December 6, 2024
by Allie Armstrong
Writing stories to present to peers and professors may seem like an intimidating task, but this is a welcome norm for Creative Writing and English students here at UW–Madison.
Recent alum Natalie Bercutt was one such student. Bercutt, who graduated in the spring of 2024, majored in Political Science and English with the Creative Writing track.
Throughout her college career, Bercutt took various creative writing courses, encompassing both fiction and nonfiction. She read and studied literature from across time periods to further inform her style. In addition to her academics, Natalie also competed on UW–Madison’s swimming team, specializing in the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke. She competed in multiple Big Ten Championships and has been recognized nationally. In her final semester, all of this experience and knowledge culminated in the Creative Writing Capstone Course, ENGL695.
After her time spent in ENGL695, I sat down with Natalie to gain some insight on the experience and discuss Water Baby: Essays on Growing Up Swimming, the piece that she produced within the course.
Why did you decide to pursue an English major? Why the Creative Writing track?
I randomly took English 207 to fulfill my Comm B credit and ended up liking it so much I never left! I used to love creative writing when I was in elementary school but felt like I lost my creative spark throughout high school. It felt so good to be able to reconnect with my creative side and flex that muscle again at UW. I also loved the community within the English Department.
Who was your ENGL695 professor? How was the experience of working with them, both in this course and any that you had together previously?
My professor was Ron Kuka. We previously worked together in my 408 fiction class. Once we met one on one, we learned how much we had in common. We were both college athletes and had crazy stories to share. The first time we met, we ended up chatting for two hours. After how well we hit it off, I knew that I wanted to work with him for my thesis. He did a great job of pushing me out of my comfort zone while also being a general cheerleader of my work. I finished up my swimming career while working on this project. Having his support as I moved through this massive life change meant a lot.
What did you write about and how did you arrive at the decision of which story to tell? Why was Water Baby: Essays on Growing Up Swimming important to you?
My thesis (Water Baby: Essays on Growing Up Swimming) was a collection of essays written about my swimming career. I always loved to read memoirs, and after taking a nonfiction workshop with Beth Nguyen, I knew it was something I wanted to continue working on while at UW. I felt my piece was important for two reasons. One, so many sports stories are a very linear march towards greatness. And while I really wanted that to be my life, it didn’t end up that way. I wanted to make sure the reality of being an athlete at that level was featured in a funny, but also truthful light. Second, it felt like the perfect coda to this relationship of fifteen years that was coming to an end. In a weird way, writing this whole saga of my career felt like I was letting it go peacefully. It ended up being very therapeutic.
How did this class (and/or other writing workshops) improve your ability as a writer?
Every single writing workshop improved my ability as a writer in basic terms of expanding my toolbox, but I think the most important ability I’ve gained from it has been my ability to take criticism. The workshop structure really forces you to be critiqued without the opportunity to defend your work. While that really frustrated me at the start of the program, the ability to listen to others’ opinions before jumping in has been very valuable in the postgrad world. A lot of times, taking that criticism would lead to an improved piece.
Did you learn anything unexpected in this class (and/or other writing workshops), either about yourself or the writing process?
When I was younger, I had these massive writing plans for myself that I would never follow through on. I would have a whole plan for a book and then only be able to write five pages. Being able to plan a large-scale project and see it through with only minor changes was so unexpected and an amazingly pleasant surprise for me.
What support did you get from your professor and your peers? Do you still keep in contact with any of them?
I had so much support from both my professors and peers in the program. I would love to catch up with Professor Kuka if I’m back in Madison soon. But I keep in contact with my friends from the major, especially those from my linguistics class and English 241.
What can creative writing students expect from ENGL695?
It’s really hard to self-motivate. You’re not really working on a deadline and there aren’t any parameters, so get ready to choose your own adventure!
What writing workshops would you recommend for non-creative writing majors? What can they expect from those workshops? What skills will they learn?
ENGL207 (Introduction to Creative Writing: Fiction and Poetry Workshop) is a classic, but I would recommend everyone take a nonfiction workshop. It’s a great way to learn how to write about yourself and can be applied to any kind of writing moving forward.
Why should current and future UW-Madison students consider choosing the Creative Writing track? Have those skills helped you in your professional career?
Yes! People always ask about it in job interviews and at the various places I’ve worked. Being able to write and do literature analysis is a skill that surprisingly not that many people have. It also makes you stand out. You have great stories to tell–both real and the stuff you’ve written. On my first day at my internship this fall, somehow it came up that we had to learn Middle English in my 241 class. Everyone was very impressed! Overall, I have found the Creative Writing track to be a great choice!