Of all the sections of Intro to Creative Writing that I have taught at this university, you are, as a group, among the three most talented. You arrived in this room with unusual aptitude for language, for empathy, for taking risks: three things no writer succeeds without. And most of you worked hard–some of you worked very hard–to improve. For that, I am grateful to you.
You are also, collectively, one of the most inconsistent sections–in terms of attendance, promptness, workshop participation–that I have taught. I say this not to criticize, to make you feel bad–if you are the kind of person who feels bad about that sort of thing, you already do–but because it’s my job, technically speaking, to teach you how to succeed in our creative writing program.