Writing and Writing Classes

How do you feel about writing classes?

There are a lot of writing classes available to anyone who wants to write or have dreams of writing.  The key, is to begin.  To write.  To blog, to get started on your blog.  Then it is the idea that one must finish it, and then edit it, then send it off to the publisher.  Writing classes can help you do this because it is a paying class, it means you paid for your experience to write, and you are responsible to learn and to be a bit better as a writer.  Doesn’t mean you’ll be a bestselling author, it just means you’re finding a new way to go to where you want to go.

You want to show off, you want to create.

You want to hear all the positive wonderful, and sweet things everyone has to say about your writing.  That’s what you paid for correct?  No, it isn’t.  A writing class is a place where you will hear that the idea is there, but is it a place where you are there to STOP and LISTEN, and possibly have your heart burned by more professional critiques than you are used to.  You will be critiqued (you didn’t pay for that part?  Well, yes you did!) and you will be left with something that will make you want to stop and look back.

Yes, you want to make money writing, but if it’s crap, it won’t earn the income.  Because you didn’t learn. (Heck, even I, the writer Rebecca A Emrich has a lot to learn!)

If you want to have something to publish, but if you think it’s great– it probably isn’t as great as you might like it to be, and you might want to go back and do the hard labour of editing, and re-writing it. The fact is writing classes are meant for the people who want to expand on where they are, and are willing to hear everything that is wrong with their writing.

If getting published is your goal, it’s a great idea to go to a writing class, either online or in person.  The challenge is getting the most out of your writing.  This means writing, and editing, and taking critiques and learning from what your peers are telling you.  Especially when you read comments.  “It’s awesome.” or “I liked it” should worry you if you want to publish a book.  This means that your writing… well, it’s not… good, in fact if it’s a few drafts in, it’s probably horrible, and no one wants to spend the time critiquing it if they don’t have to.

Yes, listen to what others are saying in a writing class, and also listen and read what they aren’t.  It might seem harder but listen when they say it sucks, but listen when others can’t define why it’s good… or not.

If you want to go back rip everything apart only to become and better writer, and one who has a chance to create something that potentially makes them income (although I’ve heard that writers might not make much more than

Writing classes are a great thing, and you get what you pay for.  If you are willing to be told, honestly that your writing sucks but here’s the way improve on it, it’ll be a good investment.  If not, they aren’t for you.