Dropped $120 on that writing course everyone raves about...

I finally caved and bought that online creative writing course all the writing forums were hyping up. It was $120, and I figured it would teach me how to actually finish a story. Instead, I got 12 videos of some guy rambling about his own published books with zero structure. The prompts were just "write about a door" with no follow up or feedback. I'm out $120 and honestly just wasted three weekends trying to make it work. Has anyone else bought one of these courses and actually found one that delivers?

2 comments

2 Comments

paige_martin19d ago

Gotta disagree with @hill.hugo on this one, though I get why his buddy liked that course. $80 is still a chunk of change, and most of those "daily small assignment" courses just pile on busywork without teaching you how to actually structure a story (trust me, I've been burned before). The problem is these indie authors don't have credentials or a proven system, they just repackage what worked for them personally. I'd rather spend that money on a used craft book or a critique group membership where you get real eyes on your work, not some pre-recorded prompts.

hill.hugo19d ago

A buddy of mine swore by this $80 course called "Finish Your Draft" by some indie author named Jenna something. He used to think courses were a scam too, but after that one he actually cranked out a 50k word novel in 3 months. It had daily small assignments and actual peer feedback loops, not just some guy talking at you. Might be worth checking if she still runs it.