The thing I most want to learn is good sentence structure, and description-imagery.

I know how to make a good plot and good characters. And I know how to come up with the right adjectives to accurately describe something. But my weakness is I too often write compound sentences, sentences that begin with "Then", "Next", etc., or I too often begin the sentence with a prepositional phrase.

Plus, (there I go again. XD) while I can describe something using adjectives, I have trouble finding imagery for it, such as when Tolkien used cherubs in his description of a sunset. While I'll often describe clouds as being fluffy, whispy, etc. I never seem to realize the cloud is in the shape of an arrow.

Would a writing class help with this? Or is it mainly solved by self-study and practice?

~Riella

For that I do not know. My professor would tell me to study other writings to see how other writers explained imagery. I would usually make my sentence longer with commas when I explain something without starting another sentence to avoid that.

Last night on the way back from a late night, me and my brother and his friend all talked about NaNo plots. We all seem to be planning to do something concerning World War II/Germans/Spys, or all three. Very fun.
Random ramble. What I do best.

I had a question about college writing courses. Is taking writing in college necessary or at all recommended? And if so, does one take a course at whatever college is near them, or is there a specific college for authors?

What sort of writing course are you looking for? Aside from the required freshman comp courses (I & II) and perhaps Advanced Composition (or whatever it is called at your specific university), most of the writing courses, such as the creative writing workshops, will be intended almost exclusively for English majors, and will be dreadfully difficult to get into if you are a non-major. This is only at four-year schools, though. I would actually check your local community college and see what they offer.

EDIT: Anyone know if the Narnia Writers' Guild has officially been disbanded? Because I have been trying to access it and can't....

What sort of writing course are you looking for? Aside from the required freshman comp courses (I & II) and perhaps Advanced Composition (or whatever it is called at your specific university), most of the writing courses, such as the creative writing workshops, will be intended almost exclusively for English majors, and will be dreadfully difficult to get into if you are a non-major. This is only at four-year schools, though. I would actually check your local community college and see what they offer.

I don't really know anything about college, since I've never been there. I'm planning to be an author.

~Riella

There likely will be a Intro to Creative Writing class that will be open and available to non-English/Writing majors. I got into mine with ease and I was Computer Science. Just note that you will get a lot of the typical theoretical stuff and everything else ends up being a typical writing group. That's my experience.

I don't have too much knowlege on college writing courses. However, if you want to take these courses to improve your writing, it might be a good idea to take some in the summer at a community college. You can even find small writing classes outside of college.
I know you want to be an author, but its always recommended to have a side job (since breaking into the publishing world can take awhile). If you want to take English as a major, then I think you should also consider what other jobs you would like to do in the field in addition to writing ( academic work, publishing, journalisim, etc.)
I hope this is of some help to you.

I'm working on a lovely character who has me very excited. She has become an unintentional foil for my antagonist and is nicely developing my MC as well. I'm very excited about this new character.

I had a question about college writing courses. Is taking writing in college necessary or at all recommended?

You will have to take basic English courses. My college requires English 111, 213, and 202. 111 and 213 are basic English courses which you write papers for: argumentative, research, "regular" (whatever those are called), expository, etc. 202 is World Literature. I got a perfect score on the asset test for English and so was able to go straight into 111. English was very very easy for me and I really didn't need either of those classes. I took both classes long distance: one in high school (junior year) and one the year after I graduated: what would have been my senior year if I did four years of high school like "normal" (I use that term loosely ). Since they were long distance, I daydreamed through them since they were over the phone and would write like crazy the day they were due and get them in before midnight.

Basically, in order to do well in a college writing class, you have to have good grammar (spelling; knowing the difference between there, their, and they're; sentence structure; paragraphing; etc.) and be good at just throwing words on paper. You do NOT need to know MLA or APA as long as you have a good handbook on how to do it. When I took 213, I knew NOTHING about proper citing. I had the Wadsworth Handbook and I kept that book open beside me and followed it's examples exactly for anything I cited. If you asked me right now, I would not be able to do proper citing without my Wadsworth. (A book I highly reccomend if you are not great with grammar, formatting, and the rest of the nuts and blots of writing).

Also, no matter what professors or teachers say, they can not tell when you have crazily written it an hour/the night before. I ranted for three pages the night it was due about why I hated a book that I'd only read less than half of for my History class last semester and got a 94%. If it's not a paper where you have to have sources (which you won't in creative writing), all you have to do is have a reason for your opinion and you are golden.

As for creative writing/authoring classes, that I'm not sure of. I know that at my college, I can get into most creative writing classes that are lower level and I plan to take at least one just for fun as an elective.

And if so, does one take a course at whatever college is near them, or is there a specific college for authors?

I don't think there are any colleges specific for authors. Certainly, there are colleges that have better writing programs than others however.

I would say that GOOD writing classes are recommended. Talk to professors at community colleges during their office hours and see what they teach! Even if you intend to be a writer who's more relaxed about grammar rules and all that, being in a class full of people who desire to write (especially creative writing classes) is electrifying and like an awesome brainstorming session.

