Business | Unsplash by Tyler Franta
Business | Unsplash by Tyler Franta
In 2020, Fran Wilde became the first person to receive a second Andre Norton Nebula Award for her novel, “Riverland”. She was first recognized with the award in 2016 for her debut novel, “Updraft”. On top of such an esteemed accomplishment, Wilde’s novels and short stories have been finalists for six Nebula Awards, four Hugo Awards, four Locus Awards, a World Fantasy Award, and a Lodestar. We’re honored to have Wilde as the prior director and current professor of the Graduate Program in Creative Writing’s (GPCW) Genre Fiction concentration at Western Colorado University.
Becoming a Teacher
Wilde has always been a writer, but she always loved to teach. At sixteen, Wilde started teaching as a camp counselor and hasn’t stopped since. A class taught by Rita Dove, a world-renowned poet, shed a different light on teaching.
“I was just incredibly lucky to study with her because she gave me, not just great philosophy about poetry, but she taught me how to be a teacher,” said Wilde. “I’ve taught at a number of colleges and universities over the years, as well as a lot of writing workshops. Through all of it pretty much the guiding star was Rita Dove’s first poetry class that I took in college.
Supporting Students
Wilde explained that when Dove would have the students read their work in class, the professor’s reaction to the work was appreciative.
“She was rigorous while also helping us feel welcome and safe enough to try different kinds of work,” said Wilde. “She was just happy we were there and working.”
Wilde at Western
As a professor at Western, Wilde said the low-residency program allows students to live creative lives. While students in the GPCW are still responsible for their jobs or raising a family, they learn how to live their day-to-day lives alongside honing their crafts in the program.
“But I think really what makes this program unique is how talented the faculty is in so many diverse ways,” said Wilde. “There’s no other program like this in the country.”
The Graduate Program in Creative Writing
The program’s low-residency setup greatly benefits the students involved, and the structure of studying multiple genres in the program helps writers find and explore their niche. Wilde said it’s important to be compassionate with yourself as a writer and give yourself permission to try new things.
“The first thing to do if you want to write, is write,” said Wilde. “Then, find a group of peers that can cheer you on. Finding people that you can talk to about your plots, your ideas, or where you want to go with something is really important. Western is a good network for a lot of people for that reason.”
Original source can be found here.
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