writing Archives - Page 32 of 151

January 13, 2016January 12, 2016

Remington Roundup: Links to Story, Craft, and Class

We’re still in the early weeks of a new year, so it feels right to kick-start a new series on the blog: the Remington Roundup.

Imagine that’s me in the picture on the right, minus the polkadot shirt but, yeah, with the bun. I really do own a Remington (thanks to a good friend). Imagine me compiling a list of links to articles, videos, and resources for you. But instead of ripping the page from the paper bail and sending it slow-post, I’m giving it to you here. Easy access. Good times.

Daily, I filter through emails and Facebook posts and tweets worthy of bookmarking, so let’s make a monthly date of sharing them. Look for the Remington Roundup the first or second week of each month, and feel free to share links to your favorite finds in the comments. This month: links to story, craft, & class.

#Story

Go watch this really cool video interview with George Saunders (discovered via Austin Kleon). Saunders talks about the magic of stories, with insight into how and why we write.

“The idea I love is that a story is kind of a black box. And, you’re gonna put the reader in there…with this thing that you have made. And when she comes out, what’s gonna have happened to her in there is something kind of astonishing.”

This interview plays out like a story itself. Even if you’re not a writer, you’ll enjoy it; it’s bother entertaining and educational.

#Craft

Pamela Hodge’s 19 tips on writing memoir, culled from Marion Roach Smith’s The Memoir Project.

“9. Write one scene at a time. Put each scene on an index card. On the front of the card write the theme, and on the back of the index card write down little details–dialogue, smells you remember.”

I’m not writing memoir, but many of these tips can be useful when tackling any kind of story.

#Class

I’ve been posting about online learning opportunities for the last few weeks. As a follow-up, here’s a link to my Flash Nonfiction Online Course, which is open for registration.

“Christi Craig’s Flash Nonfiction Online Course packed a wealth of resources and prompts into four weeks and gave me a needed motivational push to strengthen the writing habit.” ~ Lisa Rivero, past student

The course runs four weeks beginning mid-February, and is a great opportunity to learn about storytelling within the constraints of a small wordcount. You’ll put a few techniques into practice, walk away with new essays, and meet other writers. Join us!

January 6, 2016January 5, 2016

Guest Post: Kim Suhr on Honoring Your Desire to Write

Kim Suhr is the director of Red Oak Writing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She organizes Saturday workshops on craft and leads Roundtable Critique Groups–in person and now (I love this) online. Let distance no longer be a barrier to joining a group! She is author, editor, and champion of other writers, helping them see the gift in their stories and encouraging them to pursue their dreams. Her guest post today does exactly that: she recognizes our tendency to downplay our work and offers insight for why we should (and how we can) honor our desire to write.

Can’t Afford a Writing Class? Maybe.

From time to time, people tell me they’d love to improve their writing, but they just can’t afford a class. Since I don’t have access to their bank accounts and spending habits, I have no way to know if this is true. But I do think that—in some cases—“not being able to afford it” is more akin to “not feeling justified in spending money on it.” And to those writers, I have one word to say: golf.

We all know people who play golf (or ski or cook or knit) with the verve of a professional despite the fact that they’ll never make a living at their passion. Still they continue to sink time and money into the activity just for the pleasure of it.

Imagine the following arguments against paying for a writing class translated into the golf scenario:

1. I don’t need a class. I’ll just get better by writing a LOT. Practice makes perfect, right?

Actually, there is much to like about this reasoning: the whole 10,000 hours to become an expert argument and all. Only thing is, if your golf stroke stinks, increasing the number of swings isn’t going to improve your game. In fact, it will probably get progressively worse or, at the very least, take a long time to get better. What will help—and in pretty short order—is an expert who can point out your dipped shoulder or the fact that your club face is open.

Same with writing. Ten thousand hours of point-of-view slips or ill-conceived plots will just make you better at bad writing. Best to get some instruction from someone who knows that they’re talking about. Then, the next 9,999 hours will be time well spent.

2. Why not just get a bunch of people together and help each other for free?

I like parts of this argument, too. You could get lucky and find some naturally skilled groupmates who give great advice. I have seen it happen for golfers and for writers. On the other hand, you could end up with a duffer who thinks he knows more about golf than he really does. He might advise you to change your grip only to make your slice worse. Let’s face it, bad advice is worse than no advice at all. The other hazard here is that your golf game could be so much better than your mates’ that they can offer no suggestions for improvement.

If you’ve been with the same group of writers without seeing much growth, you probably know what I’m talking about. As a facilitator of Roundtable critique groups, I can attest to the power of being among writers serious enough about their work to pay for a class and committed enough to meet deadlines and do the hard work of revision.

A third reason is often unspoken, but, I believe, is at the heart of many emerging writers’ reluctance to invest money in writing classes:

3. The chances of making the big time are slim. Why would I spend money when I probably won’t see tangible, financial payback?

Sadly, there is much truth to this. No matter how avid a golfer you are, it isn’t likely you’ll be in the Masters’ Tournament any time soon. Still, golfers are out there every Saturday morning, doing what they love, spending a fair amount of money on it, and not feeling guilty in the least. No one is saying, “Why do you play so much golf? You’ll never make any money at it anyway.”

