“Writing Doesn’t Have to be Scary.”
R.L Stine
Judy Blume.
“You’re gonna let one opinion stop you writing?”
I wanted to announce,with great pleasure, that I’m renewing my Masterclass subscription tomorrow. Mostly because it has been a treasure that has kept me writing through the darkest days.
A year ago, I had just gotten a painful rejection from a contest when an AD appeared on youtube. It was R.L Stine talking about his new masterclass and that was enough to make me fall in love with writing again.
The course was breathtaking and R.L Stine delved into all the details including all the wrong choices he had made in his writing. He also taught me a technique that has helped a lot in short stories, which is knowing the ending before writing the whole story. He also taught me a lot about addressing young audiences and teens.
It was wonderful to learn from the author who wrote my favorite childhood books and it was more refreshing to watch him read some epic scenes.
It’s been such an informative year as I’ve learned about how authors struggled to get to where they are right now. I learned the power of a good outline from James Patterson and I learned that an outline can change as the story evolves.
Judy Blume taught me the importance of sensitivity is in writing and that there’s nothing wrong with it. I learned that our childhood experiences and also traumatic events can be treasures for future writing. She taught me about the idea box and I’ve cherished it ever since.
R.L Stine.
“Reader beware, you’re in for a scare!”
James Patterson.
“Write the story, don’t write sentences.”
“Oh, I got it all figured out, I’m not going to read anymore. That’s death.”
James Patterson.
Judy Blume
“You’re living with these people for years. You had better feel for them!”
Margaret Atwood.
“Do it, do it more. Do it better. Fail, fail better.”
The unexpected surprise was Margaret Atwood’s course. The course is fascinating. Margaret’s sense of humor and encouragement blew my mind away. She really knows how to capture the student with her imagination.
There’s so much magic in her words and she can make flipping P.OV’s seem so easy.
The course workbook was just as incredible as her words, I keep returning to it when I’m stuck. She keeps mentioning throughout the course the importance of experimenting and having the waste paper basket as your friend.
Margaret Atwood.
“You become a writer by writing. There is no other way”
I really loved seeing outlines and drafts from all the authors. I loved learning how many times they had to rewrite to get things right and how they dealt with rejection.
I really can’t believe a year has gone by and there a lot more courses I’ve registered to that I’m looking forward to finish. Jodie Foster recently joined and Dan Brown. A poetry course with Billy Collins opened yesterday. There are few screenwriting courses that I’d love to delve into later on. I’d love it if more writers joined (Stephen King is on the top of the list) and it’s inspiring to learn from their struggles.
©ZeinaA.G
