The Generations of Creative Writing Research

Research through, and in, creative writing offers substantial opportunities for the creation of new knowledge, both for the individual creative writer undertaking that research and for us all, generally. However, choosing to engage in such research is a choice not a requirement of being a creative writer. That said, such a choice could relate to our ability to provide new knowledge on which future generations might build; knowledge for others as well as knowledge for ourselves. Research in creative writing therefore has a relationship to ideals of sustainability. As we determine our methods of approaching creative writing research we are drawn to consider possible avenues of investigation. These avenues are many, and they are varied. In this regard, the clue to modes and methods of research is that creative writing is action. That is, while we can certainly think about it, creative writing cannot exist without us actually doing something. How we respond before, during, and after that doing incorporates what we currently know, and can incorporate what we seek to find out.