OK, I'm oddly nervous.

[gridlore]

I just signed up for a creative writing course offered by the City of Santa Clara. Have I mentioned recently that I love living in a place with an actual budget and a commitment to community services?

It's four two-hour sessions starting in November. Anyone reading this journal knows I can write, the problem is doing it on a regular basis. The stories are in my head. I can see the entire plots of Rites and Wrongs and The Neon Sky clear as day. I fail when it comes to getting words onto the blank screen. Hopefully, this will help me get some better work habits and improve my narrative skills. Because my next goal in life is to be a published SF/F writer.

But I'm curious. What do y'all think about this?

[Poll #1787289]

Comments

[murphymom.livejournal.com]

You're lucky you get whole plots - I get single scenes, or sometimes even just a single bit of dialogue, and then I have to create a framework for them.

No wonder I haven't written any fiction since high school.

[melchar.livejournal.com]

'alternate history' akin to you Pirate Elves of the Carribean: gritty fantasy with tech thrown in. Elf pirate punk [as distinct from steampunk]

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

More akin to "The War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) ends with an overwhelming victory for Philip V, resulting in France and Spain becoming a single state. Which leads to the British colonies in America being overrun by the Bourbon troops. In 1914, the world-spanning Franco-Iberian Empire faces off with the Tripartite Alliance (King of Poland, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Russia) over the fate of the German states."

[mikkop.livejournal.com]

I ticked off the 'hard, gritty SF' but it was a tough choice.

You probably could do any of those, but also that 'alternate history' could be a good one.

I think something to help you write more is a good thing. I seem to have the same problem: there's lots of stuff in my head but I can't get them out.

[supersniffles.livejournal.com]

Go for it!!
I have a (short) list of books published writers found useful when they were learning how to write that I got from a panel at Renovention. Shall I send it to you?

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Please!

[supersniffles.livejournal.com]

Ursula K LeGuin- Steering the Craft
Nancy Kress- Beginnings, Middles & Ends
Dynamic Characters: How to Create Personalities That Keep Readers Captivated
Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Dynamic Characters and Effective Viewpoints
Carol Lloyd- Creating a Life Worth Living (not exactly a writing book, but they said it was helpful)
Debra Dixon- GMC: Goal, Motivation and Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction

[crankyoldgoat.livejournal.com]

if you haven't tried (or heard of it), I'd suggest Nanowrimo (national novel writing month).

Which is November.

goal is 50,000 words in 30 days (1700 words/day)

nanowrimo.org

Any genre - anthologies of short stories, collections of essays.

Biggest benefit is, after writing every day for 30 days, writing every day has become a habit.