Online Creative Writing Courses
I’ve always dreamed of being a writer someday. I don’t necessarily want to pen the great American novel or even commercial success along the lines of J.K. Rowling, John Grisham, and Stephen King. At first, it would be enough just to see my name in print on the cover of a book down at Barnes & Noble; I can worry about the fame and fortune later on. For now, though, I need to find some good creative writing courses to get the ball rolling.
I feel that I have tons of great ideas floating around in my mind, but I have a lot of trouble transferring my thoughts to paper in a way that builds suspense and strings readers along until the end. There are so many aspects of the craft that I don’t know anything about that it makes sense to take some creative writing courses first. That way, I can learn the nuts and bolts of how to write a novel so I can give my ideas some kind of structure.
After checking around, I’ve found that there are a couple of ways to take creative writing courses. One way is to sign up for workshops that meet in the area on evenings and weekends. These types of classes are typically run by a professional writer who has some publications to his or her name, and are attended by other would-be novelists like myself. But since I’m a bit shy about sharing my work at this stage, I don’t think these workshops are for me. I’d much rather take online creative writing courses instead.
With online creative writing courses, I will still get the same professional instruction and feedback, all without ever having to leave my home or come face to face with any classmates. This situation would be much more to my liking, as I’m not quite ready for public readings just yet. Plus, with online classes I would be able to study whenever it’s convenient for me instead of having to appear in person at an appointed time.
The online creative writing courses I’ve checked out vary in terms of subject matter, length, and cost. For instance, some classes are devoted to fiction, while others focus on nonfiction, poetry, or short stories. Some classes meet for only one month, while others last for six months or more. Some classes cost less than $100, while others would set me back more than $1,000. Choosing the right one will take a bit of time, as I’ll have to sift through a bunch of information and course descriptions first.
I know that achieving my dream of becoming a novelist is a long shot at best, but that’s not going to stop me from at least making an effort. I’ll start by taking a few creative writing courses and see how things play out after that. You never know what might happen!
