple concepts explained. If you're writing about a technical subject for a consumer or other non-technical audience, however, it requires a very different approach.
These things may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people skip them, and how helpful it can be to consciously begin this way.
Also be sure you understand the intended audience. I've seen many beginners trying to write for business/marketing skip this step, and it can lead to pieces that miss the mark and aren't usable. For example, if you're writing for an audience of IT professionals, assume they have knowledge in this area and don't need simple concepts explained. If you're writing about a technical subject for a consumer or other non-technical audience, however, it requires a very different approach.
These things may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people skip them, and how helpful it can be to consciously begin this way.
Updated
Rachel’s Answer
Hi Amaiya,
I echo much of the advice Thomas provided. Find a major that will be interesting to you in the writing you wish to do in the future. I was an English major, which certainly involved a lot of writing. I think it might be safe to assume you would do a good amount of writing in any humanities major. However, the other thing I might add is, I went to a liberal arts college in California. I believe this education was highly beneficial as the liberal arts curriculum was focused on writing across disciplines. I took humanities, social science, religion, and science classes that involved writing. I can't say all liberal arts colleges will be the same, but in addition to researching majors, I would research the schools you apply to to determine whether the philosophy of the school fits in with your educational goals. Once in college, there will also be other opportunities to practicing writing outside of the classroom with activities such as tutoring others in writing, writing for the school's newspaper, different creative writing outlets, volunteering somewhere. Writing is a highly valuable skill that is severely lacking these days.
Best of luck!
I echo much of the advice Thomas provided. Find a major that will be interesting to you in the writing you wish to do in the future. I was an English major, which certainly involved a lot of writing. I think it might be safe to assume you would do a good amount of writing in any humanities major. However, the other thing I might add is, I went to a liberal arts college in California. I believe this education was highly beneficial as the liberal arts curriculum was focused on writing across disciplines. I took humanities, social science, religion, and science classes that involved writing. I can't say all liberal arts colleges will be the same, but in addition to researching majors, I would research the schools you apply to to determine whether the philosophy of the school fits in with your educational goals. Once in college, there will also be other opportunities to practicing writing outside of the classroom with activities such as tutoring others in writing, writing for the school's newspaper, different creative writing outlets, volunteering somewhere. Writing is a highly valuable skill that is severely lacking these days.
Best of luck!
Updated
Tyler’s Answer
Hey Amaiya,
Everyone so far on this thread has touched on a lot of great points that I'd agree with wholeheartedly.
What I'd add to the conversation is to understand what you enjoy the most and how you enjoy writing about it. So if you like writing in a more narrative fashion (feature stories, books, short stories, etc) then you'll want to look at majors that focus less on traditional essays and more on creativity – journalism, literature, writing, etc. But if you're comfortable with writing a different way, perhaps in a more straightforward and informational manner, it may be better to look at fields that are less fluid about the structure of your communication.
Basically, it all depends on how you like to write. That's the key. Once you figure that out, the major will be easier to discern. At the very least, though, just write every day. That's what I've always been told. Write, write and write some more when you don't feel like it. You'll hone your craft on your own and find your voice quickly than you would at any job or any classroom.
Everyone so far on this thread has touched on a lot of great points that I'd agree with wholeheartedly.
What I'd add to the conversation is to understand what you enjoy the most and how you enjoy writing about it. So if you like writing in a more narrative fashion (feature stories, books, short stories, etc) then you'll want to look at majors that focus less on traditional essays and more on creativity – journalism, literature, writing, etc. But if you're comfortable with writing a different way, perhaps in a more straightforward and informational manner, it may be better to look at fields that are less fluid about the structure of your communication.
Basically, it all depends on how you like to write. That's the key. Once you figure that out, the major will be easier to discern. At the very least, though, just write every day. That's what I've always been told. Write, write and write some more when you don't feel like it. You'll hone your craft on your own and find your voice quickly than you would at any job or any classroom.
Updated
Simeon’s Answer
Generally, you'll want to get a journalism degree. You could pursue writing or English degrees, but journalism will give you a wider selection of options.