Disable Bloggers, Writers and Creative Writing Courses!

Recently I was sent to an article about it that every “hacker” today think that writer. The author in the text fussed that writing a literary or journalistic texts today will allow each “illiterates” and that even the most incompetent blogger thinks about himself that even a journalist or a writer. Worse, there are creative writing courses, which are reported uncritical pisálkové to be able to feed themselves in the hope that one really fits in the world literature.Such courses should be ban because they are utterly useless.Anyone can learn to become a famous writer. Such teachers charlatans would be best to get rid of incapacitation and foolish writers who think that one issue a novel isolate from the world.Because what if they succeeded it not? The book market is already quite brakového goods and prevent the spread of the disease would be a laudable. Not kidding. Just have can not remember in which journal I read it, because everything went very quickly in the waiting room at the doctor. However, it remained in me a very strong need to express the theme. I’ll take it … but a little backwards.

I teach creative writing in the Czech Republic seven years. During that time I went through quite a few hands “psavců”. In the library I set up a special shelf – books for my students. With great pride I put it there gradually, as they are born and come into the world.Recently there has found its place a beautifully illustrated, rich color book for children from Jana Capek called fairytale garden. Jana is a teacher in kindergarten and summer school creative writing two years ago worked on the lyrics just for kids. I am sure that the fairy garden that does not stop for Jane. With children it knows, understands, knows what books they like. In addition, the gift of telling not only readable, but also as the very young children need.Jan desire for fame and wants to become a famous writer. Anxious that her books brought joy to children. In addition, the publication of books and fulfilled his dream, which is not enough.

He fulfilled his dream even though Marcel Mlynářová published his book “In the beginning of fifty,” or perhaps Marcel Babczynski with a breathtaking collection of “Devil Whisper.” Marcel is endowed with a high level of literary expression, which is already present in the literature so often does not occur. The Czech language is simply beautiful. Marcela back endurance and the ability not to give up in any life situation, which was also reflected in its text. In an age when many women’s “package” and they think they have long ago “odžito” and there is nothing interesting in life was waiting, took the joy and published book. Some of my kurzistů are now well established and successful authors, such as Vita Jareš publishing (novels, spy themes), the publishing house Mladá fronta. Others have successfully implemented scripts for television. On the shelf “next to them” but instead has a collection of Blanka dogs “flowers”, which from the above-mentioned works do just one thing different. Blanka your collection issued his own expense in the number of 200 pieces, and even illustrated it herself. All these works and creations have one thing in common – they are the active manifestation of human will to achieve something, somewhere to move, to offer something of yourself to others and not to sit at home just a pit and lament.

I started two books of creative writing and the third just write. Often people ask me why, if you can teach creative writing. Nicely said, the British novelist David Lodge
“If a teacher capable of, they should each participant at the end of the course of creative writing to write better, or be able to write better than its beginning. Experience gained under the writer’s attempts at systematic management will contribute positively to students’ understanding and perception of readers of literature.Ultimately, success is not guaranteed and all participants should know. In this regard, the literature does not fundamentally different from other art forms. You can learn to skillfully draw and paint, but form images of lasting value will never learn. “

Every time when you start a new creative writing course, I have exactly this aim – to each participant at the end of the course wrote better than its beginning. To me, time spent, which will not regret it and feel enriched course. That in my lectures, seminars and tutorials found something to help him on his way to realizing their own dreams and wishes. Not everyone wants to excel as Viewegh.Even I own many years of experience say that authors who have a desire to glory, is really low. Of course, some have greater talent and others smaller. This usually tell very soon. In itself, this does not guarantee anything. Often those working harder with less talent are more likely to succeed than those more talented, which wants to work on themselves. Neither one nor the other but I would never let be described as “hackers” or “illiterates”. We hold a large majority of courses a year and it is twenty kurzistů. Works with absolute certainty that those who really just naively thought that come to the course where the work effortlessly and get the recipe for it, how in seven months to become a famous writer, the first drop. Give it to stop and walk the course. Why? Because in my courses, they can not just “sit”. I kurzistech after work to see the tables on the elbow. I want them working on their texts, to get away. I want to think, why this or that written so and not otherwise. I want to know why something they write and what readers actually want to say. To be prepared to rewrite, edit, cut and start again, because this work is copyright. I had to for themselves and their texts at the end of the course could be proud of, whether they make any great progress.Write a book when you have someone forced to think over his text, it is something completely different than just (sorry) “vyblít” any piece of text on paper. Even if it was just a family chronicle designated friends and family as soon as the author puts it into a real creative energy, gets all his actions once the new value.Appreciate myself for what I managed, after all it’s not enough.

In conclusion, allow me a true story. The Summer School of Creative Writing disputes ago signed a girl who was barely 15 years. I have a rule that under fifteen years do not take this action, but so much of it was asked and that I could not refuse. The evening always has readings and there, participants can read your texts regardless of the course. It’s a chance to hear the work of others and see the reaction to the self. This girl I read several of his texts. Stylistically and literature were very decent level. The content, however, were immature, which corresponds to her age. The world saw black and white, made a hasty conclusions and despised most common values. The first evening was the author after reading her texts to the great conflict between the girl and the majority of older participants. The content of all texts girl’s outraged and broke very sharp discussion, to which the girl was not ready.Finally, the room in tears escaped, even though I tried to regulate and moderate the discussion. That evening I had all kurzistům “educational” speech, although most do not do something similar. I begged them to in their criticism were sensitive and receptive. To not evaluated only the text itself, but took into account age. I asked them to try to empathize with the feelings of the second author.None of us is usually not written in order to write something “stupid” and “bad”. All we write because we want to write a “good read”.Criticism can sometimes extremely hurt and may even block the author so that for many years until the next attempt should not let.The group listened to me and away we tackling. Copyright evenings really calmed down and the participants tried to work the other in the first place to understand, not in it at first look for errors.The last day was proclaimed the results of literary competition that took place throughout the Summer School. Each participant may enter one of the texts that read the author’s reading, and other points to assign to him anonymously. Our youngest author won a literary contest. Summer School Participants evaluated one of her texts as the best of all. They took into account not only the content but also linguistic, stylistic and literary level with age in the context of the author. And this is one of those moments for which it makes sense to organize similar events.

Anyone who thinks that writing literary and journalistic texts should only graduates of academies or literary journalism faculties, then, allow me to send a message that they are deeply mistaken. Could be a glimpse into the biographies of Czech and foreign writers, we found that only a minority of them actually graduated from the field.And most importantly at the end – I appreciate every little person who is trying to something positive. Write any “good read” to it definitely belongs. I believe that it is not important whether such “reading” entertain the masses of readers, or just a few close friends. For all this makes sense to organize courses in creative writing.