Online Writing Courses

[Shagy1186]

I have been looking into some online writing courses but some of them look a little sketchy. Has anyone taken any type of these online courses and which ones would you recommend.

[azbikergirl]

I have been looking into some online writing courses but some of them look a little sketchy. Has anyone taken any type of these online courses and which ones would you recommend.
I'm taking the Advanced Novel Writing course through Writer's Digest School. I lucked into a terrific instructor (Carol Davis Luce), and would take another class from her in a heartbeat.

[Kiva Wolfe]

I'm taking the Advanced Novel Writing course through Writer's Digest School. I lucked into a terrific instructor (Carol Davis Luce), and would take another class from her in a heartbeat.

They definitely pointed me in the right direction and sparked my creativity.

[Bufty]

I have been looking into some online writing courses but some of them look a little sketchy. Has anyone taken any type of these online courses and which ones would you recommend.

I checked your profile and can find nothing to indicate why you want an online writing course. If you are wanting a specific area improved, fair enough. BUT, in my humble opinion, if you are an absolute newbie - and forgive me if my assumption is wrong - I would suggest you read books of the type you enjoy (including those on writing techniques), and write as you feel. When you have finished something, then consider an online writing class if you discover you need one. Otherwise, to my mind, you may find you are writing and striving to comply with someone else's ideas and style, when you should be developing your own.

Others may disagree........but that's my tuppenceworth.

[Barb]

I think that depends largely on what you hope to gain by taking a course.

Are you an absolute newbie? Then the money for a course might be better invested in some of the How to books out there, like Stein's on writing, the Breakout novel books by Donald Maass...

Do you want crits? There are a lot of groups online who'll give you varying types of crits - the trick is knowing what you want and finding a group that suits you.

Do you want support, a buddy to share your ideas with and to steer you back to the word processor when things seem tough? You might be able to find that elsewhere, too.

Having said that, I took a course once, by the founder of an online crit group. That one was excellent and was everything I hoped for: four each lesson it gave small lectures and reading assignments for online texts, a story for critting in which the discussed questions were relevant and a writing exercise. Both the crit and the exercises were checked by the teacher. The price was very fair and the teacher did a great job - I know that I learned a lot from her.

So when you look at an online weighing wether to take it or not, first ask yourself what you want to gain. Then study the offer if it sounds that this is what you'll be getting.

[Promoman]

I took a novel writing course I found online and I must say I was disappointed. My instructor gave me some useful feedback, but critiqued one scene where I seemed to switch POV between two characters in the same scene, saying that was a no-no...which I accept, by the way.

But when I found out who my instructor was going to be, I searched out a copy of a novel that person wrote. Guess what!! Same problem in a critical scene in that novel. I asked the instructor about it in a letter I enclosed with my next-to-last lesson. I didn't do it in a confrontational way; in fact, I quoted an excerpt of the scene, pointed out that while I agree that you shouldn't switch POV in the middle of the scene AND that it didn't do what it was supposed to do the way I had written it, the same gimmick seemed to work VERY WELL in this scene and I asked how a writer is to know when to cheat the rule.

The instructor never even acknowledged the cover letter; it was clear that it had never even been read.

The school was very nice about letting me change instructors after I complained, and I got a much better one for the final "lesson" who was willing to go back and re-read everything I had written up to that point. I thought about taking the advanced course they offered, but haven't done so, yet.

I got the impression that there are some instructors who have so many students that they don't have time to bother reading cover letters (in which the students are SUPPOSED to ask questions) or give very personal replies. But at the same time, you're paying for detailed instruction.

No matter who you go with, I think you should be aware of the level of detail you get in your critiques. Ask questions: if you get the impression they're not being read, contact the school's "registrar" and demand a switch right away. You're the one with the checkbook, so the school at least owes you a level of personal attention rather than an "assembly line" approach to addressing your manuscript.

[Bufty]

I took a novel writing course I found online and I must say I was disappointed. .................................................. ...........

But at the same time, you're paying for detailed instruction.

.

I think 'the paying for detailed instruction' covers the point. If you just want to 'learn how to write a novel' there are far better ways of going about it. The main one is simply - try it.

[azbikergirl]

The feedback of someone who knows what they're doing can help steer a new writer away from the cliff. IMO, a good instructor can help a writer more than stumbling around in the dark can.

[Bufty]

The feedback of someone who knows what they're doing can help steer a new writer away from the cliff. IMO, a good instructor can help a writer more than stumbling around in the dark can.

