Guest Blog: Writing at Yale

Editor's note: This entry is by Roshan Sethi, a Trumbull senior.

Welcome new members of the class of 2013!!!

A little bit about myself: My name is Roshan Sethi. I'm a current senior in Trumbull College, majoring in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. I do a lot of "science major" things on campus - I usually take 1 or 2 biology courses each semester; this fall, I took Neurobiology and Biochemistry, both fascinating classes. I work in a lab in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, investigating spinal cord injury. I took Perspectives on Science during my freshman year, and I write for the Yale Scientific Magazine.

Even though the biology major and my pre-medical requirements have kept me busy, I've still found time to pursue my other interests. Since high scohol, I've enjoyed reading and writing, but I didn't expect to have time for either when I arrived at Yale. I was wrong - by the end of my final semester I'll have taken as many English courses as Biology courses!

My favorite classes have been the fiction workshops. The "coursework" consists of reading short stories written by other students, and writing your own. I can never quite believe that I'm writing - something I usually do for pleasure - for credit! And the classes themselves never seem long enough (they are two hours, once a week), and I'm always sad when each session comes to a close. It's a delight to sit around a table with other intelligent, creative people who are trying to do the same thing you are. And the fact that one of those people is an award-winning professional writer is eve cooler. (Take a look at the creative writing faculty here.)

Last semester, I had the opportunity to try a type of writing that I've never attempted before - screenwriting! I took "Writing Half Hour Comedy" with Robert Stevens. Professor Stevens is the former head writer of "Malcolm in the Middle,' one of my favorite shows. If you don't know what I'm talking about, this may help.

My favorite part of the course was the assigned textbooks. There were only two of them, and they are shown here alongside the wonderful Blue Book.

The course itself was amazing. I didn't think I would be able to write a sitcom but I ended up developing a 30-minute pilot for a new show!

The best reason to take these classes is because they force you to write a lot. The scientist in me likes to total things: I've produced nearly 200 pages of fiction (of which I'm happy with, probably, ten pages) and 3 full-length television scripts (about 150 formatted pages). I never would have written this much outside of class, on my own.

I will note that these courses can be competitive to get into. But the English Department has done a good job of expanding the number of sections (there are usually 3 fiction courses in a given semester) and designing courses that are specifically intended for novices ("Introductory Fiction" is limited to freshmen and sophomores when it's offered).

I've also had the opportunity to explore my interest in writing outside of the classroom. During my freshman year, I helped found a literary magazine that (thankfully) still exists: Yale Undergraduate Magazine, so-named because of its memorable acronym: Y.U.M. Visit the website and peruse old issues here. And definitely write for us when you land on campus next fall!

In addition to writing for campus publications, students have the opportunity to organize Master's Teas with the authors they really admire. Last year, I brought Lois Lowry (author of "The Giver"), R.L. Stine (author of "Goosebumps") and Sam Tanenhaus (editor of the New York Times Book Review).

There's basically no way to describe how awesome Master's Teas are. Students are allowed to invite anyone who is sufficiently well-known (they have to be able to draw at least 12 people) and the College will pay for accomodations, travel, a small honorarium, etc. They also pay for a subsidized dinner with that author - here's my friends and me with Lois Lowry at Scuzzi, an awesome Italian restaurant on Chapel Street.

As a last note, there are just as many opportunities for those interested in nonfiction writing. The Yale Journalism Initiative offers courses with major writers and publishers like Steven Brill (founder of "Court TV" and "American Lawyer"), Anne Fadiman (former editor-in-chief of "The American Scholar") and Jill Abramson (current news managing editor of the New York Times).

So, if you're interested in writing, even as a hobby, Yale is a wonderful place to explore that passion. I never expected to spend so much time in Linsley-Chittenden when creative writing has absolutely nothing to do with my planned career (medicine). But I know I'll never have the chance to write this much again (certainly not in medical school and residency). I count it as the greatest aspect of my years at Yale that I've been able to receive an incredible education in both the sciences and the humanities. I could not imagine a more satisfying college experience.