Creative Writing Courses - Helpful? Not helpful?

My daughter just bought me Stephen King's On Writing. I think I am learning more from that one small book than I could in 14 days worth of classes. I need the flexibility of being able to fit it around my existing rotating shift schedule. Anyone have any other suggestions on good books to read about writing?
 
I wouldn't go as far as to say a writing course is completely worthless, but I certainly feel you'd be better off spending the same time actually writing. And that doesn't cost anything.
 
Stephen4444 said:
My daughter just bought me Stephen King's On Writing. I think I am learning more from that one small book than I could in 14 days worth of classes. I need the flexibility of being able to fit it around my existing rotating shift schedule. Anyone have any other suggestions on good books to read about writing?
Click to expand...

It really depends on what you're looking for.

Writer's Guide to Creating a Science Fiction Universe is great, more a tech manual on real science (don't worry, it's written for writers of SF, not scientists). Dripping with ideas.

The Craft of Writing Science Fiction That Sells (Bova) is an amazing book. I've learned more from that on the mechanics side of things than On Writing.

Creating Short Fiction (Damon Knight) has some great exercises and homework assignments with each section.

Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy is a great collection of essays by some of the big name writers and editors in the field.

How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy (Card), while I didn't enjoy this one as much, it's useful to some, while others rave about it.

Anatomy of Story and Save the Cat! are screenwriting books, but most of what's in there is useful for prose as well. And there's McKee's Story, that mammoth of a book that many screenwriters love to alternately use as a text, a doorstop, or a blunt instrument.

If I had to pick two, I'd settle on the Bova and the King, with Knight being a close third.

Just be careful not to be caught in the trap of reading about writing instead of writing.
 
I've read some book on writing, but I've found this place to be above and beyond that. Even when not getting involved and reading people's posts it can be great because someone, somewhere, will ask the question you were thinking of.
 
...and have you ever thought of writing a memoir?...(maybe of the character Roy Batty in Blade Runner?)

The only thing that ALL writers seem to agree on about writing is that the best way to learn how to do it is to write - a LOT. Also, most critics I've read agree that On Writing is the best. King seems to actually know how he became so successful and lays out a pretty specific plan to do so.

One advantage that some courses used to offer was the ability to actually make useful contacts in the business, particularly in screenwriting, which also had a very definite format to follow. However, the best at this are/were rather expensive and may not be of much use anymore, since the business is ever changing and computers can now program the format .
 
Also, On Writing shows a rags to riches story too. Helps you absorb what he's trying to say, well it helped me.
 
Another thing about On Writing, as opposed to Orson Scott Card; I think we're much better off striving to be good writers, and let genre come naturally. One shouldn't aspire to know the ins and outs of writing fantasy, horror or sci-fi. We should all be trying simply to be better, because genre quality changes depending on trends and so on.
 
Jake Reynolds said:
Another thing about On Writing, as opposed to Orson Scott Card; I think we're much better off striving to be good writers, and let genre come naturally. One shouldn't aspire to know the ins and outs of writing fantasy, horror or sci-fi. We should all be trying simply to be better, because genre quality changes depending on trends and so on.
Click to expand...

That's an excellent point. We read outside genre, and I'm convinced writing outside genre will only help us.
 
I liked OSC's book very much for its help on structure (though I admit I skipped a lot of the specific fantasy/ sff world building stuff). I liked On Writing, but I found it generally cheering rather than of specific, focused help. There are lots of more general books that are good -- How to Write a Damn Good Novel and Self-Editing for Fiction Writers are two I've found interesting.

One of my ambitions for this wip is to get an edit done by Teresa -- I've seen what she does, and it's outstanding.
 
And I can't believe I forgot Doctorow's Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Science Fiction. Great, quick read with lots of advice and anecdotes about getting published.
 
It's been said earlier, but the Workshop section of the Chrons is useful for seeking assistance, or for testing your capabilities. I suppose if you've really got a lingering sense of doubt or uncertainty over your skill (and I think we all do. ;) ) a writing course could indeed be something to consider, but don't rush into anything. Maybe consider a small, short course, first. Get a taste for it.
Others have brought up writing clubs, too, and I'd imagine they're a better choice than courses are. Do a little research, pick a club/group you like the sound of, and perhaps attend a few meetings. Most are happy to allow newcomers in for no fee, so you can see what to make of it.
 
If you can, try an English Literature course; it will expand your knowledge immensely on poetry, novels, Shakepseare etc. I know it massively helped me, but it does tend to give you a more critical eye when reading in future.
 
