My First Writing Course
I applied for the course with little expectation of being accepted onto it. Creative writing had been a hobby for a while, although I only started to take writing more seriously about four years before applying, but even so, my lack of time and direction meant I hadn't really developed. I had thought the course tutors would be looking for a more mature talent, particularly when I went for interview. The course director was clear about the flaws in my application portfolio and questioned me about whether the course was right for me. Demonstrating more confidence than I possessed, I managed to persuade her it was and also that I was right for it. I was very pleased to receive confirmation of my place.
I turned up for the first class full of insecurity and doubt, and immediately intimidated by the talented group I had been included within. During the critiques of established authors, others in the class gave far more insightful comments than I felt able. Often I would have similar views, but not the confidence to articulate them. As the weeks of the first term progressed, I found my silent thoughts were often in line with my classmates, and so I tentatively offered my own evaluations as the weeks passed. I began to realise that others in the class were equally reticent at the start, but we reached a comfortable point as a group, after which the discussions became more full and open. It was a period where I learnt a lot from exposure to different viewpoints and ways of understanding a text. Since each week was dedicated to a different genre, I also widened my reading pool and discovered authors I enjoyed, writing in genres I had thought were not of interest to me. In particular, once the course has finished and I have the time to read for pleasure again, I shall be raiding the past catalogues of Rose Tremain and Haruki Murakami.
In the other unit being run during the first term, a whole range of techniques and planning aids were being discussed and practised. Some I was already familiar with; others I was not. This helped to focus my mind on the different aspects of the novel I wanted to write. I came to the course with what I considered a strong sense of the story I wanted to tell, but I had given less thought to some of the work that was required to turn the idea into a novel. This was one of the more creative and fun elements of the course. I discovered how the novel might take form, establishing a structure and framework within which to grow the different aspects of the novel. It helped me to establish some basic parameters, including the characters, the settings and tone of the story. This was the unit that provided the writer's toolkit and the stages of the process of writing. It is where I first felt the conviction that writing the novel was a real possibility. I had a place to start and knew the road I was going to follow.
The Christmas break loomed and talk amongst the class was of the excitement of writing over the holidays. Some had already begun their work, and some even came with a complete or near complete first draft, but I had nothing except the idea and a short story I had previously written that had inspired my novel. Of course, it needed to be reconsidered and broadened. I used a number of the techniques from the first term to establish my characters, build the world in which the story would be set and to outline the arc of the book. With enthusiasm and excitement, I launched into the writing. I had my toolkit to rely on and a plan to progress, so off I went. I finished the first chapter and put it to one side. I started the second chapter with equal verve, and when finished went back to edit the first chapter, the one I had been so proud of when I had written it a week or so earlier. It was a depressing experience. In a fit of sanity, I highlighted the full text and pressed delete. The screen went blank and all three thousand words were consigned to an electronic dustbin. I had the sense not to permanently delete the chapter and after my indulgent hissy fit was over, started the hard work of a harsh edit into something of which I was not too embarrassed. It was exhaustion, rather than elation, that I felt as I typed the final full stop.
I turned up for the first class full of insecurity and doubt, and immediately intimidated by the talented group I had been included within. During the critiques of established authors, others in the class gave far more insightful comments than I felt able. Often I would have similar views, but not the confidence to articulate them. As the weeks of the first term progressed, I found my silent thoughts were often in line with my classmates, and so I tentatively offered my own evaluations as the weeks passed. I began to realise that others in the class were equally reticent at the start, but we reached a comfortable point as a group, after which the discussions became more full and open. It was a period where I learnt a lot from exposure to different viewpoints and ways of understanding a text. Since each week was dedicated to a different genre, I also widened my reading pool and discovered authors I enjoyed, writing in genres I had thought were not of interest to me. In particular, once the course has finished and I have the time to read for pleasure again, I shall be raiding the past catalogues of Rose Tremain and Haruki Murakami.
In the other unit being run during the first term, a whole range of techniques and planning aids were being discussed and practised. Some I was already familiar with; others I was not. This helped to focus my mind on the different aspects of the novel I wanted to write. I came to the course with what I considered a strong sense of the story I wanted to tell, but I had given less thought to some of the work that was required to turn the idea into a novel. This was one of the more creative and fun elements of the course. I discovered how the novel might take form, establishing a structure and framework within which to grow the different aspects of the novel. It helped me to establish some basic parameters, including the characters, the settings and tone of the story. This was the unit that provided the writer's toolkit and the stages of the process of writing. It is where I first felt the conviction that writing the novel was a real possibility. I had a place to start and knew the road I was going to follow.
The Christmas break loomed and talk amongst the class was of the excitement of writing over the holidays. Some had already begun their work, and some even came with a complete or near complete first draft, but I had nothing except the idea and a short story I had previously written that had inspired my novel. Of course, it needed to be reconsidered and broadened. I used a number of the techniques from the first term to establish my characters, build the world in which the story would be set and to outline the arc of the book. With enthusiasm and excitement, I launched into the writing. I had my toolkit to rely on and a plan to progress, so off I went. I finished the first chapter and put it to one side. I started the second chapter with equal verve, and when finished went back to edit the first chapter, the one I had been so proud of when I had written it a week or so earlier. It was a depressing experience. In a fit of sanity, I highlighted the full text and pressed delete. The screen went blank and all three thousand words were consigned to an electronic dustbin. I had the sense not to permanently delete the chapter and after my indulgent hissy fit was over, started the hard work of a harsh edit into something of which I was not too embarrassed. It was exhaustion, rather than elation, that I felt as I typed the final full stop.