Practice of Writing: new session begins January 14th
December 19, 2012The Practice of Writing was so successful last time, I'm doing it again. Please join me!
This is a five-week course that will help you jumpstart a daily writing habit, increase your confidence as a writer, and get a lot of work done. I'm putting together a detailed FAQ for the course description page, but I wanted to get the registration information up ASAP, as I know many of you wanted to give the course as a Christmas gift.
Let me know if you have any questions, and I'll answer them here and on the FAQ. The fee for this session is $95 USD, and fair warning--it will likely increase for the next time.
p.s. once you've paid through PayPal, you are automatically registered in the course. I will send out confirmations, but do not fret! If you've paid, you're on the list.
Reader Comments (23)
Alice, I am a dunce--and not ashamed of it--where is the registration info? I got in last time but it filled up fast.
(Happy holidays to you and your dear family, wonderful Alice.)
xo
Last time you donated part of the proceeds. Are you donating any monies this time? I have to say I can find writing prompts and similar things for free all over the internet. What makes your course different?
Alexandra: click on the "buy now" button!
Jennifer: This course is a lot more than only writing prompts. There are daily lessons on craft, storytelling, getting over fears, accessing untapped material, etc. There are assignments, video interviews, as well as interaction between me and the students. The PDF of the course is a little over 60 pages. It's a lot of material.
I always donate a portion of my income as a matter of course. I chose to make the Month of Writing Prompts a public fundraising effort after Hurricane Sandy.
Alice is awesome.
The Practice of Writing is awesome.
If you like Alice or writing (or both!) this is the course for you. It combines a variety of prompts that outshine the quality that you can access on any free site I've ever come across, and ample insight into Alice's writing process, cute anecdotes, videos and snippets from other great writing.
I took the first course and I highly recommend it.
I took this class in October and loved it. I felt like the cost was a bargain for what I got out of it! :) Alice is enchanting and entertaining and encouraging. Every lesson was humorous but also direct and insightful and eye-opening.
Writing prompts are part of it, of course (and I'm a big believer in you get what you pay for in life...sometimes things are free for a reason!) - but the class is so much more than that.
I was able to finally grasp why I often find a million other things to do before I write (which meant I often ran out of time before I ever got around to it). Understanding the psychology behind why so many of us say we want to be writers but never actually do the writing was a profoundly insightful lesson that has helped me tremendously.
At least once a week I got an email from Alice where she would critique my writing and that was particularly encouraging for me. Quite often I don't see what others see in my writing - and having interaction with her (and the other classmates) was quite valuable for me.
I recommend it highly!
Kim
Thanks, Kim!
I must add, however, that I'm not going to be doing regular critiques this time around--it was just too much to handle. Also, I found that the people who wrote in longhand without submitting it ended up being happiest with their work, so I'm going to encourage that pretty strongly.
You know, that makes sense (not doing the critiquing this time around) because that seemed like way too much. It made me do cartwheels - but I remember telling my sister (who also took the class) that we should be paying 10x more than we were!
Hmmm....longhand writing. Interesting...I do find that the kind of writing I do on the computer versus writing it out is different. I figure it taps into a different part of my brain or something.
Kim
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? TAKE THIS COURSE! (It's not too late to ask for it for Festivus, but you better hurry.)
Honestly, I was a little reluctant to sign up because I took an online writing course over the summer that cost me a lot more money, and it left me cold. Okay, I exaggerate, but that summer course was run by a teacher who was obviously just doing it for the paycheck, which is to say he put in the minimal of effort. I don't feel like I got nearly as much out of it as I did TPOW. Alice (or "Mrs. Bradley" as her devoted pupils call her) has obviously put a lot of effort into each lesson, and she offers so much more than just writing prompts. She is wise, she is funny, she is supportive and serious about her (er, OUR) craft. I woke up every day of the course excited about what was in store for that day's exercise. And, importantly, I developed a practice of writing (THE practice of writing) that really opened doors for me in terms of identifying my strengths and weaknesses in the practice. If Mrs. Bradley ever offers a TPOW 202 course, I'm in!
I just got back from a local open mic where I read a piece I wrote for Alice's first TPOW class. It was a great experience and I'm so grateful to Alice for helping me move forward with my writing. The class is wonderful and really helped me create a steady writing practice. My favorite part of the day was receiving Alice's emailed lessons.
All of you aspiring writers out there, TAKE THIS CLASS! It will be the best Christmas (or Hanukkah or Festivus or whatever) gift you give yourself.
I'm a proud alumna of the Practice of Writing, Fall 2012.
The writing prompts are just a part of it all ... at the end of a DAILY thoughtful, intelligent, witty, informative, compassionate discussion of a theme ... it's all designed beautifully to encourage habit, gently suggest useful tools and ways to look at writing and more.
