Before we can teach how to write, we must know how to write, and write well. This is the hardest part of teaching. How can we critique a student’s writing and give effective feedback, if we don’t know writing well enough that we can make sense of what doesn’t work and why it doesn’t work?
Consider a mechanic who doesn’t know how to drive. He knows how to put the nuts and bolts together, and what all the engine parts do, but he doesn’t know how to drive the machine. No matter how well he fixes your car, he can’t make you a better driver. A teacher may be able to teach you all about parts of speech and punctuation, but that isn’t going to make you a fantastic writer. It will help you learn the craft of writing, but not how to drive your writing home. For that, you need a writer to teach you.
Unfortunately, good writing coaches are hard to find. You can apply to enroll in one at your local college or university, but the odds are that the instructor you get will not be a widely published author. In which case, the professor becomes like the mechanic who cannot drive.
The best writing investment is in a course taught by a published author, and even better, by an author who has worked both sides of the desk. An instructor who has also been an editor or publisher in addition to being a writer can give you the most succinct and well-directed criticism you’ll ever get. Once I finally began taking courses from published authors, my writing improved tremendously, and in less than a year, I was getting published on a regular basis.
Writers and authors associations offer courses to members. Some to check out are the SCBWI, RWA, SFWA, and MWA. Two very reputable online writing schools are the Long Ridge Writers Group and the Institute of Children’s Literature.
Just as important is learning what to avoid when writing. Check out this humorous list titled “Want to Write a Novel Badly? Here’s How” at http://www.poewar.com.
Bottom line: invest in yourself. If you want to be a writer, then write. If you want to teach writing, then write.
