RELATED LINKS:
What is “fear of writing”?
What is a “closet writer”?
Meet Some of Our Students
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Ready to take the next big leap with your career? Consider getting your degree online in subjects ranging from child psychology to forensic science.
CREATIVE WRITING COURSE
“The Fear of Writing Online Course:
Your passport to fun!”
“Through finding your course on the 'Net, I have come to find my love.”
— Sid Mendelson, Montville, New Jersey
WHAT TYPE OF WRITER has taken this course?
- An editor and technical writer who felt she'd lost touch with her creativity and spontaneity
- A lyrical dreamer from Santa Fe who feared that her writing style did not fit in
- A prolific writer and world traveler, now a published children's author, who was the veteran of countless writing classes and workshops but still had a fear of finishing
- A court clerk from California who had taken writing courses before but had been deeply wounded by careless comments disguised as “constructive criticism”
- A self-employed father of three who—after receiving a scathing and punitive rejection letter from an editor—was looking for a way to free himself from the demon of being blocked
- An admin assistant in a non-profit organization looking for, in her own words, “ . . . a dose of catnip to stir my senses and unhinge the wildness waiting within”
Many creative writing courses teach you the practical craft of writing and educate you on how to navigate the publishing world. We do not profess to be experts in that field. Instead, this course provides a healing balm for fresh writing wounds and old scars or blocks—packaged with cheers and fun.
You will write short stories, anecdotes, story outlines, a book review or article, an interview, and quotable quotes . . . all without the blahs of discipline or the terrors of word count.
Oh, by the way. If you've been longing to write but never quite had the nerve the start, then this course is the ticket to adventure you've been waiting for.
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“Time is now the world's slave, but time will be set free and all of life will live within creativity.”
—Jayni Wilson, two-time student of the Fear of Writing Online Course
Page Contents
Comprehensive List of Assignments
Student Newsletter: “Inner Doggie” News
Student Survey
Course Designer & Course Presenters
“I want to take this opportunity to thank you for all that your course has done for me. I've gained a new perspective on writing and a better understading of the operations of my muse, and the stories I long to have written will be revisited with a fresh approach.
Kudos to everyone at FoW for making these past eight weeks an exciting and provocative adventure!”
—Darryl D Brown, Phoenix, Arizona, Graduate, April 2008
Fear of Writing—Where No Fun Has Gone Before
Our online writing course will throw you into the fun pool and get you all wet. You'll experience the wacky and animated Fertile Material writing prompts. You’ll get to do some lazy work, too, such as reading entertaining and inspiring things.
You won’t be expected to learn any of the typical tools of the craft—like structure and genre, use of backstory, POV, or how to write a query letter. If you don’t like the idea that you have to “commit” to being a writer, this course is for you! You don’t even have to finish your stories if you don’t want to.
. . . On the other hand, if you’re already passionately committed to writing, you’ll be delighted with the starbursts of imagination ignited by the Fertile Material.
Lessons are posted to the Student Message Board [password-protected] where they are commented on by the course presenter and by fellow students where appropriate. The course stresses having fun and letting your imagination go wild, so your posts will never be “critiqued”—only encouraged and applauded. Part of the philosophy of Fear of Writing is to provide a safe place for writers to blossom.
“I am so on fire! I’ll try not to inundate you with my assignments, but I’m having so much fun with your course that it's hard to stop myself. I feel so safe in this course already—that is a treat to me! I am healing slowly and courses like these are rebuilding my hope. I always think of new writers as gentle reeds . . . easily damaged if bent too far.”
—Claudia Errington, Woodland, California
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Comprehensive List of Assignments
“Wow . . . Thanks for the great feedback, Milli. I might have to frame it, or hand it out with my Christmas cards!!! I am really enjoying the course. Now I have to go back online and read all of those great things again!”
—Amy Anderson, Riverside, RI
This course happens in two parts.
Part I is about liberating your creativity, with plenty of supervision and support. Part II, the graduate section, is full of articles, assignments and motivation for you to continue writing—along with help to become more self-suffieicnt, to help make sure you'll contine writing when the course is over.
Except for a couple of initial email assignments, your Part I assignments will be posted to a password-protected Student Message Board. There you will receive personal attention and supportive feedback for each assignment.
No one, including other Students, will be allowed to give you critiques (i.e., advice on how to “improve” your writing) or say anything to demoralize you. This is a safe environment designed to help you blossom into your creativity.
The Student Message Board is simple to use . . . even people who find computers a bit daunting find it easy to get the hang of.
