Is Taking a Creative Writing Class Worth the Effort?
A growing number of people fancy themselves writers. They keep notebooks full of poetry or short stories, trying to create interesting images with their words. Some of these people are even fairly decent at it. They maybe have created a collection of poetry, or have written down a story or two that's genuinely interesting.
As a result, many people think that's all it takes to be a writer. The internet gives people a voice, and so, many people who consider themselves writers will put their writing up on a website. Others read it, and then presume that's what good writing is. This is unfortunate, because it stops people from reaching their full potential.
It's not that these people are bad writers. Not necessarily. Some of them are no doubt much worse than they think they are, but that would be true of any sort of creative hobby. Yet even the people who are decent can become stymied by the prevalence of self-publishing. It's not self-publishing that's the problem, so much as the idea that once people are reading your writing, that it's good enough. After all, if people read your writing and say they enjoyed it, then what more is there to be a writer?
The truth is much different. It doesn't matter how good you are at your craft, you can always get better. That's a known quantity. However, many people don't realize that they can get better not just by years of practice. They can get better by taking a writing class.
Why Take A Class in Creative Writing?
For many people, the idea of taking a course to help their writing is a joke. They might think you can only become a good writer by practicing over time. They might even think that they're good enough, and have no reason to take a class for it. Whatever the line of thought, they've already decided that taking a class to teach them how to write creatively simply won't benefit them.
That is not the case! The real truth is that a writing class can be of benefit to just about anyone. The reasons for this have to do with structure and deadlines. One of the things that happens with writing is that people who do it tend to think of it much as a hobby. Even when they manage to sell stories, they don't necessarily consider it their primary means of income. Thus, they simply write creative stories when they get the chance, letting ideas sit in their minds until they finally get a chance to put pen to paper and fingers to keys.
A writing course, much like a writers workshop, forces you to write. This is why a creative writing classes can be of benefit even to experienced writers. Certainly, beginner writers can find a lot of use in these classes. A beginner can learn how to properly paint pictures with their words, how to build up the atmosphere and the mood of their story. How to pace things so that there can be an exciting build up to the climax. Yet even an experienced writer, who already knows how to do all of those things, can benefit from having deadlines.
Deadlines and Feedback
The deadlines can help experienced writers actually produce. If they want to pass the class, they have to actually write the stories. They can't wait until they get around to it, they have to turn in their work on the day it's due. That can force them to learn how to put down words, even when they're not sure the words are worthwhile. After all, it's much easier to edit than it is to write!
In addition, a creative writing course or writers workshop will give you automatic feedback for your work. Even if you have a personal circle of people who read your work and give you feedback, it could still become something of an echo chamber. With a class in creative writing, the feedback comes from the teacher and other students. This means you'll be able to get a fresh perspective, which can give you a point of view you may never have considered.
For these reasons, the class experience is incredibly useful. It doesn't matter whether you're a beginner writer, or an experienced one, a good writing class can help you perfect your craft.
As a result, many people think that's all it takes to be a writer. The internet gives people a voice, and so, many people who consider themselves writers will put their writing up on a website. Others read it, and then presume that's what good writing is. This is unfortunate, because it stops people from reaching their full potential.
It's not that these people are bad writers. Not necessarily. Some of them are no doubt much worse than they think they are, but that would be true of any sort of creative hobby. Yet even the people who are decent can become stymied by the prevalence of self-publishing. It's not self-publishing that's the problem, so much as the idea that once people are reading your writing, that it's good enough. After all, if people read your writing and say they enjoyed it, then what more is there to be a writer?
The truth is much different. It doesn't matter how good you are at your craft, you can always get better. That's a known quantity. However, many people don't realize that they can get better not just by years of practice. They can get better by taking a writing class.
Why Take A Class in Creative Writing?
For many people, the idea of taking a course to help their writing is a joke. They might think you can only become a good writer by practicing over time. They might even think that they're good enough, and have no reason to take a class for it. Whatever the line of thought, they've already decided that taking a class to teach them how to write creatively simply won't benefit them.
That is not the case! The real truth is that a writing class can be of benefit to just about anyone. The reasons for this have to do with structure and deadlines. One of the things that happens with writing is that people who do it tend to think of it much as a hobby. Even when they manage to sell stories, they don't necessarily consider it their primary means of income. Thus, they simply write creative stories when they get the chance, letting ideas sit in their minds until they finally get a chance to put pen to paper and fingers to keys.
A writing course, much like a writers workshop, forces you to write. This is why a creative writing classes can be of benefit even to experienced writers. Certainly, beginner writers can find a lot of use in these classes. A beginner can learn how to properly paint pictures with their words, how to build up the atmosphere and the mood of their story. How to pace things so that there can be an exciting build up to the climax. Yet even an experienced writer, who already knows how to do all of those things, can benefit from having deadlines.
Deadlines and Feedback
The deadlines can help experienced writers actually produce. If they want to pass the class, they have to actually write the stories. They can't wait until they get around to it, they have to turn in their work on the day it's due. That can force them to learn how to put down words, even when they're not sure the words are worthwhile. After all, it's much easier to edit than it is to write!
In addition, a creative writing course or writers workshop will give you automatic feedback for your work. Even if you have a personal circle of people who read your work and give you feedback, it could still become something of an echo chamber. With a class in creative writing, the feedback comes from the teacher and other students. This means you'll be able to get a fresh perspective, which can give you a point of view you may never have considered.
For these reasons, the class experience is incredibly useful. It doesn't matter whether you're a beginner writer, or an experienced one, a good writing class can help you perfect your craft.