Writing Course - "write a book in 28 days or less"

DwayneA · Aug 16, 2008

I found this page on the internet about a writing course that allows you to write any book in 28 days or less. I believe something like this can help my writing abilities, but I would like to know if this is real and not a scam.

http://www.writequickly.com/author/menu.aspx?pu=false&srec=true

KTC · Aug 16, 2008

You know what...don't do it. Just sit at home and write a book in 28 days. If you're just doing it to improve your writing abilities...just do it. Writing begets better writing. Just write.

Marian Perera · Aug 16, 2008

I love this part :

Where to buy a guaranteed best-selling plot for just 50 CENTS!

If you only pay a quarter, do you get a midlist plot?

KTC · Aug 16, 2008

I'd run away after reading this line:

My name is Trent Steele, I'm the course director behind Intelligent Courses.

Trent Steele? Please.

KTC · Aug 16, 2008

Or there is always this piece of cherry pie:

Let me be quite blunt: there are WRITING SECRETS no-one has yet told you about.

Judg · Aug 16, 2008

If they're asking for money, forget it. Sign up for NaNoWriMo. It's free and it will keep you writing for 30 days.

JeanneTGC · Aug 16, 2008

Oh my. "Writing Secrets" yet untold? Where DO I sign up?

Seriously, the best "writing secret" KTC already gave you -- just do it.

Here's another: All the first stuff you write will be crap, and we all give you permission to write crap. The more you write, the less crap your writing becomes, until one day, you've written enough words that your writing becomes good, and so on. So, get going, so you get through however many words of crap you, personally, have to write to get good. It's a different number for everyone, but it's always a lot, so the sooner you get going, the better.

Fenika · Aug 16, 2008

It's funny you ask this b/c I was just thinking of this today.

I spent a lot of my time in school. College. Post grad. Professional school. The last few months I thought it would be great to take a weekend (or longer) writing course. The cost put me off. Then I realized I really couldn't commit the time. But I've been wondering if I've just been making excuses. Wouldn't it be great to be around other writers and take a course?

Well, today I went to a free writers course. It was good. I benefited from it. There were nice people there with different backgrounds. Had I paid for it I would have cussed myself.

A lot of time was not spent on the craft or journey of writing. Most of the best presented information I'd learned HERE for free. I took a few notes, but I also surfed AW during the lulls, lol.

Unless there was a specific lecturer and a specific topic AND one-on-one time, I don't think I'd ever pay a cent for a workshop. And even then, who knows, as there are inexpensive day-workshops in my area weekly.

Cheers,
Christina

Fenika · Aug 16, 2008

KTC said:
Let me be quite blunt: there are WRITING SECRETS no-one has yet told you about.

Yeah sure. Apparently they weren't WORTH sharing as none of the people who've taken the course previously have gotten the word out

Marian Perera · Aug 16, 2008

Wow, that website is great! As a source of entertainment, that is.

"With your help, I've just finished my second fiction adventure novel!"

"In gratitude, I send you this free gift from the Department of Redundancy Department!"

Judg · Aug 16, 2008

I've been checking out the websites of the people giving testimonials. Or I would be, if I didn't keep getting the 404 message. So far, I've tried two, and they don't exist.

cornell · Aug 16, 2008

JeanneTGC said:
Oh my. "Writing Secrets" yet untold? Where DO I sign up?

Seriously, the best "writing secret" KTC already gave you -- just do it.

Here's another: All the first stuff you write will be crap, and we all give you permission to write crap. The more you write, the less crap your writing becomes, until one day, you've written enough words that your writing becomes good, and so on. So, get going, so you get through however many words of crap you, personally, have to write to get good. It's a different number for everyone, but it's always a lot, so the sooner you get going, the better.

I love this! but "All the first stuff you write will be crap" is this part really true? I hope so because sometimes I cringe at some of the crap I write

Judg · Aug 16, 2008

Oh, and Trent Steele has turned into Dan Strauss by the end of the page. Interesting.

BTW, I took a course in online marketing at one point. This site uses every trick in the book.

I also checked out Nick Daws. Has a bunch of cheap how-to and guide books. He may have written 30 bestsellers in 3 years, but Amazon Canada lists only 13 from the last 15 years.

All that to say that this site is waving so many red flags, it's hard to make out the print.

Bubastes · Aug 16, 2008

cornell said:
I love this! but "All the first stuff you write will be crap" is this part really true? I hope so because sometimes I cringe at some of the crap I write

Yes. Even Ernest Hemingway said, "All first drafts are sh-t."

Marian Perera · Aug 16, 2008

DwayneA said:
I would like to know if this is real and not a scam.

Have you reached any conclusion about whether this is real or a scam, Dwayne?

Bubastes · Aug 16, 2008

Judg said:
I also checked out Nick Daws. Has a bunch of cheap how-to and guide books. He may have written 30 bestsellers in 3 years, but Amazon Canada lists only 13 from the last 15 years.

You beat me to it. The results I received after checking out Nick Daws on Amazon.com were laughable.

DwayneA · Aug 16, 2008

yes, I'll look elsewhere for writing courses

In fact, I've joined writingtips, a yahoo group that gives weekly writing tips to its subscribers

Fenika · Aug 16, 2008

Looks good. Writingtips

I signed up as well. Thanks Dwayne

emeraldcite · Aug 16, 2008

Bahamutchild said:
Yeah sure. Apparently they weren't WORTH sharing as none of the people who've taken the course previously have gotten the word out

Yeah, if there were writing secrets, they'd be on the internet. For free. Because you just can't keep secrets under wraps on the internet...

Matera the Mad · Aug 16, 2008

wowsome, fifty bucks for all the writing Seekratz you could pick up on the Web for free. LOL[sup]10[/sup]

Rolling Thunder · Aug 16, 2008

Dwayne, I'll make three suggestions you might find helpful:

1.) The Elements of Style - by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
2.) The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes (and how to avoid them) - by Jack M. Bickham
3.) The First Five Pages - by Noah Lukeman

Buy a copy of each (they're relatively inexpensive) or visit your local library and borrow them. They will provide you with plenty of good information. I recommend purchasing #1, since it is a handy reference source you can turn to whenever you need some guidance.

Shweta · Aug 17, 2008

Dwayne, you're asking very basic questions, so it seems to me this forum might be a better fit for you than Novels.

Linda Adams · Aug 17, 2008

DwayneA said:
yes, I'll look elsewhere for writing courses

In fact, I've joined writingtips, a yahoo group that gives weekly writing tips to its subscribers

Forward Motion is also offering free writing courses. They are on one subject and run over the course of the entire month. The current one is description.

Also, here's a free writing magazine: http://www.lazette.net/Vision/

Bufty · Aug 17, 2008

So, Dwayne, you think that may be easier than studying the extremely helpful posts you received on another thread - and didn't even acknowledge!

You've already been through one writing course and achieved high praise according to you.

Sheesh! There's no short cuts, Dwayne.

seun · Aug 17, 2008

Trent Steele? Sounds like the hero from a Mills & Boon book.

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