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xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7jdgx | ip6fd1j | 1,663,689,652 | 1,663,670,867 | 4 | 2 | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | the best classes for writing you can take in college are the classes with nothing to do with writing. History, ancient poetry, politics, the sciences. They are bits of the world, so track down a few that can make your writing unique. I took a creative writing course, but I don't think it was particularly helpful. Was fun though. That said, don't think of youtube as the be all end all. There is a lot of parroting and reparroting of common tricks, but they are not laws. Writing is very much an area where you can carve out your own exceptions to the rules if you know how your writing works. Don't let too much advice turn your writing into something too normal. | 1 | 18,785 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7jdgx | ip6rk7u | 1,663,689,652 | 1,663,678,078 | 4 | 2 | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | It depends what your goals are. If you want to write SF or fantasy and get your name known among the readers of these genres, Sanderson will probably be a better teacher than a college teacher who never reads genre fiction, despises it, and never published anything but a short story collection decades ago. If you want to write literary fiction and care more about critics and be recognized and admired by your peers in the literary world, Sanderson is probably not the one you want to follow. Or, you can do both. | 1 | 11,574 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6tbfy | ip7jdgx | 1,663,678,930 | 1,663,689,652 | 2 | 4 | I didn't major in writing or English in college, but I took two fiction classes, a poetry class, and a script writing class (in German) and there is no question that I am a stronger writer because of it. The most helpful part was workshopping in class and receiving professor's feedback on assignments. | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | 0 | 10,722 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip75cc8 | ip7jdgx | 1,663,684,173 | 1,663,689,652 | 2 | 4 | I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26 Lol fml | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | 0 | 5,479 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7jdgx | ip5n7s0 | 1,663,689,652 | 1,663,648,022 | 4 | 1 | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | I more and more feel that college is not worth the money it charges for most fields. Particularly computers and writing. If you want to take english classes in your spare time, I suggest those over taking an actual course. There's online learning stuff you can find for free, but the best thing to do is form a group of real people that will help you as an individual. Or just find yourself, and write the things that are in your soul. | 1 | 41,630 | 4 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7jdgx | ip6fwmv | 1,663,689,652 | 1,663,671,253 | 4 | 1 | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | I turn 28 next week and I'm currently enrolled as an English major. This semester is mostly literature-focused (rather than writing focused), but I have taken a handful of writing classes already. A good professor will make a world of difference in developing your skill as a writer. I know the classes I've taken have worked wonders, and I probably would be where I am as a writer now without them. That said, as you pointed out, college classes can be expensive, and while self-teaching (with the help of the internet) might not be as expedited, it can certainly be done. If you want a degree anyway, then writing classes are definitely worth it, but if your only goal is improving your writing skill, then self-instruction might be a better choice, especially is cost is a concern. | 1 | 18,399 | 4 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7jdgx | ip6klq1 | 1,663,689,652 | 1,663,674,282 | 4 | 1 | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | Creative writing classes are just workshops with grades. I found it beneficial when in college. | 1 | 15,370 | 4 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7jdgx | ip5xyl2 | 1,663,689,652 | 1,663,655,897 | 4 | 0 | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | There is clearly some worth in paying for college writing classes, but in reality they aren't teaching you anything you can't learn on your own for free. And unlike law or medicine, you don't need to be licensed to be a writer. Besides, you can actually hire current or former traditional publishing editors to review your work. It costs vastly less than college and it is a great learning. | 1 | 33,755 | 4,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip63diz | ip7jdgx | 1,663,660,511 | 1,663,689,652 | 0 | 4 | If you want a degree, then yes. But if that's not important, then absolutely not. I did a writing degree, but I learned way more outside of uni - then again, I wasn't a great student. The thing college does is give you the opportunity for community and peers to review and help advance your work, but honestly you can get that elsewhere for far cheaper. If I could do it again, I'd skip uni, learn by myself and supplement with short courses from places like the Australian Writers Centre. | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | 0 | 29,141 | 4,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6cpvz | ip7jdgx | 1,663,668,837 | 1,663,689,652 | 1 | 4 | You can’t find fellow writers to critique your work on YouTube. | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | 0 | 20,815 | 4 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7jdgx | ip6es7c | 1,663,689,652 | 1,663,670,446 | 4 | 1 | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | You want to find something that gives you the opportunity to both give and get feedback. Learning to give good feedback will make you look at the layers of what is being written and you can apply that to your own work. Look for a writer's association in your area. Look for a critique group. If you can't find one, start one. If you need to resort to looking for critiques online, try Scribophile. You have to earn points by giving feedback before you can submit your own work, which is a pretty good system. Scribophile also isn't public (behind a membership login) so your work isn't published. Don't get feedback from places like Wattpad, that's kind of like the wild west. | 1 | 19,206 | 4 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6niii | ip7jdgx | 1,663,675,943 | 1,663,689,652 | 1 | 4 | I am about to graduate with my BA in Creative Writing and English with a concentration in fiction and for me it has definitely been worth it! I’ve been a writer all of my life and I have seen a huge improvement since starting school. I am looking at getting an MFA next so I can hone my skills even further. I think whether it is worth it or not depends on you and what you want out of it. It also depends on if you have the time and money to dedicate. One recommendation I have is to get the book: Save The Cat! Writes A Novel. That book has a wealth of info in it. A lot of which I learned in my classes. Getting feedback from peers is also a big part of improving your skills. I also recommend reading a LOT! Read in all genres. Also, don’t just look at the plot, analyze everything about the writing. Learn about the author too. Look at the most successful authors, or the ones you like the most, and read up on what they did to get to where they are. Did they go to school? Write for small newspapers? Did they do a summer internship at a publishing company? Did they take 20 years to publish their first novel? Figure out what worked for them and see what you can borrow from their journey that might help you along yours. The biggest tip my professors told me was to write. Write as often as you can. Go stand outside and smell the air and write about the details using your senses. Go to the coffee shop and watch the people and pick a few to write about. Try writing in different genres too. Take one scene in your novel or a short story and rewrite it from different viewpoints (1st, 2nd, 3rd POV, or if it is about a woman with kids try writing it from the kid’s POV). You can learn a lot about your story and characters by doing this. There is so much you can learn from going to school to write. But there is also a lot you can learn on your own. Only you can decide what you feel is the right choice for you as a writer. | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | 0 | 13,709 | 4 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6wusf | ip7jdgx | 1,663,680,552 | 1,663,689,652 | 1 | 4 | It depends. The only real way to find out is to try it. One good thing that some college writing courses do is they make you read, both published works (some of which you might not have picked up if you were reading for fun) and the unpublished works of others in your class. Learning to write is not like learning to do your own taxes or getting swole at the gym in that there isn't a roadmap to how to become the best writer ever, like there's a lot of craft you learn by osmosis or develop on your own, not through a textbook, and also because at a certain point becoming a better writer is about entering the community of other writers and being in conversation with their writing. Which is why reading is essential, but a lot of amateur writers don't read. Granted, maybe that's not the case for you (although a co-benefit of college is having a pre-made community of people with whom to discuss what you're reading), but yeah, this is a thing that I feel gets often missed in these discussions. | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | 0 | 9,100 | 4 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6x4ng | ip7jdgx | 1,663,680,674 | 1,663,689,652 | 1 | 4 | First, college classes often have a workshop format, which allows you to get real feedback. Which is obviously helpful for syntax, understanding, etc. But can also be invaluable in learning how things that you say are perceived. Second, as other people have said, college classes will make you write things that you wouldn't have otherwise written. I have no interest in theater but I still think one of the most creative, interesting things I've ever written was a Zombie Satire play that I had to write for a freshman intro creative writing class. Third, college professors, by nature, will make you write when you don't want to write and correct things that you don't want to have to correct. While this can initially be annoying, it gets you to use what a professional writing process will look like and teaches you how to "push through." | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | 0 | 8,978 | 4 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7jdgx | ip6z7wy | 1,663,689,652 | 1,663,681,599 | 4 | 1 | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | University classes force you to attempt things you otherwise wouldn't. Often for no apparent benefit, until a decade later, you suddenly have an Aha moment and realize it wasn't pointless. | 1 | 8,053 | 4 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7jdgx | ip72wuq | 1,663,689,652 | 1,663,683,169 | 4 | 1 | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | You can’t workshop on a YouTube video. The ability to give and receive feedback in a creative writing class is invaluable. | 1 | 6,483 | 4 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7jdgx | ip79vfw | 1,663,689,652 | 1,663,685,981 | 4 | 1 | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | No. There are plenty of books that will teach you the same thing. Read a couple about story structure, grammar, editing, and read a different genre book to keep your mind fresh. Join a writing group online, **write** daily, and you're already doing better than most. | 1 | 3,671 | 4 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7bscd | ip7jdgx | 1,663,686,739 | 1,663,689,652 | 1 | 4 | depends on the professor. their attitude and quality can vary dramatically. a lot of academia is frankly out of touch with the external world. you might take a literature class hoping to learn about writing fiction. but end up get lectured on Karl Marx or the (bizarre ideas) of Jacques Lacan, a French psychoanalyst, neither of which will be helpful to the vast majority of writers. another issue can be that many professors emphasize a specific style of writing without much mass-audience appeal. they can lean towards a very stilted, restrictive minimalism that for whatever reason is popular among academics. so IMO check with former students, in-person on online, and find a syllabus and reading list to evaluate if any given teacher lines up with your goals. | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | 0 | 2,913 | 4 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7jdgx | ip7jaks | 1,663,689,652 | 1,663,689,622 | 4 | 1 | Lol, I might sound like a d\*, but no probably not. IMO unless you getting your job wrong could have serious, major, direct repercussions (i.e. an engineer causing a bridge to fall down or a doctor not knowing what medication to prescribe, or a physicist not knowing the range in air of Alpha particles and building a smoke alarm wrong in a way that could cause cancer to a house's occupants) you shouldn't **have** to go to college for it. Some fields are better taught in a school, others are better learnt on the job. To be a writer you need: * Practice * The ability to research * A love of books * Access to feedback * Good grammar * A story to tell (inspiration) I personally don't think any of these things need to be taught at a university, some of them *can't* be taught at a university (love and inspiration). It's best to find a writing group and also, if there's a niche you want to write for (e.g. television scripts) then perhaps a short-course on it. Source: I made the mistake of taking a university level English course during my gap year. For years I'd told myself 'no, don't write any of your ideas, you're too immature, your writing's not good enough, you'll ruin them!' Boy was I wrong! Learn't ***nothing*** that I didn't already know. Nothing. I swear to God. I mentally tapped out a week into a full-time year-long program and still got a 2:1. Don't waste your money. Please. | Or better, a college writing class on YouTube. Brandon Sanderson has one and you can find it there. | 1 | 30 | 4 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip62at9 | ip5ivsj | 1,663,659,541 | 1,663,645,341 | 3 | 2 | College courses would be much more beneficial. Aside from the reasons you listed yourself, the most important thing you get in a [good] class is workshopping. You write something, everyone else does as well, and you read each others' work and critique it. You learn technique along the way and how to give and receive criticism, but most importantly you learn how to critique writing: how to spot problems and how to fix them. You're seeing technique applied in context to a specific piece of writing, and that's what you need. Because writing advice is only helpful when applied specifically to the piece in question (not being able to do this in tis sub incidentally is why this sub is almost useless for improving one's writing; i.e. the rule 2 controversy). Of course, you don't have to be in a university class to workshop. You could form or join a writer's group or workshopping group or whatever people call them and do it that way. But compared to videos, which is tantamount to attending a lecture, college courses win out every time because of the interactive nature of them. You need to actually be writing and applying what you're learning to that writing. And learning to critique the work of others helps you learn to critique your own writing as well. | I would also add the quality of feedback you will get is vastly better than the internet. From the professor to serious peers. A critical friends group is important for growth- and a writing class should give a structure to feedback. | 1 | 14,200 | 1.5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip62at9 | ip5n7s0 | 1,663,659,541 | 1,663,648,022 | 3 | 1 | College courses would be much more beneficial. Aside from the reasons you listed yourself, the most important thing you get in a [good] class is workshopping. You write something, everyone else does as well, and you read each others' work and critique it. You learn technique along the way and how to give and receive criticism, but most importantly you learn how to critique writing: how to spot problems and how to fix them. You're seeing technique applied in context to a specific piece of writing, and that's what you need. Because writing advice is only helpful when applied specifically to the piece in question (not being able to do this in tis sub incidentally is why this sub is almost useless for improving one's writing; i.e. the rule 2 controversy). Of course, you don't have to be in a university class to workshop. You could form or join a writer's group or workshopping group or whatever people call them and do it that way. But compared to videos, which is tantamount to attending a lecture, college courses win out every time because of the interactive nature of them. You need to actually be writing and applying what you're learning to that writing. And learning to critique the work of others helps you learn to critique your own writing as well. | I more and more feel that college is not worth the money it charges for most fields. Particularly computers and writing. If you want to take english classes in your spare time, I suggest those over taking an actual course. There's online learning stuff you can find for free, but the best thing to do is form a group of real people that will help you as an individual. Or just find yourself, and write the things that are in your soul. | 1 | 11,519 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5xyl2 | ip62at9 | 1,663,655,897 | 1,663,659,541 | 0 | 3 | There is clearly some worth in paying for college writing classes, but in reality they aren't teaching you anything you can't learn on your own for free. And unlike law or medicine, you don't need to be licensed to be a writer. Besides, you can actually hire current or former traditional publishing editors to review your work. It costs vastly less than college and it is a great learning. | College courses would be much more beneficial. Aside from the reasons you listed yourself, the most important thing you get in a [good] class is workshopping. You write something, everyone else does as well, and you read each others' work and critique it. You learn technique along the way and how to give and receive criticism, but most importantly you learn how to critique writing: how to spot problems and how to fix them. You're seeing technique applied in context to a specific piece of writing, and that's what you need. Because writing advice is only helpful when applied specifically to the piece in question (not being able to do this in tis sub incidentally is why this sub is almost useless for improving one's writing; i.e. the rule 2 controversy). Of course, you don't have to be in a university class to workshop. You could form or join a writer's group or workshopping group or whatever people call them and do it that way. But compared to videos, which is tantamount to attending a lecture, college courses win out every time because of the interactive nature of them. You need to actually be writing and applying what you're learning to that writing. And learning to critique the work of others helps you learn to critique your own writing as well. | 0 | 3,644 | 3,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7i0vy | ip5ivsj | 1,663,689,136 | 1,663,645,341 | 3 | 2 | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | I would also add the quality of feedback you will get is vastly better than the internet. From the professor to serious peers. A critical friends group is important for growth- and a writing class should give a structure to feedback. | 1 | 43,795 | 1.5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7i0vy | ip6e66c | 1,663,689,136 | 1,663,669,991 | 3 | 2 | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | It’s worth it if you can afford it. Currently in uni and what ive learned has been crazy so far, youtube really cant compare. That said, you always got options. Aint no reason to go into debt that you cant afford | 1 | 19,145 | 1.5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6fd1j | ip7i0vy | 1,663,670,867 | 1,663,689,136 | 2 | 3 | the best classes for writing you can take in college are the classes with nothing to do with writing. History, ancient poetry, politics, the sciences. They are bits of the world, so track down a few that can make your writing unique. I took a creative writing course, but I don't think it was particularly helpful. Was fun though. That said, don't think of youtube as the be all end all. There is a lot of parroting and reparroting of common tricks, but they are not laws. Writing is very much an area where you can carve out your own exceptions to the rules if you know how your writing works. Don't let too much advice turn your writing into something too normal. | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | 0 | 18,269 | 1.5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7i0vy | ip6rk7u | 1,663,689,136 | 1,663,678,078 | 3 | 2 | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | It depends what your goals are. If you want to write SF or fantasy and get your name known among the readers of these genres, Sanderson will probably be a better teacher than a college teacher who never reads genre fiction, despises it, and never