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Choosing the Right Writing Course
Writing is a quickly learned skill for those who have a strong
desire. Within a year or two, most writing students are ready
to charge into the future fully prepared.
But what writing course to choose becomes the question. Take it
from one who has tried all the shortcuts and found there were
none - you will save yourself time and grief if you will begin
at the beginning. Writing courses are an investment, and you
are worth the time and money it takes to reach your goal.
The writing course you should choose depends not on what
talents you have, not on what experience you have, not on what
education you have, but mostly on what knowledgeable level of
writing foundation you have. More than likely, you will already
have some foundation, but it will have holes in it. That is to
say, you will know some things, and not others. In such a case,
determine your lowest point, or "hole", if you will, and begin
there.
For example, if you have problems with punctuation, you should
start with a Basic Review class. There you will learn how and
when to use the proper punctuation, and some of the most common
basics. This is an excellent place for older students to begin,
as they often need such a brush-up course.
If you are good with English and you have the punctuation
skills down pat, you may want to begin in Mechanics of Writing.
There you will learn basic sentence structures, foundational
writing rules and common mistakes to avoid. This is another
good brush-up course.
If you're up for the challenge of deeper writing rules and more
in-depth assignments, it sounds like you're ready for Creative
Writing 101. This is a great class for those who are interested
in cross-writing (that is, writing for more than one genre
instead of finding one niche and staying in it). Creative
Writing will teach you foundational rules of writing, how to
write a snappy first paragraph, and will take you into deeper
steps with more writing practice. This is an intermediate
class.
Non-Fiction writing is for students in the intermediate class.
It will teach you how to write for magazines and newspapers.
It's a very good step for intermediates because non-fiction
writing pays better than anything else.
Do you like to write stories? Then Short Story writing is the
class for you. However, it is also an intermediate class. You
should know the rules of English, have good sentence structure,
and practice the basic rules of writing before you attempt this
course.
If you like to write children's stories, you would love Writing
for Children, but there again, it is an intermediate class.
Writing for children is not easier than writing for teens or
adults. It can, in fact, be harder, so be sure you have a good
foundation before attempting this class. Be prepared with
proper English, and the basic rules of writing.
If you are into fantasy writing, you will love Fantasy World.
Have you wondered how to invent those far away places you see
in your mind? This is the class for you. It is an intermediate
class, so be sure you get your foundational courses first.
Science-Fiction writing is coming soon. Possibly in the next
term.
If you are an advanced student, Wordsmithing is the class for
you. There you will learn writing skills that no other class
teaches. This is the class that will explain how other authors
can string words together in an artistic style. It will teach
you to recognize things like assonance, consonance, asyndeton,
and many more little known techniques so that you can apply it
to your own writing. This is the final stop on how to jazz your
writing and edit it with snappy styles and techniques.
Wordsmithing is a unique class in that it can be at the
beginning of your career, or the end. For me, it was the
technique that put me over the top.
If you wonder if you need a certain class to advance to a
higher level of learning, the chances are, you DO. Your
subconscious is telling you your foundation isn't complete.
Don't challenge yourself with more advanced classes. You need
all the rules of writing in order to succeed. Skipping ahead
usually means having to return to a lower class at a later time
to pick up what you missed.
When you have your foundation and pass through the various
stages in order, the advanced classes will blend and mesh all
your learning experiences into one vision. I can't reiterate
this strongly enough - get your foundation first. Start at the
bottom and learn every single rule. You'll save yourself grief
in the future.
by Deborah Owen - 1st September 2008
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If you are still in doubt as to which class you should take,
send a 1,000 word story or a 200 word article to
deborahowen@cwinst.com and ask for an evaluation. (Join our
Short Story/Article Writing Contest from Aug. 1 - Sept. 30,
2008) Compliments of http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com
.
Source: http://www.creativewriter.me.uk
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