#creative writing courses

[tinkerbitch69]

To anyone else on creative writing courses, do you ever write something for your classes only to be like “oops, nope, that’s TOO much childhood trauma, can’t use that one.”?

Asking for a friend of course 😅

[learn-2-write]

How Creative Writing Courses Can Enhance Your 11 Plus Exam Performance

The 11 Plus exams are a crucial milestone for students aiming to gain entry into selective schools. Among the various components of these exams, the creative writing section often poses a unique challenge, requiring not just technical skill but also imagination and originality. Enrolling in a creative writing course can be a game-changer in preparing for this part of the exam. This article explores how creative writing courses can significantly enhance your performance in the 11 Plus exams, offering insights into the benefits and practical applications of these courses.

1. Developing Strong Narrative Skills

One of the primary benefits of a creative writing course is its focus on developing strong narrative skills. Creative writing is not just about crafting stories; it’s about structuring them effectively, creating engaging characters, and maintaining a coherent plot. These elements are crucial for the 11 Plus creative writing section, where students are often asked to write a short story or descriptive piece based on a given prompt.

In a creative writing course, students learn to:

Build Compelling Plots: Understanding how to construct a captivating narrative arc helps students keep their stories interesting and well-paced, which is essential for scoring well in the 11 Plus creative writing tasks.

Create Dynamic Characters: Developing well-rounded characters adds depth to a story, making it more engaging for the reader and demonstrating a higher level of writing skill.

Use Effective Dialogue: Crafting realistic and meaningful dialogue can enhance character interactions and advance the plot, making stories more compelling.

By mastering these narrative techniques through a creative writing course, students can produce more polished and engaging pieces for their 11 Plus exams.

2. Enhancing Descriptive Writing Skills

Descriptive writing is a crucial aspect of the 11 Plus creative writing section. Students are often required to create vivid and immersive descriptions that bring scenes and characters to life. A creative writing course provides targeted practice in this area, teaching students how to use sensory details and figurative language effectively.

Key skills developed include:

Sensory Details: Describing what characters see, hear, smell, taste, and touch helps create a rich, immersive experience for the reader.

Figurative Language: Using metaphors, similes, and personification can make descriptions more vivid and engaging.

Show, Don’t Tell: Creative writing courses emphasize the importance of showing rather than telling, encouraging students to depict emotions and settings through action and imagery rather than simple statements.

These skills are invaluable for crafting descriptive passages in the 11 Plus exams, where the ability to create a vivid scene can set a student's work apart from others.

3. Improving Vocabulary and Language Use

A strong vocabulary and effective language use are fundamental to excelling in creative writing and, by extension, in the 11 Plus exams. Creative writing courses expose students to a diverse range of words and expressions, helping them to enrich their language skills.

In a creative writing course, students can:

Expand Their Vocabulary: Exposure to varied literary styles and genres introduces students to new words and phrases, which can enhance their writing and comprehension skills.

Learn Nuanced Language Use: Understanding how to use language to convey subtle nuances and emotions can improve the quality of their writing and make their narratives more impactful.

Practice Contextual Usage: Learning how to choose the right words for specific contexts and characters helps in crafting more authentic and engaging stories.

By integrating a broader vocabulary and sophisticated language techniques into their writing, students can enhance their performance in the 11 Plus creative writing section.

4. Boosting Creativity and Originality

Creativity is at the heart of creative writing, and fostering this skill can greatly benefit students in their 11 Plus exams. Creative writing courses encourage students to explore various genres, styles, and perspectives, which can lead to more original and imaginative writing.

Benefits include:

Encouraging Unique Perspectives: Creative writing courses often involve exercises that challenge students to think outside the box and view topics from different angles.

Stimulating Imagination: Regular creative writing practice helps students develop their imagination, enabling them to generate more inventive and engaging storylines.

Promoting Experimentation: Students learn to experiment with different narrative techniques and styles, which can lead to more distinctive and memorable writing.

A heightened sense of creativity and originality can make students' writing stand out in the 11 Plus exams, demonstrating their ability to think creatively and approach prompts with fresh ideas.