published anything but a short story collection decades ago. If you want to write literary fiction and care more about critics and be recognized and admired by your peers in the literary world, Sanderson is probably not the one you want to follow. Or, you can do both. | 1 | 11,058 | 1.5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7i0vy | ip6tbfy | 1,663,689,136 | 1,663,678,930 | 3 | 2 | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | I didn't major in writing or English in college, but I took two fiction classes, a poetry class, and a script writing class (in German) and there is no question that I am a stronger writer because of it. The most helpful part was workshopping in class and receiving professor's feedback on assignments. | 1 | 10,206 | 1.5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip75cc8 | ip7i0vy | 1,663,684,173 | 1,663,689,136 | 2 | 3 | I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26 Lol fml | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | 0 | 4,963 | 1.5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7i0vy | ip5n7s0 | 1,663,689,136 | 1,663,648,022 | 3 | 1 | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | I more and more feel that college is not worth the money it charges for most fields. Particularly computers and writing. If you want to take english classes in your spare time, I suggest those over taking an actual course. There's online learning stuff you can find for free, but the best thing to do is form a group of real people that will help you as an individual. Or just find yourself, and write the things that are in your soul. | 1 | 41,114 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6fwmv | ip7i0vy | 1,663,671,253 | 1,663,689,136 | 1 | 3 | I turn 28 next week and I'm currently enrolled as an English major. This semester is mostly literature-focused (rather than writing focused), but I have taken a handful of writing classes already. A good professor will make a world of difference in developing your skill as a writer. I know the classes I've taken have worked wonders, and I probably would be where I am as a writer now without them. That said, as you pointed out, college classes can be expensive, and while self-teaching (with the help of the internet) might not be as expedited, it can certainly be done. If you want a degree anyway, then writing classes are definitely worth it, but if your only goal is improving your writing skill, then self-instruction might be a better choice, especially is cost is a concern. | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | 0 | 17,883 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6klq1 | ip7i0vy | 1,663,674,282 | 1,663,689,136 | 1 | 3 | Creative writing classes are just workshops with grades. I found it beneficial when in college. | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | 0 | 14,854 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5xyl2 | ip7i0vy | 1,663,655,897 | 1,663,689,136 | 0 | 3 | There is clearly some worth in paying for college writing classes, but in reality they aren't teaching you anything you can't learn on your own for free. And unlike law or medicine, you don't need to be licensed to be a writer. Besides, you can actually hire current or former traditional publishing editors to review your work. It costs vastly less than college and it is a great learning. | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | 0 | 33,239 | 3,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7i0vy | ip63diz | 1,663,689,136 | 1,663,660,511 | 3 | 0 | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | If you want a degree, then yes. But if that's not important, then absolutely not. I did a writing degree, but I learned way more outside of uni - then again, I wasn't a great student. The thing college does is give you the opportunity for community and peers to review and help advance your work, but honestly you can get that elsewhere for far cheaper. If I could do it again, I'd skip uni, learn by myself and supplement with short courses from places like the Australian Writers Centre. | 1 | 28,625 | 3,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7i0vy | ip6cpvz | 1,663,689,136 | 1,663,668,837 | 3 | 1 | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | You can’t find fellow writers to critique your work on YouTube. | 1 | 20,299 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7i0vy | ip6es7c | 1,663,689,136 | 1,663,670,446 | 3 | 1 | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | You want to find something that gives you the opportunity to both give and get feedback. Learning to give good feedback will make you look at the layers of what is being written and you can apply that to your own work. Look for a writer's association in your area. Look for a critique group. If you can't find one, start one. If you need to resort to looking for critiques online, try Scribophile. You have to earn points by giving feedback before you can submit your own work, which is a pretty good system. Scribophile also isn't public (behind a membership login) so your work isn't published. Don't get feedback from places like Wattpad, that's kind of like the wild west. | 1 | 18,690 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7i0vy | ip6niii | 1,663,689,136 | 1,663,675,943 | 3 | 1 | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | I am about to graduate with my BA in Creative Writing and English with a concentration in fiction and for me it has definitely been worth it! I’ve been a writer all of my life and I have seen a huge improvement since starting school. I am looking at getting an MFA next so I can hone my skills even further. I think whether it is worth it or not depends on you and what you want out of it. It also depends on if you have the time and money to dedicate. One recommendation I have is to get the book: Save The Cat! Writes A Novel. That book has a wealth of info in it. A lot of which I learned in my classes. Getting feedback from peers is also a big part of improving your skills. I also recommend reading a LOT! Read in all genres. Also, don’t just look at the plot, analyze everything about the writing. Learn about the author too. Look at the most successful authors, or the ones you like the most, and read up on what they did to get to where they are. Did they go to school? Write for small newspapers? Did they do a summer internship at a publishing company? Did they take 20 years to publish their first novel? Figure out what worked for them and see what you can borrow from their journey that might help you along yours. The biggest tip my professors told me was to write. Write as often as you can. Go stand outside and smell the air and write about the details using your senses. Go to the coffee shop and watch the people and pick a few to write about. Try writing in different genres too. Take one scene in your novel or a short story and rewrite it from different viewpoints (1st, 2nd, 3rd POV, or if it is about a woman with kids try writing it from the kid’s POV). You can learn a lot about your story and characters by doing this. There is so much you can learn from going to school to write. But there is also a lot you can learn on your own. Only you can decide what you feel is the right choice for you as a writer. | 1 | 13,193 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7i0vy | ip6wusf | 1,663,689,136 | 1,663,680,552 | 3 | 1 | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | It depends. The only real way to find out is to try it. One good thing that some college writing courses do is they make you read, both published works (some of which you might not have picked up if you were reading for fun) and the unpublished works of others in your class. Learning to write is not like learning to do your own taxes or getting swole at the gym in that there isn't a roadmap to how to become the best writer ever, like there's a lot of craft you learn by osmosis or develop on your own, not through a textbook, and also because at a certain point becoming a better writer is about entering the community of other writers and being in conversation with their writing. Which is why reading is essential, but a lot of amateur writers don't read. Granted, maybe that's not the case for you (although a co-benefit of college is having a pre-made community of people with whom to discuss what you're reading), but yeah, this is a thing that I feel gets often missed in these discussions. | 1 | 8,584 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6x4ng | ip7i0vy | 1,663,680,674 | 1,663,689,136 | 1 | 3 | First, college classes often have a workshop format, which allows you to get real feedback. Which is obviously helpful for syntax, understanding, etc. But can also be invaluable in learning how things that you say are perceived. Second, as other people have said, college classes will make you write things that you wouldn't have otherwise written. I have no interest in theater but I still think one of the most creative, interesting things I've ever written was a Zombie Satire play that I had to write for a freshman intro creative writing class. Third, college professors, by nature, will make you write when you don't want to write and correct things that you don't want to have to correct. While this can initially be annoying, it gets you to use what a professional writing process will look like and teaches you how to "push through." | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | 0 | 8,462 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7i0vy | ip6z7wy | 1,663,689,136 | 1,663,681,599 | 3 | 1 | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | University classes force you to attempt things you otherwise wouldn't. Often for no apparent benefit, until a decade later, you suddenly have an Aha moment and realize it wasn't pointless. | 1 | 7,537 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7i0vy | ip72wuq | 1,663,689,136 | 1,663,683,169 | 3 | 1 | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | You can’t workshop on a YouTube video. The ability to give and receive feedback in a creative writing class is invaluable. | 1 | 5,967 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7i0vy | ip79vfw | 1,663,689,136 | 1,663,685,981 | 3 | 1 | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | No. There are plenty of books that will teach you the same thing. Read a couple about story structure, grammar, editing, and read a different genre book to keep your mind fresh. Join a writing group online, **write** daily, and you're already doing better than most. | 1 | 3,155 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7i0vy | ip7bscd | 1,663,689,136 | 1,663,686,739 | 3 | 1 | My college writing classes were fantastic. Having a multitude of different prompts and assignments forced me to develop certain skills I would not ordinarily have worked on, and I was exposed to methods and schools of thought on writing that I otherwise might not ever have considered. Assuming you have a competent instructor, in-person *personal* classes are almost always worth much more than impersonal online lessons. But I was in college already anyway, so the financial cost was not something I considered. Will it be better than free online resources? Probably. Will it be **worth it?