Sophia
What major do I need to study to be a writer
I am a high school junior and for awhile now I've been wondering about what career path I should take. I believe that a job is something you do for money and a career is something you do because your passionate about it. I love to write! I find myself writing everywhere in my spare time and even in class(where I'm supposed to be paying attention, lol) I want to be a writer but I don't know where to start or what resources I should be looking for. #educator #journalism #writer #famous #novel-writer
3 answers
Lindsey Manning-Djabbari
Lindsey’s Answer
To become a writer you should major in journalism. Most colleges should offer this major. Although, what you major in specifically depends entirely on what kind of writer you want to be/what kind of writing you want to do. For example, at the University of Oregon I majored in journalism and then had to choose a specialty (e.g. advertising, PR, broadcast, newspaper/editorial, etc.). When in college, take your journalism prerequisite classes seriously. This is when you'll really get a feel for what area of journalism you want to end up in.
I suggest starting a blog now or in college. One thing I wish I would have done is started writing/publishing my writing much earlier. Writers are intellectually creative people and need to constantly have an outlet to get their thoughts/ideas out and down in writing. Starting your own blog would give you a place to do that. If you feel comfortable making it public (anyone can see your writing) then do that, but you can always make it private starting out. Do as much now as you can to prepare for a career in writing - join your high school's newspaper and yearbook clubs, and in college do the same. I hope this helps! Best of luck to you.
Thank you for answering my question, what if the type of writing i want to do is to publish novels and kids books.?
Sophia
A lot of universities will have creative writing majors so I would look into that. Regardless, definitely take some creative writing classes. You can also major in english literature! If you want to be a novel writer the best thing you can do (regardless of what you major in in school) is WRITE! Write as much as you can as often as you can (as it sounds like you already do) and have people read your work and give you feedback. You should also be reading.. a lot.
Lindsey Manning-Djabbari
Elizabeth Shaughnessy
Elizabeth’s Answer
Hi Sofia, my mentor in college once told me that to be a great writer, you must also be a great reader. I got my degree in English literature, but I minored in Writing and Editing. My school didn't offer much in the way of creative writing, so I filled out a form in my department to do "Independent Studies" for a couple of semesters, paired up with a professor, and wrote a novel (for full credits)! No matter what you end up majoring in, the most important thing is to continue writing. And if you find your major to be missing a class or a specialty like I did, with a little persistence, I bet you can tweak it to your liking.
Gloria Ortiz
Gloria’s Answer
First of all, you are already a writer. Writing every day is a valuable exercise for your skill, just like physical activity is good for your body. Writing can be anything from stories to maintaining a journal of what is going on your life.
Do you want to do something specifically with your writing? That focus will be an important part of your college life as a writer. I know people who write very well and do jobs like Marketing or, like mine, create training courses.
There are a variety of degrees that would benefit a writer. I would say that the top ones are English, Creative Writing, or Journalism. Journalism programs can be quite competitive so you should consider how competitive you are. I am a person who does not work competing against others. I can only compete with myself. That requires a lot of self awareness.
Good luck your search for a college degree.
Gloria