In the last two posts I covered the pros and cons of  writing classes vs writing groups.  The big question:  Is it worth it?

The answer is: Yes.  I’ve had enough positive experiences, including what I learned from the one college professor whose syllabus was basically an analysis of the chapter of his book, to know that writing classes ultimately are a good thing, as long as your expectations and the class goals are in accord. 

A good professor can introduce you to new styles, techniques, voices and ideas.  He or she can motivate you and push you to write what you never thought you could.  A class can offer opinions and viewpoints that you would have never considered.

The only way to improve is to write.  Writing classes can do that.  They can force you to sit down and do the writing, so that you will improve, so that your thoughts will begin to flow.  And there is nothing more motivating than the proverbial deadline.

The bottom line is that you have to assess what do you expect this writing class will do for you.  Will it force you to finish that short story that has been sitting in a bottom drawer?  Will it inspire some new angle for your plotline?  Or will you learn some inside tricks of the trade from other successful writers?

When I was younger, I used to be totally embarrassed by how raw and disjointed my sentences and thoughts were.  How do other writers get these well-crafted prose from the brain to the page?  I came to learn that most people cannot write like Isaac Asimov, dictating six different plots for books to his assistants simultaneously and then only providing light editing before submission.  Many people rewrite their book 15 times to get their piece crafted the way they want.  My point is that the first draft isn’t perfection. 

Keep in mind it is a first draft.  That’s all that it is.  Be realistic.  How many people can write near perfect copy in the beginning.  I suspect most of you are like me.  We struggle to get what we write flawless, but for those who don’t know when to stop…they will be the ones that are always burdened by that starving artist image