Creative writing courses/groups?
In the New Year I'd like to add some formality to my creative writing. Has anyone had good experiences with:
- courses in London - I don't think I want to go as big as an MA but anything up to Cert level including non-HE stuff.
- writer's groups (in London, or any that you've been to elsewhere that helped, and how to spot which ones might)
I know about Arvon courses but am not sure I can (or want to) shell out for them.
I would like something that involves criticism and discussion and a minimal amount of artsy mumbling - I'm not really finding my voice and freeing my imagination, more rigorously editing my voice and working out the key flaws of my imagination so I can stamp on them.
I understand that structured creative writing sessions can be very useful, and have only been put off by previous experience of:
- an undergraduate course with a Marxist playwright tutor ceaselessly complaining about the right-wing conspiracy which kept his work from being published and performed.
Originator of a very bad in-class writing exercise: 'Have twenty minutes, you're going to write about... HOLOCAUST.' [Stunned incredulous looks.] 'I mean, it doesn't have to be THE Holocaust. Remember at the end of The Great Gatsby when it says 'The holocaust was over?''
I am annoyed that I had not the nerve (or maybe didn't want to throw the man a rope) to point out that Gatsby was written before THE Holocaust, and that since the article became definite, people have been less cavalier about chucking the term around.
- a creative writing group which would nod thoughtfully and send up a sonorous Hmmm if you read a shopping list out with sufficient gravitas.
Any recommendations gratefully received.
Posted on Dreamwidth also (http://slightlycanted.dreamwidth.org/1956.html, with
comments so far). Comment wherever you'd like to.
- courses in London - I don't think I want to go as big as an MA but anything up to Cert level including non-HE stuff.
- writer's groups (in London, or any that you've been to elsewhere that helped, and how to spot which ones might)
I know about Arvon courses but am not sure I can (or want to) shell out for them.
I would like something that involves criticism and discussion and a minimal amount of artsy mumbling - I'm not really finding my voice and freeing my imagination, more rigorously editing my voice and working out the key flaws of my imagination so I can stamp on them.
I understand that structured creative writing sessions can be very useful, and have only been put off by previous experience of:
- an undergraduate course with a Marxist playwright tutor ceaselessly complaining about the right-wing conspiracy which kept his work from being published and performed.
Originator of a very bad in-class writing exercise: 'Have twenty minutes, you're going to write about... HOLOCAUST.' [Stunned incredulous looks.] 'I mean, it doesn't have to be THE Holocaust. Remember at the end of The Great Gatsby when it says 'The holocaust was over?''
I am annoyed that I had not the nerve (or maybe didn't want to throw the man a rope) to point out that Gatsby was written before THE Holocaust, and that since the article became definite, people have been less cavalier about chucking the term around.
- a creative writing group which would nod thoughtfully and send up a sonorous Hmmm if you read a shopping list out with sufficient gravitas.
Any recommendations gratefully received.
Posted on Dreamwidth also (http://slightlycanted.dreamwidth.org/1956.html, with
comments so far). Comment wherever you'd like to.