If you’re a creative writing fan, then you may be interested in taking a class with a renowned writer who happens to be a friend of mine. His name is William J. Guilfoyle. His specialty is fiction, but he also teaches classes on non-fiction writing, too.
I’ve been taking his creative writing classes for almost 20 years. Each semester, I learn something new about fiction writing and how to improve my craft. Last year, I even managed to complete a novel based on a true story. During that time, I’ve gone from a complete beginner to a talented writer who can put together a compelling story while maintaining artistic control.
If you’d like to know what you should learn from William’s creative writing classes, then stick around. Here are just some of the things that I’ve learned over the years.
How To Use Stories To Impress Your Reader
One of the first things that you should do as a creative writing student is to grab your reader’s attention with a hook. For example, let’s say that you’re writing a story about a young woman who goes on a date with an older man. You could start by developing a dramatic conflict, such as whether or not the woman should go on the date.
At the beginning of the story, you give the reader a hint or two about what’s going to happen. Then, you develop the main conflict, which is usually some form of a dilemma: The older man is an alcoholic and the woman doesn’t know what to do. She’ll either have to choose between helping her mother or trying to be with the man she loves.
Throughout the story, you keep the conflict between the two main characters through action, dialogue, and scene description. You also make sure that you reveal something new about each character every few paragraphs. This keeps the story engaging and allows the reader to keep turning the pages.
How To Make Minor Changes To The Ending Of A Story
Another important skill that you should learn from William’s class is how to make minor changes to the ending of your story. Sometimes, the ending that you come up with at the end of the story just isn’t right. You’ll go back and forth, making changes, until you find something that you like.
For example, perhaps the story started out about a boy who falls in love with a mysterious, beautiful girl. At the end of the story, you realize that the strange girl is, in fact, a prince and he falls asleep next to her. This is a happy ending, right?
Well, maybe not. You might want to go back and change it a bit. Maybe you should add a twist that makes the story more interesting. Or maybe you should end it with a fight between the boy and the girl. Keep making changes until you find the perfect ending.
How To Use Characterization To Impress Your Reader
Another important thing that you should do as a creative writing student is to use characterization to impress your reader. You want your reader to feel like they’re inside the head of your characters. This is much easier said than done. It takes some practice.
The best way to do this is through dialogue. If you find that your character’s mouth is moving before you even start writing, then you’re probably well on your way to writing fluid, realistic dialogue. You can also go back and add little details about your character, like their favorite band or their shoe size. These little things will make them feel more authentic.
How To Make Minor Changes To The Language You Use
Another important thing to do as a creative writing student is to make minor changes to the language that you use. This doesn’t mean that you have to change words around, but you can add or delete words to make your story more flow smoothly. Take, for example, the word choice in this sentence:
“On the way home, she thought about the crazy adventure that she had just gone through. She thought about how she had managed to escape the clutches of the evil Count Drancule and save her friends. She thought about how cool it was to have such a unique job where she got to travel the world and how she had managed to fit everything she loved into one life.”
Maybe something like this would work better:
“On the way home, she thought about how she had just escaped the clutches of the evil Count Drancule and saved her friends. She thought about how she had managed to fit everything she loved into one life.”
The point is not to change the meaning of the sentence. The point is to change the way that you say it. The second sentence flows better because it uses simpler words and fewer words overall.
How To Make Your Characters More Real
One of the most important things that you can do as a creative writing student is to make your characters more real. To do this, you need to show them in realistic ways. The easiest way to do this is to show, not tell. For example, instead of saying that your main character’s shoe size is 9, show it through dialogue or action:
“She pulled off her right shoe, revealing her yellow satin spats. ‘Do you think these go with my dress?’ she asked, holding up the shoes for him to see.”
or:
“He stared at her feet in awe and shook his head. ‘I don’t believe it. Your shoes are too small for you.’ He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of 9s. ‘Here, you can try these on.’ He held up the shoes for her to see.”
These kinds of small changes will make your characters more relatable and easier to like. It’s also important not to show off your knowledge of fashion. Instead, find a way to show what your character likes instead of telling them what wears well together. For example, if you have a character who’s very fashionable, then you can show this through their outfits or accessories, but not through dialogue or description. The dialogue and description should reflect how your character would actually talk or think, not how a designer or a famous blogger would advise them to talk or think.
How To Use Details To Impress Your Reader
Another important thing that you should do as a creative writing student is to use details to impress your reader. A good writer will make sure that the reader is immersed in the world that their character inhabits. To do this, they will use details, which provide more color and authenticity to their story.
For example, if you’re writing about an aristocrat who loves to paint, then you can add in little details about their hobbies, like drawing or painting. Or, if you’re writing about a medieval knight, then you can add in their quirks, like their love of golden armor or fancy cloaks. These kinds of details will make them more relatable and give the reader a better sense of what’s going on.
How To Use Atmosphere To Impress Your Reader
Another important thing that you should do as a creative writing student is to use atmosphere to impress your reader. This means creating a sense of tension and suspense that makes the story more compelling and interesting. You can do this through scene setting, dialogue, or action, but it always comes back to making minor changes to the way that you say things or the way that you act. The way that you write and the ways that you speak should be consistent with how an adult would act and speak in real life. This is not to say that you have to be boring…You just have to make sure that everything is logical and makes sense.
For example, let’s say that you’re writing a modern day fair isle romance and you want to create a bit of atmosphere. You can start by using language that’s appropriate for the time period, like cars instead of hoofed animals, or mobile phones instead of land lines. You can also add in some touches of Ireland, like green lawns and shamrocks. These are all subtle ways to add an Irish feel to the story. Even if your main character isn’t Irish, it doesn’t mean that you have to make them sound or act like an Irish person. Just think about how you would talk if you were in a modern day Irish accent. You can use this to your advantage when writing a character who’s not from Ireland, but is Irish-sounding. This will make them much more appealing.