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Up for an #Iowa Online #Creative #Writing course?

I’m finishing up with the second draft of a WIP and would take a break of a month or two, during which, I shall write short stories.

I’ll also be traveling a fair bit, and as a result, possibly be disappearing at times.

In the meanwhile, though, I’ll be doing a six-week online course by Iowa, beginning on the 26th of September. It’s open to everyone (which can be a good, but also scary thing), and it doesn’t cost a dime.

The Writing University Open Courses website provides MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) for creative writing through the International Writing Program
at the University of Iowa, which will offer new opportunities for the
study and practice of creative writing and literary analysis to an
unlimited number of participants around the world.

 I’m not sure what to expect, but I’m all registered.

I’m looking for some familiar faces as coursemates. I think this could be good for those beginning to write fiction, and those who don’t mind a refresher.

  How Writers Write Fiction, a six-week course, will begin in September
2014. The MOOC will be co-taught by Christopher Merrill, IWP Director
and University of Iowa Professor of English, and R. Clifton Spargo,
author of Beautiful Fools: The Last Affair of Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald
and Dixon Professor of Creative Writing at Wittenberg University.
Professors Merrill and Spargo will contextualize the contributing
authors’ video talks, encourage online discussion, and offer writing
assignments. A team of fiction moderators will join the instructors in
leading discussion and hosting live online fiction workshops.

Would any of you like to join me? Want to talk about any other online course you’ve done, and would recommend?

Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

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13 Comments

  • Al Diaz says:

    Good luck in your course. It sounds really interesting. Wish I had heard of it sooner.

  • This seems like an interesting course that I would participate in. Unfortunately, I just saw your post and the course won't work with my schedule this time. I hope there will be another one as soon as this course ends. Thanks for the information.

  • Sounds like a great course and opportunity. I wish I could sign up right now, but not this one. Way too much going on, and I know I wouldn't be able to commit fully. Good luck! I'm passing this along to a friend who I think would benefit.

  • Wow! This sounds like a wonderful opportunity. If only I wasn't overbooked right now.

  • louisajd says:

    Thanks for sharing! I will check out the class, although I may not have time just now — my daughter just started kindergarten and things are hectic!

    I tutor for the online school http://www.writingclasses.co.uk. Their classes last 10 weeks, and they have beginner level to novel writing. The tutors are extremely positive and give in-depth critiques of your writing, and the students all give feedback, too. It's really well done, and you learn a lot!

  • wktucker.com says:

    I've signed up. It sounds really interesting…just hoping I can fully participate. I have so many irons in the fire right now.

  • WOW! Sounds great. I wish I could do it. But I'm too busy doing edits to be able to write anything new. 🙁

  • Amita Gulia says:

    Hey! Thanks Dear….
    Have registered. Not sure how much i would be able to follow up though. Let's see
    Thanks again…

  • Birgit says:

    I took one in university many, many years ago. I think you will really enjoy it. have fun!

  • I'm going to give it a look see. Good luck with your WIP and the course.

  • Enjoy! Can't beat free. And thanks for the tip – will include at the IWSG site.

  • cleemckenzie says:

    I've never taken a creative writing course, so I'm not a good judge of what is good and what isn't. One thing I do think will be positive, is that you will be able to focus on your writing. That will be wonderful. Let us know how it goes. Very exciting for you, I'm sure.

  • I would, if it didn't clash with preparations for NaNoWriMo. I did the MOOC "Start writing fiction" run by the UK's Open University a few months ago, and found it to be rather helpful. Sadly, there were some participants who were clearly not beginners and were using it as a vehicle for what I can only term aggressive self-promotion. Most participants were at or about the same stage as I was, and I finished the thing feeling very positive about it. I had intended to start a MOOC called 'Introduction to journalism' as a means to expand my horizons, but that starts on 29th September for six weeks, so I've withdrawn for now. I shall look at a future presentation of it, though.