I had someone suggest to me that I get a writing coach to help me with my writing and ideas and help me improve my skills. I was wondering what you do with a writing coach and if you would suggest one. I've never really heard of a writing coach before, so I don't know much about them. Any information would be really helpful. Thank you
I imagine that it would be the same thing as a tutor only you focus on creative writing, I see no reason not to get one. You would probably work on whatever skills you feel you need to develop and workshopping existing pieces to be ready for publishing.
I would say that what Maia offers is along those lines. She volunteers her time to work closely with writers, giving in-depth reviews and suggestions for improvements. I believe she also gives out "assignments", but I think hers are mostly in terms of revisions of your own work (I have not made use of her services myself, but have heard a little from some who have). In a way, a writing coach performs much the same function as this site does, except that: 1. The writing coach is an experienced writer and an educator rather than a committee of mixed experience levels and opinions. 2. You get one on one attention with a coach 3. A coach will follow up with you on assignments
The term "coach" also implies the occasional kick in the *** when the writer might need to overcome writing obstacles like procrastination or block.
yup!... that's what i do... the 'assignments' i hand out are usually not connected to the "mentee's" own work... if i see someone has a hard time writing visually, i'll have them write a paragraph each on 3 different scenes i set, such as: a boy alone in a room; a city lying in ruins; a couple having an argument... same goes for problems with sentence structure and all other kinds of writing bugbears... all of which apply to what i am/do, though i've never been an official 'educator'... the only difference is that i call what i do 'mentoring' and do it for free, while 'coaches' will usually charge for their services... i certainly do that, too! feel free to email me any time for details... love and hugs, maia maia3maia@hotmail.com
Im new to this site (have introduced myself on the newbie forum) and would welcome some advice. Im currently comtemplating enrolling for a distance learning course in freelance writing. Has anyone else done a distance course? Would appriciate some feedback on your experiences as dont want to pay out all that money only to be disappointed. Ann.x
There are a lot of scams out there. Research any distance course thoroughly before promising any money or giving out any personal information.
Its the London College of Journalism. Its an actual College with real student, which is what attracted me.
i can't find a school by exactly that name in a google search, though some folks show up who've supposedly taken courses at same... that's a red flag right off the bat... post a link to their site and i'll tell you if it seems legit, or not...
Please do not post links to learning sites, particularly if tat is ALL you have to say about them. Do not take it upon yourself to proliferate their advertising.
still seeing that red flag, sorry to say: http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/london-school-0f-journalism-must-register-with-dfes.html
Thankyou Mammamaia . . . you've just saved me alot of money. Im now thinking maybe I can learn alot more from this site and the members than a course. Expect to see alot of me on here, bugging people for help and advice!!
wise move, ann! and don't worry about the 'bugging'... that's what we're here for, honeybunch! hugs, m
Well I figured this would be the appropriate section for this Anyways I'm majoring in journalism right now at my 2-year school. That doesn't look like a career I want anymore and everybody is talking me out of it. An English degree just sounds appetizing. I enjoy English and History more than anything else (mostly history). I've contemplated a History degree, but haven't researched what I can do with it. After some research it seems like an English degree leaves me with a lot of career options. Writing and working with my hands are the things I'm best at, everything else I really suck at. Even my rushed and half-assed essays get praise from my professors. I ultimately want some kind of career in creativity. I do plan on taking a math statistics course as I hear that's great for getting into marketing. So what do you guys think of an English degree and how it can help those with creative minds and their future? I see a number of you have one on here, how did it help you?
There was a thread like this not so long ago in the lounge, try looking there for an extensive discussion about this.
personally, all I can see with an English degree is becoming a teacher, but then again, I've never done research into the matter.
two-year 'associate' degrees are pretty much useless, when it comes to getting a job... even a 4-year 'bachelor' degree won't one do much good, so masters degrees are what people go for, if they want to have the best shot at the better jobs in a certain field... in re english degrees, as noted above, they're only good for teaching jobs... as well as for some entry positions in the publishing industry... and only then, if at the master's level... or, for low-level, entry positions, at the very least, a bachelor's... and having an english degree doesn't really 'help those with creative minds' all that much, if at all... if one has the inborn talent to be a writer/artist, the requisite skills can be developed and honed without going to college... in fact, the vast majority of successful writers have no degrees at all, and many never even went to college... in re that 'history degree,' if you got it at a 2-year school, it can only be an associate degree and is virtually useless as a hiring plus, sorry to say...
There are not tons of jobs out there for English majors, although it may help finding positions in communciations and such within companies. A 2 year degree can be useful, depending on what it is. More technical degrees focused on electronics, HVAC and things like that would be more likely to lead to steady employment with decent wages than an English or History two year degree, and probably a Bachelor's degree (4 years). Be wary of what the college or university placement office indicates about job and career prospects for various majors. It's their job to convince people that enrolling and taking classes (bring income to the school), in addition to providing career advancement advice. I majored in Life Science and minored in English, but I was working toward a teaching degree. It was my science expertise that enabled me to earn a teaching position, as there were many more English teachers out there looking for jobs. Just my experience. Terry Terry
Good communication skills will help you in just about any career. If you have a degree in history, English, or whatever, and you go to Big Money Co. with a well written resume and go to the interview with an articulate tongue, you’re ahead of many others who have a business degree. You should look into transferring your credits to a university. Having a 4-year degree puts you up over 70% of the population under thirty years of age – in the United States, anyway.
I'm doing a specialist in English (4 years at UofT) I wouldn't go as far to say that without Masters its useless. I know many people who got jobs with mere bachelors. If you really want to be successful, you'll most likely get a job at the bottom end of which every company hires you, then you'll have to work your way up. Masters looks better on resume, obviously, and can get you farther in the long run.
