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To English students and prospective writers searching for inspiration, look no further: Roger Sheffer is here to save the day.
You probably won't find him cruising between classrooms with a cape and a red correction pen, but there's a good chance you'll learn a hell of a lot about the writing process if you sit down for a chat with one of Minnesota State's most constructive creative writing professors.
Sheffer grew up in Burnt Hills, New York, where he first became acquainted with the merit of - and his own talent for - the written word. He became an avid reader at a young age, and later in life stumbled upon an affinity for Raymond Carver's writing that continues today. After high school, Sheffer attended the University at Albany, where he earned a Doctorate degree in Composition Theory and, in 1980, picked up a teaching position halfway across the country.
"When I got here, I couldn't even pronounce Mankato correctly," Sheffer said. "The transition from Albany took some time to get over, but I've gotten very comfortable with [Mankato]. It's a great place to live. These days I feel like Albany is a city that seems to be stuck in the twentieth century."
Sheffer arrived at MSU during a time when the creative writing department was in its youth, having only a handful of instructors and course options. In his early years at Mankato, he taught primarily literature courses.
"Back then the creative writing department only offered three classes per year," said Sheffer. "There were only three of us teaching at the time, and most of us hadn't even published anything. [Newly hired] instructors today have to provide published work before they're even considered for a job."
Since becoming a professor for the creative writing department at MSU, Sheffer has shifted from teaching mostly composition to creative writing as the program grew and he established his credentials with publications, mostly in short fiction. His involvement in campus programs and visiting writers are what he says, got him to seriously consider creative writing as an adjunct to his literary background.
"I guess it was jealousy, to some extent," said Sheffer. "In the early '80s we started getting these great writers coming to visit and lecture on campus, and all I kept thinking was, 'hey, I could do that.' So I did."
Sheffer first picked up fiction writing as a hobby, which then quickly grew into an infatuation, despite how little money is found in the field.
"The thing about writing is the waiting," Sheffer said. "Sometimes you have to wait a year before you hear back from a publisher, and even then it's usually a rejection. But you have to keep trying anyway. Always have something you're working on. If I don't have something on the [backburner] I almost feel incomplete, like I'm not engaging with anything. It's almost like an addiction."
Today, Sheffer's primary area of study is creative writing, and his students are thanking him for it. Since 2005, three of his former students have won the Tamarack Award, including one of MSU's adjunct English professors: Nicole Helget. The Tamarack Award accepts submissions from Minnesota and bordering states, offering a $1,000 grand prize, but is mostly coveted for its prestigious status in the state.
Sheffer currently teaches a literature survey as well as fiction and non-fiction workshop classes for both undergraduate and graduate students. He has published more than 100 short stories in a variety of literary magazines, journals, and books.
And for those prospective writers who can't put a finger on what will make for a good story, Sheffer says originality is key.
"If you want to write something that stands out, do something new," said Sheffer. "If I write about something that's been done a hundred times before, why would anybody want to read it? Good writing doesn't just mean it's written well and has perfect grammar - which it must - but it also means that the content underneath the words is strange and new, and worth reading."
Matt Sauer is a Reporter staff writer
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