The writing course I signed up for is expensive, time consuming, and a challenge to my definition of story-telling. I have been second guessing why I thought this was a good idea since the first week of the program.

Do I put in the time to take a course that I hope will be useful or do I just sit down and start writing? Listening to hours long seminars is not being creative, therefore, is this course just a brilliant way to procrastinate from the hard work of actually putting words on the page?

I’ve never written much fiction beyond my comic series, but I ‘feel’ like I know what makes a good story. I’ve written a few scenes for what I dream will be a novel some day and, modesty aside, I think they are good scenes. So why not just continue writing more scenes? String enough scenes together, et voilá! A book.

I have just enough self-awareness to know that ‘feeling’ you know something does not necessarily, or ever, translate into genuine knowledge.

I have a sister who knows a little something about being creative and learning a craft. I was complaining to her about my writing course; ‘It’s so hard; blah, blah, and whine, whine.’ She asked if my discontent stemmed from the content or the methodology? I put my whining aside for a moment and considered. No, I really like both; the theory is complex, and the homework tasks are difficult, but I’m learning a lot. And after all, I did want a challenge. 

Her response;

“Something I’ve learned about art of any kind,” … “Get the craft down first and everything else will follow.”

Marilyn Campbell

Hmmm. Nothing like a sister’s choice words to stop a good whine in mid-complaint. What she is saying about learning craft first makes good sense. I’m fairly certain Leonardo da Vinci learned how to mix oil paints and how to construct a compelling visual scene before he ever touched his brush to canvas. I wonder if he whined about the learning process too. 

Stay safe everyone.

Anne Milne is an every Sunday blogger.  Facebook or Twitter.