For the first time in many years, September is back to school for me, too. I’ve just started the Write and Submit a Short Story course, and I am beyond excited to begin!
There are three main reasons why I’m so glad to be part of this course:
- I find it incredibly difficult to carve out time to write in my day to day life, and to be honest, sometimes months go by where I don’t make any progress. I hope that the week by week structure will be great motivation, and help push me and my writing along.
- I can’t wait to meet my course mates. Writing is a notoriously solo endeavour, and having access to a space full of writers is rare. Even rarer is a space full of writers who are working at the same time at the same pace as you on the same goals.
- The opportunity to exchange feedback. Seeing my work through another person’s eyes clears the tunnel vision I get sometimes. In the same way, reading others’ work and giving feedback helps you hone your editorial eye.
I caught up with Fiona Dixon, Head of Academy and author of Crow: Thief of Magic, to get her tips and recommendations for how to make the most of a new course.
Q: What are the benefits of being part of a writing community?
A: Because writing is often a solitary process, having the support of a friendly group of writers can make all the difference! If you read the acknowledgements page of a debut author’s book, you’ll often find they mention their writing buddies or writing group. Writing a novel takes time, and having people you can discuss ideas with and who understand what you’re going through when you’re trying to untangle a tricky plot thread can be a huge help!
Q: In your writerly opinion, what is the biggest benefit that comes from taking a writing course?
A: The confidence that comes with seeing your writing develop over weeks or months, and seeing your story develop.
Q: What else can I do to help hone my skills and learn more about the publishing industry?
A: Read as much and as widely as you can! We also run craft-based writing workshops and Q&As with authors, publishers, editors and agents (with replays available if you can’t join live), which are a great way to learn new techniques or pick up some top writing tips!
Q: What’s the best way to keep momentum after the course ends?
A: Once you’ve finished a course, you’ll become part of our alumni community, where you can keep in touch with your coursemates (some of our previous groups are still in touch years later and have even met up in real life – like the Northern Wordsmiths, who met on our Fiction Foundations course), get to know other writers and find beta readers. We also run weekly Sit and Write events on a Monday evening, which are free to join and a great way to set aside some dedicated time to write!
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