5. Enhancing Editing and Revision Skills

Effective writing involves more than just generating content; it also requires the ability to revise and improve. Creative writing courses place a strong emphasis on the editing and revision process, teaching students how to refine their work and enhance its quality.

Skills developed include:

Self-Editing: Students learn how to critically evaluate their own work, identify areas for improvement, and make necessary revisions.

Peer Review: Participating in peer review exercises helps students gain insights into common writing issues and learn how to provide constructive feedback.

Revising for Clarity and Impact: Understanding how to revise for clarity, coherence, and impact ensures that students' writing is polished and effective.

These editing and revision skills are crucial for producing well-crafted pieces in the 11 Plus exams, where attention to detail and polished writing can significantly influence performance.

6. Building Confidence in Writing

Confidence plays a key role in writing success. Creative writing courses provide a supportive environment where students can practice their skills and receive constructive feedback. This positive reinforcement helps build confidence in their writing abilities.

Benefits include:

Encouraging Risk-Taking: A safe and encouraging environment allows students to experiment with different styles and approaches, boosting their confidence in their creative choices.

Receiving Constructive Feedback: Regular feedback helps students understand their strengths and areas for improvement, fostering a growth mindset.

Celebrating Successes: Recognizing and celebrating writing achievements can enhance students' confidence and motivation.

Increased confidence can lead to more assured and effective writing during the 11 Plus exams, helping students approach creative writing tasks with greater self-belief and enthusiasm.

Conclusion

Creative writing courses offer a wealth of benefits that can enhance performance in the 11 Plus exams. By developing strong narrative skills, improving descriptive writing, expanding vocabulary, boosting creativity, refining editing abilities, and building confidence, students are well-equipped to excel in the creative writing section of the exam. For those preparing for the 11 Plus, investing time in a creative writing course can be a strategic and valuable step towards achieving academic success.

[tinkerbitch69]

Uni tutors trying to give constructive feedback.

...Ow.

[jomeimei421]

Felt a bit nostalgic watching RT shut down…Here are the og faves again for old times sake 💙

[black-is-beautiful18]

Since Disney hasn’t said anything outside of the trailer we got like…almost a month ago: Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire is out today on Disney+. It is a 10 part anthology series that honestly deals with a variety of things. African lore, aliens, spirits, etc. Each story is unique and has its own unique style. The stories are also by and animated by a variety of African artists so that makes it even better.

Update: Don’t know how this happened but I forgot to put the trailer so here it is along with a teaser

[entamewitchlulu]

once i was in a creative writing class in college, and in a bit of humor i wrote the line:

"Um," I said, eloquently.

And my teacher was so adamant that I had to remove it because "um is not an eloquent word, so it makes no sense" and i was like my brother in christ it's called Irony

[threewordusername]

winter.

d.b.a

[shouyuus]

was thinking about it this morning as i was making tea and i think there's a fundamental gap in the advice we give to writers/creators to "first and foremost create for ourselves", bc yes. in the beginning, i am almost always writing for myself. i write all the time, and im sure that artists doodle and paint all the time too. there are things i've written that will never see the light of day and are truly just for me.

and then there are things that i choose to share, because i want to share them. because i'm proud of a story, and want to put it into the world. the act of sharing it is, above all, an invitation.

its me inviting you into a corner of my mind/heart/soul, opening the window and throwing open the curtains and waving, holding up a sign that says "hi! do you like this too? let's talk about it!"

what im asking for is a connection, a conversation. a shared space. digital or otherwise. and the so-called "harm" of "ghost consumption" is not that artists will stop creating art or that writers will stop writing -- no, that's not quite how creativity works (thankfully, and sometimes unfortunately). we will always create.

we just might not be inspired to share it anymore.

[aka-indulgence]

Soundwave fic? Yes. I love him. I want him to kidnap me. What who said that

Anyway here’s a fic where tfp Soundwave kidnaps you because he likes you and you’re alone on the Nemesis with him for the first time kdsjlfjds

(Soundwave x F!Human Reader)

—————

As soon as he arrives on the ship, Soundwave transforms, shifting you from the cockpit into his hands as he does so. You make a small cry, bracing on his thumb and holding on for dear life as you wildly look around like a frightened animal.