** Up to interpretation. | depends on the professor. their attitude and quality can vary dramatically. a lot of academia is frankly out of touch with the external world. you might take a literature class hoping to learn about writing fiction. but end up get lectured on Karl Marx or the (bizarre ideas) of Jacques Lacan, a French psychoanalyst, neither of which will be helpful to the vast majority of writers. another issue can be that many professors emphasize a specific style of writing without much mass-audience appeal. they can lean towards a very stilted, restrictive minimalism that for whatever reason is popular among academics. so IMO check with former students, in-person on online, and find a syllabus and reading list to evaluate if any given teacher lines up with your goals. | 1 | 2,397 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5ivsj | ip8ip3y | 1,663,645,341 | 1,663,703,125 | 2 | 3 | I would also add the quality of feedback you will get is vastly better than the internet. From the professor to serious peers. A critical friends group is important for growth- and a writing class should give a structure to feedback. | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | 0 | 57,784 | 1.5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6e66c | ip8ip3y | 1,663,669,991 | 1,663,703,125 | 2 | 3 | It’s worth it if you can afford it. Currently in uni and what ive learned has been crazy so far, youtube really cant compare. That said, you always got options. Aint no reason to go into debt that you cant afford | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | 0 | 33,134 | 1.5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6fd1j | ip8ip3y | 1,663,670,867 | 1,663,703,125 | 2 | 3 | the best classes for writing you can take in college are the classes with nothing to do with writing. History, ancient poetry, politics, the sciences. They are bits of the world, so track down a few that can make your writing unique. I took a creative writing course, but I don't think it was particularly helpful. Was fun though. That said, don't think of youtube as the be all end all. There is a lot of parroting and reparroting of common tricks, but they are not laws. Writing is very much an area where you can carve out your own exceptions to the rules if you know how your writing works. Don't let too much advice turn your writing into something too normal. | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | 0 | 32,258 | 1.5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6rk7u | ip8ip3y | 1,663,678,078 | 1,663,703,125 | 2 | 3 | It depends what your goals are. If you want to write SF or fantasy and get your name known among the readers of these genres, Sanderson will probably be a better teacher than a college teacher who never reads genre fiction, despises it, and never published anything but a short story collection decades ago. If you want to write literary fiction and care more about critics and be recognized and admired by your peers in the literary world, Sanderson is probably not the one you want to follow. Or, you can do both. | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | 0 | 25,047 | 1.5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip8ip3y | ip6tbfy | 1,663,703,125 | 1,663,678,930 | 3 | 2 | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | I didn't major in writing or English in college, but I took two fiction classes, a poetry class, and a script writing class (in German) and there is no question that I am a stronger writer because of it. The most helpful part was workshopping in class and receiving professor's feedback on assignments. | 1 | 24,195 | 1.5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip75cc8 | ip8ip3y | 1,663,684,173 | 1,663,703,125 | 2 | 3 | I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26 Lol fml | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | 0 | 18,952 | 1.5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip8ip3y | ip7je4b | 1,663,703,125 | 1,663,689,659 | 3 | 2 | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | The purpose of college classes isn't really the knowledge itself. You can learn most things through desk research. The importance comes from getting regular feedback specific to your work, hearing feedback given to other amateurs, and most importantly - networking. You can't get any of that from a YouTube channel. | 1 | 13,466 | 1.5 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5n7s0 | ip8ip3y | 1,663,648,022 | 1,663,703,125 | 1 | 3 | I more and more feel that college is not worth the money it charges for most fields. Particularly computers and writing. If you want to take english classes in your spare time, I suggest those over taking an actual course. There's online learning stuff you can find for free, but the best thing to do is form a group of real people that will help you as an individual. Or just find yourself, and write the things that are in your soul. | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | 0 | 55,103 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6fwmv | ip8ip3y | 1,663,671,253 | 1,663,703,125 | 1 | 3 | I turn 28 next week and I'm currently enrolled as an English major. This semester is mostly literature-focused (rather than writing focused), but I have taken a handful of writing classes already. A good professor will make a world of difference in developing your skill as a writer. I know the classes I've taken have worked wonders, and I probably would be where I am as a writer now without them. That said, as you pointed out, college classes can be expensive, and while self-teaching (with the help of the internet) might not be as expedited, it can certainly be done. If you want a degree anyway, then writing classes are definitely worth it, but if your only goal is improving your writing skill, then self-instruction might be a better choice, especially is cost is a concern. | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | 0 | 31,872 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6klq1 | ip8ip3y | 1,663,674,282 | 1,663,703,125 | 1 | 3 | Creative writing classes are just workshops with grades. I found it beneficial when in college. | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | 0 | 28,843 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5xyl2 | ip8ip3y | 1,663,655,897 | 1,663,703,125 | 0 | 3 | There is clearly some worth in paying for college writing classes, but in reality they aren't teaching you anything you can't learn on your own for free. And unlike law or medicine, you don't need to be licensed to be a writer. Besides, you can actually hire current or former traditional publishing editors to review your work. It costs vastly less than college and it is a great learning. | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | 0 | 47,228 | 3,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip63diz | ip8ip3y | 1,663,660,511 | 1,663,703,125 | 0 | 3 | If you want a degree, then yes. But if that's not important, then absolutely not. I did a writing degree, but I learned way more outside of uni - then again, I wasn't a great student. The thing college does is give you the opportunity for community and peers to review and help advance your work, but honestly you can get that elsewhere for far cheaper. If I could do it again, I'd skip uni, learn by myself and supplement with short courses from places like the Australian Writers Centre. | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | 0 | 42,614 | 3,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip8ip3y | ip6cpvz | 1,663,703,125 | 1,663,668,837 | 3 | 1 | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | You can’t find fellow writers to critique your work on YouTube. | 1 | 34,288 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6es7c | ip8ip3y | 1,663,670,446 | 1,663,703,125 | 1 | 3 | You want to find something that gives you the opportunity to both give and get feedback. Learning to give good feedback will make you look at the layers of what is being written and you can apply that to your own work. Look for a writer's association in your area. Look for a critique group. If you can't find one, start one. If you need to resort to looking for critiques online, try Scribophile. You have to earn points by giving feedback before you can submit your own work, which is a pretty good system. Scribophile also isn't public (behind a membership login) so your work isn't published. Don't get feedback from places like Wattpad, that's kind of like the wild west. | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | 0 | 32,679 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip8ip3y | ip6niii | 1,663,703,125 | 1,663,675,943 | 3 | 1 | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | I am about to graduate with my BA in Creative Writing and English with a concentration in fiction and for me it has definitely been worth it! I’ve been a writer all of my life and I have seen a huge improvement since starting school. I am looking at getting an MFA next so I can hone my skills even further. I think whether it is worth it or not depends on you and what you want out of it. It also depends on if you have the time and money to dedicate. One recommendation I have is to get the book: Save The Cat! Writes A Novel. That book has a wealth of info in it. A lot of which I learned in my classes. Getting feedback from peers is also a big part of improving your skills. I also recommend reading a LOT! Read in all genres. Also, don’t just look at the plot, analyze everything about the writing. Learn about the author too. Look at the most successful authors, or the ones you like the most, and read up on what they did to get to where they are. Did they go to school? Write for small newspapers? Did they do a summer internship at a publishing company? Did they take 20 years to publish their first novel? Figure out what worked for them and see what you can borrow from their journey that might help you along yours. The biggest tip my professors told me was to write. Write as often as you can. Go stand outside and smell the air and write about the details using your senses. Go to the coffee shop and watch the people and pick a few to write about. Try writing in different genres too. Take one scene in your novel or a short story and rewrite it from different viewpoints (1st, 2nd, 3rd POV, or if it is about a woman with kids try writing it from the kid’s POV). You can learn a lot about your story and characters by doing this. There is so much you can