Online Writing Courses vs. In-Person Writing Courses
Written by MVWG Member Scott Blanke
When I retired from my medical practice at Mayo Clinic, I was told by my wife, Heidi, that I had to do something to keep me out of her hair. Just watching TV, reading fiction novels and comic books and stalking her around the house was not allowed. Since I had been working on a murder mystery novel for ten years, I decided to become a writer.
After reading multiple writing aid books, finishing many flash fictions and short stories, I learned what it means to be rejected. But my novel was now finished. Both my beta editor and wife both said, “boring and too autobiographical,” so I sought outside help. I decided to go to my first writing course in Madison.
The courses were great and I pitched my novel to several agents. Each one said, ‘interesting, we’ll call you, don’t call us.’ No one ever called. So, I figured another course was needed. As a birthday gift, Heidi and I went to Mexico for another great course. Both the lectures and the food were amazing, but no agents thought my novel was Bueño. I put my novel on the virtual shelf.
That fall, I decided to give NaNoWriMo a try. I used a love of an old idea and started an Oz novel. It was wonderful writing in a group and reading my chapters face to face with MVWG and LAWG. Then COVID-19 hit.
Zoom was great for reading my chapters to my critique group members, but I craved creative ideas and wanted to pitch to agents. So I signed up for on-line courses.
Being a cheapskate, I first looked for free courses. I also wanted to pitch my book to agents and wanted to prepare for the pitch. I was very excited to get involved in #PitchWars & #PitMad contests. I worked on my elevator pitches for weeks. Unfortunately, I got nowhere.
Other free sources are Reedsy and ProWritingAid. Reedsy has a short story contest every Friday and often has a free list of agents or publishers who are looking for young blood. I came in second out of 300 stories once. ProWritingAid has great writing tips and once had a course on fantasy world building. Another daily free source of agents, publishers and editors is Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity.
If you want to learn, I recommend paying for Master Class. The different topics are great and there is just one yearly fee.
I finished my Oz book and really wanted to get an agent. So I bit the bullet and paid for the 2021 Minnesota Writers Conference. The course was about $250 and for another $10 each, I could make a fifteen minute pitch to agents.
The conference was excellent, and included courses on everything from how to write a query letter, to world building, to how to plot out your book, to what does an agent look for in a submission. I pitched to three agents and despite them looking for a fantasy novel, was shot down immediately. One agent, in the first 60 seconds, stopped my pitch and told me, “I hate The Wizard of Oz.” Ouch. The other two weren’t much better. Other friends who paid for agents also got nowhere. But the courses were good.
Now that Covid is winding down, and I have all my shots, I will probably go back to face to face courses. Whispering to a fellow writer , sitting right next to me in a lecture, is exhilarating. Looking an agents right in the eye, makes me feel like I have a real chance at success. By the way, my agent-less Oz novel is coming out in December, so it’s safe to say that all my courses paid off!
Scott Blanke is a member of both Mississippi Valley Writers Guild and LAWG (La Crosse Area Writers Group). Scott enjoys writing for contests and also for this blog. This is his second piece for the MVWG website. When Scott is not writing or reading comic books, he is chatting via Facetime with his many lovely grandchildren.