Does anyone recommend

[echoes_s]

a creative writing course?
I applied for a home study course on this but have some doubts whether I seriously have the focus needed to write anything more than poetry.
Is there a technique to writing stories or is it based a lot on focus and imagination?
appreciate your suggestions here
thank you

 

[The_Fool]

a creative writing course?
I applied for a home study course on this but have some doubts whether I seriously have the focus needed to write anything more than poetry.
Is there a technique to writing stories or is it based a lot on focus and imagination?
appreciate your suggestions here
thank you

Just like anything else, to do it consistently, you have to do it habitually. Create habits that put you into a position where you are "forced" to write. Any creative writing course that has specified deadlines could be used to develop the habits. The question is, what other facets of writing do you want to improve? You would have to select a course of study that addressed those needs.

I recently read Stephen King's "On Writing." It certainly reinforced many of my thoughts regarding writing in a fairly entertaining fashion. It might be worth a read, because as part of it, he talks about creating those habits that allow you to become consistent with your writing.

Best of luck,

Fool

 

[echoes_s]

Re: Re: Does anyone recommend

Just like anything else, to do it consistently, you have to do it habitually. Create habits that put you into a position where you are "forced" to write. Any creative writing course that has specified deadlines could be used to develop the habits. The question is, what other facets of writing do you want to improve? You would have to select a course of study that addressed those needs.

I recently read Stephen King's "On Writing." It certainly reinforced many of my thoughts regarding writing in a fairly entertaining fashion. It might be worth a read, because as part of it, he talks about creating those habits that allow you to become consistent with your writing.

Best of luck,

Fool

I would love to learn how to expand on any part of my writing, how to write short stories, what to look for, how to keep the story going etc.
Hopefully expanding to writing a book or three...more?
Editorial knowledge, journalism, no limits....
learn and strive to be better
starvingly induce and nudge my little brain cells to exercise into bulging masses of a variety of any virulent strain of philosophy and wisdom.
Creative writing would be just a start, but I worried about focus...I understand now about developing habits as it wasn't thought in this way. Thank you

I will pick up Stephen King's "On Writing" and read this.
Thanks Fool

 

[Angeline]

Maybe it's just me but

I think you can teach yourself to write creatively by reading. joining free web communities where you interact with other writers, and most important--writing every day. The author's hangout here at Lit is a great place to raise your question, by the way. I have always found the authors there to be friendly and willing to help.

In general I think prose forms (stories, novels, plays) are much harder to write than poetry in terms of planning, consistency, and demands on one's time. Most important though is having something to say. It's a pretty rare writer who can just sit down and produce a manuscript with little (or no) planning, something that can be done--well I can do it--with a poem. In fact I often find that sort of spontenaiety to be good for a poem, but I emphatically do NOT think it works in other kinds of writing for most people.


Here are a few free sites that may help you explore this--

Art of Writing--Instant Muse helps you with ideas for writing practice.

Story a Day gives a daily writing prompt for a mini story (500 words). Some interesting prompts here help you exercise your writing muscles and practice writing from perspectives different from your own.

The Pleasure Dome is a huge site for writers with tones of information. You have to dig to find stuff, but it's an active community and a great place to explore for free.

Have fun

 

[Angeline]

Oh and see--that Fool once again proves he ain't no fool after all--I like that Stephren King book too.

 

[echoes_s]

Re: Maybe it's just me but

I think you can teach yourself to write creatively by reading. joining free web communities where you interact with other writers, and most important--writing every day. The author's hangout here at Lit is a great place to raise your question, by the way. I have always found the authors there to be friendly and willing to help.

In general I think prose forms (stories, novels, plays) are much harder to write than poetry in terms of planning, consistency, and demands on one's time. Most important though is having something to say. It's a pretty rare writer who can just sit down and produce a manuscript with little (or no) planning, something that can be done--well I can do it--with a poem. In fact I often find that sort of spontenaiety to be good for a poem, but I emphatically do NOT think it works in other kinds of writing for most people.


Here are a few free sites that may help you explore this--

Art of Writing--Instant Muse helps you with ideas for writing practice.

