Do You Have to do a Creative Writing Course…
…to be a real writer?
Should Creative Writing be taught? This is not a new question and there isn’t a simple yes or no answer.
If you think of writing itself as a skill, or even a craft, that requires knowledge and tools to exist, saying you need to learn the basics doesn’t seem a bad idea. At the very least you will need a pencil and paper to record your work.
But that’s just being able to write a readable piece of text. Creative Writing is more complicated. Are some people just born good writers? Or does everyone need a bit of help?
Nowadays, Creative Writing has become an industry all of its own. University courses, creative writing books, evening classes, online groups, festivals, conferences… I could go on!
All of which is fine. But if you’re just starting out it can be quite intimidating. Especially if you’re young and no one in your family even reads books, let alone wants to write one. Or a parent whose children have left home and now feel that they have time to cultivate that secret, writing hobby.
We all know that just being able to write coherently doesn’t make good fiction. It might produce a readable story, but who wants a ‘readable’ story when you could have an exciting one, a scary or a romantic one? Writing fiction requires a writer to engage with their audience, and to do that they have to be able to imagine the experiences of others and care enough to write about them.
That’s why writers should come from all kinds of backgrounds: all cultures, rich and poor, privileged or not. Because to me, writing is a good leveller. It’s all down to the writing, not where you’re from.
Charles Dickens worked at a blacking factory (pasting labels on shoe polish) at twelve years old to help support his family. He used his difficult childhood experience to become the man who wrote about the harsh truths of Victorian London in his fiction. That was his ‘Creative Writing Course’.
Obviously, you don’t have to be like Dickens. You might not even like Charles Dickens’s work! That’s fine. But think about whether doing a course is about learning the craft of writing or validation for yourself as being a writer? I know it was a mix of both for me.
Before you throw yourself into the murky waters of what’s on offer in the Creative Writing Course world, consider these questions first:
Do you want a general course, or one that is more specific to a genre?
There are often genre-based courses available. For example, Crime Fiction or Romance spring to mind
Is it affordable for your circumstances?
Look online for free courses or taster sessions at local libraries or schools or colleges for example. Also be aware that some courses might offer concessions
Is the course too long or too short?
If you feel you will need more than half a day, or less than twenty weeks, look for something that fits your needs
Is it accessible for you?
Is it easy to get to, or will you need to travel further away? If that’s a problem, is there an online course available?
Are you sure you need a course rather than a creative writing group?
Writing group work is always useful, but it doesn’t mean you can’t take a course in combination with that
The other thing to remember about doing a course, or joining a writers group, is that you will be among people who understand your wish to write and can give support and encouragement.
· They will know the fear of the blank page!
· The horror of writers block!
· The nightmare of showing your work to anyone other than the dog (dogs love hearing your writing)!
Group support is the one thing that you can’t put a price on. You’re all in this together!
If you want that, doing a course or joining a group is always going to be a positive.
