Monday, March 19, 2018

This latest online class is kicking my butt...


So I moved on from one online class to another in my quest to figure out how to improve my plotting skills.

What I'm learning is that I am not a plotter. Which I sort of knew before. The few times I've actually, really plotted, I didn't have any desire to sit down and write the book because I knew what happened.

So I guess my real purpose in taking classes is to figure out what kind of information I need about my two main characters and possibly the plot in order to start writing.

Class #1 is called Conflict Hurts and the lessons made enough of an impact that this was the second time I took this class. I still like those lessons, though some were a challenge too. They echo a book I read the year before last which also resonated with me.

Class #2 is called Plotting Via Motivation. The lessons start off easily enough and the information we're required to gather about our protagonist/s is good stuff. It's when we got to the part where we needed to summarize the overall plot of the book that I started twitching. I know it's the 20K foot view, but it's not clicking with me. Generalized concepts make little sense to me. I learn much better with specifics. With examples. Sometimes. Even though I've read the other participants' homework, I'm still having trouble coming up with the point by point progression of my own book.

*sigh*

Bear in mind, than much of the info in these two classes and in the book I read is the same, just referred to by different names and explained in a different fashion.

I'll do my best for the rest of the class. Even though I really want to give and quit because it's too hard.

And, YES, I'd love some cheese, thanks. Swiss, sharp cheddar, or pepper jack, please.

On a lighter side note, the weekend was good. My writer's group celebrated it's 35th anniversary and a fun time was had by all. Now it's time to get back to my own work, except...I'm struggling.

But no way out but through.

Have a great week.




2 comments:

Dwane Knott said...

I was finishing a comment when my computer suffered a problem and restarted.
Who is hosting the courses you mention? Online or college?
I am not a plotter like K.W. Weiland or others. I have a general outline but it is by writing that I build the scene list.
I read a lot of craft books and blogs. Rarely, have I found a new nugget. Most are different words sharing the same material.

I enjoyed this post!

Jen FitzGerald said...

Hi Dwane!!

This class is online via a Yahoo group. The instructor is Laurie Schnebly Campbell. I heard about it via an email from Writer University.

I'm really not a plotter either, but I've discovered I need *something* to get going. What and how much is what I'm trying to figure out.