The Ten Commandments of Teaching Creative Writing

Paul Miller has posted an excellent entry on his blog, PaulsPen, called "Thou Shall Have Balance: The Ten Commandments of Teaching Creative Writing." Here they are. Each is explained in great depth on his blog, so be sure to visit his site:

I. Thou shall teach both theory and practice

II. Thou shall teach students to neither mistake, nor suppress, themselves for their audience

III. Thou shall articulate the difference between vision and revision

IV. Thou shall create a plan and be prepared to improvise

V. Thou shall encourage and practice freedom with restraint

VI. Thou shall boldly state absolutes in the realm of the relative

VII. Thou shall teach reading and writing, and the importance of both

VIII. Thou shall coach students to strive for art but be prepared for life

IX. Thou shall lead as an equal

X. Thou shall temper the dream with pragmatism

I admire Paul's mission to teach a balanced approach to the art and trade of writing. This is a useful addition to research on creative writing pedagogy -- thanks, Paul!