It’s taken a while, but I have handed in (well, emailed…) my final assignment for my MA in the Teaching & Practice of Creative Writing!
The assignment was really interesting to write. It’s a mix of my own creative work and research into life writing, especially in relation to mental health. I, like many others, find writing cathartic and it has helped me through some very difficult times. While working on the assignment I came across a word for this: “scriptotherapy” – the therapeutic value of writing about traumatic events, and crafting your own narrative to explore your life.
After doing this MA for so long, it feels weird to think that it’s done. It’s going to be a strange feeling no longer being a student – I have some thoughts about progressing further with my studies, but for now it’s a case of just waiting to see what happens. I’ve found that’s a common theme in a writer’s life: waiting. Waiting to hear back on assignments, on pitches, on submissions. Being a writer is a lesson in patience!
Still, if all goes to plan and I haven’t spectacularly screwed up this last assignment, I should be graduating this July.
Caroline Butterwick 