Writers First Aid

Self-Study Advanced Writing Program

December 26, 2008

In a previous post, I talked about designing a self-study program for 2009 after talking to many fine writers who had completed the MFA (Master of Fine Arts) Writing for Children & Young Adults Program in Vermont. I was envious of how much they’d learned in their two-year program from a stellar faculty. However, I just didn’t have the cash necessary for an expensive program.

So…Could I Do It Myself?

I interviewed both faculty members and students who graduated from the program while designing my self-study program for 2009. I discovered that the program consisted of (1) studying a few texts, (2) closely reading large amounts of children’s books, and (3) much critiquing by advanced writers. While I don’t have any misconceptions that my own self-study program will even approximate going to Vermont for an MFA, I have tried my best to duplicate the elements.

Many of you have emailed me privately and asked about the program I was attempting, so I thought I’d report now in case any of you want to include this in your own 2009 writing goals.

The Elements of My Program

In a previous post called “Reading Like a Writer” I discussed a book by the same name and how to read children’s books in such a way to learn the author’s writing techniques. I have been doing this for a month or so, but still need to get through the close reading book. To help me with technique study, I started a “Book Club with a Twist” to discuss children’s books with other children’s writers. We are currently making up the reading list for our monthly 2009 meetings.
I found that a writer friend of mine was also independently pursuing some “higher education” in her children’s writing, even though she has published more books than I have. She was studying Margie Lawson‘s “Empowering Characters’ Emotions” self-study lecture packet. (Go to her website, scroll down to “Lecture Packets” on the left.) When we did our next critique swap, I could tell a huge difference! So I added that to my list of “texts” to study. My friend is an excellent critiquer, so we are planning to study and grow together in 2009, frequently critiquing each other’s work. We started last week with a full book manuscript critique exchange, followed by written notes and a nearly 3-hour free Skype phone call to discuss and brainstorm. I wanted to have the critique done so that I could begin applying what I learned right away.

For the last month, I’ve been going through the writing books on my shelves and getting recommendations from other writers. At this point, the list below contains the texts I plan to read or re-read, study (and do the exercises in), then apply what I learn to my two MG works-in-progress.

Emotional Structure: Creating the Story Beneath the Plot by Peter Dunne
The Anatomy of Story by John Truby
Margie Lawson’s “Empowering Characters’ Emotions” lecture packet (see above).
Creating Characters Kids Will Love by Elaine Marie Alphin
Getting Into Character by Brandilyn Collins
Finding Your Voice by Les Edgerton
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King
Word Magic for Writers by Cindy Rogers

Get Ready, Get Set…

Perhaps you don’t have time or want to do anything this extensive. I would encourage you, though, to choose a book or study course to help you up to the next higher level in your writing. Given the economy right now, you’re wise to make your writing the best it can be.

Also, I’ve rediscovered–just in the planning stages–some of that joy in learning I experienced back in 1979-80 when I took my writing course from the Institute of Children’s Literature. Back then, I couldn’t wait to get the kids down for naps so I could study for a blessed hour of quiet. I loved stretching my mind and seeing my writing skills develop and grow. I love that learning feeling! And I look forward to recapturing that feeling in 2009.

[NOTE: I've had people email me and ask if this is an official program they can join. No, it isn't--it's just something I'm doing for myself. I've also had writers ask if they could exchange critiques with me for this program; I'm afraid I don't have time to take on more critique partners. I have four weekly partners and one book critique partner for the study program. However, I really do encourage you to find a critique partner of your own and get ready to learn! I'd love to hear about YOUR program.]

Post tags: close reading, critique groups, learning, MFA, reading, study

Posted in: Uncategorized | | Comments (13)

13 Comments »

Kristi, I’m pleased to see you’ve included my book Getting Into Character into your personal study program. I do think you’ll find it helpful, both for creating characters and in designing plot structure. (The title is a little misleading, in that it makes you think the book is only about characters.)

I can attest to the value of what you’re doing–even for those aspiring authors reading your blog who are not yet published. As a professional non-fiction writer, I taught myself how to write fiction. I did what you’re doing–read novels, pen in hand, marking passages both bad and good. I read books on writing. And I wrote. I found my learning was based on 50% writing and 50% reading.

A note–for some free teaching on various aspects of writing fiction, please visit the archives on my blog. If anything there helps you, that’ll make me very happy. (Also there is the story of my own journey to publication in fiction. It’s long, but many have found it an encouragement as they struggle along their own journey. That story is called “How I Got Here.”)

Blessings on your own books, and on the writing of all your blog readers.

~ Brandilyn

Comment by Brandilyn Collins — December 26, 2008 @ 7:45 pm
Brandilyn, thank you for the lengthy and helpful post! I am definitely going to pop over right now and read “how you got there.” Love your “seatbelt suspense” books, and we studied your website last year in a web seminar on branding. You will inspire my blog readers–and me!

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 26, 2008 @ 10:19 pm
Thanks! This is just what I need. A perfect way for me to begin the New Year.

Comment by Bish — December 27, 2008 @ 1:29 pm
Bish, I’m glad you like it! This makes more sense to me than a new year’s resolution. For me, anyway, without planning and preparation ahead of time, my resolutions fall by the wayside.

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 27, 2008 @ 3:08 pm
This sounds like a great way to plan out the year, Kristi. I’ve got some of those books and never had time to open them! But Nos. 4-8 are ones I definitely have read and gained a lot from.
I’ll be going over my ML lectures again, and then I’m tackling her second series on Deep EDITS.
It is great to have a program mapped out – makes you feel like you’re moving forward in a totally positive way.

