I always wanted to be a writer. And since I was a kid, I’ve written a lot. But for most of my life, I didn’t think of myself as a “real” writer because I wasn’t published or anything like that. So when my friends encouraged me to take an online creative writing class, I was beyond excited!
And once I started taking the course and learning about how writers put together their stories and characters… well, let’s just say it changed everything for me (in the best possible way). Below are some things you might discover if you decide to enroll in an online writing course:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| The creative writing class provided valuable insights into various writing techniques. |
| Engaging with fellow writers in the class fostered a sense of community and collaboration. |
| Constructive feedback from the instructor and peers helped refine writing skills. |
| Exploring different writing prompts expanded creative thinking and inspired new ideas. |
| Overcoming challenges during the course boosted confidence and resilience in writing. |
| The experience emphasized the importance of practice and continuous improvement. |
1. You’ll Realize That You Write In Circles
I got a lot of responses from people who were just like me. They were writing for the first time and being asked to write about something that scared them. And they all did it, but not without some difficulty.
I think this is a common issue for most writers, even if you’ve been writing for a long time: you can get stuck in the middle of your story with no idea where to go next. It’s especially true when your story begins as an exploration of one particular topic or idea you explore ideas and characters because those are what interests you, but then what?
How do I tie this all together? Do I have too many leftovers or not enough meat on my bones? Is there any point in continuing at all?
I’ve written entire first drafts before only to realize that I needed to go back through everything again and build another layer onto the structure so that everything would be connected properly (which means having more than just one main character).
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2. You’ll Have A Newfound Respect For Writers
I think you might be surprised at how much your writer friends have in common with you. They’re creative people, which means they have to practice being creative daily. They’re problem solvers, and when something doesn’t work out the way they’d hoped, they figure out what went wrong and try again.
They’re perpetual students of their craft; always trying new things or learning from others who are already successful at what they do.
And perhaps most importantly: writers are constantly striving to improve themselves as writers!
3. You Learn To Appreciate Good Sentence Structure
As you know, sentence structure is one of the most important elements in creating a good literary piece. The fact is that it’s impossible to put together a great story if your sentences don’t flow well, or if they’re confusing to read.
One of my professors once told me that I had poor sentence structure in my writing. At first, this kind of hurt my feelings but then she explained exactly what she meant by “poor sentence structure.
She said that sometimes I would use too many adjectives and adverbs in my sentences (which can be good); other times I would not use enough adjectives, or sometimes I would just write long sentences without using much punctuation at all (which is bad).
She showed us examples from famous writers like Hemingway so we could see what good writing looks like and learn how to emulate their styles. It was fun!
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4. And How To Create It For Yourself
The last thing you want is to be stuck without a way to get your ideas down. To help ensure that doesn’t happen, I’ve put together a few tips for writing regularly and finding the best possible environment for it.
Pick a process that works for you. This might look different from person to person, but there are ways of tackling this issue that has worked well for me in the past.
If you’re struggling with coming up with ideas or just getting started on a writing project, try prewriting: brainstorming what kind of story or poem you want to write before actually sitting down and starting anything else.
That way, once the writing begins (or at least once drafting begins), you’ll already have some idea where it’s going instead of having spent all day staring blankly at the page while trying to figure out what happens next.
A template can also make things easier: start by writing down some sort of prompt like “What would happen if?” or “What would be an interesting setting?” Then let yourself go wild with ideas until something sticks! When trying out new ways like this feels too difficult or scary at first glance but still seems worth pursuing eventually?
Don’t give up! Just keep trying until something clicks; persistence pays off when it comes time for revisions later on down the line
5. Your Process May Change Forever
I know this is a weird thing to say, but try not to think of your process as rigid. It’s not set in stone like the Ten Commandments you can change it if you want!
Your writing process is an ever-evolving thing, and every time you sit down at your desk to write, it could be different from the last time. That’s because there are so many factors that go into creating a successful piece of writing: mood, inspiration level, and idea saturation rate just to name a few.
The point is that your approach will likely change over time as you get better at what you do; don’t feel like you have to stick with what worked for previous pieces or even last week’s project! If a new way feels better than how things were going before (or if nothing seems right), then try something else out.
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6. Or Your Process Might Not Change At All!
Even if your process doesn’t change, it’s still worth taking creative writing classes. I had a blast in my class and met some great people (and have a few new friends). I also learned plenty of things that I hadn’t realized before.
For instance, it turns out that most writers don’t follow the same process every time they write something new. Some people like to write in silence; others like to listen to music or podcasts while they work! Some writers prefer using computers; others prefer traditional methods like pen and paper.
There are even those who write during their morning routine or late at night instead of at lunchtime or mid-day as we’re used to seeing in office settings around us
7. The Thought Of Killing Your Darlings Terrifies You Even More Than It Already Does
You learn to value good writing over good ideas.
One of my favorite quotes from Kurt Vonnegut is, “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.” This class taught me that I can’t always fix everything, and sometimes I just need to let it go, even if it’s not perfect.
You learn that you can’t fix everything because you’ll ruin the story for yourself or others who might read it later on! The thought of killing your darlings terrifies you even more than it already does, but you realize it’s so necessary and okay to do so.
It’s one of those things where people will say something like “it was too ambitious” or “you tried something too hard” when they mean “this doesn’t work at all” or “you’ve ruined this story by trying too hard.