PART ONE - CURRICULUM
Week 1 – Passive Zone 1 – Effects of Fear of Writing (“Your Anecdote” email assignment)
Week 1 – Active Zone 1 – The Interview
Week 1 – Active Zone 2 – The PromiseWeek 2 – Active Zone 1 – Sleight of Hand
Week 2 – Passive Zone 2 – Demoralized by Criticism (“Your Anecdote” email assignment)
Week 2 – Active Zone 2 – The ObjectWeek 3 – Active Zone 1 – My Brainstorm
Week 3 – Active Zone 2 – Lighthearted
Week 4 – Active Zone 1 – I Am a Writer
Week 4 – Active Zone 2 – UtopiaWeek 5 – Active Zone 1 – Matriarch City
Week 5 – Active Zone 2 – Play Big / Only the Wise / Fort RivalryWeek 6 – Active Zone 1 – Zzz / A Freak of Time / Duello
Week 6 – Active Zone 2 – Fear of Writing GazetteWeek 7 – Active Zone 1 – Space Cadet / Jekyll & Hyde / Amber Is For Caution
Week 7 – Active Zone 2 – The CreatureWeek 8 – Active Zone 1 – Drunk With Power / Dreams You Never Dreamed Of / Mucho Macho & The Fluffy Slipper
Week 8 – Active Zone 2 – I Have the Compass
PART TWO - GRADUATE AREA
This is a new section with material being added all the time. This area includes
Inspirational articles
Fun writing assignments
Instructional writing assignments
Student forum
A work plan to help you make steady progress
Interviews with mentors & peers (eg., the Course Designer, Course Presenters, students, graduates, FoW regulars)
How to start a local writing circle, with plenty of support to do so
Fun, baby-step ways to start getting published
A 45-minute phone consultation with Milli Thornton
How to determine what you're ready for next
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RETURN TO THE ENROLLMENT SECTION
Student Newsletter:
“INNER DOGGIE” NEWS
MARCH 2008—Milli started the student newsletter in February 2008 without a name. As she explained in the first issue, “I normally enjoy coming up with juicy titles, but I haven't been able to figure out a good name for this newsletter. So I'm throwing it out to all of you. Get those phenomenal imaginations going and crank out some ideas for me to consider. You're welcome to send as many title suggestions as you like. Treating it as a brainstorming session and scribbling down everything that comes to you may be just the 'Eureka!' I'm looking for.”
After some extra encouragement, students entered into the spirit of the contest and sent Milli their lists of ideas. “I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing these brainstorms,” she said. “They were all so fun and creative!”
CONTEST WINNER: JAY NORMAN, DENTON, TEXAS
Jay's entry of five title suggestions came in marked with this modest note: “Just a few I worked up. I'm not real pleased with any of them (except the Wayward Writer's Weekly) but they were ideas, so I thought I'd put them down (see how well you've taught me!).—Jay”
As soon as Milli laid eyes on The Inner Doggie News, she knew this was the title she was looking for. With slight adjustments, it became “Inner Doggie” News and was added to the title banner for the newsletter.
The name has significance for students of the Online Course beyond just the dog from the cover of the book. In three words, Jay nailed the underlying spirit of the course—as well as giving a big nod to a key assignment from Week One.
Jay is pictured on vacation in 2006 in Flaming Gorge National Park, Utah. Ironically, he's wearing a sweatshirt that features what can only be described as a 'dawg' with a bone in its mouth. When Milli asked him about it, Jay said, “I didn't even think about the dawg on the shirt. One of my brothers used to work at a bar called 'The Bone' and the picture was their mascot. It is fitting, isn't it!”
Jay's prize was this permanent Web feature as the inventor of the title, along with a $25 Starbucks Card.
THE RUNNER UP: DAVID SCHOEMAN, DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND
David's free-wheeling entry of six ideas
also captured Milli's fancy.
“David really allowed himself to go for broke and write down anything that came,” she said. “His suggestion, Scriptophobia: Provider of Medication & Treatment, was so entertaining to me I just had to choose it as the runner-up—even though I had not originally intended to create a runner-up category.”
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Students are automatically subscribed to the newsletter after they complete their enrollment. The manuscript-burning dog image is courtesy of Steve Andrus Copyright © 1999.
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Meet Some of Our Online Course Students
Hi Milli, Not only am I getting my self confidence back, but it is like a burst mains water pipe and the ideas and images are just pouring out. And all I want to do is to write them down. I am very sorry for going too fast and I will make a concerted effort not to run ahead. I have been doing the “passive” assignments as well and had to put brakes on to stop reading too far in advance. Your book is absolutely priceless and I can't wait for the next one. Regards, David Schoeman, The Scolded Student
—Letter from a New Zealand student who had to be gently reined in for trying to devour the 8-week course in the space of two weeks
Excited exclamation point courtesy of cybergifs.com
Hello Dee, I did it! Yahoo, I did the whole 8 weeks. It was fun and thank you so much for your kind comments. I really procrastinated over the last assignment as I did not want it to end! My sweetie is taking me for Thai dinner and a movie, The Bucket List (very appropriate movie for the final lesson!). Aloha!
