Creative Writing Class

[rachel_martin64]

In early February I paid to take a creative writing class. It runs until the end of April and meets once a week. It’s at a brand-name university and the professor is a midlist author who’s published 18 novels. I’m being vague because I am not really sure the class has been worth the money. I’m going to ramble about the class. And I’m going to

Comments

[dolimir_k]

Hey hon. I thought I should tell you. A dear friend of mine wrote me a TS novel for my birthday (although it took her nearly a year to do it). I kept telling her that she should turn it into an original novel and sell it. She poopoo'd me for a while, but then she actually did it. Not only did she sell it, but she turned it into a trilogy. She then went on to finish a second trilogy set in the same world, but using different characters

[rachel_martin64]

Wow, thank you for telling me about the friend of yours who turned her TS novel into a pro fic and sold it as a trilogy and is still writing. That is a great thing to hear about. If she can do it, so can I.

Oh, yes, there are many online classes I can take. Many colleges offer them and now there are for-profits offering them. I am in the process now of applying for an online course that starts in the fall. There are also many other in-person classes I could take, but after this experience, I am meh about it. I'm tired of the drama of dealing face-to-face with people writing their thinly-disguised autobiographies. I think I want to put a computer screen between us.

[dolimir_k]

That's exactly why I told you! You can do it! It can be done! It's not a pipe dream. It is a very doable thing. *g*

I'll be interested to hear what your experiences are with a computer class. I've always thought I'd like to try one, but usually don't have the money when the urge comes over me. *g*

[rachel_martin64]

"How do you even critique that? That chick cries when she reads her stuff."Yup, exactly

[lilacsigil]

It sounds like a bad fit for you, but every non-fannish writing group I've gone near (all online because of my rural location) has been people trying to write about themselves. They don't want criticism, they want validation. At least the people writing terrible fantasy novels like criticism and discussion!

I suppose you need to ask what tools do you think you need to acquire to write what you want to write? And how do you get these tools?

[rachel_martin64]

They don't want criticism, they want validation.

Yes, yes, yes. Exactly. I guess it's no wonder the professor doesn't want to engage. So she humors us and tells us we're great writers, and my classmates are very pleased with her and go online to give her good reviews, etc. Most of the people in my class are repeat customers, in fact.

I don't believe I've run into this sort of thing in fandom. Sure, there are the Mary Sues, but they are writing "wish fulfillment."

The professor has made some remarks that were very useful to me, and the story is already a better story for it. But I won't get any more advice out of her without paying $300 for a "manuscript consultation."

Perhaps it's different in genre writing classes, specifically for writers of SF&F, mystery, romance, etc.