Are Writing Courses Worth it?
They can be, but only if you work out what you need before you enrol on a course. First you need to find the right course for you. And remember - many of the greatest writers never stepped foot in a classroom. They were self-taught.
Hanif Kureishi famously said “creative writing courses are a waste of time”
I’ve taught many different formats of writing courses from one day workshops that get you over your fear of putting pen to paper, 3 month courses to develop the basics of writing a story in my Soul Writing courses - to Masters degrees in Creative Writing, which in my opinion, are better suited for writers who have a draft and want to learn editing techniques.
Choose the wrong course for you and you could get blocked. So it’s important to know what your individual writing needs are before you choose your writing course.
Here’s a few questions to ask yoursefl that might help you decide if a writing course is for you.
1. Are you blocked?
If so it might not be a course you need, but a session with a writing coach to unblock. A single soul writing session could save you thousands of pounds wasted on a course if all you need is to unblock your fears.
2. Do you have the raw draft and you want to learn editing techniques?
If so search for a course that offers editing and feedback on your work - in group is best so you get lots of feedback from different perspectives.
3. Do you want to learn research techniques, be part of a research community?
If so an academic course might be the right path for you. But remember this is expensive. This was the path I took to write my novel Rufius, which was a highly ambitious novel. I benefitted from the support of the archeological, gender, history and theology communities through the academic environment. But I did not initially choose to do a PhD in Creative Writing - I chose a novelist I admired who was also a brilliant mentor and asked him to mentor me. He suggested the PhD route. If he’d have mentored me, I wouldn’t have bothered doing a PhD to write a novel. However, it did enrich my world in ways I couldn’t have imagined. The Gnostic Caves Workshop I run every October was inspired by my research on the Western Desert in Egypt in the 4th century AD. A writing course can give you unexpected gifts!
4. Do you want to draft and just get a writing project off the ground you’ve been procrastinating on?
If so a Soul Writing course might help you to get going. Soul Writing helps you to draft (not edit). Whether it is a short story, novel, journaling or just getting your writing flowing.
5. Do you want help to edit your novel?
If so a more standard novel writing service will be better suited for you. Look for writers who are also teachers. Just because someone can write doesn’t mean they can teach. There are lots of courses like this around. Some in groups and some are 121.
7. Do you want to use writing as a way to connect to yourself?
If so, a Soul Writing course is one very good way to do this, and to establish a regular practice you can continue with beyond the course. You will meditate, learn to Soul Journal as well as learning the basics of writing.
8. Do you want to get feedback on your work?
If so, a course might be a good way to go. But you could try a cheaper option of joining a local writer’s group in your area or online. Some of them are free to join. Establishing a community of friendly writers who share each other’s work is a really good way to develop your writing skills. Practice is important and we grow as writers by having feedback from readers and other writers. You could also just ask a friend or your mum to read, but choose someone who will give you useful feedback. You need to know what doesn’t work, why and ideally how to improve it.
9. Do you want to earn huge amounts of money from being a writer?
If so become a banker first, make a passive income and then become your own patron of the arts! It is a myth that writers earn a lot of money. Most writers that hit the headlines for being rich made their money from film, or are serial bestsellers. Perhaps writing a film script might be better for you. Or just getting a reality check. Here it is: most writers earn less than the minimum wage. Hilary Mantel, who I had the pleasure of having dinner with at a Booker event, made this point when she collected her Booker prize for her novel Wolf Hall.
As you can see, there are a lot of things to get clear about before you decide what type of writing course might suit your writing needs.
Some of my academic students thought their MA experience was the best thing they ever did. However, some MA students get blocked. As I know from my Soul Writing work and research only one thing blocks a writer: fear. So I would hazard a guess that the academic process was the problem for some students and the pressure of pass (or fail) was at the root of their block. Often I had to use my Soul Writing techniques to unblock them!
The point here is, are you blocked? If so, a single Soul Writing session might be what you need and then you save yourself thousands of pounds and no course is necessary.
Remember many writers are successful without formal studying. Also remember that writing like any skill takes time to get better at and writers spend years honing their craft.
Do email me if you have any Soul Writing questions.
Happy Writing!
Sarah X