English Intern Kamryn Heavin Reflects on her Creative Writing Journey

By Kamryn Heavin

High school in a small town does not grant many opportunities to develop one’s creative writing skills, other than that unavoidable assignment each fall which asks us to recall our summer vacations. I have wanted to be an author for as long as I can remember, and this lack of classes in high school did not deter me, but writing became something more akin to a hobby. I spent a lot of time daydreaming about how my name would look under New York Times Bestselling Author. I wanted so badly to have a book with my name on it, propped up on my shelf like a trophy. The library in town was like a continual career fair. Every newly published book that my mom—a librarian of many years—brought home, while exciting and enthralling, was a reminder that I had not yet produced one of my own. I had to get started.

So, by the time University was on the horizon, I had already scoped out all the creative writing classes USask had to offer. They stood out to me as if surrounded by little gold stars.

English 120 was very likely the first class I registered for in the fall of 2022. The thought of it made me giddy: writing poetry, non-fiction, and my true love, fiction—for a whole class. As it turned out, amidst the anxiety of walking into the dining hall and the struggle to find myself in this huge, new city, 120 became my safe space. I’d enter that weirdly shaped room in the Health Sciences building on Tuesdays, or the small classroom in the Arts building on Thursdays, and some of my homesickness would melt away.

Why I did not declare as an English major for two years, it’s anyone’s guess.

Four years later, not much has changed; a writing workshop is always at the top of my list when registration opens–those gold stars have not faded in the least. Anxiety is still present, but appears more as a passing cloud than a perpetual storm. Writing classes lift any cloak I have unknowingly shrouded myself in, and allow me to be the raw, true version of myself. This is because the creative writing certificate at the University of Saskatchewan is exactly what an emerging author needs to flourish.

The professors of writing classes make me excited to put pen to paper. Workshops are some of the most accepting environments I have ever been a part of–to the point where I don’t just feel comfortable sharing my stories, I’m excited to. The feedback that I receive is a perfect mix of praise and criticism, although it never really feels like criticism. Instead, my work turns into a sort of group project, where other students genuinely want to see it succeed.

Being an intern for the MFA in Writing this semester has only made the excitement for my future grow, as I branch out from the undergrad writing scene to the master’s program. The writing community of Saskatoon is warm, inviting, and so incredibly talented.

Open mics, author talks, writing conferences, fantastic magazines accepting work of all kinds–there are endless opportunities to develop a career in writing.

I’ll always hold a special place in my heart for the classes I took in my undergrad and all the people in them who pushed me to improve. I think anyone who has even the smallest interest in creative writing would not regret being a part of this certificate. Unbeknownst to a younger, high school version of myself—it is never too late to start writing your novel.

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