Creative writing?

Hagar · 23 Jan 2019 at 12:15

I have signed up for an evening class in creative writing. Has anyone here ever attended a creative writing course? I am now not sure what to expect. My last formal training in written english was back in the 1960's with English Language and Literature 'O levels'.

Since retiring a year ago as a Civil Engineer, I have considered writing as a means of entertainment, I normally read a number of novels during the year and believe that I could also write one. I have previously written or co authored 'technical' documents and papers during my career.

I have discovered amongst my ancestors a William Fox esq., He was instrumental in founding Sunday schooling in the 18th century and a memoir of his life was published in the 1830's By a Joseph Ivimay. I would like to novelise a part of Wm. Fox life story. I have started writing and I am 1500 words into it, not a lot I know, but now thinking, will it get ripped apart?

The first class is tomorrow night and I will post again following that. Just after a bit of guidance (and support) really.

Cheers.

NoobCannon · 23 Jan 2019 at 12:21

Plenty on this forum could be considered creative writers. Or defiantly fiction writers anyway

Panos · 23 Jan 2019 at 12:37

nkata said:
I have signed up for an evening class in creative writing. Has anyone here ever attended a creative writing course? I am now not sure what to expect. My last formal training in written english was back in the 1960's with English Language and Literature 'O levels'.

Just relax and enjoy the lessons.

Is like learning to draw with the left side of your brain. Initially might seem weird, but after that the brain it will go on it's own.
Just needs practice, and that would come naturally by having ideas of short stories. Don't be afraid to write them down.

manic111 · 23 Jan 2019 at 12:40

NoobCannon said:
Plenty on this forum could be concisered creative writers. Or defiantly fiction writers anyway

You could probably do with lessons yourself!

wolfie138 · 23 Jan 2019 at 12:45

i tried one many years ago, one of the by-mail things they used to advertise in various places. gave it up after a couple weeks, it never lived up to promises and the exercises were tedious and generic. as w/ all school though, a lot comes down to the teacher, so if you get a good one you'll do a lot better regardless of the course content, i think. go for it and see what you think of it.

Hagar · 23 Jan 2019 at 12:55

Panos said:
Just relax and enjoy the lessons.
Is like learning to draw with the left side of your brain. Initially might seem weird, but after that the brain it will go on it's own.
Just needs practice, and that would come naturally by having ideas of short stories. Don't be afraid to write them down.

wolfie138 said:
i tried one many years ago, one of the by-mail things they used to advertise in various places. gave it up after a couple weeks, it never lived up to promises and the exercises were tedious and generic. as w/ all school though, a lot comes down to the teacher, so if you get a good one you'll do a lot better regardless of the course content, i think. go for it and see what you think of it.

Thank you both for the replies. Yes it will be down to the teacher and hopefully better than school although that is a distant memory. I think that I am looking forward to it, It is better than doing nothing with my brain now that I am not working anyway.

FortuitousFluke · 23 Jan 2019 at 13:02

Well your first step is going to be working out a name for your kick ass 370 year old "teenage" vampire protagonist, then you need to decide on the finer details, whether his eyes are sultry brown or smoldering green, how old is his love interest, and how are you going to make that not weird, what is his safe word etc....

On another note I don't know how similar it is but I did creative writing as part of my degree, it was effectively a lot of sitting around and sharing your work with people, there were some set tasks but it was more around support and discussion to help improve writing styles. We were led by a published author, but it was all quite informal.The most difficult part is getting used to sharing your work, accepting criticism and being comfortable giving criticism to people who might be quite precious about what they've created. A lot will depend on the make up of the group and whether it's facilitated well.

wolfie138 · 23 Jan 2019 at 13:10

who was the published author? the course i took said the same, and my allocated bloke had, iirc, had a short story published in "Weekend" magazine once, or some such glowing resume. hardly the well-informed type to be leading others by the hand, in my opinion :-/

anyways, i love writing, used to do fanfic for a website then moved onto film scripts and a completed novel. been pitching the novel all over and had nowt but rejections, had a bunch of requests to read various screenplays but no one's hoyed a cheque at me yet, but i still love coming up w/ plots and characters. just lucky i'm not banking on it to pay the bills i guess, lol.
so, nkata, even if you end up binning the course, don't let it put you off writing anyways, if it's something you enjoy.
as for the criticism/feedback, you know what they say about opinions. i'd listen to technical tips about layout etc etc, but not someone who's trying to tell you how your plot should go.