The door behind him closing and the sunlight disappearing from its cracks only furthered your panic- Soundwave could hear the sound of your little frightened breaths, quick and shallow. It was unbearably cute.

He walks with calm, even steps through the hallways. As much as he adored your mannerisms, he didn’t want your (permanent) stay on the Nemesis to be unpleasant. He scrolls through the camera feed on his visor and finds Megatron on the bridge and heads his way.

It was quiet. Even though Soundwave had quite literally stolen you in broad daylight in front of the Autobots that could do nothing but watch him fly away with you, you still found reassurance from him. You looked up at him from time to time; furrowed brows, watery eyes. He can’t stand it. He was the only thing on this ship that was familiar to you, and so he was the only person you would seek comfort from.

A few vehicons saw him on his way to the bridge. All have balked on the sight, but they deserve credit. They were smart enough not to interfere with him, nor to question his new ‘girlfriend’.

“Commander Soundwave,” one nodded as he passed. Only someone like Soundwave could hear the slight shake in his voice.

It must be so hard for someone as small as you. Everyone and everything was so much bigger than you, even the vehicons. Even Laserbeak.

So cute…

He reaches the bridge and the doors slide open. Megatron stands ever vigilant, watching the skies.

“Soundwave. You’ve returned.” His master angles his head before fully turning around, “have you acquired the data I have asked of you?”

Soundwave nods and his screen blinks, displaying pictures of artefacts and text. Megatron’s eyes brighten and a dastardly grin widens.

“Cybertronian artefacts the humans uncovered? Excellent Soundwave. I’m surprised the humans had the forethought to store them in different places, but they won’t stay in their vaults for long…”

Coordinates show on his face of their locations, before he shows one particular artefact.

“A magnetic destabilizer. Did you retrieve it?”

His screen changes to a video of multiple army men shooting at him before the autobots arrived.

“Humans.” He sneered. “For such small creatures, their little guns can feel like scraplets when they are numerous. Even more reason to terminate these pests,”

Soundwave feels a twitch in his hand.

“Which begs the question… why have you brought one back with you?”

His liege sounded curious rather than chastising. His head dips down to where you sat. Poor thing- you were shaking now, your lips parted and gripping his finger tighter than before, unable to speak, wide-eyed staring back at Megatron.

He wraps his fingers around you in the hopes of comforting you, but it only makes you gasp in alarm, swinging your head to look back at him. You’re anxious. He pets your head and prods your cheeks for a moment before turning back to his master. To Megatron, he simply goes over pictures and footage of his encounters with you he managed to capture, then he holds you closer to his chest.

“I see…” Megatron nods. “Very well. I trust you can keep it in check. Although you were unable to retrieve the artefact, the data you brought was most valuable- we will certainly retrieve the rest. You are dismissed, Soundwave.”

Soundwave nods, and both he and Megatron turn to their next objectives; which, for Soundwave, was to have a private moment with you.

*****

Your heart is beating a mile a minute. You’re still having trouble wrapping your head around it. You were going on a human mission to meet with Fowler’s guys one moment, then taken aboard the Decepticon warship the next. And you still don’t understand why Soundwave took you in the first place, when you assume he already took all the information he needed from the unidentified objects database. Now you find out not only did Megatron not ask him to bring back a human, he specifically targeted you. What could he possibly want from you?

A door opens to an empty, barren room with a single shelf-like desk and a huge window that spans from the floor to the ceiling. Oh, and there was a bed on the desk too. Pillows, blankets, white linens and all. It looked rather plush and high quality.

So that’s what happened. You manage to think in the middle of your fear induced paralysis. Everyone had been so confused when Agent Fowler came in with the reports of Decepticon activity at a mattress store, of all places. And after a thorough checking with Ratchet, you’d found nothing else sinister has happened with mattresses. Until now, of course.

