If I were to teach writing as a college course (say, at Brown University – hint hint), I’d probably totally shock the faculty with my request for how the course had to run.
The course would require a writing lab.
Yesterday, I explained that I’m a fan of “learn by doing.” I can talk to you about how to ride a horse. To learn it, you have to do it.
I’m not of course stuck fast on my request – the faculty can say no, but I think the best way to teach writing is literally to HAVE a writing lab.
Would you do a cooking class where it was all lecture? You’d learn a lot. But you’d learn more by breaking an egg or three. Stirring something.
Here’s something that’s easy for a writer. “Write a sentence.” “Okay.”
But I think it’s crucial to take you through the process of writing a novel. Here’s my way to do it, let’s try it and see if it’s good for you. If not, do it your own way, but I got you into the process along the way.
How to plan the novel. How to flesh out the idea. How to avoid writing what everyone else is writing, because it’s going to take two years to get it published, and by then the bandwagon has ridden off.
And your assignments would be “today, chapter one. Go.”
Some days would be all writers labs.
And there’d be groups. Everyone would at first be assigned to groups of four to sound out your writing ideas. Fifteen minutes required at the beginning of every class.
By the time the class was completed, you’d have a complete, edited novel.
In the meantime – Brown University, call me.