You'd learn about outlining and all the fundamentals of writing, besides all that, and those can be very useful in the long run.

...being in a class full of people who desire to write (especially creative writing classes) is electrifying and like an awesome brainstorming session.

I think there's a lot to be said for just 'hanging out' with other writers, not only in classes, but even in an informal setting. The Inklings is a famous example of just that. But I think that also applies to those of us who aren't professional writers; during the recent NarniaWeb gathering in Kansas, it was awesome sitting with other Ditto Story and RP writers talking plot, characters, and so on. It really got the creative juices flowing, and I was inspired to sit down and write afterwards.

Please note, Ithilwen, that everything we say about the availability of writing classes and the various requirements at colleges will vary from institution to institution.

And I very much agree that being around and interacting with other writers is a huge blessing and motivation! I've been with the same writer's group for almost a decade now (I was quite young when I joined, and horribly unexperienced ) and merely by being around the other members I'm inspired to do better. If you don't have a critique group, people, find one!

It is difficult for me to join a writing group because I am so far away from anyone. So I pretty much need to rely on on-line stuff. I've gotten some pretty awesome feedback from a few members here on NWeb on my stuff and I try to give feedback as often as I can when requested. I have a few other friends I used for getting feedback and critique as well. The other night I had a really good chat with an Intervarsity friend who is a creative writing graduate and we discussed the sequel to my published novel, Battle Cry: Adventures in the Kingdom of Heaven. I have a lot of stuff to work on but now it is so much more clear. I'm going to get started on that editing as soon as I finish my draft of "The Legacy of Zorro". At my current rate I expect to finish in the next couple weeks. In three weeks I've hit 118 pages for 60k+.

So strongly echo what several have said here. Writing class or not, get into a writer's group: in person or on-line. Writer, write, write, and let others read it. Do not worry about how bad it is. The only time you want to impress a reader is with a published piece of work. In a writer's circle, don't think about what others are going to say because good or bad, they'll help you with it. What you may think to be horrible may actually be your best stuff. I thought that about my dialogue. I thought it was pretty lame and 'blah, blah, blah', but that is actually what a lot of people think I truly nailed down. Then there's the stuff you think is good but actually could use improvement. How are you going to know? Let others read it. If you seek perfection before you pass it on, you will never reach that stage. Pass it on, let others read it, read others. That is how you get better.

It is difficult for me to join a writing group because I am so far away from anyone. So I pretty much need to rely on on-line stuff. I've gotten some pretty awesome feedback from a few members here on NWeb on my stuff and I try to give feedback as often as I can when requested....Writing class or not, get into a writer's group: in person or on-line. Writer, write, write, and let others read it.

This reminds me of another problem/question I have.

I don't really have any opportunities right now where I am to get into a good writing class. And no one I know in real life knows anything about books. But there are a lot of people on here who's opinions I trust, and I really want to let them read my stuff. The problem is, I'm so paranoid that someone is going to steal it. After all, even though I do consider the people on here my friends... technically I've never met them. And you have to be careful on the internet. Even friends in real life can steal the stuff you write (it's happened to me), and it's even easier on the internet.

Is there any way I can protect my stuff from being stolen, and still let my NW friends (or other internet friends) read it so I can get their advice?

~Riella

What I've done is PM the stuff. I too want to be cautious about it so I don't just give out my e-mail address to anyone. Now, truth is, it doesn't matter who you go to, real person or on-line. If someone reads your work, you run the risk of someone stealing it. Now there are intellectual property rights which would include company logos, trademarks, insignias, and a person's written work. I didn't take the class on that so I don't know the exact details on how it works, but your work is legally yours. I think there is a way to get a copyright without having to pay mucho bucks on it. If you are that concerned, you could get it copyrighted and no one can legally touch it without your permission to do so. Plus, if worst case came to worst case, computer forensics would be able to tell your work was the original simply by the date and time posted on when it was put on the computer.

So if you want to try it here on NWeb, find someone you would trust more than the others, send them a PM on the best way to conact them and see what happens from there.

Right now, while I was working on my fight scene (which is going much better ) I got an idea for a Narnia poem. I will probably post it when its done. It's related to The Silver Chair, and is from Rilian's POV. It's about being trapped and longing for release, though it's more 'inspired by' then 'fan fiction of', if that makes sense. I've written three verses already.

Do you ever feel like there's stuff that you lose in your first draft? In the original draft, this fight scene (a practice fight) was between the heroine and the guy who's in love with her (though she wasn't with him, but that's another story), and he let her win, and she got mad. The only reason I changed it is that, due to a change in the timeline, that character isn't even there at the time. So now she fights the ex-spy, who is a lot worse person than the other guy ever was, and I can't decide whether she wins or loses. He's probably better at this than she is, given that he's been in real fights and she hasn't. But I'm rather reluctant to have her lose this time, because she just lost to her teacher, and I worry that losing twice in a row will be depressing. I will try to work some of the dialogue I liked into other scenes, though.
Anyway, I liked the first scene better than this one, and I feel like I lost something from my first draft, even if it was just a thinly veiled Silmarillion rip-off.