FortuitousFluke · 23 Jan 2019 at 13:43

wolfie138 said:
who was the published author? the course i took said the same, and my allocated bloke had, iirc, had a short story published in "Weekend" magazine once, or some such glowing resume. hardly the well-informed type to be leading others by the hand, in my opinion :-/

anyways, i love writing, used to do fanfic for a website then moved onto film scripts and a completed novel. been pitching the novel all over and had nowt but rejections, had a bunch of requests to read various screenplays but no one's hoyed a cheque at me yet, but i still love coming up w/ plots and characters. just lucky i'm not banking on it to pay the bills i guess, lol.
so, nkata, even if you end up binning the course, don't let it put you off writing anyways, if it's something you enjoy.
as for the criticism/feedback, you know what they say about opinions. i'd listen to technical tips about layout etc etc, but not someone who's trying to tell you how your plot should go.

Irish chap called Simon Kerr, he's had a couple of novels published, he was quite new to the game when I was at Uni and it doesn't look like he got much traction (haven't ever really felt the need to google him since I graduated). I can find two novels, both set in Ireland with the backdrop of the troubles, published under Phoenix who are an imprint of Orion, and Black Flag.

One day I'll buy some of his work, looks like he only had his debut out when he was teaching me, it probably says something that goodreads have misspelled the title:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1680382.The_Rainbnow_Singer

dirtychinchilla · 23 Jan 2019 at 14:30

The man who founded sunday school should have been shot...

Cromulent · 23 Jan 2019 at 14:52

I hear creative writing courses are a great way to meet women.

Hagar · 23 Jan 2019 at 17:43

dirtychinchilla said:
The man who founded sunday school should have been shot...

I understand that it was his response to one in twenty people being barely literate at the middle of the 18th century rather than religion as such (he was a non conformist or baptist I believe) but such were the times. Most people went to some sort of service in those days so catch them while they are young and teach them to read (the bible). Personally I do not have religion, but he seemed an interesting person to write about.

robfosters · 23 Jan 2019 at 20:06

NoobCannon said:
defiantly fiction

Is this a new sub genre?

Randomface74 · 23 Jan 2019 at 20:08

An evening class in creative writing is for meeting women.

[FnG]magnolia · 23 Jan 2019 at 20:10

nkata said:
I have discovered amongst my ancestors a William Fox esq., He was instrumental in founding Sunday schooling in the 18th century and a memoir of his life was published in the 1830's By a Joseph Ivimay. I would like to novelise a part of Wm. Fox life story. I have started writing and I am 1500 words into it, not a lot I know, but now thinking, will it get ripped apart?

Not if you introduce some sweet katanas and a zombie dragon with nunchucks for frickin' legs !

robfosters · 23 Jan 2019 at 20:22

billysielu said:
An evening class in creative writing is for meeting women.

Have you been watching Men Behaving Badly?

Randomface74 · 23 Jan 2019 at 20:28

nope

Diddums · 23 Jan 2019 at 20:29

frisbie · 30 Jan 2019 at 12:06

Joining good writing group that criticises work is a leveller. I ran a writing group for many years. We managed to get a lottery grant and employed professional writers to instruct us. One or two were OK, the rest were repetitive and a waste of money.
In Britain it appears that signing up to a very expensive residential writing course yields results, probably because they have the contacts. Writing for personal pleasure is therapeutic, an autobiography valuable to your children.
To be published, fame and notoriety is a good back door, but have a go, Harry Potter was discovered by accident.