"Everything at the School of Continuing Studies—Writing the Internet, and Intro to Creative Writing— has been the highlight of my McGill career,” says Shillingford.
Jaede Shillingford lives and breathes the written word. A second-year McGill student majoring in English Literature and minoring in Cultural Studies, reading and writing are her greatest joys. Someday, she hopes to pursue a career that will allow her to combine her two passions. Once she has completed her undergraduate studies, Shillingford is looking forward to taking her major to the next level by completing a PhD in the same concentration.
As a step towards achieving her professional and academic goals, Shillingford registered for two courses at the McGill Writing Centre: Intro to Creative Writing (CCOM 200) and Writing the Internet (CCOM 315), which allowed her creativity to shine while honing her technical writing skills. The McGill Writing Centre, which offers credit, non-credit and specialized writing courses open to McGill students and the general public, is the University’s central resource for written communication. We recently spoke with Shillingford about why she chose these courses, what she gained from them, and how the McGill Writing Centre has helped her evolve as a writer.
What prompted you to take these two MWC courses?
For Writing the Internet I was instantly drawn to the way the course was described. Being on the older-ish end of the Gen Z spectrum, I found the pedagogy behind the course incredibly relevant, as it essentially guides our understanding of how we create and engage with digital media. Knowing why we are drawn to the posts we gravitate towards or even the kind of language that captivates us most online is essential in exploring the ways in which we consume and interact with the internet. These are skills that translate to so many different industries: digital marketing, public relations and of course, online writing in general.
Introduction to Creative Writing was a course I wanted to take last year but couldn’t sign up fast enough for! I remember I would refresh the Virtual Schedule Builder every hour during add/drop period hoping a seat would become available, but unfortunately, I had no luck. This year I made it my mission to get in.
In the university setting, we are so used to writing in an academic way that we forget how to flex our creative muscles a little bit. We lose sight of the fact that writing does not always have to adhere to a strict set of rules and conventions, and that it can be such an incredible tool for self-exploration and for exploring the world around us. I wanted to take this course because it pushes past the rigidity of our conventional writing and allows for a sense of artistic license and freedom.
What have been your most important takeaways from each of these courses?
Writing should not feel like a punishment. I know that for a lot of college-aged kids, essays are the bane of our existence and can feel like a chore. This, of course, is to be expected when students don’t have the flexibility to allow for at least some creative expression to play a role in what we’re being asked to write about. I think that the ways in which we approach writing in academia can almost hinder the capacity our writing has to reach other people. I think it can easily become almost “soulless” when we don’t find ways to have students genuinely engage with the prompts they’re given.
These courses reminded me that writing is such a critical tool in connecting with the world around us and the people in it. When given just a little bit of artistic license, we leave pieces of ourselves between the lines that crystallize our values, hopes, thoughts, and beliefs. I think people would stop looking at writing as so much of a chore if we found ways to make it more accessible in the same way that these courses did for me. Now, more than ever, it’s important to really consider what kind of thinkers we are sending out into the world, as they’ll be the ones to produce the next generation of thinkers, and so on.
How have these courses helped you in your academic, professional, or personal life?
Funny enough, after I completed the Writing the Internet course, I attended a family holiday event, and the course found its way into our conversations. I mentioned the blog I created in class and shared the link for everyone to read my posts. My cousin ended up reaching out to me after going through a few pages and was so impressed with the visuals and the overall quality of writing, that she offered me a job building a blog for her fashion line, which I worked on with her for a while.
I’ve always been such a huge admirer of the fashion industry, especially when I was younger. At some point in time, I wanted a career in fashion, but I never made an active effort to pursue it because I knew I wasn’t artistic in the way that the industry calls for It wasn’t until I was given that opportunity to work in a design studio and write about the process behind the whole conceptualization of fashion that I realized how much of a gateway writing can be into any industry. Not everyone can design the clothes, but somebody has to write about them, right? That’s why we have Vogue and all these other fashion magazines. Online writing, now more than ever, is an asset in any and every industry.
Introduction to Creative Writing has had a monumental impact on my personal life. When I write a poem, or even a short story, I feel like I’m largely writing for myself, which can be very cathartic. I know other people will read it and have their own interpretations of the things I’m saying, which is fun as well, but every line I write is a means of working through something important and personal. It can be difficult to speak honestly about the things that bother you or cause you a great deal of worry. Writing, however, is one of the rawest forms of self-expression there is and if you really allow yourself to be open about what you feel inside, there’s really no emotion or thought that the pen can’t reach. If there was ever a vessel for confronting your fears, beliefs, and even your greatest joys, it would be in writing. I don’t know if I would have handled the pandemic as well as I have if it weren’t for this course. Professor Wolfson really made it so that every journal you write, poem you draft, and scene you conjure up can serve as a vehicle for working through whatever it is you may be feeling. It’s therapy, really. And I think that’s an incredibly healthy way of looking at writing.
What would you tell students who are considering taking either of these courses, or a course in general at the McGill Writing Centre?
Prepare to be challenged creatively, especially if you’re not necessarily in the habit of writing beyond the conventional academic mode. Both courses really keep you on your toes, as there’s really something new to do every week and you won’t entirely be told how you should approach the prompts you’re given because that’s up to you. This can be nerve wracking at first because there’s so much free rein within the assignments, which isn’t typical of most university courses.
It may feel overwhelming, but that’s also what makes the work so exciting. You’re really allowing your intuition, your passions and interests to guide you through the work. It’s important to remember, in my opinion, to know that there is no wrong way to write in these courses. It may feel like there is, though, because the structure isn’t as rigid as with a typical writing assignment or academic essay, but the only way you can mess up is by not trying at all. You become the architect of your own creativity, and not only will you be a better writer for it, but you’ll also come out the course a stronger academic too.
For more information on the McGill Writing Centre, visit mcgill.ca/mwc