I wrote a cozy mystery!- And now I have a question.

[I talk to the trees]

I needed some way to escape from reality. I have always loved cozy mysteries, so I decided to write one. Started last month, and finished on Sunday. I tried  to finish a chapter a day, and dd would read it each night. 

I had so much fun! Now I have a question. I would like to take a course to help me improve my writing. There are so many free courses out there that it is hard to choose one. Have any of you taken a creative writing course that you would recommend? 

Thanks in advance!

[Moonhawk]

There is no "Congrats!" reaction, but that's awesome!! 

[katilac]

I have not, but congratulations! That's a big accomplishment. Let us know if you release it on Kindle 😀

You might try a writer's forum while you look for a class, you can find some here.

[Pen]

Congratulations!!!

when I did nanowrimo there were some excellent videos with it, including some that are available on CreativeLive. Or where the people have books on writing. 

 

[I talk to the trees]

9 hours ago, katilac said:

I have not, but congratulations! That's a big accomplishment. Let us know if you release it on Kindle 😀

You might try a writer's forum while you look for a class, you can find some here.

Thank you! I'm bookmarking that page.

9 hours ago, Seasider too said:

I’ll mention two great opportunities among many you can find online. One is MasterClass. It can be pricey but there have been a number of pandemic specials.

https://www.masterclass.com

The other is Universal Classroom, which you may find for free through your local or regional public library system. 
 

Be sure to check your library - many programs are being held through zoom these days, so distance isn’t an issue. 
 

The library is also a great source for books on craft. There are many good ones. I’d recommend starting with these two:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078VWDNKT/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
 

[eta Save the Cat is popular. For fine tuning you’ll want deeper level stuff - things like The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maass - others will share their favorites @aggieamy]

https://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Writers-Life-Business-Practice/dp/1632171511/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=welcome+to+the+writers+life&qid=1595385679&sprefix=welcome+to+the+writers+&sr=8-3
 

There are a number of writers here so I bet you’ll get other craft book recommendations. Try to find a local writers group for your genre, you’ll get more helpful feedback on your work there than from people who don’t want to call your baby ugly. LOL I’m sure you’re baby is beautiful, just making the point that constructive is valuable and necessary. 
 

Congratulations on your finished work! 

Thanks for the book recommendations. Ooh, the masterclass thing looks tempting, but I don’t want to spend too much right now. I feel like paying for a class would be like buying a full set of Addi turbo needles and Malabrigo yarn for your first scarf. (I know, I know. Only knitters will get that analogy. 😁)  I'm not looking to get published, but I'm one of those people who can’t do something halfway. If I’m going to write, even just as a hobby, I want it to be good. Since I haven’t written anything longer than a basic essay since college, I'm pretty sure that what I have written is a mess. So, yeah, my baby is probably something only a mother could love! 😂

I actually started writing as a way to keep myself from “doom scrolling” and to keep me and my dd19 entertained. And since it looks like things aren’t going to be anywhere close to normal for a long  while, I'd like to keep the story going. Also, after writing the first story, I find that I really like my characters and want to find out what happens to them next!

[Beth S]

I have ZERO experience, but you could look into self-publishing it on Amazon Kindle Unlimited.

[Guest]

Oh, how I would love to read this! 

I just finished listening to a mystery (Lethal White) and I was thinking, "How would one write a mystery like this? I guess you start with the crime and start working backwards from there..." I was thinking I would love to try it just because I think it would be fun for my brain! 

A couple of months ago, I did sign up for Masterclass. It is expensive, but I absolutely love it! To me, it is worth it. I think I did get a pandemic special of some sort, but it's not cheap in any case. Worth it, though! Watching a Chris Voss class on communication led me to find a bunch of other stuff by Chris Voss on the web (TED talks, You Tubes) and to get his book Never Split the Difference. I have gotten SO MUCH out of Chris Voss' information. It might have saved my marriage...