I first began exploring creative writing in 2012 when I began my undergraduate degree at Lamar University. At the time, I was pursuing a degree in psychology, and it was not until my junior year that I decided to double major in English and psychology. I now further my English studies as a graduate student, seeking a deeper understanding of creative writing and its genres. When I first began my graduate degree, I wanted to narrow my focus to only study the genre I like to read and to write. In general, I write in the science fiction genre, and because creative writing covers an immense amount of learning paths, I wanted to limit myself. Learning about the roots of science fiction would give me a better understanding of the writing theory and technique the genre contains. However, I do not want to narrow my study of creative writing to simply one genre. I love science fiction and want a better understanding of it. To do that, I would have to have very specific courses, and I unfortunately do not have that opportunity at Lamar University.
Therefore, I have to shift my focus to learning more about creative writing genres, in general. For example, a contemporary genre that I find myself writing in at times is dystopian, but the question I have to explore is whether dystopian is a form of science fiction or if it is a new arising genre. Perhaps, a start to my research is studying the breakdown of creative writing genres and creating an ancestry tree for the genres. From there I can move on to studying creative writing theories and how they differ for each genre. This detailed study of creative writing genres will then allow me to effectively write in any given genre. In addition, I will be able to help others understand a genre that draws their attention. If I do end up pursuing a career in teaching, I would want to teach creative writing courses and want to have as much knowledge as possible.
Now, a limitation I have is that I am not in an MFA program, so I will have to take as many creative writing and related courses as possible. Much of the research and study I want to do will have to be done outside the classroom or in specialized courses that I will have to look into post-graduation, perhaps even in a Ph.D. program. In my current program, I know that Dr. Sanderson and Gretchen Johnson are two faculty members that teach fiction writing courses, and Dr. Bradley teaches poetry writing courses. They are the first that come to mind when thinking of faculty who can aid me in my research and scholarly identity. They will be more knowledgeable about the study of creative writing and can point me in directions I have not explored. I can ask the three of them what their understanding of creative genre is and where they can direct me for further research.
My graduate school studies will therefore help me prepare works to publish. I plan on taking another creative writing course to help me prepare a collection of short stories. In the meantime, I have also been working on a manuscript; it is a story that I actually started in a creative writing class as an undergraduate and turned into a novel. I completed that novel and am working on the revising of that manuscript. By the time I am done with graduate school, I want to have that manuscript and collection of short stories close to finish and ready for publication.
H. J. Ortiz 