Creative Writing Courses

If you are interested in writing, it is worth joining a creative writing course. I took a distance learning course on Novel Writing with the London School of Journalism. I received very helpful feedback on my first attempts at writing a novel from the tutor Sue Moorcroft. Sue is the author of Family Matters, Uphill All the Way and A Place to Call Home.

I enrolled on a creative writing module from a MA course run by UHI Millennium Institute (MA Highlands & Islands Literature). The course tutor was Carl MacDougall, another published writer, who encouraged students to try different styles of writing. He was entertaining and knowledgeable and gave excellent critical feedback on the writing we submitted. This course also gave students a chance to critique each other's writing, which was also very useful. Carl MacDougall publications include Painting the Forth Bridge, The Lights Below and The Casanova Papers.

There are so many creative writing courses available now, either in local colleges or online. There are also a huge number of text books to read on the subject. I can highly recommend Stephen King's On Writing. Although I am not a fan of horror stories he is very entertaining and interesting on the subject of creative writing.

It is a very good idea to join a writers' group. I joined my local group in Maynooth which meets every 3-4 weeks at the Carton House Hotel. It was a gorgeous setting in which to discuss everyone's writing projects. Writers' groups give you the chance to get great feedback on your writing; the type of stuff your best friends won't say for fear of upsetting you. When I moved to Clonmel, I lost no time in joining the Clonmel Writers Group, and now that I am back in Shetland I will be looking to do something locally.

There are some great online writing groups, some of which give you access to literary agents and publishers if your writing is rated high enough by the other writers on the site.

If you do not have a writers' group near you there are writing support websites where you can get feedback on your writing in return for giving feedback on other peoples' work.