You’re placed gently on the table, far gentler than you’d expect a Decepticon to be capable of. Soundwave doesn’t look to be expecting anything from you right now, so you look around. You walk to the bed and feel the sheets; soft, slightly cold, and crisp compared to the beat up bedding you had back home. It reminds you of a hotel bed. You lift your head to look out the window: the perfect view of earth above the stratosphere. It was still day, clear from the bright blue the earth was practically glowing with- but you were so high above ground that there wasn’t enough atmosphere to scatter the light. You could even see the earth’s curvature.

The gravity of the situation, how far away you were from everything, how crazy this situation was that it didn’t feel real- it finally hits you like a ton of bricks and you were broken out of your disconnected paralysis. You were alive again. Your head feels hot, your heart is thumping, and it didn’t feel like you could breathe deeply enough. Fear and uncertainty rises in you like bile.

It’s too much.

Overwhelmed, you hiccup, and the tears start flowing.

You jump at feeling something on your side, and you’re turned around to face the one who captured you. Your hands are shaking, your lips are trembling, sobbing uncontrollably despite your attempts to hide them. You didn’t want him to see you cry, you knew Decepticons were cruel creatures. You wish you knew what he was thinking about, his emotions impossible to read considering that he’s faceless. He simply looks at you, in the silent way Soundwave always did, head tilted slightly down.

Was he judging you? Was he showing disdain? Did he think you were a pathetic, crying thing?

You couldn’t move again, with his hand bracing your back, watching his other hand approach, fingers extended. You sniffle and squeak as it gets closer but- then, very precisely for someone as enormous as he was, he wipes your tears away with his fingers.

“Huh..?”

As he caresses your head, he leans in closer, and you’re suddenly reminded of when children played with their dolls. Coddling them, playing with their hair, that unwavering stare. It makes you nervous, and you squish into his hand more trying to make space from him. You’re confronted with your own reflection in his visor, your eyes reddish and wet.

“Wh-what,” you swallow, mouth dry. “What is it that you want from me,”

Your voice was small and pitiful, shaking with the sobs that still racked your body. He tilts his head, as if he was asking isn’t it obvious?

One slender, extended finger pokes the center of your chest, on your sternum.

Static sounds from his face, and the voice you hear is yours.

“You.”

Me? What do you mean you ‘want me’?? You thought in distress. You’re not sure if that’s a good thing, or if you liked that answer.

“I still don’t… know what you mean by that. Do you want me so y-you can hurt me? Torture me? Put me through some Decepticon experiment? Wh–?!”

The last word turns into a high-pitched squeal as Soundwave lifts you off the ground and brings you close to his face. He isn’t viewing you like he did before, instead steadily bringing you closer and closer. His faceless appearance frightens you, and with alarm you feel like he’s about to squash you against his face- like he was trying to eat you, if he had a mouth. Your panicked breaths turn into a yelp, covering your face and your body seizing up.

You jolt when you feel his visor pressing to the entire side of your body, keenly aware of how much you’re trembling when you’re pressed against this wall that was his face. You kept your eyes shut, feeling him press you further into him, whimpers escaping you.

… But nothing happens. Instead, Soundwave starts moving his face against you, up and down in a rhythmic motion. It’s gentle, careful- he isn’t trying to hurt you. The pressure his hand is putting on you is only just enough to slightly squish you against him, and you feel like a plush toy with your cheek smooshed on his visor. A soft, smooth, deep sound emits from within him, strong enough that it shakes you, but low enough that it isn’t overwhelming. Like an engine revving.

Is he. Nuzzling you?

You open one eye, the other shut from the decepticon’s face rubbing. “Whuh- what’s happening,”

You try to push off his face to make room for yourself, but this only makes Soundwave press you back into his face, this time nuzzling you from left to right.

You sputter, your nose and mouth pressing against him from his motion, before he finally pulls his face away from you, his shoulders bouncing with what might’ve been laughter.

Your puzzled face was clear on his visor.

“I like you.” He says. “I like - Y/n.”

