Hi Avril, being a novelist is the longest apprenticeship I know. I can't think of any other discipline which takes about a year to produce something, only to learn when it went wrong next time around. I agree with intuition as a reader and a writer. But, like you say, craft and technique find their way in. One of the reasons I don't believe in writing courses (MAs) is, they usually don't last longer than it takes to complete the aforementioned above once, and learning things in piddling exercises doesn't always translate onto the wide canvas of a novel. But mostly, one can't escapes they have to fill a rubble bucket with stones to have something to polish up at all. And in my experience, those one or two key bits of advise gleaned from another or understood when you read the work of someone good, is a job of work enough, to weave into your own writing as you're tossing out slag and building up your creation from the bucket's contents.
I'm totally with you on Creative Writing Courses. As some people will know I started such a course but gave up. I learned far more from writing my first novel and from having a great mentor.
Thank you, Avril. This is great food for thought.
Incredibly wise advice. moving and changing as it progresses. Pay attention earnest writers! Wc
Hi Avril, being a novelist is the longest apprenticeship I know. I can't think of any other discipline which takes about a year to produce something, only to learn when it went wrong next time around. I agree with intuition as a reader and a writer. But, like you say, craft and technique find their way in. One of the reasons I don't believe in writing courses (MAs) is, they usually don't last longer than it takes to complete the aforementioned above once, and learning things in piddling exercises doesn't always translate onto the wide canvas of a novel. But mostly, one can't escapes they have to fill a rubble bucket with stones to have something to polish up at all. And in my experience, those one or two key bits of advise gleaned from another or understood when you read the work of someone good, is a job of work enough, to weave into your own writing as you're tossing out slag and building up your creation from the bucket's contents.
I'm totally with you on Creative Writing Courses. As some people will know I started such a course but gave up. I learned far more from writing my first novel and from having a great mentor.