I recently gave a workshop with the tongue-in-cheek title, No More Writing Courses! It contained highlights from some of the best (and most expensive) courses I’ve taken over the years. One goal was to provide tools and suggestions for writers who want to create their own independent study program. The goal? More improvement while wasting less time and money.
It felt good to share the nuggets I’ve gathered over the years. Here, without wasting any more of your precious reading time, are a few visual highlights.
You could say I’m a recovering course junkie. It’s easier to take yet another course than to do the work and face the consequences.
Submission Anxiety is when I yearn to do one more course instead of revising a novel, forever putting off the day when it must be sent to market.
A work-in-progress is never rejected and therefore exists in a kind of Schrodinger’s Cat state of neither success nor failure.
Join or Start an Artistic Movement
A writing circle may be more valuable than any course, particularly if your writing buddies are supportive and working in a similar direction.
When workshops aren’t helpful, it may be a question of the personalities and egos involved. My advice? If your workshop is full of dragons, don’t become fireproof. Find a better group.
Ask Yourself These Questions Annually
These questions are ideal for reexamining and focussing your writing practice. Introspection may also save you time and money on courses, software, and books you don’t need.
Once your goals are interrogated and revised is the best time to decide what outside information is needed to move your writing to the next level.
Most of these questions work well for entrepreneurs and artists. Substitute writing for your favorite productive activity.
Free Courses (so you don’t think I hate courses)
●Brandon Sanderson's free university-level fantasy writing course is available on YouTube as a 12-part lecture series titled “Brandon Sanderson's 2020 Creative Writing Course.”
●“The Craft of Plot” by Wesleyan University, available on Coursera. It is taught by Brando Skyhorse, an award-winning author and professor.
This is a mini overview of a two-hour workshop, but I hope some of the ideas and links will be of interest.
Have a creative week!
Maaja
I really love those annual questions.