Writing.Com General Discussion

I have to agree with Zen (as always). If you want to write fiction, the credentials from any class or course or college program won't matter. If you want to study on to become an editor, finding a course that's accredited would probably be worth considering.

I also have to disagree with Edgework and Angus (for once). Looking at the greats, the "naturally gifted" in any field, the Tiger Woods, the Mozarts, the Steven Kings, their talent always seem to stem from starting practicing at an extremely young age and having the best teachers in world. Because teachers can facility learning, speeding it up.

A good course can help you a lot with the craft, in that it facilitates learning by providing information you needed, setting up writing exercises that lets you practice specific aspects of writing, and, most importantly, helping you analyze what makes writing work or fail, both in your own and in others' writing. That being said, a bad course can probably do a lot of damage to your writing skills as well by giving bad feedback or false information, so you have to be aware of this when studying.