Story a Day gives a daily writing prompt for a mini story (500 words). Some interesting prompts here help you exercise your writing muscles and practice writing from perspectives different from your own.

The Pleasure Dome is a huge site for writers with tones of information. You have to dig to find stuff, but it's an active community and a great place to explore for free.

Have fun

Thanks Angeline!

Oh and see--that Fool once again proves he ain't no fool after all--I like that Stephren King book too.

I just ordered it

and no, that Fool just likes to think he is fooling us into foolish notions of being a fool, but gives food to thought and sends golden rules which makes every pen's ink drool....
egad! what has gotten into me

 

[magicalmouse]

If you have a look over in the Author's Hangout you'll find a thread with some recommended sites.

https://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=233213

Don't know if the link will work, it's the first time I've tried including one.

 

[echoes_s]

Oh my!
Link worked....this will all keep me busy for an....

undetermined amount of time!

Thank you also magicalmouse

 

[Guest]

I just odered this after hearing about it in a radio interview with Michael Ondaatje. I'll let you know if his recommendation is true.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0609610481.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

 

[echoes_s]

Thanks Tristesse, looking forward to your review on this

 

[*Catbabe*]

I too, thought the Stephen King book was worth reading.

I read Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg and Writing from the Inside Out by Dennis Palumbo recently.

I highly recommend both of them.


Tess, you shouldn't have shown me the cover. Now I want that one too. I am a book-a-holic.

 

[Guest]

Tess, you shouldn't have shown me the cover. Now I want that one too. I am a book-a-holic.

Oh we better start a BAA - Book-a-holics Anonymous........


.....on 2nd thoughts, no, it ain't such a bad thing.

 

[The_Fool]

Oh we better start a BAA - Book-a-holics Anonymous........


.....on 2nd thoughts, no, it ain't such a bad thing.

I just had to go buy new bookshelves for my hardbacks and tubs for my paperbacks. I now have about 80 linear feet of shelving for hardbacks and 14 tubs of paperbacks that hold about 25-30 books each. Oh yeah, I have 30 linear feet of shelving at work for my reference books.

On a more serious note that relates to the thread topic. I am a firm believer that before you can become a GOOD writer, you have to become a GREAT reader. Ange touched on this as well and I wholeheartedly concur....

 

[HomerPindar]

Write, write, write, write, write, write, write, write, write, sleep, read, read, read, read, read, read, read, read, eat, repeat.

Write once a day (at least) without concern for the fact that you are writing nothing more than that you have nothing to write about, but just be sure the words continue to appear on the screen, pad or what have you handy (chalk board and dry erase boards are a no no here ). Keep at this, even if what you write appears no more coherent than this current ramble that's doing little to employ you towards writing but offering up a demonstration on how a single thought can be drawn out to a page with little effort. Chances are you won't win any prizes with this drivel such as this, but it will get you into the habit of writing, and who knows, someday you might have something to say and not even realize it.

I have no lack of ideas, except an idea of how to deal with all these ideas.

HomerPindar

 

[eagleyez]

write fearlessly

write every day

mine the themes in your hillsides.

gold in there im sure.

 

[echoes_s]

Write, write, write, write, write, write, write, write, write, sleep, read, read, read, read, read, read, read, read, eat, repeat.

Write once a day (at least) without concern for the fact that you are writing nothing more than that you have nothing to write about, but just be sure the words continue to appear on the screen, pad or what have you handy (chalk board and dry erase boards are a no no here ). Keep at this, even if what you write appears no more coherent than this current ramble that's doing little to employ you towards writing but offering up a demonstration on how a single thought can be drawn out to a page with little effort. Chances are you won't win any prizes with this drivel such as this, but it will get you into the habit of writing, and who knows, someday you might have something to say and not even realize it.

I have no lack of ideas, except an idea of how to deal with all these ideas.

HomerPindar

I keep a journal every day, throwing in little dittys and verses as I go...

write fearlessly

write every day

mine the themes in your hillsides.

gold in there im sure.

glasses still forthcoming as I wait, wait and still wait, but I am preparing excitedly for them to kiss my wearied eyes. Until then it is tiny bits at a time

thank you