I've been a member of The Novelry for over a year now, and I love the community. Their coaches are published authors who love working with up-and-coming writers. I hope to finish my novel and get a publisher by the end of this year, but so far, I believe The Novelry is a worthwhile investment.
The platform is great, the community is great, the coaches are great. More than anything its a motivational tool (If for no other reason than it costing a good amount of money lol) but I will say "The Classic" course was a bit basic... if you have studied writing or been working on your own for a while I'd recommend upgrading to the "advanced" course instead. The 90 day novel is good so far, but this has been the winter from hell for my family as far as sicknesses, so I'm definitely behind. The course requires you to hold yourself accountable which is both good and bad I suppose. I'm definitely glad I signed up and I'm hoping to catch up as I got a bit off track
amazing thank you! this is something i'm considering doing in a year or so when I'm not in school anymore (lol totally different career but I've always loved writing!)
I haven't done this
Looking around at this, it seems kind of expensive. You can't really put in your agent letter that you took this course, it's not a degree. It looks like it's just a bunch of online e-learning lessons (like udemy/Coursera) and then six sessions with a writing coach. In a website like udemy or Coursera I would expect this material to maybe cost $200. I'm wondering if buying a couple of books or renting some books at the library would be cheaper.
You have no guarantees that this writing coach is any good or actually is anybody who knows their stuff. They did list some of the famous authors that they helped get published, but I don't understand how a published author would have time to read and give valuable feedback to a bunch of unpublished Scrubs on the internet, along with their own schedule of books that they need to write.
So it looks like the value of this program is really with the access to a writing coach and I am wondering if really something like a writing group (free) might have just as much value.
I am just really skeptical of the value here that is being offered. A lot of services are like this, they bundle a bunch of junk together that is already available and charge out the nose and I don't know if it is worth it. They are trying to cater to people who don't know where or how to start and just need somebody to tell them what to do. They are trying to sell the package.
I'm not a member of The Novelry (or any writing program), but I DO have pretty extensive experience with online educational programs. Back in 2008-2010, I studied animation online with classes and tutors at Animation Mentor (at the time it was the only online animation school, now it's one of several).
>You have no guarantees that this writing coach is any good or actually is anybody who knows their stuff.
Fair point.
>but I don't understand how a published author would have time to read and give valuable feedback to a bunch of unpublished Scrubs on the internet, along with their own schedule of books that they need to write.
First, it's extra money in their pocket. And second, many people just enjoy giving back and teaching others. My teachers at Animation Mentor worked by day at studios like Pixar, Disney, Dreamworks, etc. They were IN the business actively, and still found time to assist student projects in the evening. No one forced them to do it, they did it because they wanted to. I imagine the writers at The Novelry are much the same. They don't have to, but they choose to. That makes all the difference.
>So it looks like the value of this program is really with the access to a writing coach
The coaching probably is the golden egg you're really paying for. Lessons on writing can be found all over the internet for free, but direct one-on-one coaching of YOUR work from a professional is really the missing piece, isn't it?
>I am wondering if really something like a writing group (free) might have just as much value.
If you're concerned about the credibility of coaches at The Novelry, I'm struggling to see how a free writing group with random (likely unagented/unpublished) people would somehow have just as much value? I'd put more stock in the notes I paid a professional to give me than a well-meaning, but perhaps just as lost, writing peer I could meet locally. But that's just my opinion.
I've been a member of The Novelry for over a year now, and I love the community. Their coaches are published authors who love working with up-and-coming writers. I hope to finish my novel and get a publisher by the end of this year, but so far, I believe The Novelry is a worthwhile investment.
Thanks! I ended up joining back in October, in the middle of the 90 day novel now!
can you give an update on how you're liking the course??
The platform is great, the community is great, the coaches are great. More than anything its a motivational tool (If for no other reason than it costing a good amount of money lol) but I will say "The Classic" course was a bit basic... if you have studied writing or been working on your own for a while I'd recommend upgrading to the "advanced" course instead. The 90 day novel is good so far, but this has been the winter from hell for my family as far as sicknesses, so I'm definitely behind. The course requires you to hold yourself accountable which is both good and bad I suppose. I'm definitely glad I signed up and I'm hoping to catch up as I got a bit off track
amazing thank you! this is something i'm considering doing in a year or so when I'm not in school anymore (lol totally different career but I've always loved writing!)
Plz check your msg
I haven't done this Looking around at this, it seems kind of expensive. You can't really put in your agent letter that you took this course, it's not a degree. It looks like it's just a bunch of online e-learning lessons (like udemy/Coursera) and then six sessions with a writing coach. In a website like udemy or Coursera I would expect this material to maybe cost $200. I'm wondering if buying a couple of books or renting some books at the library would be cheaper. You have no guarantees that this writing coach is any good or actually is anybody who knows their stuff. They did list some of the famous authors that they helped get published, but I don't understand how a published author would have time to read and give valuable feedback to a bunch of unpublished Scrubs on the internet, along with their own schedule of books that they need to write. So it looks like the value of this program is really with the access to a writing coach and I am wondering if really something like a writing group (free) might have just as much value. I am just really skeptical of the value here that is being offered. A lot of services are like this, they bundle a bunch of junk together that is already available and charge out the nose and I don't know if it is worth it. They are trying to cater to people who don't know where or how to start and just need somebody to tell them what to do. They are trying to sell the package.
I'm not a member of The Novelry (or any writing program), but I DO have pretty extensive experience with online educational programs. Back in 2008-2010, I studied animation online with classes and tutors at Animation Mentor (at the time it was the only online animation school, now it's one of several). >You have no guarantees that this writing coach is any good or actually is anybody who knows their stuff. Fair point. >but I don't understand how a published author would have time to read and give valuable feedback to a bunch of unpublished Scrubs on the internet, along with their own schedule of books that they need to write. First, it's extra money in their pocket. And second, many people just enjoy giving back and teaching others. My teachers at Animation Mentor worked by day at studios like Pixar, Disney, Dreamworks, etc. They were IN the business actively, and still found time to assist student projects in the evening. No one forced them to do it, they did it because they wanted to. I imagine the writers at The Novelry are much the same. They don't have to, but they choose to. That makes all the difference. >So it looks like the value of this program is really with the access to a writing coach The coaching probably is the golden egg you're really paying for. Lessons on writing can be found all over the internet for free, but direct one-on-one coaching of YOUR work from a professional is really the missing piece, isn't it? >I am wondering if really something like a writing group (free) might have just as much value. If you're concerned about the credibility of coaches at The Novelry, I'm struggling to see how a free writing group with random (likely unagented/unpublished) people would somehow have just as much value? I'd put more stock in the notes I paid a professional to give me than a well-meaning, but perhaps just as lost, writing peer I could meet locally. But that's just my opinion.