Now that really confused you. You could accept him wanting you for nefarious reasons, even for personal ones but- was Soundwave liking you the reason he took you? You can’t believe it, even as the man in question has his fingers on your cheek again, tickling you and making you close your eyes again from his obsessive petting.

You get a moment to speak when his petting finally stops. You could feel the redness and heat radiating from your cheek from where Soundwave pressed his face on you.

“S-so… you don’t want to hurt me,” you clarify. You had to make sure.

Soundwave shakes his head. “No.”

Phew. That was a relief. You were still on the Decepticon warship of course- but at least your kidnapper wasn’t here to harm you.

There were others on the ship though, who you’re sure aren’t fond of humans.

You simmer in that thought, looking away from Soundwave, who patiently waits for you to say something. You let him thumb you, stroking your hair down placatingly. You have to admit to yourself, it was working more than you thought it would.

You sigh out the heaviness in your chest, and turn back to Soundwave. You open your mouth, hesitating for a second.

“Promise,” you say, “promise you won’t hurt me? Promise you won’t let anyone hurt me,”

You knew there was no way you could really demand something from a Decepticon, your difference in size astronomical, not to mention in strength. But you hoped Soundwave liked you enough that he would honor your request.

Soundwave stares silently, it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. But you notice his head tilting imperceptibly downwards. You aren’t sure if it was a nod, or just a small movement indicating he was thinking about it.

For now, it was enough.

[suntails]

hijo de la luna

[aroaceleovaldez]

I have to wonder if Will being into space themed sci-fi specifically is like. A weird side effect of being an Apollo child. He's the sun god and the first major NASA expedition was called Apollo and now sometimes his kids get Space as a special interest. Doctor Who, Dune, and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy are also probably up his alley.

I like this thought a LOT and am immediately incorporating it into my Will hcs.

[raineandsky]

This is for the lovely anon who requested the New Better Villain taking on the villain's hero and gettin a lil too violent with it :) hope you enjoy!!

tw: implied violence, blood

The hero, for lack of a better word, looks normal.

The villain isn’t sure what he was expecting. Most people look normal. But all those years under a mask, a charade… it kind of became all that the villain could see him as. The hero. Even now, looking him in the eye as the person he is—really is—it doesn’t seem real.

That and, well— the villain can’t deny that he’s pretty alright to look at. That was certainly an unexpected twist.

The other villain—the bastard he’s cursed to work with, the jackass taking his job, his nemesis, his city—has the hero in a death grip. It feels like it’s all moving in slow motion. The two of them are tousling, kind of, as much as they can tousle with the other villain raining hellfire on a hero that’s well out of his depth.

It’s strange, that the other villain seems to be the outlier here. The hero and the villain have danced around each other for years. It’s been some sort of unspoken rule that they never quite hit hard enough to truly maim. But the hero came here, probably expecting the villain, expecting their usual song and dance, and instead got met with an entirely different tune.

Does the villain want the hero dead? Does he want their game to end? He doesn’t have time to decide.

“[Other Villain],” he snaps, “stop it.”

The other villain leans back, his fist still balled in the hero’s shirt, his other pulled back for yet another strike. “Oh, sorry.” His chest is heaving, as if he’s the one losing here. “You want a go?”

The villain doesn’t know what his answer would be to that. “I think he’s got the idea. Leave off.”

The other villain doesn’t move. The hero wipes idly at the blood painting his mouth.

Like a child asking a genuine question, the other villain simply says, “Why?”

“Because you’re ruining my fun.” True. “You’re taking over on my nemesis.” True. “You’re on my watch.” Half-true, without the supervillain to take charge. “I know this life better than you. Let me do my job and stop butting in.”

“You’ve been fighting [Hero] for years without any progress.” The other villain’s brow knits, genuinely confused. “I’m doing you a favour.”

The villain glances down at the supposed favour he’s getting. Blood splatters the hero’s face, deep crimson painting his clothes. Something of a black eye is already appearing, and the villain hates that noticing that means he also notices that the hero is looking right at him.

