Summer classes

Currently sorting out my classes for the summer. Will be running a Novel Writing (continuation) class in Dublin, among others. I'm looking forward to that. More info when I have it.

Just finished up the spring term at CTYI, which involved a presentation to parents as part of the final class. Previously it's been parent/teacher meetings, one-on-one, but I liked the way this worked; parents get a little taste of what the class is like and hear some of the work, and I get to remind the students, while explaining to the parents, what we did in class and why.

It's a tricky balance, how much to explain to the students (the youngest are eight, and may well not particularly care about the 'why' of doing something) and how much to 'send them off into the world with', and how much to explain to parents so that they can offer reassurance or guidance for their kids in the future without being pushy about it. But I liked the inclusive nature of this, having to discuss with parents what had been covered without alienating the student section of the audience. There's so much 'talking over their heads' at that age that it's nice to avoid that.

Until the summer, I'm doing some 'reading over stuff' in a few different capacities and some school visits. Trying to decide whether manuscript critiquing might be worth looking into (as a proper service to offer, rather than as a very occasional favour) or if it's far too time-consuming. Leaning towards the latter at the moment, but any thoughts would be appreciated...

CTYI spring/summer 2009

At the moment I'm teaching Imaginative Writing for the 8-12s on Saturdays at CTYI. Sometimes the students interpret 'Imaginative' as 'fantastical', which it doesn't need to be, though often it is. I like it; it's a course I've taught a few times and it's always different. Some things stay the same: there's usually something to do with character development, there's reading out of work, and there's free writing. But other things change. It's to do with 'going off topic', I think; writing classes very easily go off-topic, filled with people who like telling stories, and kids are (sometimes) quite unselfconscious about that. But it's a class where the main purpose is to get students writing, get them trying new things, introduce them to the dreaded concept of 'drafting'. So off-topic-ness can always be lured back and used.

The Novel Writing course (Session 2 of the summer programme, 12th - 31st July 2009) is a bit different in that it has more specific goals. It's three weeks, full days, older students (12-16s, secondary school), and a group novel to write in the second week and an individual chapter to write in the third. But the very nature of it means that it can't ever be exactly the same, year after year, and I like that. Plus the fact that it's concentrating on novel writing in particular means it's something different for students who've taken a general creative writing class, or who always opt for the 'write a story' essay on their English exams.

(Note, casual and unofficial, for eligible CTYIers and/or their parents: deadline for receiving applications is April 3. Other classes people of a creative/writerish persuasion might be interested in include the following: 'Write, Act, Perform', 'Writing for Life', 'Speculative Fiction Writing', 'Journalism', 'Drama', and 'Gothic Studies'. Watch as the humanities take over nerd camp!)