learn from going to school to write. But there is also a lot you can learn on your own. Only you can decide what you feel is the right choice for you as a writer. | 1 | 27,182 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip8ip3y | ip6wusf | 1,663,703,125 | 1,663,680,552 | 3 | 1 | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | It depends. The only real way to find out is to try it. One good thing that some college writing courses do is they make you read, both published works (some of which you might not have picked up if you were reading for fun) and the unpublished works of others in your class. Learning to write is not like learning to do your own taxes or getting swole at the gym in that there isn't a roadmap to how to become the best writer ever, like there's a lot of craft you learn by osmosis or develop on your own, not through a textbook, and also because at a certain point becoming a better writer is about entering the community of other writers and being in conversation with their writing. Which is why reading is essential, but a lot of amateur writers don't read. Granted, maybe that's not the case for you (although a co-benefit of college is having a pre-made community of people with whom to discuss what you're reading), but yeah, this is a thing that I feel gets often missed in these discussions. | 1 | 22,573 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6x4ng | ip8ip3y | 1,663,680,674 | 1,663,703,125 | 1 | 3 | First, college classes often have a workshop format, which allows you to get real feedback. Which is obviously helpful for syntax, understanding, etc. But can also be invaluable in learning how things that you say are perceived. Second, as other people have said, college classes will make you write things that you wouldn't have otherwise written. I have no interest in theater but I still think one of the most creative, interesting things I've ever written was a Zombie Satire play that I had to write for a freshman intro creative writing class. Third, college professors, by nature, will make you write when you don't want to write and correct things that you don't want to have to correct. While this can initially be annoying, it gets you to use what a professional writing process will look like and teaches you how to "push through." | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | 0 | 22,451 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6z7wy | ip8ip3y | 1,663,681,599 | 1,663,703,125 | 1 | 3 | University classes force you to attempt things you otherwise wouldn't. Often for no apparent benefit, until a decade later, you suddenly have an Aha moment and realize it wasn't pointless. | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | 0 | 21,526 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip72wuq | ip8ip3y | 1,663,683,169 | 1,663,703,125 | 1 | 3 | You can’t workshop on a YouTube video. The ability to give and receive feedback in a creative writing class is invaluable. | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | 0 | 19,956 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip79vfw | ip8ip3y | 1,663,685,981 | 1,663,703,125 | 1 | 3 | No. There are plenty of books that will teach you the same thing. Read a couple about story structure, grammar, editing, and read a different genre book to keep your mind fresh. Join a writing group online, **write** daily, and you're already doing better than most. | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | 0 | 17,144 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip8ip3y | ip7bscd | 1,663,703,125 | 1,663,686,739 | 3 | 1 | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | depends on the professor. their attitude and quality can vary dramatically. a lot of academia is frankly out of touch with the external world. you might take a literature class hoping to learn about writing fiction. but end up get lectured on Karl Marx or the (bizarre ideas) of Jacques Lacan, a French psychoanalyst, neither of which will be helpful to the vast majority of writers. another issue can be that many professors emphasize a specific style of writing without much mass-audience appeal. they can lean towards a very stilted, restrictive minimalism that for whatever reason is popular among academics. so IMO check with former students, in-person on online, and find a syllabus and reading list to evaluate if any given teacher lines up with your goals. | 1 | 16,386 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip8ip3y | ip7jaks | 1,663,703,125 | 1,663,689,622 | 3 | 1 | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | Or better, a college writing class on YouTube. Brandon Sanderson has one and you can find it there. | 1 | 13,503 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip7jwg0 | ip8ip3y | 1,663,689,855 | 1,663,703,125 | 1 | 3 | I take a cheap writing class through my local community college's adult education programs. It's interesting, and has been very helpful for me. I don't get a ton of better advice about the craft. Realistically I doubt any college professor is going to be better than Sanderson for that. (Though beware of only taking instruction from the greats. Agassi's coach wasn't a superstar player.) What I do get is exposure to more diverse voices who are also developing and are closer to my level, which is instructive; exposure to other audiences; feedback from a wider group that includes people outside my "target audience"; the benefits of critiquing others; a weekly meeting focused on writing (which can be helpful in itself); and the exercises and homework. For me, it is worth the $9 per class or so it comes out to. Hope this helps. | I wrote a book that I'm extremely proud of and I believe to be professional quality from studying only online and very minimally priced web recourses. It took me a year from deciding I wanted to learn to write, to having it available on Amazon. It is 100% up to you how quickly you absorb the information, you do not need to go to a traditional college. But at the same time, a lot of the best online recourses are from a college lol so yeah. Brando's BYU courses are gold. But they are online for free so yeah. I would actually still love to attend those classes but the point is that it can be done without any sort of formal training. | 0 | 13,270 | 3 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6e66c | ip5n7s0 | 1,663,669,991 | 1,663,648,022 | 2 | 1 | It’s worth it if you can afford it. Currently in uni and what ive learned has been crazy so far, youtube really cant compare. That said, you always got options. Aint no reason to go into debt that you cant afford | I more and more feel that college is not worth the money it charges for most fields. Particularly computers and writing. If you want to take english classes in your spare time, I suggest those over taking an actual course. There's online learning stuff you can find for free, but the best thing to do is form a group of real people that will help you as an individual. Or just find yourself, and write the things that are in your soul. | 1 | 21,969 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5xyl2 | ip6e66c | 1,663,655,897 | 1,663,669,991 | 0 | 2 | There is clearly some worth in paying for college writing classes, but in reality they aren't teaching you anything you can't learn on your own for free. And unlike law or medicine, you don't need to be licensed to be a writer. Besides, you can actually hire current or former traditional publishing editors to review your work. It costs vastly less than college and it is a great learning. | It’s worth it if you can afford it. Currently in uni and what ive learned has been crazy so far, youtube really cant compare. That said, you always got options. Aint no reason to go into debt that you cant afford | 0 | 14,094 | 2,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip63diz | ip6e66c | 1,663,660,511 | 1,663,669,991 | 0 | 2 | If you want a degree, then yes. But if that's not important, then absolutely not. I did a writing degree, but I learned way more outside of uni - then again, I wasn't a great student. The thing college does is give you the opportunity for community and peers to review and help advance your work, but honestly you can get that elsewhere for far cheaper. If I could do it again, I'd skip uni, learn by myself and supplement with short courses from places like the Australian Writers Centre. | It’s worth it if you can afford it. Currently in uni and what ive learned has been crazy so far, youtube really cant compare. That said, you always got options. Aint no reason to go into debt that you cant afford | 0 | 9,480 | 2,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6e66c | ip6cpvz | 1,663,669,991 | 1,663,668,837 | 2 | 1 | It’s worth it if you can afford it. Currently in uni and what ive learned has been crazy so far, youtube really cant compare. That said, you always got options. Aint no reason to go into debt that you cant afford | You can’t find fellow writers to critique your work on YouTube. | 1 | 1,154 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6fd1j | ip5n7s0 | 1,663,670,867 | 1,663,648,022 | 2 | 1 | the best classes for writing you can take in college are the classes with nothing to do with writing. History, ancient poetry, politics, the sciences. They are bits of the world, so track down a few that can make your writing unique. I took a creative writing course, but I don't think it was particularly helpful. Was fun though. That said, don't think of youtube as the be all end all. There is a lot of parroting and reparroting of common tricks, but they are not laws. Writing is very much an area where you can carve out your own exceptions to the rules if you know how your writing works. Don't let too much advice turn your writing into something too normal. | I more and more feel that college is not worth the money it charges for most fields. Particularly computers and writing. If you want to take english classes in your spare time, I suggest those over taking an actual course. There's online learning stuff you can find for free, but the best thing to do is form a group of real people that will help you as an individual. Or just find yourself, and write the things that are in your soul. | 1 | 22,845 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6fd1j | ip5xyl2 | 1,663,670,867 | 1,663,655,897 | 2 | 0 | the best classes for writing you can take in college are the classes with nothing to do with writing. History, ancient poetry, politics, the sciences. They are bits of the world, so track down a few that can make your writing unique. I took a creative writing course, but I don't think it was particularly helpful. Was fun though. That said, don't think of youtube as the be all end all. There is a lot of parroting and reparroting of common tricks, but they are not laws. Writing is very much an area where you can carve out your