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Top Ten Majors for Freelance Writers
Over at the New York Times About.com network, I’ve been discussing potential college majors with my audience–would-be freelance writers. Yes, I majored in English, and yes, I enjoyed the heck out of it. However, I thought I was going to teach, and, in all honesty, had I known this (freelance writing/copy writing) is the career that I would eventually fall in love with, I probably would have selected Journalism.
If you’re a writer, weigh in with your opinion on the “appropriate” major. If you’re a client, come on by and tell us what majors have piqued your interest in hiring writers, copywriters and ghostwriters.
If I could attend college again, I would major in English and minor in Journalism. They are two different subjects that are tied to one another.
English teaches the basics, while journalism teaches you how to write; in my opinion.
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My BA is in “Creative Writing for Spiritual Health” and my M.Ed. is in Language, Literacy and Culture. I have taken course work in writing, but have found that journalism courses have turned me off. They just don’t make me want to write.
Experience, passion and a critical eye are what writers need. Formal education can be a plus, but is not always necessary. Case in point: I had my own column, complete with biline and picture in a regional weekly newspaper for seven years before I had a degree. I also wrote front page copy with photos. During that time, one of the editions that had my lead story and photo won Best Front Page of the Year. No degree…just a passion for writing.
Another bone of contention I have with formal education is that too many academics prescribe to a very elitest form of writing, which, if you are an academic, can be understood, but the rest of the world is excluded from the conversation. I had to fight to maintain my writing style while in graduate school. It was difficult, at best. However, I had several amazing profs who added to my knowledge base without destroying my writing style.
thanks for your comments~