Marilyn Said:

Does anyone know of a college level creative writing class or workshop/group in Indianapolis?

We Answered:

I am not sure what education level the below links are, but it may get you started...especially the one at Yahoo Groups...it's free!

Free online Writers Conference through Yahoo Groups:
http://www.themuseonlinewritersconferenc…

About.com has lots of FREE information, tips, tutorials, etc.
http://fictionwriting.about.com/
http://freelancewrite.about.com/

Good luck!

Lonnie Said:

I'm starting a creative writing workshop. Please CREATIVELY define the word PFUNDKLE!!?

We Answered:

Pfundkle - verb. To inadvertently destroy an item or project. "Don't let Harry work on the album, he means well, but he'll pfundkle it."

Randall Said:

Why aren't there more women in college level creative writing workshop/classes?

We Answered:

I don't know. I would love to...but I've always been told to pick a major where I know money will be. They sound like a lot of fun and I study it privately. But I need to have more stability in life than that. I'll write in my spare time...

Raymond Said:

I'm looking for some good & free creative writing workshops. Suggestions?

We Answered:

I've been building a series of workshops that give a pretty large overview of building a story. We're a bit slow on releasing them, but we've already released workshops on the topics of why stories are important, how to research, and where to begin. We're working on the whole package for free, but it isn't a bad place to start. Hope it helps!

Marlene Said:

Does anybody study "Creative Writing" as their major? if you do, what courses you take in College.?

We Answered:

I don't study Creative Writing anymore; I do it. I studied it for four years at Columbia College in the Midwest. I still make grammatical errors. But, I don't have an editor, and I don't let it stop me. It's a weakness to be exploited. The main requirement for creative writing is an active imagination.

My professor, Dr. Terry Lass, gave us exams all the time. But, the thing about creative writing is the exams are not traditional. They usually consist of creating writing for a short amount of time, and then the professor critiques the writing, either in the class or by taking it home.

I've been out of school for fifteen years now, and I feel like I am at the zenith of my writing capability. But, six months from now I'll probably reassess, or as we call it in my craft revise, edit, revise and then revise a little more. When I'm done revising the editing begins anew.

As far as creative writing workshops, we did them constantly. Don't worry they're fun.

The key word here is "creative." We all have creative abilities. What you have to do as a writer is be able to take that little creation (idea) and nurture it by developing and polishing it into an articulate, plausible and want-to-read story.

It might seem a daunting task right now, but the more you do it, the more your skills develop. Pretty soon, you'll be able to look at a printer, or an empty soda can, or your keyboard, or whatever strikes you and be able to develop an entire novel with characters from just that cursory look.

The dialogue is up to you. The plot is up to you. Everything required in the story is up to you. You are the creator. Not your instructor, not the novel, not the plot--you alone are the creator. You can make the story what you want.

Now, me, I don't like writing dialogue. I think it is the most tedious thing in the world to put words in characters mouths. Boring. So, I write prose and poetry. Most of my poetry is written from my combat and war experiences. Most of my prose is about current events.

A couple more things to remember is build your vocabulary, "a repertoire of expressive forms or techniques used by an artist or in an art form" and diction, the "choice of words to fit their context," any way you can.

I used to think the two words were interchangeable, but, believe me, they aren't. You need a vast amount of both to keep you from redundancy. Redundancy is the writer's bane. My favorite button to click on is the modify button on the submit page.

I do really difficult crossword puzzles and cryptoquotes. I also have eight different dictionaries, two thesaurusi or thesauruses and, of course, Google, Wikipedia and Yahoo Search.

Ms. Eudora Welty was probably the sagest writer I've ever read. Her stories, set in the dusty streets of small town Mississippi, were absolutely delicious.

When Ms. Welty created, it was an art form. After she would write something, in order to edit it and get the story right, she would cut the writing into individual lines and then place them in the proper places. That's dedication to one's art.

Well, me1c01ciz, I hope that has helped you a little bit, and maybe whetted your appetite for the art. Don't listen to electronics. It sounds like he's jealous.

Hank Feral