own exceptions to the rules if you know how your writing works. Don't let too much advice turn your writing into something too normal. | There is clearly some worth in paying for college writing classes, but in reality they aren't teaching you anything you can't learn on your own for free. And unlike law or medicine, you don't need to be licensed to be a writer. Besides, you can actually hire current or former traditional publishing editors to review your work. It costs vastly less than college and it is a great learning. | 1 | 14,970 | 2,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip63diz | ip6fd1j | 1,663,660,511 | 1,663,670,867 | 0 | 2 | If you want a degree, then yes. But if that's not important, then absolutely not. I did a writing degree, but I learned way more outside of uni - then again, I wasn't a great student. The thing college does is give you the opportunity for community and peers to review and help advance your work, but honestly you can get that elsewhere for far cheaper. If I could do it again, I'd skip uni, learn by myself and supplement with short courses from places like the Australian Writers Centre. | the best classes for writing you can take in college are the classes with nothing to do with writing. History, ancient poetry, politics, the sciences. They are bits of the world, so track down a few that can make your writing unique. I took a creative writing course, but I don't think it was particularly helpful. Was fun though. That said, don't think of youtube as the be all end all. There is a lot of parroting and reparroting of common tricks, but they are not laws. Writing is very much an area where you can carve out your own exceptions to the rules if you know how your writing works. Don't let too much advice turn your writing into something too normal. | 0 | 10,356 | 2,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6fd1j | ip6cpvz | 1,663,670,867 | 1,663,668,837 | 2 | 1 | the best classes for writing you can take in college are the classes with nothing to do with writing. History, ancient poetry, politics, the sciences. They are bits of the world, so track down a few that can make your writing unique. I took a creative writing course, but I don't think it was particularly helpful. Was fun though. That said, don't think of youtube as the be all end all. There is a lot of parroting and reparroting of common tricks, but they are not laws. Writing is very much an area where you can carve out your own exceptions to the rules if you know how your writing works. Don't let too much advice turn your writing into something too normal. | You can’t find fellow writers to critique your work on YouTube. | 1 | 2,030 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6es7c | ip6fd1j | 1,663,670,446 | 1,663,670,867 | 1 | 2 | You want to find something that gives you the opportunity to both give and get feedback. Learning to give good feedback will make you look at the layers of what is being written and you can apply that to your own work. Look for a writer's association in your area. Look for a critique group. If you can't find one, start one. If you need to resort to looking for critiques online, try Scribophile. You have to earn points by giving feedback before you can submit your own work, which is a pretty good system. Scribophile also isn't public (behind a membership login) so your work isn't published. Don't get feedback from places like Wattpad, that's kind of like the wild west. | the best classes for writing you can take in college are the classes with nothing to do with writing. History, ancient poetry, politics, the sciences. They are bits of the world, so track down a few that can make your writing unique. I took a creative writing course, but I don't think it was particularly helpful. Was fun though. That said, don't think of youtube as the be all end all. There is a lot of parroting and reparroting of common tricks, but they are not laws. Writing is very much an area where you can carve out your own exceptions to the rules if you know how your writing works. Don't let too much advice turn your writing into something too normal. | 0 | 421 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5n7s0 | ip6rk7u | 1,663,648,022 | 1,663,678,078 | 1 | 2 | I more and more feel that college is not worth the money it charges for most fields. Particularly computers and writing. If you want to take english classes in your spare time, I suggest those over taking an actual course. There's online learning stuff you can find for free, but the best thing to do is form a group of real people that will help you as an individual. Or just find yourself, and write the things that are in your soul. | It depends what your goals are. If you want to write SF or fantasy and get your name known among the readers of these genres, Sanderson will probably be a better teacher than a college teacher who never reads genre fiction, despises it, and never published anything but a short story collection decades ago. If you want to write literary fiction and care more about critics and be recognized and admired by your peers in the literary world, Sanderson is probably not the one you want to follow. Or, you can do both. | 0 | 30,056 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6fwmv | ip6rk7u | 1,663,671,253 | 1,663,678,078 | 1 | 2 | I turn 28 next week and I'm currently enrolled as an English major. This semester is mostly literature-focused (rather than writing focused), but I have taken a handful of writing classes already. A good professor will make a world of difference in developing your skill as a writer. I know the classes I've taken have worked wonders, and I probably would be where I am as a writer now without them. That said, as you pointed out, college classes can be expensive, and while self-teaching (with the help of the internet) might not be as expedited, it can certainly be done. If you want a degree anyway, then writing classes are definitely worth it, but if your only goal is improving your writing skill, then self-instruction might be a better choice, especially is cost is a concern. | It depends what your goals are. If you want to write SF or fantasy and get your name known among the readers of these genres, Sanderson will probably be a better teacher than a college teacher who never reads genre fiction, despises it, and never published anything but a short story collection decades ago. If you want to write literary fiction and care more about critics and be recognized and admired by your peers in the literary world, Sanderson is probably not the one you want to follow. Or, you can do both. | 0 | 6,825 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6rk7u | ip6klq1 | 1,663,678,078 | 1,663,674,282 | 2 | 1 | It depends what your goals are. If you want to write SF or fantasy and get your name known among the readers of these genres, Sanderson will probably be a better teacher than a college teacher who never reads genre fiction, despises it, and never published anything but a short story collection decades ago. If you want to write literary fiction and care more about critics and be recognized and admired by your peers in the literary world, Sanderson is probably not the one you want to follow. Or, you can do both. | Creative writing classes are just workshops with grades. I found it beneficial when in college. | 1 | 3,796 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6rk7u | ip5xyl2 | 1,663,678,078 | 1,663,655,897 | 2 | 0 | It depends what your goals are. If you want to write SF or fantasy and get your name known among the readers of these genres, Sanderson will probably be a better teacher than a college teacher who never reads genre fiction, despises it, and never published anything but a short story collection decades ago. If you want to write literary fiction and care more about critics and be recognized and admired by your peers in the literary world, Sanderson is probably not the one you want to follow. Or, you can do both. | There is clearly some worth in paying for college writing classes, but in reality they aren't teaching you anything you can't learn on your own for free. And unlike law or medicine, you don't need to be licensed to be a writer. Besides, you can actually hire current or former traditional publishing editors to review your work. It costs vastly less than college and it is a great learning. | 1 | 22,181 | 2,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip63diz | ip6rk7u | 1,663,660,511 | 1,663,678,078 | 0 | 2 | If you want a degree, then yes. But if that's not important, then absolutely not. I did a writing degree, but I learned way more outside of uni - then again, I wasn't a great student. The thing college does is give you the opportunity for community and peers to review and help advance your work, but honestly you can get that elsewhere for far cheaper. If I could do it again, I'd skip uni, learn by myself and supplement with short courses from places like the Australian Writers Centre. | It depends what your goals are. If you want to write SF or fantasy and get your name known among the readers of these genres, Sanderson will probably be a better teacher than a college teacher who never reads genre fiction, despises it, and never published anything but a short story collection decades ago. If you want to write literary fiction and care more about critics and be recognized and admired by your peers in the literary world, Sanderson is probably not the one you want to follow. Or, you can do both. | 0 | 17,567 | 2,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6cpvz | ip6rk7u | 1,663,668,837 | 1,663,678,078 | 1 | 2 | You can’t find fellow writers to critique your work on YouTube. | It depends what your goals are. If you want to write SF or fantasy and get your name known among the readers of these genres, Sanderson will probably be a better teacher than a college teacher who never reads genre fiction, despises it, and never published anything but a short story collection decades ago. If you want to write literary fiction and care more about critics and be recognized and admired by your peers in the literary world, Sanderson is probably not the one you want to follow. Or, you can do both. | 0 | 9,241 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6es7c | ip6rk7u | 1,663,670,446 | 1,663,678,078 | 1 | 2 | You want to find something that gives you the opportunity to both give and get feedback. Learning to give good feedback will make you look at the layers of what is being written and you can apply that to your own work. Look for a writer's association in your area. Look for a critique group. If you can't find one, start one. If you need to resort to looking for critiques online, try Scribophile. You have to earn points by giving feedback before you can submit your own work, which is a pretty good system. Scribophile also isn't public (behind a