He’s not sure why it’s so off-putting. Should he have caused that? Does he want it to have happened at all? His emotions are clashing together in a horrendous cacophony and deciphering any of them is impossible.

“Let go, [Other Villain].”

The slight frown turns into something more hateful. “No.”

“Your violence isn’t welcome in this so-called partnership. Pull it together, or go tell [Supervillain] you ruined his plan.”

“You’re generations out of date, [Villain].” It comes out of the other villain’s mouth as a spit. “Violence is the way forward. I’m helping in ways you’ll clearly never understand.”

The villain isn’t entirely sure why he lurches for the other villain, much like he hasn’t been sure of anything since the hero showed up here and ruined what was already a fairly shitty day.

The other villain has his work cut out for him with an opponent that’s not already half-dead, it seems. The two of them land in a heap on the ground, the other villain’s grappling for his partner’s throat and the villain’s grip tight on the other’s wrists and the air disappears from the villain’s lungs and the world seems so far away and everything is muffled—

The villain gasps his next breath, scrambling away unsteadily. The world slowly comes back into focus, the hum of the city below and his own haggard breathing tuning back in. He swallows nothing, the feeling a sharp burn in his throat, and whips around to look for the other villain.

The villain finds him on the ground, unmoving, the lightest trail of blood trickling from his nose. The hero is sitting next to him with a battered road sign lying at his feet, staring off into nothing.

“Did—” The word hurts. The villain tries to clear his throat and only makes it feel worse. “Did you hit him with a roadwork sign?”

The hero huffs a sort of laugh that melts quickly into a cough. He doesn’t look at the villain when he says, “Think it was about time I hit him back, wasn’t it?”

“I didn’t know you had it in you. You’ve never hit me quite that bad.”

The hero actually laughs this time, the sound choked. “You pull what he just did and I’ll consider it.”

The villain hums a sort of laugh as well, settling on the floor opposite, and the two of them fall into silence. They’re both too tired to say much anyway.

This is another strange experience. The hero and the villain usually fight and go their separate ways. This sort of… hanging out is new. Different—and thankfully not the type of different that got them here in the first place.

The hero smiles at him, and even through the bloody face paint and the blooming bruises, the villain hates that he still looks good. Looks normal. Looks like a nice civilian that the villain would end up curiously following for a couple blocks because his half-decent face caught his attention.

The hero is, the villain supposes, a person too. Another civilian that looked at the state of the world and took up a side, just like the villain did.

“Thank you,” the hero says through the daze of annoyance, “for saving me.”

“Eh.” The villain waves a nonchalant hand. “It’s not like you were going to do it.”

That earns another choked laugh. “Ah, you’re funnier than you like to admit, [Villain].”

The villain scoffs in offence and quiet falls over them again. “Thanks as well, I guess, for…” He gestures vaguely at the other villain lying next to them. “Hitting my colleague over the head with a road sign.”

The hero’s smile grows. “You’re welcome.”

The hero reaches for his mask, just as stained red and tattered as its owner. He turns it over in his hands for a moment, slow and thoughtful, before carefully putting it back over his face. “Back to the heroics, then,” he says lightly.

The villain nods, but he’s not really listening. He finds that, now he’s seeing the person he’s familiar with, he preferred the hero without his mask after all.

[harlowes-home]

Honestly the sheer hatred for the Minecraft movie trailer and simultaneous mini resurgence of people talking about mcsm has me going back to that game.

Replaying it now and. I’m gonna sob I didn’t realize how much I missed it

[justjozzyjitters]

Old Poem #98

A Derived Type of Love

In high school I took Physics, And there were many rules, But the one most prominent, Was the one that reminded me of you.

They say matter can be, Neither created nor destroyed, But between the connections of our bodies and our minds, I’m not sure it still applies.

Intimate fingers have no sway, When it comes to the delicates, Stowed away inside our brains, A mushy pink, pulsating mess, Even the best of us can never fully understand.

Our love was neither created nor destroyed, But derived from a first time sight, A little summer fling, Just over a week, Not ended, but ever stronger, The longer you’re away, When little school children came to play.

