On 12th
October, the free MOOC ‘START WRITING FICTION’ from the Open University launched
on FutureLearn.
If you’ve
never come across the term ‘MOOC’ before, it stands for Massive Open Online
Course. They are free online courses, this one designed to make people better
writers, focusing on the skill of creating characters.
The course features established
writers, such as Louis de Bernières, Alex Garland and Michèle Roberts talking
about how they started writing.
Each week there are various
activities to work through – watching a video, reading an article,
submitting a small piece of writing, and commenting on the writing of peers.
The small pieces of writing grow into a bigger piece as the course progresses.
Last week we looked at why we write,
and how we build characters. A video of people on the bus, in a café and on the
street encourages us to take notice of the simple, small aspects of personality.
What stands out for me is the way different people interact with their phones:
We see a girl furiously and intently scrolling
on her smartphone, completely absorbed. On the bus is a man who occasionally
holds his tentatively to his ear. In the canteen is a man whose iPhone is sat
by his side - a constant companion. People watching is such a simple but
valuable activity when creating character traits. As my art teacher told me,
draw what you see, now what you think you see.
This week we’ve been looking at writing
as a habit: When we feel motivated to do it, the rituals we have around it. For
me, I love writing on a long train journey, because I know I have a long time
to get absorbed. If I am writing at home, it’s only after I’ve done the chores,
cleaned the kitchen and bathroom, that I can settle down. And if I’m going out
later…I struggle. I want to know I can become engrossed if I want to and I’m
not constrained by a time slot.
Other writers I know are stricter –
they write for several hours in the morning, or write until they have 2500
words. Whatever suits you, recognise it and create the environment that works
for you.
The course lasts 8 weeks, and should
take around 3 hours a week. You can join part way through so do take a look! https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/start-writing-fiction
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