membership login) so your work isn't published. Don't get feedback from places like Wattpad, that's kind of like the wild west. | It depends what your goals are. If you want to write SF or fantasy and get your name known among the readers of these genres, Sanderson will probably be a better teacher than a college teacher who never reads genre fiction, despises it, and never published anything but a short story collection decades ago. If you want to write literary fiction and care more about critics and be recognized and admired by your peers in the literary world, Sanderson is probably not the one you want to follow. Or, you can do both. | 0 | 7,632 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6rk7u | ip6niii | 1,663,678,078 | 1,663,675,943 | 2 | 1 | It depends what your goals are. If you want to write SF or fantasy and get your name known among the readers of these genres, Sanderson will probably be a better teacher than a college teacher who never reads genre fiction, despises it, and never published anything but a short story collection decades ago. If you want to write literary fiction and care more about critics and be recognized and admired by your peers in the literary world, Sanderson is probably not the one you want to follow. Or, you can do both. | I am about to graduate with my BA in Creative Writing and English with a concentration in fiction and for me it has definitely been worth it! I’ve been a writer all of my life and I have seen a huge improvement since starting school. I am looking at getting an MFA next so I can hone my skills even further. I think whether it is worth it or not depends on you and what you want out of it. It also depends on if you have the time and money to dedicate. One recommendation I have is to get the book: Save The Cat! Writes A Novel. That book has a wealth of info in it. A lot of which I learned in my classes. Getting feedback from peers is also a big part of improving your skills. I also recommend reading a LOT! Read in all genres. Also, don’t just look at the plot, analyze everything about the writing. Learn about the author too. Look at the most successful authors, or the ones you like the most, and read up on what they did to get to where they are. Did they go to school? Write for small newspapers? Did they do a summer internship at a publishing company? Did they take 20 years to publish their first novel? Figure out what worked for them and see what you can borrow from their journey that might help you along yours. The biggest tip my professors told me was to write. Write as often as you can. Go stand outside and smell the air and write about the details using your senses. Go to the coffee shop and watch the people and pick a few to write about. Try writing in different genres too. Take one scene in your novel or a short story and rewrite it from different viewpoints (1st, 2nd, 3rd POV, or if it is about a woman with kids try writing it from the kid’s POV). You can learn a lot about your story and characters by doing this. There is so much you can learn from going to school to write. But there is also a lot you can learn on your own. Only you can decide what you feel is the right choice for you as a writer. | 1 | 2,135 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5n7s0 | ip6tbfy | 1,663,648,022 | 1,663,678,930 | 1 | 2 | I more and more feel that college is not worth the money it charges for most fields. Particularly computers and writing. If you want to take english classes in your spare time, I suggest those over taking an actual course. There's online learning stuff you can find for free, but the best thing to do is form a group of real people that will help you as an individual. Or just find yourself, and write the things that are in your soul. | I didn't major in writing or English in college, but I took two fiction classes, a poetry class, and a script writing class (in German) and there is no question that I am a stronger writer because of it. The most helpful part was workshopping in class and receiving professor's feedback on assignments. | 0 | 30,908 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6tbfy | ip6fwmv | 1,663,678,930 | 1,663,671,253 | 2 | 1 | I didn't major in writing or English in college, but I took two fiction classes, a poetry class, and a script writing class (in German) and there is no question that I am a stronger writer because of it. The most helpful part was workshopping in class and receiving professor's feedback on assignments. | I turn 28 next week and I'm currently enrolled as an English major. This semester is mostly literature-focused (rather than writing focused), but I have taken a handful of writing classes already. A good professor will make a world of difference in developing your skill as a writer. I know the classes I've taken have worked wonders, and I probably would be where I am as a writer now without them. That said, as you pointed out, college classes can be expensive, and while self-teaching (with the help of the internet) might not be as expedited, it can certainly be done. If you want a degree anyway, then writing classes are definitely worth it, but if your only goal is improving your writing skill, then self-instruction might be a better choice, especially is cost is a concern. | 1 | 7,677 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6klq1 | ip6tbfy | 1,663,674,282 | 1,663,678,930 | 1 | 2 | Creative writing classes are just workshops with grades. I found it beneficial when in college. | I didn't major in writing or English in college, but I took two fiction classes, a poetry class, and a script writing class (in German) and there is no question that I am a stronger writer because of it. The most helpful part was workshopping in class and receiving professor's feedback on assignments. | 0 | 4,648 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5xyl2 | ip6tbfy | 1,663,655,897 | 1,663,678,930 | 0 | 2 | There is clearly some worth in paying for college writing classes, but in reality they aren't teaching you anything you can't learn on your own for free. And unlike law or medicine, you don't need to be licensed to be a writer. Besides, you can actually hire current or former traditional publishing editors to review your work. It costs vastly less than college and it is a great learning. | I didn't major in writing or English in college, but I took two fiction classes, a poetry class, and a script writing class (in German) and there is no question that I am a stronger writer because of it. The most helpful part was workshopping in class and receiving professor's feedback on assignments. | 0 | 23,033 | 2,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6tbfy | ip63diz | 1,663,678,930 | 1,663,660,511 | 2 | 0 | I didn't major in writing or English in college, but I took two fiction classes, a poetry class, and a script writing class (in German) and there is no question that I am a stronger writer because of it. The most helpful part was workshopping in class and receiving professor's feedback on assignments. | If you want a degree, then yes. But if that's not important, then absolutely not. I did a writing degree, but I learned way more outside of uni - then again, I wasn't a great student. The thing college does is give you the opportunity for community and peers to review and help advance your work, but honestly you can get that elsewhere for far cheaper. If I could do it again, I'd skip uni, learn by myself and supplement with short courses from places like the Australian Writers Centre. | 1 | 18,419 | 2,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6cpvz | ip6tbfy | 1,663,668,837 | 1,663,678,930 | 1 | 2 | You can’t find fellow writers to critique your work on YouTube. | I didn't major in writing or English in college, but I took two fiction classes, a poetry class, and a script writing class (in German) and there is no question that I am a stronger writer because of it. The most helpful part was workshopping in class and receiving professor's feedback on assignments. | 0 | 10,093 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6tbfy | ip6es7c | 1,663,678,930 | 1,663,670,446 | 2 | 1 | I didn't major in writing or English in college, but I took two fiction classes, a poetry class, and a script writing class (in German) and there is no question that I am a stronger writer because of it. The most helpful part was workshopping in class and receiving professor's feedback on assignments. | You want to find something that gives you the opportunity to both give and get feedback. Learning to give good feedback will make you look at the layers of what is being written and you can apply that to your own work. Look for a writer's association in your area. Look for a critique group. If you can't find one, start one. If you need to resort to looking for critiques online, try Scribophile. You have to earn points by giving feedback before you can submit your own work, which is a pretty good system. Scribophile also isn't public (behind a membership login) so your work isn't published. Don't get feedback from places like Wattpad, that's kind of like the wild west. | 1 | 8,484 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6niii | ip6tbfy | 1,663,675,943 | 1,663,678,930 | 1 | 2 | I am about to graduate with my BA in Creative Writing and English with a concentration in fiction and for me it has definitely been worth it! I’ve been a writer all of my life and I have seen a huge improvement since starting school. I am looking at getting an MFA next so I can hone my skills even further. I think whether it is worth it or not depends on you and what you want out of it. It also depends on if you have the time and money to dedicate. One recommendation I have is to get the book: Save The Cat! Writes A Novel. That book has a wealth of info in it. A lot of which I learned in my classes. Getting feedback from peers is also a big part of improving your skills. I also recommend reading a LOT! Read in all genres. Also, don’t just look at the plot, analyze everything about the writing. Learn about the author too. Look at the most successful authors, or the ones you like the most, and read up on what they did to get to where they are. Did they go to school? Write for small newspapers? Did they do a summer internship at a publishing company? Did they take 20 years to publish their first novel? Figure out what worked for them and see what you can borrow from their journey that might help you along yours. The biggest tip my professors told me was to write. Write as often as you can. Go stand outside and smell the air and write about the details using your senses. Go to the coffee shop and watch the people and pick a few to write about. Try writing in different genres too. Take one scene in your novel or a short story and rewrite it from different viewpoints (1st, 2nd, 3rd POV, or if it is about a woman with kids try