Ask Andy
Are you often asked: “What do you plan to do with a Literature degree?” Did you ever wish to have support or advice from a creative writing alum?
Well. Andy has asked for you!
Every alum has implicitly answered the dreaded ‘future’ question with their own postgrad experiences and endeavors. Starting from your exact position, UCSC Creative Writing concentration alum have become editors, film makers, drag queens.
Ask Andy was created to help answer your questions. By polling alum, we hope to address your worries about writing, student life, finding a job, and more.
How do I find a job after graduation?
Hi Andy!
I’m starting to feel scared. Graduation is getting closer and closer and I don’t know how to find a job with my degree. I don’t even know what job I want. I chose the creative writing concentration because I love writing, but what can I do with it?
Sincerely, Lost
Hey Lost,
You are not lost, you are finding your way. Graduation is stressful! It’s a time of great transition and exploration, and you are not alone in this feeling. Here’s what alum have to say:
“The biggest and most beneficial decisions I made all had to do with straying from a ‘path’ I envisioned for my career, and that really speaks to the importance of flexibility. Growth is rarely linear, and the things I thought I needed to do weren’t always the things I needed to do; the order of doing them was similarly different from what I expected…The connections I made along the way, and the opportunities I took advantage of to add value, were ultimately much more important than having a plan and following it.
– Molly Kossoff
“You don’t have to know the right way to build a career—just do things you love and are interested in and that will lead you towards a career.”
– Camille Campbell
“The one thing that made my professional path possible was to take every paid writing job I could find for the kind of writing I wanted to do…Those published clips of ambitious feature stories were what got me interviews and jobs where I continued to grow my skills over time. Really treating my development as a writer seriously and intentionally building a skillset has been critical and it’s ongoing.”
– Alex Russell
Remember, you’ve made your way to this page. You’ve taken the steps. Now, follow your ambition, connections, and intuition. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from UCSC Humanities career resources and your teachers.
Good luck and congratulations!
Andy
What’s the point?
Hey Andy!
I want to start this by saying: I love writing, I swear. I write because it feels like I have to. Writing makes me feel better. But it’s starting to feel weird. Why am I even writing? I’m not even publishing anything. And, why write when I’m scared to submit to publish? Is this all going to amount to nothing?
Sincerely, Freaking Out!
Hey, Freaking Out!,
First of all, take a deep breath. Maybe it’s time to write an Ars Poetica.
Many Literature students feels this way at some point. Take it from past alum:
“Listen to the voices telling you to write. Believe that they are telling you the truth—even if you worry that you aren’t any good. There’s a reason you’re writing and you need to find out what it is. If you embrace it, it will teach you something invaluable. Even if you don’t make writing into a career, you will become more yourself and be better equipped to live a fulfilling life.”
– David Perez
“Do the work because you love language—working and playing with words, and because you want to create and discover. It’s misguided to write with the goal of recognition. That may or may not come, but you will be rewarded in so many other ways if you keep writing.”
– Jennifer Markell
Write for yourself. Writing is a meaning making machine! There’s more to writing than publication. If you never choose to seek publication, that’s okay; taking your voice seriously, honing your communication, and following your imagination will aid you in any field you enter.
Andy
How do I make the most of my time at UCSC?
Hi Andy!
I’m in school right now and I can’t shake the feeling that I’m missing something. I go to my classes, read the readings, and do all my assignments but I want to make the most of my education. I want to make sure I don’t waste my time here. I don’t want to graduate with regrets. What else could I be doing? Help!
Sincerely, Wasting Time
Hello Wasting Time,
I get you. Sometimes school can become a mindless routine with a rhythmic beat that just doesn’t feel quite right. But, UCSC is full of programs that can help spark passion. Here’s what some alum say:
“In a broad sense, pursuing the arts as a career requires being as true to your authentic self as humanly possible. And that’s a lifelong pursuit…”
– Anonymous
“Put your heart into what you do and don’t overthink it too much. Share stories, ideas and poems with people, even if it feels embarrassing. Submit all your stories and poems to magazines because you never know what could happen and rejection in life is inevitable. Know that whatever profession you go into after graduation, writing will always be a useful and applicable skill”
– Melanie Ware
“Get involved in the creative writing community. Apply to be an intern. Go to readings. Hang out at Bookshop Santa Cruz.”
– Jason Cohen
“I would have double majored in…” film, acting, sociology, history, something in hard science, business, philosophy, religion, art, psychology.
– Various Alumni
“I would have read more. Gone to office hours. Looked for cool books in McHenry Special Collections. Learned to print letterpress.”
– Anonymous
School is more than a place where experts teach you in large lecture halls or creative writing circles. If you find yourself yearning for more, explore! Talk to your professors and TAs, go to readings—like Living Writers—and student events, join a club, raise your hand and turn towards your classmates when they are talking. Introduce yourself to others and remember their names. Your most cherished spaces and people have a way of finding you, but you must search too.
Cheers to exploring!
Andy
How do I stay consistent?
Hi Andy!
I want to write more. I want it to be a part of my routine. But honestly, I only write a story when I have to turn one in for class. Every published writer I know says they have a writing routine or that they write every day. It’s starting to feel overwhelming. How do I get a writing routine?
Sincerely, Procrastinating
Hey Procrastinating,
We’ve all been there. It’s hard to prioritize writing for yourself when you’re already writing loads for Literature courses. Here’s what some alum say:
“Create some good habits or rituals for your writing now. Don’t be overzealous, but think about what’s doable. Whether it’s one page a day or a time limit you set daily, start small and see how it grows. The more you commit to a practice, the more your life will bend around it.”
– Anonymous
“Keep writing. Keep reading. Give books as gifts. Go to poetry readings. Write in your journal, write on napkins or notes on your phone. Join a book club. Whatever you do, just keep reading and writing.”
-Brooke Velasquez Martino
“Observe…write; experience…write; contribute/interact meaningfully…write; read…write; love…write.”
– William Cass
Build on what you already practice! Writing goals are great, but remember to acknowledge the ways you already incorporate writing into your day-to-day life. Whether you keep a diary, write in your notes app, on sticky notes, or in the margins of your lecture notes, there’s no wrong way to write.
Be kind to yourself!
Andy
Andy is a fictitious alum dedicated to answering undergraduates’ most pressing questions. Letters written by Clare O’Brien and written and edited by Gabriela Vera.