My craft has "tremendously improved" over the last few years (according to my editor and some beta readers)

Frankly, I'd attribute that more to reading quality books over just writing. You can be a prolific writer, but if you don't expose yourself to a level of quality you aspire to meet, if not exceed, you're probably not going to improve.

I'm wary when it comes to writing classes from academic institutes. I'd rather get feedback from a quality editor or fellow writer than waste money on someone who decided they'd rather teach classes than stick with the game.
 
Those who can, do.
Those who can't, teach.

And it used to be that those who can't teach, administrate; but now it seems they set up websites and send out eMails explaining how much fuller your life could be if you had academic qualifications. (on the whole I prefer them to the administrators, I think)

My sister used to teach creative writing. As far as I can tell, she never unlocked the creativity in any of her pupils, just gave them the tools for the 'writing' bit. There again, the sort of people who're going to take a course like that (apart from those who just see it as a cheap way of getting course points; after all, how do you judge 'creativity'?) are already convinced that their imaginations are up to scratch; many are the "I've got this splendid idea, wouldn't you like to write it for me and we'll share the millions?" style. So perhaps courses could awake the beast from the slumber it has been constrained to by years of "don't tell fibs, dear" from parents, teachers – almost all figures of authority attempting to maintain a stable reality.

Adulation leads to emulation; not a bad thing, probably preferable to the rejection of all previous authority (which, when it gives good results they are generally outstandingly so, but far more often than not gives unreadable junk. Or unlistenable, from rejection of musical composition classes, or unwatchable, inedible – all the arts have the same situation. Humanity needs explores of the unknown, but requires far more mappers out of what has been discovered.) Fashion limits frontiers. The effectiveness of any course that doesn't involve mere transfer of irrefutable information will always depend on the relationship between professor and disciple; if they don't hit it off – well, I suppose a few pupils might be cusséd enough to succeed despite their mentor, but it sounds like hard work to me.
 
chrispenycate

My experiences in creative writing styles of courses has been similar to what you described. The one exception was a course I took when I was sixteen years old. It was a Science Fiction & Fantasy class taught by a Stanford educated writer and educator, who in all places, was in a public High School. It was so good, I ended up taking it twice.

She broke down walls and demanded our creativity to mature and grow. We often had to do exercises that forced us outside our comfort zones, especially when it came to world building and word usage.

Many of the stories written and shared in the class were truly bizarre and unlike any fiction I've read in most books and short fiction anthologies. Several of her students ended up becoming published authors and screenplay writers because of the passion and creativity that she helped them cultivate in the early years. She's still teaching to this day.
 
Mmm. Not many people can teach. Some people have a gift for it, and some people learn it, but a lot of people are very bad at teaching (*).

Also, I believe, writing only makes you enough to live on if you sell lots of books or are happy to live in a cardboard box. Teaching is one way of making money to live on.



(*) My parents worked as teacher trainers for the whole of my childhood. I met an awful, awful lot of teachers and trainee teachers and I became convinced that I could tell who had that spark which made them a charismatic teacher. I could have been totally wrong. I never tested it.
 
Hex said:
Mmm. Not many people can teach. Some people have a gift for it, and some people learn it, but a lot of people are very bad at teaching (*).

Also, I believe, writing only makes you enough to live on if you sell lots of books or are happy to live in a cardboard box. Teaching is one way of making money to live on.



(*) My parents worked as teacher trainers for the whole of my childhood. I met an awful, awful lot of teachers and trainee teachers and I became convinced that I could tell who had that spark which made them a charismatic teacher. I could have been totally wrong. I never tested it.
Click to expand...

You can report back next October.... Actually I audit a lot of lecturers andi am one when I tear myself away from the wip, and most of the good ones are excellent practitioners, too. It's what makes the students stay awake. :D
 
Boneman said:
I've taught Osteopathy (creatively) for nineteen years... Maybe I should run creative writng courses in 'How to write a memoir'...:eek: ;)
Click to expand...

I've done creative accounting courses but they never added up to much. Maybe I should try this. Do I qualify with my CSE woodwork?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread starter Similar threads Forum Replies Date
Author Robbie Creative Writing Writing Discussion 20
M. Robert Gibson Goodreads Creative Writing - any takers? Writing Discussion 14
The Judge Creative Writing Award Writing Discussion 0
M Interesting Article on Creative Writing Courses... Writing Resources 7
S Creative Writing Courses Writing Discussion 34

Similar threads


Back
Top