writing it from the kid’s POV). You can learn a lot about your story and characters by doing this. There is so much you can learn from going to school to write. But there is also a lot you can learn on your own. Only you can decide what you feel is the right choice for you as a writer. | I didn't major in writing or English in college, but I took two fiction classes, a poetry class, and a script writing class (in German) and there is no question that I am a stronger writer because of it. The most helpful part was workshopping in class and receiving professor's feedback on assignments. | 0 | 2,987 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip5n7s0 | ip75cc8 | 1,663,648,022 | 1,663,684,173 | 1 | 2 | I more and more feel that college is not worth the money it charges for most fields. Particularly computers and writing. If you want to take english classes in your spare time, I suggest those over taking an actual course. There's online learning stuff you can find for free, but the best thing to do is form a group of real people that will help you as an individual. Or just find yourself, and write the things that are in your soul. | I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26 Lol fml | 0 | 36,151 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6fwmv | ip75cc8 | 1,663,671,253 | 1,663,684,173 | 1 | 2 | I turn 28 next week and I'm currently enrolled as an English major. This semester is mostly literature-focused (rather than writing focused), but I have taken a handful of writing classes already. A good professor will make a world of difference in developing your skill as a writer. I know the classes I've taken have worked wonders, and I probably would be where I am as a writer now without them. That said, as you pointed out, college classes can be expensive, and while self-teaching (with the help of the internet) might not be as expedited, it can certainly be done. If you want a degree anyway, then writing classes are definitely worth it, but if your only goal is improving your writing skill, then self-instruction might be a better choice, especially is cost is a concern. | I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26 Lol fml | 0 | 12,920 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6klq1 | ip75cc8 | 1,663,674,282 | 1,663,684,173 | 1 | 2 | Creative writing classes are just workshops with grades. I found it beneficial when in college. | I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26 Lol fml | 0 | 9,891 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip75cc8 | ip5xyl2 | 1,663,684,173 | 1,663,655,897 | 2 | 0 | I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26 Lol fml | There is clearly some worth in paying for college writing classes, but in reality they aren't teaching you anything you can't learn on your own for free. And unlike law or medicine, you don't need to be licensed to be a writer. Besides, you can actually hire current or former traditional publishing editors to review your work. It costs vastly less than college and it is a great learning. | 1 | 28,276 | 2,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip75cc8 | ip63diz | 1,663,684,173 | 1,663,660,511 | 2 | 0 | I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26 Lol fml | If you want a degree, then yes. But if that's not important, then absolutely not. I did a writing degree, but I learned way more outside of uni - then again, I wasn't a great student. The thing college does is give you the opportunity for community and peers to review and help advance your work, but honestly you can get that elsewhere for far cheaper. If I could do it again, I'd skip uni, learn by myself and supplement with short courses from places like the Australian Writers Centre. | 1 | 23,662 | 2,000 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip75cc8 | ip6cpvz | 1,663,684,173 | 1,663,668,837 | 2 | 1 | I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26 Lol fml | You can’t find fellow writers to critique your work on YouTube. | 1 | 15,336 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip75cc8 | ip6es7c | 1,663,684,173 | 1,663,670,446 | 2 | 1 | I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26 Lol fml | You want to find something that gives you the opportunity to both give and get feedback. Learning to give good feedback will make you look at the layers of what is being written and you can apply that to your own work. Look for a writer's association in your area. Look for a critique group. If you can't find one, start one. If you need to resort to looking for critiques online, try Scribophile. You have to earn points by giving feedback before you can submit your own work, which is a pretty good system. Scribophile also isn't public (behind a membership login) so your work isn't published. Don't get feedback from places like Wattpad, that's kind of like the wild west. | 1 | 13,727 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip75cc8 | ip6niii | 1,663,684,173 | 1,663,675,943 | 2 | 1 | I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26 Lol fml | I am about to graduate with my BA in Creative Writing and English with a concentration in fiction and for me it has definitely been worth it! I’ve been a writer all of my life and I have seen a huge improvement since starting school. I am looking at getting an MFA next so I can hone my skills even further. I think whether it is worth it or not depends on you and what you want out of it. It also depends on if you have the time and money to dedicate. One recommendation I have is to get the book: Save The Cat! Writes A Novel. That book has a wealth of info in it. A lot of which I learned in my classes. Getting feedback from peers is also a big part of improving your skills. I also recommend reading a LOT! Read in all genres. Also, don’t just look at the plot, analyze everything about the writing. Learn about the author too. Look at the most successful authors, or the ones you like the most, and read up on what they did to get to where they are. Did they go to school? Write for small newspapers? Did they do a summer internship at a publishing company? Did they take 20 years to publish their first novel? Figure out what worked for them and see what you can borrow from their journey that might help you along yours. The biggest tip my professors told me was to write. Write as often as you can. Go stand outside and smell the air and write about the details using your senses. Go to the coffee shop and watch the people and pick a few to write about. Try writing in different genres too. Take one scene in your novel or a short story and rewrite it from different viewpoints (1st, 2nd, 3rd POV, or if it is about a woman with kids try writing it from the kid’s POV). You can learn a lot about your story and characters by doing this. There is so much you can learn from going to school to write. But there is also a lot you can learn on your own. Only you can decide what you feel is the right choice for you as a writer. | 1 | 8,230 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip75cc8 | ip6wusf | 1,663,684,173 | 1,663,680,552 | 2 | 1 | I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26 Lol fml | It depends. The only real way to find out is to try it. One good thing that some college writing courses do is they make you read, both published works (some of which you might not have picked up if you were reading for fun) and the unpublished works of others in your class. Learning to write is not like learning to do your own taxes or getting swole at the gym in that there isn't a roadmap to how to become the best writer ever, like there's a lot of craft you learn by osmosis or develop on your own, not through a textbook, and also because at a certain point becoming a better writer is about entering the community of other writers and being in conversation with their writing. Which is why reading is essential, but a lot of amateur writers don't read. Granted, maybe that's not the case for you (although a co-benefit of college is having a pre-made community of people with whom to discuss what you're reading), but yeah, this is a thing that I feel gets often missed in these discussions. | 1 | 3,621 | 2 | ||
xix8am | writing_train | 0.9 | Are college writing classes worth it compared to what I can find on YouTube? I've spent years passively absorbing YouTube writing advice and critique from channels like HelloFutureMe, OSP, Lindsey Ellis, Brandon Sanderson's lectures, etc. without actually writing anything. Earlier this year I finally started writing consistently, having finished the first draft of my first novel and done some freelance work on fiverr. I've just started to put all that advice into practice so I've got a long way to go but I feel I have a good grasp of the mechanics of storytelling. My concern is over how fast I will advance in skill, especially since I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26. I'm wondering if college classes will speed up my development as a writer. The first thing that comes to mind is they will probably have exercises and assignments to improve and test specific aspects of my writing which might help me improve faster than my current strategy of "write something until it's the best I can get it for the time the project is worth and then write something else". Not to mention the help and instruction a teacher can give. Even if it's only a little, it's better than nothing, right? But on the other hand, it's fairly expensive and YouTube has a whole lot of other writers and English majors with advice like those previously mentioned. Also, we're talking about Canadian College. So, better than American community college but not University level. I'm not sure I'd go to Uni as a full-time student unless it was necessary. For those who went to college for writing or English, do you think it's worth it? | ip6x4ng | ip75cc8 | 1,663,680,674 | 1,663,684,173 | 1 | 2 | First, college classes often have a workshop format, which allows you to get real feedback. Which is obviously helpful for syntax, understanding, etc. But can also be invaluable in learning how things that you say are perceived. Second, as other people have said, college classes will make you write things that you wouldn't have otherwise written. I have no interest in theater but I still think one of the most creative, interesting things I've ever written was a Zombie Satire play that I had to write for a freshman intro creative writing class. Third, college professors, by nature, will make you write when you don't want to write and correct things that you don't want to have to correct. While this can initially be annoying, it gets you to use what a professional writing process will look like and teaches you how to "push through." | I'm relatively late to actually find this passion at 26 Lol fml | 0 | 3,499 | 2 |
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