No, I never believed in things, As silly as love at first sight, But I can promise, When our eyes first met, Shining and glaring with the brightness of the sun, It wasn’t a hard gaze to meet again, An attraction all but unfamiliar, I had never met such a stranger.

Physics class had taught me, Love, like all forms of unseen matter, In an unified understanding, Takes many tries, No creation of something so effortlessly right, Can be so quickly derived, But maybe this wasn’t just some first time prototype.

Maybe it wasn’t created, But always sort of there, Waiting as a novel on a shelf, Waiting to be read, Another one of those stories, Of love and death, Just to live and love again.

Even after time had past, The Big Bang, To the little microbes that once ruled the earth, To the sunflower and the slightly bigger ant, To a child born to poverty never to live past ten, A widow made from war, Broken lovers that just keep searching, Unaware of what such experiments might bring forward.

Then finally finding each other, A common knowledge formed with a glance, Memories shared we can never fully understand, Apart from how right things will be, With someone so familiar, All forms of connection coming forth so naturally.

Then together they grow old, To love and die, Just live and love again, A definition of a darling never to be destroyed, If feelings aren’t physics, Then tell me why, It has felt as our love was always there, And always to remain.

About 2022, age 18.

[imastoryteller]

Free for a Limited Time: A Course for Writers!

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This course is a labor of love, and I’m so excited to share it with you. For a limited time, it’s completely free—because I believe storytelling should be accessible to everyone.

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If you’re a writer looking for inspiration or clarity, I hope this course can help you bring your unique stories to life. Let’s create together. 💡✨

Help us spread the word! If you know writers or creators who might benefit from this, please feel free to reblog this post. Let’s make sure as many people as possible can take advantage of this opportunity!

[quatregats]

I'm rereading Master and Commander and I'm deeply in danger of just posting every single passage from it ever but I did love the way that the capture of the prize in Chapter 6 was framed on either side by the logbook's entry, and also the way he transitions out of it to set the scene and tone:

Sunday, July 1 … Mustered the ship’s company by divisions read the Articles of War performed Divine Service and committed the body of Henry Gouges to the deep. At noon dº weather. Ditto weather: but the sun sank towards a livid, purple, tumescent cloud-bank piled deep on the western horizon, and it was clear to every seaman aboard that it was not going to remain ditto much longer. The seamen, sprawling abroad on the fo’c’sle and combing out their long hair or plaiting it up again for one another, kindly explained to the landmen that this long swell from the south and east, this strange sticky heat that came both from the sky and the glassy surface of the heaving sea, and this horribly threatening appearance of the sun, meant that there was to be a coming dissolution of all natural bonds, an apocalyptic upheaval, a right dirty night ahead. The sailormen had plenty of time to depress their hearers, already low in their spirits because of the unnatural death of Henry Gouges (had said, ‘Ha, ha, mates, I am fifty years old this day. Oh dear,’ and had died sitting there, still holding his untasted grog) – they had plenty of time, for this was Sunday afternoon, when in the course of nature the fo’c’sle was covered with sailors at their ease, their pigtails undone. Some of the more gifted had queues they could tuck into their belts; and now that these ornaments were loosened and combed out, lank when still wet, or bushy when dry and as yet ungreased, they gave their owners a strangely awful and foreboding look, like oracles; which added to the landmen’s uneasiness.

[...]

Jack leant back against the curved run of the stern-window and let Killick’s version of coffee down by gulps into his grateful stomach; and at the same time that its warmth spread through him, so there ran a lively tide of settled, pure, unfevered happiness – a happiness that another commander (remembering his own first prize) might have discerned from the log-entry, although it was not specifically mentioned there: 1/2 past 10 tacked, 11 in courses, reefed topsail. AM cloudy and rain. 1/2 past 4 chase observed E by S, distance 1/2 mile. Bore up and took possession of dº, which proved to be L’Aimable Louise, French polacre laden with corn and general merchandise for Cette, of about 200 tons, 6 guns and 19 men. Sent her with an officer and eight men to Mahon.