To consider doing an online creative writing course

[cheesenpickles]

My friend has been telling me how she's about to start an MA and I've suddenly got the itch to try my hand at creative writing again.

Full disclosure I really screwed about at university, totally undisciplined and very flakey. I got a 2:2 (how I don't know) and through a long and winding career path in doing my dream job, pt from home.

It doesn't however scratch all my creative urges and part of me wants to do "a bit more".

I'm just concerned though with a dh who works odd hours, a pt time job that requires some outside work and two small kids I'd be taking on too much.

I'd want to do an actual course and get feedback as I go. This would be purely for me though, not for a qualification or to write a novel. I just feel like I'm on a better place and I want to prove I'm not a flake.

Has anybody else done this? Did it cover your urges? Was it manageable with a family?

You could do something like this for free:
www.futurelearn.com/courses/start-writing-fiction

That way you could test out how much time you’re likely to be able/willing to spend on it before you commit to a longer course or a particularly qualification.

Oooh! That looks perfect. I could only find their full price MAs when I looked.

I second future learn. If you're not bothered about getting the certificate/ credits towards something then they're fab for testing out things. I've always been fascinated by criminology but parents wanted me to do a "sensible degree" I'm glad as the future learn course I did on it was soooo dull! Turns out I like real crime videos far more!

Have a look at local evening classes too. I’ve been attending a local college for a few years now doing creative writing, and I published my first novel about a year ago. It has improved my writing, kept me motivated, and I’ve met some lovely like-minded people.

I got a 2:2 in Natural sciences with the OU and I loved the research so much that I knew I wanted to go further. I had our daughter (now 2yo) 5 weeks after sending in my dissertation. I finished my full-time Applied Bioscience MSc in September 2018 and it was challenging as I was looking after her all the time I was studying/researching but my bf did take her when I needed to attend the uni (1-2 days a week). I could have done an MSc with the OU but I felt I wanted to attend a brick uni and also get proper wet lab experience. I ended up getting a merit so it's totally blown the 2:2 out of the water and shown that I can work at this level. I knew a lady who was studying for 2 degrees with the OU with 3 children, all under 5yo. It is possible with support and I just kept repeating my mantra (which came fully to fruition) - "It WILL be worth it!" and it was! Good luck!