Elizabeth Claire Alberts is a recent graduate of the Creative Writing postgraduate program. As an environmental investigative journalist, teacher of creative writing, podcaster and poet, she is putting her passion for writing into practice in many different fields.
To gain more insight into why Elizabeth decided to undertake postgraduate studies in creative writing and how what she learnt has assisted her in her work; we asked her a few questions.
When I was doing my undergraduate degree in theatre in the United States, I took some playwriting classes, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I even chose to write and direct my own play for my senior independent study in my final year. My play did quite well, and my adviser suggested that I might want to pursue creative writing as a postgraduate degree – which is exactly what I did! I also had a lot of encouragement from my mother, Nancy Markham Alberts, who is a published children’s writer.
I chose Macquarie University for my postgraduate studies because I knew it had a great reputation in Australia. I also liked the units Macquarie offered in the English Department. I was interested in both creative writing and young adult literature, and I was able to take classes in both of these areas while pursuing my degree.
When I decided that I wanted to do my PhD in creative writing, Macquarie University was the natural choice. The Faculty of Arts had been so supportive of me while I was doing my Masters that I couldn’t imagine doing my PhD anywhere else.
One of the highlights was getting the opportunity to be advised by Dr Jane Messer as I developed and completed my manuscript project, for which I wrote a young adult novel. This was the first major creative writing project that I successfully completed, and I learned so much from Dr Messer’s guidance and suggestions. I also really enjoyed the creative writing seminars which involved inclusive class discussions about the unit topics and readings, and interactive creative writing workshops. During the Masters I was able to successfully develop my skills as a poet and writer of fiction and non-fiction. I was always challenged to think more deeply, to revise and refine my writing and came away with a set of invaluable writing techniques and skills and a portfolio of finished work.
The program and my teachers helped me build my confidence to get my writing out there and to undertake ambitious creative projects. From the Masters I went on to develop my academic research skills, recently completing a creative PhD. My writing has now been published in a number of books and journals, and I’ve even co-authored a children’s book. I’m also currently working on a creative audio storytelling project called EarthVoice Podcast, which will explore the role activism plays in the contemporary environmental and animal rights movements. I don’t think I would have pursued any of these projects if I hadn’t completed both a Masters degree and PhD in creative writing at Macquarie University.
To gain more insight into why Elizabeth decided to undertake postgraduate studies in creative writing and how what she learnt has assisted her in her work; we asked her a few questions.
Why did you decide to undertake postgraduate studies in creative writing?
When I was doing my undergraduate degree in theatre in the United States, I took some playwriting classes, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I even chose to write and direct my own play for my senior independent study in my final year. My play did quite well, and my adviser suggested that I might want to pursue creative writing as a postgraduate degree – which is exactly what I did! I also had a lot of encouragement from my mother, Nancy Markham Alberts, who is a published children’s writer.
Why did you choose Macquarie University for your studies?
I chose Macquarie University for my postgraduate studies because I knew it had a great reputation in Australia. I also liked the units Macquarie offered in the English Department. I was interested in both creative writing and young adult literature, and I was able to take classes in both of these areas while pursuing my degree.
When I decided that I wanted to do my PhD in creative writing, Macquarie University was the natural choice. The Faculty of Arts had been so supportive of me while I was doing my Masters that I couldn’t imagine doing my PhD anywhere else.
What are some highlights about studying the Master of Creative Writing that you would like to share with prospective students?
One of the highlights was getting the opportunity to be advised by Dr Jane Messer as I developed and completed my manuscript project, for which I wrote a young adult novel. This was the first major creative writing project that I successfully completed, and I learned so much from Dr Messer’s guidance and suggestions. I also really enjoyed the creative writing seminars which involved inclusive class discussions about the unit topics and readings, and interactive creative writing workshops. During the Masters I was able to successfully develop my skills as a poet and writer of fiction and non-fiction. I was always challenged to think more deeply, to revise and refine my writing and came away with a set of invaluable writing techniques and skills and a portfolio of finished work.
How has what you learnt in your postgraduate studies helped you in your work and to achieve your professional goals?
The program and my teachers helped me build my confidence to get my writing out there and to undertake ambitious creative projects. From the Masters I went on to develop my academic research skills, recently completing a creative PhD. My writing has now been published in a number of books and journals, and I’ve even co-authored a children’s book. I’m also currently working on a creative audio storytelling project called EarthVoice Podcast, which will explore the role activism plays in the contemporary environmental and animal rights movements. I don’t think I would have pursued any of these projects if I hadn’t completed both a Masters degree and PhD in creative writing at Macquarie University.