Even though I don’t necessarily agree with those sentiments (I like ambitious projects!), I do admit that sometimes writing itself isn’t enough there comes a time when rewriting is necessary for a project to come into its full potential as art/literature/etcetera.
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8. You’ll Get Way More Comfortable Sharing Work With Others Than You Ever Thought Possible
The most surprising thing that happened was how eager people were to share their work, and how helpful they were in helping me improve it. I would have been shocked if it hadn’t happened.
At first, I was hesitant to share anything other than my first drafts with anyone outside of our class I was worried about what they would think of me as a writer, as well as what they would think about the work itself.
But after hearing so many people say things like “I love this! Can I help edit?” or “I want to read more of your stuff!” or even just “wow this is good! Keep writing!” I started feeling more comfortable sharing my work with others outside of class too and soon enough found myself opening up even more than before (with some great results).
9. Learn To Embrace Feedback And Use It To Make Your Writing Better (And No, They’re Not Trying To Kill Your Dreams)
Feedback is one of the most important parts of learning how to write well. Once you’ve written something, you have the chance to get feedback from someone who knows more about writing than you do and that’s a gift! It’s a chance for them to help improve what you’ve done.
As long as you know that feedback isn’t personal and that it’s just there for improving your work it can be incredibly valuable in helping improve your writing and making sure that other people enjoy what they read as much as possible.
If someone offers feedback on one of my stories or poems, I always take into consideration whatever they say; sometimes I agree with their advice and sometimes I don’t, but either way, I try not to let it affect me too much emotionally because there will always be people out there who think differently than me (or even want things opposite from what I want!)
And even if someone doesn’t like something about my writing style or preferences in general well guess what? That still doesn’t mean anything bad about me! There are plenty more readers out there who might like those types of things just fine 🙂 So keep being yourself 🙂
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10. You Become Less Afraid Of The Blank Page (But Only Slightly)
This is the last lesson I learned, and it’s also one of the most important. When you’re first starting as a writer, there’s this weird tension between wanting to write and not wanting to write.
You want to get ideas on paper so you can work through them but at the same time, staring at that blank page is scary! (At least for me.) And if you don’t have an idea yet, then how in the world are you going to start?
The answer is: by writing something, anything. If I’m feeling uninspired or stuck on what comes next in my story/essay/blog post/whatever else I’m writing about…I just start typing whatever nonsense comes into my head until something sparks my interest again.
Sometimes this means going back and rereading what came before; sometimes it means taking breaks from writing altogether; sometimes it means working through some of those other tips mentioned above (or even using them together). But one way or another eventually something clicks and I know where I want my story or essay or whatever else goes next!
11. You’ll Start Carrying Extra Paper With You So That Whenever Inspiration Strikes
You can jot some ideas down before they disappear into thin air (because they most certainly will if you don’t). You’ll start carrying extra paper with you so that whenever inspiration strikes, you can jot some ideas down before they disappear into thin air (because they most certainly will if you don’t).
I like to carry a Moleskine notebook with me wherever I go and write down anything that comes to mind. This is an ongoing process that I’ve been doing for years now, but being in the creative writing class made me feel more motivated than ever to do it.
It’s amazing how much information you forget when it isn’t written down and even more amazing how much better your writing becomes when there’s no room for ambiguity or uncertainty.
12. And You Fall In Love With Paper Notebooks More Than Ever Before
You learn to love paper notebooks more than ever before, even though typing feels more natural when it comes time to drafting.
When you take an online class, you can’t just leave your laptop behind and go enjoy the sunshine while your professor lectures on what they think are the only way to write a good story. You’re forced to be present at the moment no matter how much you’d rather be anywhere else.
And that’s fine! But if you’re anything like me, there were also times when I thought I would never get through all of those words (and pages).
Sometimes life gets in the way and we find ourselves feeling stuck on our current project for weeks or months at a time; other times we could just use some inspiration from others who have done what we want so badly which is why taking a class was such an important step for me personally!
Conclusion
I hope that if you’re considering taking a creative writing class, this will give you some insight into what it’s like. I’m still in awe that I took a class about something I love so much! It was such an amazing experience and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to do the same.
Who knows? Maybe someday soon we’ll meet on campus and find out we were both inspired by one person: our teacher!
Further Reading
Expand your knowledge on creative writing with these additional resources:
What’s It Like to Take a Creative Writing Class? Delve into a personal experience of attending a creative writing class and discover insights into the learning process and its impact on writing skills.
What Is Creative Writing? Definition, Types & Examples Explore the comprehensive guide to creative writing, including definitions, various types, and examples to gain a deeper understanding of this art form.
Why Learn Creative Writing? Uncover the motivations and benefits behind learning creative writing, as well as how it can enhance your storytelling abilities and ignite your creativity.
FAQs
How do creative writing classes enhance writing skills?
Creative writing classes provide a structured environment for learning various writing techniques, receiving feedback, and exploring different writing styles.
What are some examples of creative writing?
Examples of creative writing include short stories, poetry, novels, plays, and essays that emphasize artistic expression and imaginative storytelling.
Can creative writing be learned online?
Yes, there are many online platforms that offer creative writing courses, allowing individuals to learn at their own pace and from the comfort of their homes.
How does creative writing contribute to personal growth?
Engaging in creative writing can foster self-expression, boost confidence, and encourage critical thinking, ultimately leading to personal growth and development.
What skills can I expect to gain from learning creative writing?
Learning creative writing can improve your storytelling abilities, enhance your communication skills, and develop your capacity to evoke emotions through words.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.