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What Did I Get From Doing A Creative Writing Course

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A few years ago I did a creative writing course. At the time, I didn't enjoy it at all that much. It annoyed me. When I reflect back on it now, with the gift of hindsight and a few extra wrinkles, I realise I was expecting it to deliver something that it never promised me it would do. I thought I'd learn how to write a novel. Instead, the tutor was teaching me how to chisel and carve and polish words. It was up to me what I did with them later.

It's obvious to say it now, but a creative writing course is never going to teach us to write a novel. Maybe a 'how to write your novel' course will do that - but even then (having attended one of those workshops, too) I'm not convinced. Any course or workshop can only whet your appetite and nudge you along the way. What, then, did I learn?

Stating the obvious here, I learned firstly that I am creative regardless of the fact I'd convinced myself I was nothing of the sort, and secondly, I learned how to use my creativity. The course highlighted to me the way that cliches can get in the way of a good bit of writing, and that it's ok not to use similes and so much other stuff I learned in English class in school. Possibly the greatest thing I got from doing the course is the appreciation of good writing. Which in turn has helped me hone my own ability to write better.

But throughout the creative writing course, I hung on to this ever-elusive desire to hurry on and find out how to write that never novel, the one that will never get finished, never see the light of day. In having my eye on the end product, I was too busy missing the value in the moment. If I could go back and do the course again, I'd allow myself to relax into it much more, and look for the craft in stringing together the right words, very much in the right order.

I didn't completely miss the learning that was offered to me, and it still pops up to remind me that there is scope to write a sentence, paragraph, chapter with pace and structure. Recently I was reading through a section of my novel that I'd just edited down from around 350 words, full of descriptions of who lived in the family and the way they were brought up, down to this:

"Elsie was child number 4, and Ma had another 4 after her. Not that they all lived.  She was born in Walton to a mother whose love was damp with the tears of heartache for children lost, and to a father whose love was damp with the beers he drank to hide the pain of a life hard lived."

When I reread my creation, I knew I've developed as a writer. I've still such a long journey to meander, but doing that creative writing course has shown me that there is, indeed, a writer within me.

Would I recommend doing a creative writing course? Absolutely. Just go into it knowing it's not aiming to help you write a novel.



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