Writing classes: Are they worth it?

Congratulations: So now you’re a writer! Most likely you’re doing the best you can at you a craft that doesn’t come with instructions for guaranteed success. For me, it’s been a lot of trial and error; frantic bursts of inspiration followed by crippling self-doubt, tiny victories demolished by huge mistakes. Sure, there are tons of writing books available, many of which I’ll recommend in a later article. But if you’re like me, eventually your capabilities will hit a plateau. As with anything in life, classes are available to help you hone your skills. Search the web and you’ll find hundreds of courses on a wide-ranging number of topics, from plotting to grammar to indie book publishing. Writing classes can be expensive. I’ve paid as little as $50 for one session, to thousands of dollars for longer classes that unfold over weeks or months. It can add up quickly, especially for a field that isn’t great about return on investment. So, are writing classes worth it? Here’s what my 15+ years of experience has to say about the topic.

The good

I tend to have better luck with classes that teach a specific skill. For instance, a Short Story Mechanics class was great, because it taught the nuts and bolts of story writing. Another class I took taught the idea of framing your story around Joseph Campbell’s The Heroes’ Journey, which George Lucas used to develop his Star Wars movies. I’m currently enrolled in a class called Write What You Fear, which is about dredging up the darkest part of your soul to turn into fodder for a story. In all of these classes, specific skills are being taught. When the class is over, you should be able to immediately apply those concepts to your own work.

The bad & the ugly

That said, I’ve had some unpleasant experiences with writing classes. Every once in awhile, you’ll find a teacher who tears you down instead of building you up. This doesn’t happen often, but it can happen, and it’s devastating. I’ve also taken classes that felt like rip-offs. In one particularly expensive writing class I once took, the teacher had the students introduce themselves one at a time on the first day. Of course, some of them went on yakking about themselves for upwards of fifteen minutes, eating up a considerable chunk of class time. You can’t blame the students; we writers are lonely folks. Give us an ounce of attention, and we don’t know how to act. As for me, I just stared at the clock watching my dollar bills disappear with every passing moment, my face red with anger.

Finding allies

Whether you end up in good class or a bad one, writing classes are great places to meet people who share the same dream. Over the years I’ve developed bonds with classmates that remain to this day. This is good for writers. Writing is lonely work, and it’s good to commiserate with others who going through similar experiences. I’ve even formed friendships with a few of my teachers, and I’ve found that they are great allies to have. Some of them are very generous with their time, always available to answer a question or to point you to a reference source that can help you out.

The syllabus is your friend

How to make sure you get a good class? The best advice I can give you is to read the class description thoroughly.  In the syllabus, the specific skill should be clearly defined. The more nebulous or lofty the class sounds, the less satisfied you’re going to be. And, once you have that syllabus, hold the teacher to it. If he or she veers off course during the class, challenge them on it. You want to get what you paid for. Also, it’s a good idea to vet the teacher with your writing community before you begin.

Conclusion

Sometimes I think we writers take these writing classes in hopes they will be a magic bullet, an instant cure to our writing woes. But newsflash: that isn’t how it works. The secret to writing well is to build a toolbox of skills and techniques over time and put them into practice. As a writer, you will need to draw from literally hundreds of these techniques to improve your work. It takes years and lots of practice, but the more you know, the better you’ll write. To that end, writing classes can help a great deal. But don’t just take them to take them. Do some research to make sure the class is right for you.