Have you taken a class recently?  Will you in the near future?  If you’re a writer, then take advantage of what a classroom experience presents.

This is true whether you’re taking a humanities course (English, History, Political Science, etc) or a science course.  In addition to earning a grade or credit hours, make the course work for you as a writer.  Being in a classroom environment offers three important commodities to a writer.

The first commodity is time. How many times have you tried to write another article, especially under the gun, only to find yourself lamenting, “If only I had more time!”  Do you find yourself getting up earlier in the day or staying up later scrapping together a few more minutes here and there?  If you’re in a class, you have automatically found the time to write.  In fact, if it’s a humanities course, you’re required to write a paper.  You will, therefore, automatically be required to set aside time to meet the class deadline.

The second commodity is inspiration. In a learning environment, particularly in a graduate course, you’ll be exposed to new concepts.  With the instructor and from other students you’ll have the opportunity to flesh out your concepts; this is especially true in a seminar where the readings precipitate classroom discussions – and I’ve found that the most animated discussions produce the best ideas.

The third commodity is research. Throughout the semester or the year, you’ll have the resources whether it’s an academic library or interaction with guest professors, or even other students in a graduate course who represent a variety of professions from whom to learn.

Although you can’t use a paper from one course for another, you can try to publish the paper.  There are a few options.  The first is the academic route.   A paper I wrote about private security companies in a Naval War College course was accepted by a peer-reviewed academic journal which then asked me take my 3,000 word article to 7,000 words.  In a different course through the Naval War College, a paper I wrote on U.S. involvement with Ho Chi Minh in 1945 became the basis for an article in a popularly read magazine – and it paid!

While not every paper can be turned into a journal, magazine, or newspaper article, the next time you take a class, instead of dreading a writing assignment, use that opportunity to build your body of published work.

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Claude Berube is the President of American Independent Writers and teaches at the U.S. Naval Academy. The co-author of two books, he’s published over thirty articles in academic journals, popular magazines, and newspapers.