I also felt guilty .... that I should have been charged 10X more (she came to my house in the Midwest just to make me a cup of cocoa) ... Mrs. Bradley's clear-headed advice, dedication, and insight are valuable in every sense of measure.
I learned a lot about myself, Mrs. Bradley ... and lizards.
I give this course 5 thumbs up.
Oh, you guys are going to make me cry. In the best way.
Love, Mrs. Bradley
I took Alice's course on a whim, to get out of having writer's block. It worked beyond my wildest dreams. I've kept writing, returned to old projects and been reinvigorated.
The thing I found astonishing was how Alice managed to respond to each of us as individuals, while inspiring us in so many ways. The Practice of Writing will inspire you - I promise.
Just do it.
Alice is a brilliant teacher. She's funny, honest and insightful and will get you writing every day before you know it. In her daily emails, I often felt like she was speaking directly to me, calling my bluff and poking me in the ribs. Gently. It's exactly what I needed to get past the blank page and just get on with writing already.
If you want to be a writer, if you already ARE a writer but are having trouble writing, if you want to know ALL THE SECRETS*, this is the course for you.
Sign up. Today. It's a gift you can give to yourself, and aren't those always the perfect ones anyway?
(*There might not technically be any secrets in this courses, but I did learn a lot about the writing process and about myself and I'm sure you will too.)
I took the TPOW course back in October and it was great! It's an opportunity to get your feet wet with doing this writing thing more seriously in an emotionally safe and encouraging environment. Putting yourself out there with your writing can be pretty tough and Alice was a consistent cheerleader with a gentle but very informative approach. I learned a lot and wish there was a TPOW 2!
I still vividly remember when I first heard of TPOW. "I think I might want to do this," I said, sliding my laptop across the kitchen table so my husband could read the description. "She's one of my favorite bloggers."
"Hm." My husband said. "Sounds like a scam."
But he was all for anything that would get me writing, so sign up I did. This wasn't the first time I'd stretched our little household budget to pay for some sort of online writing class, and frankly I don't blame my husband for being skeptical. Very few things actually get me in the habit of writing regularly. I have all sorts of defenses in place that protect my natural (anxious, idle) state.
And you know what? This was different. It was decidedly not a scam. Alice provided more than just prompts, more than just the impetus to type out a meager bit of prose every morning. She helped me develop the habits that would get and keep me writing, and helped root out the various creative blocks that kept writing notes to my mental gym teacher excusing me from class (sadly, there was nothing she could do for my metaphor-writing ability). Best of all, she was helpful, encouraging, and is downright smart and a pleasure to have as an instructor. A plus plus, would learn from again.
In The Practice of Writing, Alice Bradley utterly eliminates--kindly, gently, with great understanding--all of your excuses for why you can't write and gives you the method and time to explore your storytelling reserves and figure out how to mine them. She leaves you with a practice that will have you writing daily, or--if you get out of the habit--a way to find your way back to doing the work you've been dying to do.
Hey!
Glad to see readership and skills are being put to good use! Already paid for a membership to a blog development program. When does registration close if I change my mind?
Sorry for the delay in posting. I've been away and am just getting caught up now, but I wanted to add my praise for the Practice of Writing course. I've written - maybe not a lot, but something - every day since starting the course in October, and that's really the highest praise I can give. The course made me see through my own excuses and realize that I do have at least 15 minutes a day to devote (and it is a devotion) to my writing. I, too, would be thrilled to take a more advanced version. The course is great and Alice is great too.
I agree with everyone else! Just do it!
As well as helping me cut through the crap and get back to writing regularly, taking Alice's course helped me understand that all the things I struggle with are not signs that I shouldn't write, or that I'm not a writer. They are things that every writer struggles with. Somehow, I had the idea that successful writers were less prone to things like boredom, doubt, and lack of inspiration. Nope! They just find ways to get past those things and stick at it.
I was also surprised by how relevant the lessons from TPOW were to other aspects of my life. Ten gold stars and excellent value for money all round.
Dear Mrs. Bradley,
I think you're the bees knees, and your course sounds like the stuff of unicorn dreams.
Okay, here's my fear: My last writing class included a lot of reading aloud and sharing with strangers. Since I'm not a very skilled crafter of words, this makes me jittery in my jeans. Is there much sharing involved?
Fluff-n-Stuff,
The Wombat
Dearest WC, there is zero sharing. Now JOIN UP.
My Dear Ms. B,
All signed up!
Slugs-n-Fishes,
WC
I just wanted to add (belatedly) that TPOW was the best thing I did in 2012. Five weeks of inspiration and encouragement from a brilliant, warm, wise and funny teacher. I feel like it really jumpstarted my writing and I could not it recommend more effusively. Hooray for TPOW!