The Blue Curtain Conundrum

Having survived the ordeal of my first Literary Theory class and gained further tools for my analysis arsenal, I am now on my way to becoming a fully-fledged English major. This would seem like a cause for pride, celebration, and excitement which it is to a certain extent. However, I feel like it's also hurt my writing somewhat.

I have come to the conclusion that, at least in my case, being a fiction writer/poet and an English major is rather difficult. I can hear the crickets and see the blank stares which mark the confusion of my readers.

Isn't being an English major the stereotypical "thing to do" if you plan on being a writer?
Wouldn't being and English major make you a better writer?

These questions I have asked myself. I think that being an English major definitely has benefits with regards to personal writing skills. But all the analysis that we love, argue over, relish, and hate is a confusing and daunting to my creative juices. Every time I write something, even if it's the most inane scene possible such as having a character walk down the street and see a purple house, I start asking myself about the relevancy of a purple house. (Or for that matter why the proverbial curtains are in fact blue). I have this feeling of obligation to have some sort of meaning behind every detail. This is of course completely ridiculous. But I always wonder what people might "see" in my writing after I'm gone and since at that point they wouldn't be able to ask me, I feel an odd sense of duty to infuse everything with meaning.

My ego obviously has some responsibility here, considering there is very little chance that anything I write (assuming I manage to get published at all) would ever be deeply analyzed or even recognized by the Literati.

As much fun as I had taking the Lit Theory class, I'm glad that I'm taking creative writing this semester so I can focus on the magic sparks at the tip of my pen rather than taking up the objective magnifying glass again.


~Sláinte
B