Azbikergirl, I don't know if the above was in response to my adjacent post or just a general observation. In my humble opinion anyone who genuinely wishes to write a novel should put pen to paper as a first step. Chances are they'll already be an avid reader and have a decent grasp of grammar. They'll soon find out if they have either anything to say or the tenacity and perseverance that warrants further guidance.

[Jamesaritchie]

I don't know how much a writing course will help, but the goods ones can prevent a lot of amateur mistakes. I prefer university courses, but the Writer's Digest course isn't bad at all.

How much such a course can help depends primarily on the individual writer and instructor, but I'd say take the course. The WD course has some instructors that are highly qualified, and if nothing else, they can help you avoid many of the traps first time novelists often fall into.

It shouold go without syaing that you should be reading avidly, and writing at every opportunity, but this is no reason not to take a good course.

[maestrowork]

I took writing courses at UCLA and I liked them.

[BenMears]

Maestro,
"At UCLA" in that you were there in person, or did you take classes through the Extension? Thanks.

[KimJo]

Fifteen years ago, I signed up for a creative writing course at the university I was attending. I dropped out after the first week when the instructor informed us, "If you've written anything on your own before taking this course, throw it away because you didn't know what you were doing."

I've been a little leery of writing courses since then. However, I can see where a well-run course taught by someone who doesn't consider themself the sole repository of writing knowledge could be useful. Shagy, what do you write? That might help people to steer you toward the right type of course.

[jackie106]

I dropped out after the first week when the instructor informed us, "If you've written anything on your own before taking this course, throw it away because you didn't know what you were doing."


Yikes. I'd run away screaming too.

[Jamesaritchie]

Fifteen years ago, I signed up for a creative writing course at the university I was attending. I dropped out after the first week when the instructor informed us, "If you've written anything on your own before taking this course, throw it away because you didn't know what you were doing."

I've been a little leery of writing courses since then. However, I can see where a well-run course taught by someone who doesn't consider themself the sole repository of writing knowledge could be useful. Shagy, what do you write? That might help people to steer you toward the right type of course.

Any writing course is instructor dependent. The instructor, in my opinion, should be a writer who sells fiction regularly, and someone who will help you with your writing, rather than try to make you a clone of himself.

There are some wonderful university courses, and some truly frightening ones. Same with online courses.

Though in all fairness, I'd say there's an excellent chance that instructor was right about the majority of students in the class. Many who try writing on their own don't have a clue what they're doing at first.

[Hermit]

Reading the 100,000* posts on the Absolute Write forums is an education in itself. Use the search feature and you're on your way.

:) Just write and have fun.

*Estimate....could be a 1,000,000 by now....who knows.

[Promoman]

In my humble opinion anyone who genuinely wishes to write a novel should put pen to paper as a first step. Chances are they'll already be an avid reader and have a decent grasp of grammar. They'll soon find out if they have either anything to say or the tenacity and perseverance that warrants further guidance.

I don't disagree with that, Bufty: certainly anyone who wants to write a novel should start writing and make sure they're committed to the craft before shelling out the cash for such a course. I had already started my novel when I signed up for the class, and I had already decided that I had the tenacity and perseverance that warranted further guidance.

The problem I found, however, was that I didn't get the level of guidance the school's literature suggested I should have expected. Since I was already writing professionally for my "real job," (although the kind of writing was different) I wasn't prone to lots of grammatical and spelling errors. My submissions were returned with occasional circles around things like "do not" and "did not" because the instructor felt I should always use don't and didn't, no matter what. I got generic comments like "very good" without lots of details about why he felt a passage was "very good," which doesn't do much good. That's why I say I was disappointed with the school.

The novel ended up going through major changes after the school, not because of suggestions the "expert," published instructor gave me, but rather because of more detailed suggestions from two fellow writers. At least a few of the changes I made should have been obvious changes for the instructor as well.

I think these online courses could be a good thing, but anyone who decides to take one should watch very carefully the kind of feedback they get from the very first lesson: if you're not happy, don't wait because you think it will get better later...it's unlikely the situation will improve.

[SRHowen]

The magazine I work for (online) offers a couple of workshops--one in basic fiction, the other in query letter and synopsis writing. Soon to start a second session.

For learing the process of writing ficiton I think the best thing for a starter is to just write until you have at least found "your voice"--but if grammar and so forth are holding you back, then by all means take a class or workshop. We offered the query class because so many writers fear them--loath them.

Shawn (who is hunt and peck typing, my whole arm is numb tonight, not good)