Summer is finally here, writers!
While the coziness of winter is great for snuggling up with a notebook and pen, you can’t beat the sights and smells and sounds of summer when it comes to inspiration.
If all this fresh air has you itching to dive deeper with your writing, I want to make sure you know about my favourite online creative writing course, Story Is a State of Mind, and its sister course, The Story Intensive.
I also want you to know about some great bonus offers I have for you, so be sure to read all the way to the end of this post.
Story Is a State of Mind—A Creative Writing E-Course
Story Is a State of Mind is pure magic. This self-paced, online course (created by award-winning Canadian author Sarah Selecky) has given me a renewed sense of freedom, brought me back to the basics of pen and paper, helped me unlock my memory and improve my critical reading skills, completely changed the way I feel about practising writing, and changed my mentality from ‘must get published’ to ‘must write something true and valuable.’ I love that once I purchased the course, I have the materials forever, so I can go back to them again and again.
You can read my full review of Story Is a State of Mind here for all the specifics.
I love SSM so much, I want you to start this course today. And because all the course materials are digital, you can start today. Right now, in fact.
The Story Intensive, Fall 2015
While you always have the self-paced option of Story Is a State of Mind, an alternate format of the course—The Story Intensive—is also available. I haven’t yet had the chance to join, but I’ve heard nothing but praise about it.
The next session runs between September 7th and December 18th, 2015.
Here’s a blurb from the course:
The Story Intensive is an online writing program that’s set up like an MFA workshop in short fiction, with a focus on generating new short stories.
The Story Intensive provides the scaffolding, feedback, deadlines and accountability that a self-paced writing program can’t offer. This program is for you if you find it hard to write alone. It helps you recognize that your writing is important, and it makes your writing a priority. It will change you.
Guided writing instruction. Deadlines and accountability. Small classes and discussion groups that will work for any time zone. In-depth feedback on your work. Live support calls with Sarah Selecky. And tutorials with guest authors that will make you swoon (including George Saunders, Karen Joy Fowler, and Margaret Atwood).
This course is a creative environment that’s focused on learning and practicing — there is no room for ego, competition, or posturing.
Space is limited.
Registration for The Story Intensive opens during July each year, so I’d encourage you to peruse the details and see if this course might be a good fit for you.
Your Free Writing Critique
NB: As the affiliate program for “Story Is a State of Mind” (aka “The Story Course”) is temporarily on hold, this offer is also temporarily on hold. This post will be updated when that changes!
When you sign up for Story Is a State of Mind or The Story Intensive via any relevant link on this site, I will receive a referral fee. Such fees always go toward running costs for Write It Sideways and other online projects.
To thank you for your support, I’d love to offer you a couple of bonuses. Register for either course via my website, and you’ll receive the following:
- Your choice of either (a) a FREE critique of a piece of writing, or (b) a FREE copyedit of a piece of writing (up to 2500 words).
- A FREE copy of my short story “Perfect,” which was published in Grist: The Journal for Writers and isn’t available anywhere online. If I had to choose a favourite of my stories, this is it. Grist has published some very accomplished writers such as Sherman Alexie, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Bret Anthony Johnston.
You might save your critique or copyedit for when you enter a writing contest or prior to submitting a story to literary magazines. As an editor at two different literary journals, I’m constantly evaluating short stories for the purpose of publication. Getting feedback from a published writer/editor before you submit is a huge advantage.
Just shoot me an email after you register, and I’ll send your free stuff immediately.
If you purchase either course as a gift for someone else—no problem. Contact me with their details and I’ll pass the bonuses along to them.
Don’t forget:
- You can read my full review of Story Is a State of Mind here.
- The next session of The Story Intensive runs September 7–December 18, 2015, and registration is open July 14–28 (check the page for the details of this year’s intake)
- To receive the bonus critique/copyedit and short story, you must sign up using one of the relevant links on this website.
- If you wish to claim your bonuses, you must email me after you register so I know how to contact you.
Looking forward to hearing about your experiences. Happy writing!
Thanks for the info, it looks interesting! Do you know how long we have access to the materials once we have registered for the course?
You’ll have access to the lessons, readings and audio/visual recordings for life, Jessamine! I first bought Story Is a State of Mind a couple of years ago, and I still use the materials on a regular basis. If you choose The Story Intensive, the course itself will run between September and December, but you’ll still have access to all of the course materials for life.