Comment by Sherryl — December 27, 2008 @ 10:05 pm
Hi, Sherryl,
Do let me know how ML’s “Deep Edits” lecture packet turns out. I’ve partially read a few of the books on my list, but never did the exercises or finished them or applied what I learned to a WIP. What I plan to do will take a lot more time, but I think the learning will be deeper and something that stays with me for all future writing. Doesn’t growing sound like fun???

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 27, 2008 @ 11:35 pm
Hi Kristi,

I am starting a program like what you’ve suggested. It inspires me to think about making my own program because I do so love school:)

I’ve just bought Reading Like a Writer with my allowance for this week. Could you suggest how to put a reading list together? I love the idea and have wound my way through some of the award lists at the library but would love to find a way to create a list that might include great writing that never won an award. Then I’ll just need to see if I can get a group of readers together so we can support each other…

Comment by Karrie — December 29, 2008 @ 1:07 am
Thanks for another great post, Kristi. I’d love to better dissect the books I read so I can better use my craft. At this point, no matter how many times I read a certain, passage, sentence, or phrase, I don’t see the building blocks of craft leapt out at me.

The best I’ve done this year is at least reading more than I did last year, which is always a good thing. I also find that I love discovering new words and turns of phrase in the books I read.

I also love when clever wordplay is used. It gets me inspired.

You’ll like “Reading like a Writer” Karrie, it’s a great inspiration.

For me though, it’s been hard to decipher the examples and dissect what makes them great. I’ll admit that as much as I respect the classics and the authors who wrote them, I feel like I’m reading a language I can’t translate, even though it’s in English.

I’ve tried reading Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice three times in my life.

Once at 11, second time 13, my last attempt was at 16. But I get stuck on the first page. I felt like such an inept reader.

I’m always being targeted for using one complex sentence too many in my MG novels. Well, compared to the highly advanced novels of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Mark Twain, I’m fairly basic. Granted, they’re not writing for kids, but you’d think I was trying to emulate them. I’m not, just so you know. Yet my trusted readers constantly tell me that my sentence structure’s too beyond my intended audience.

I’ve tried so hard to read these authors, I want to like them as the descriptions of their books sound like something I’d like, but the complexity of the writing frankly goes above my head.

That’s why I’m impressed when writers say they’ve read books by Dickens and Jane Austen at 14. They must’ve been reading geniuses.

Someone said that I’ll “Get” these books better when I’m in my 50s. I’m in my 20s now. Are they just writers you grow into?

Comment by C.J. Rockwell — December 29, 2008 @ 10:01 am
Karrie, I admire you for spending your allowance on a book to study writing. That’s dedication!

After our next book club meeting early in January, I will be compiling our reading list for the year. I’d be glad to post it here, along with the other recommendations that we’re going to read and study on our own.

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 29, 2008 @ 1:24 pm
C.J., I hear you about certain classic readers. I didn’t discover Jane Austen until my girls were in high school, and it was required reading for their English class. Even then, I didn’t read it. But I saw the 5-hour A&E version of Pride and Prejudice (the older one with Colin Firth) and I was hooked! It stuck closely to the book (unlike the new remake), so when I went to read the book, I already understood what was happening. You might try that route–it sure worked for me! Since then, Jane has become my favorite author. In May I plan to visit her writing home in England as well as the Jane Austen Centre in Bath. (I never did get into Shakespeare or Dickens though–can’t understand them!) My girls in their 20s and 30s love Austen too, but except for it being taught in high school, I doubt they would have read her.

Comment by Kristi Holl — December 29, 2008 @ 1:30 pm
[...] Friday I shared one goal for 2099, a three-pronged “Self-Study Advanced Writing Program” that I designed for myself. Ten days ago I talked about “Setting Goals NOW for 2009,” [...]

Pingback by Writers First Aid » Writing Dreams Fulfilled — December 29, 2008 @ 2:31 pm
Thank you, Kristi! I’ve just spent several hours studying your reading list, finding the books online (havent’ bought them yet), and beginning my own 2009 learning plan. Not long ago I reread Reading Like A Writer so I have a bit of a headstart. I also signed up for the Margie Lawson class this month. I was going to reread The Artist Way to slay those dragons (it was very helpful in getting me jumpstarted about 5 years ago), but I decided to try this different approach.

I’ve got to say I spent a long time staring at the registration form on my computer before I finally took a deep breath and filled it out. Doing an online class, receiving and submitting assignments, having a “coach,” potentially sharing comments with other students — in other words, exposing my dragons publically — is a lot more dangerous than privately reading a book and writing in my spiral notebook. But maybe that will make the process work better and stick longterm.

Thanks for both the inspiration and the specifics of how to find a new path.

One minor note: I couldn’t find the fourth book on your list at first, because I was searching by the author’s name. It’s Alphin, not Alpin. I’m sure that was a typo, but it’s one that might trip up others as well.

Comment by Nancy Tague — January 1, 2009 @ 9:40 pm
First, Nancy, thanks for the heads up on the typo. Elaine’s even a friend of mine! I’ll fix it.

I know what you mean about publicly admitting your weaknesses in a class. I’ve never taken an online class before, so I’m not sure how “exposed” I’ll feel. I have company still till Tuesday, so I’ll probably lurk quietly until after that.

I hope we ALL slay a bunch of dragons, once and for all!

Comment by Kristi Holl — January 2, 2009 @ 2:00 am