Why, then, do we apply the same standard to writing? Sure, from any one writing class, it will be difficult to see a direct monetary payoff on investment. But, when you “splurge” on a class, you find your tribe and deeper connections with those who share in your passion. Taken together, what you gain from classes, conferences and critique groups adds up to stronger writing and better chances of publishing, if that’s your goal.

In the end, for many people it comes down to this: How do I honor my desire to become a better writer? Do I really mean that I can’t afford a class or that I don’t feel justified in taking one? If your answer is the latter, I encourage you to reconsider. The call to write is every bit as important as other pursuits, maybe more so. Think of the words that have moved you. Consider the writers who claimed the time and used financial resources to write them for you. Imagine how your words may do the same for your readers one day. Remember, your writing will last much longer than a golf score.

KIM SUHR is the author of Maybe I’ll Learn: Snapshots of a Novice Mom and director of Red Oak Writing. Her work has appeared at Grey Sparrow Journal, Full of Crow and Foundling Review as well as earning awards from the Wisconsin Writers’ Association’s Jade Ring and Lindemann Humor Contests. You can listen to Kim read her work at WUWM 89.7 on the Lake Effect Program. She holds an MFA from the Solstice program at Pine Manor College where she was the Dennis Lehane Fellow in Fiction. To learn more about her writing, visit kimsuhr.com.

Be sure to check out the Red Oak learning opportunities available in person at the studio or online.

December 16, 2015December 15, 2015

5 elements to consider in choosing an online #writing course

When it comes to studying the craft of writing, I’m a big proponent of online courses. In fact, I just finished teaching one, taking one, and participating in an online critique group. I hadn’t intended to do all three at the same time, but when the opportunity arose, I couldn’t say no. Yes, the last several weeks have been B-U-S-Y, but I don’t regret a minute of the work.

With a day job and two kids at home (both of which leave me with a tight budget on time and money), I can’t always attend the workshops or conferences I want. So, I am always on the lookout for something online that will connect me with other writers, introduce me to new instructors, and guide me through new perspectives on writing and revision.

Here’s the thing: there are a ton of online learning options for writers; it can be overwhelming to figure out which course is worth the money or what instructor might best fit your needs. And with the current trend of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), where enrollment is often free, it’s tempting to sign up for every one. But a free course, or one that connects you with an amazing instructor, doesn’t always translate into a great course…for you. Or I should say, for me. I’m guilty of registering for a MOOC and dropping out after day one–excellent information and top-notch teaching, but not in a format through which this writer could easily learn. Now when I consider an online course, I look for five key elements before I decide to sign up.

1. Affordability.

I admit, this is the first thing I consider. I don’t want to undervalue anyone’s work. I teach online courses, so I know the time and effort that goes into putting one together. Those courses that are hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars are worth every penny, I know. And when I can afford to sign up for one, you bet I will. But at this point in life, I rarely have large sums of money at my disposal, so I drift toward courses that run at a lower cost. This has yet to disappoint me; there are plenty of good-quality low-fee classes to choose from if you keep an eye out.

2. Use of mixed media.

As writers, we are constantly working on screen, and text-heavy online courses can sometimes feel 2-dimensional and flat. I appreciate the classes that tap into my other senses through video or images. I get a bit of a break from reading reading reading and my mind feeds on what I’m learning in a different way. Then, I can turn back to the writing or revision with fresh eyes.

3. A pairing of lesson and exercise.

I’ll sign up for a course based on what I might learn, but I’ll also look for a class that will hit me with a few deadlines. I work best under pressure and am more likely to participate if there’s an official “assignment.” This doesn’t mean I pass on courses centered only on reading about the craft, but I appreciate the course more when encouraged to apply the lesson.

4. Materials and resources I can download for later.

Being able to access the material after a completed course is critical, because I’m a slow study. I need to print things out, highlight, take notes. Get into the action. Put it aside. Return to it again. Add resources for further study to the mix, and I’m sold.

5. An opportunity to engage in community.

This aspect is a tricky one to discuss. Every online course offers a chance to engage with other writers, but the level of engagement differs and every writer’s tolerance of on-screen participation varies. I prefer courses with lower enrollment, because I am easily overwhelmed by mile-long discussion boards. But, it isn’t always possible to know if I’m signing up with 20 writers or 200. So, I weigh the information and instructor with the possibilities that I might run into complex discussion threads and determine if the course still meets my needs.

You might notice I’ve left out one important aspect…Instructors. Of course, I’d love to take classes under the best and most well-known, always, but I’ve learned to be flexible. If a course fits every other quality I’m looking for but the instructor is new to teaching or new to me, I’m still willing to give them a chance. Much of writing is application and practice. The goal for me is to find a place that opens the door for new learning. Sometimes that happens under the wings of well-seasoned faculty; sometimes it’s under the guidance of a writer who’s only a few steps ahead of me but who offers a new way to view the work.

Have you taken classes online? What’s your top reason for signing up? And if you haven’t taken any online, here are a few places and people to check out:

If you’ve got recommendations, I’d love to hear them!