Nicholas McNeilly

It was the creative writing concentration that drew me to Carleton, and it was that same concentration that kept me here. When I applied, I was still unsure about my writing abilities. It was something I liked doing, but it certainly wasn’t something I was willing to show anyone but my closest of friends, let alone relative strangers. And, yes, when I handed out my first ten-page manuscript of my fantasy fiction to a class of twenty-or-so fellow writers I was shaking like a leaf. But now, as a recent graduate, I look forward to letting other people see my work! I can say that the writing workshops were bar none some of my favorite classes of my university education – I only wish I could’ve taken more of them. The feedback I’ve received has certainly made me a better writer and made me more aware of my strengths and weaknesses, and having a community of like-minded friends who care about your craft as much as you do is an invaluable asset during the stressful moments of undergraduate life. If you enjoy writing – even a little bit – I’d highly suggest giving the concentration a shot. I never regretted it for a moment.