—Teresa Thomas, Kailua Kona, Hawai'i
“We're off and racing. You have no idea how excited I am not to
have to hide the fear anymore.” —Kimina Lyall, Melbourne, VIC, Australia from the email she sent when submitting her first assignment.
Kimina's book, Out of the Blue: Facing the Tsunami, was released in December, 2006. From the Acknowledgments section of her book:
“Deepest thank yous are owed to [...] Milli Thornton of fearofwriting.com, who flew across the Internet to rescue me from being crushed by a wall of writer's block.”
Read more about Kimina's book, and how Fear of Writing and the online course helped her finish her book, on the FoW Published Authors page (opens in a new window).
FROM 2005, DURING HER FIRST TIME TAKING THE COURSE:
“Milli, I love your feedback. You are so encouraging, so uplifting, and your words exude a strength that goes right to my soul. Thank you.” —Claudia Errington, Woodland, California
Claudia has been both two-time student and Course Presenter for the Online Course, and her big-hearted contribution will long be cherished by Milli. Thank you, Claudia.
FROM A GENERAL EMAIL UPDATE, 2008:
“Once again, let me say, I so enjoyed going through the course. It truly was a springboard to get me into the writing world and mode. Especially as I look back now and see from then to present—how much has changed and evolved in my life. Great seeds were planted during that time, some of which are now blooming, some that have been growing steady all along. Very, very cool.” —Claudia
“Declarations of existence excite me. Being isn't always enough. Sometimes I overflow with the desire to describe and share.”
The above quote is from Jayni Wilson, Santa Fe, New Mexico, excerpted from her assignment “I Am a Writer,” Week Four of the Fear of Writing Online Course.
Because she enjoyed it so much, Jayni has done the course twice—once when it was launched in 2001 and again in 2005. Jayni is seen here in Sept. 2005 preparing to do one of her course assignments.
“Dear Milli: Help! I’m an editor and a technical writer and have managed to frighten my inner writer into the depths of a deep, dark, musty coat closet, where she survives on the occasional crust of bread and sip of water. There are characters in my head—I fall asleep thinking about them every night lately—and I have an idea for a world that I’m really enthusiastic about, but all of it is flat as a pancake when I try to write about it. I’m so frustrated! May I please take your class? Thanks!” —Beth Brooks, Senior Editor & President, Paraphrase, Inc., Clinton, New Jersey
“I am so very pleased that I found your Website and your course. I find myself dreading the day when I complete my eighth week in the program. The process of reading and responding, feeding my imagination and filling up pages has become integral to my daily routine. I will certainly miss these daily activities.” —Walt Nickell, Celina, Ohio, seen here with his youngest son, Ben, age 7
READ WALT'S TRIBUTE TO BEN & BEN'S THERAPY DOG, BETTY
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Student Survey
Survey responses from student Sid Mendelson, who completed the course in Aug 2007:
1. What was your favorite piece of writing from the course, and why?
Sid: “I Have the Compass” was my favorite piece of writing because I was able to articulate my soul and spirit as a writer.
2. Did you hate anything that you wrote during the course? If so, why?
Sid: I only hate Brussels sprouts.
3. Did this course help you with your fear of writing?
Sid: It helped me more than I realized. It permitted me to become authentic, and to take chances, with amazing support from Dee. (Sid is referring to Course Presenter, Dee Nielsen)
4. What did you least enjoy about the course curriculum?
Sid: I enjoyed least that their isn’t a Part II ( * )
5. What did you most enjoy about the course curriculum?
Sid: The encouraging and targeted feedback
6. When you enrolled, you told us some of your creative dreams. Did any of those dreams come true during the course?
Sid: I always thought that I possibly had a gift for writing—but I, of course, did not trust this whatsoever. I now trust my gift . . . and my desire to spend my life as a writer is more real than ever before.
Photo caption: “Milli, this picture was taken at our small company outing. I am the strange man with the blanket over his head . . . the real Sid!!!”
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( * ) A second online course is in the plans. To be notified, please subscribe to my newsletter, Fear of Writing Gazette.— Milli
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Course Designer & Course Presenters
COURSE OWNER/COURSE PRESENTER, MILLI THORNTON
MILLI THORNTON is the author of Fear of Writing: for writers & closet writers. She is lead workshop presenter for the Fear of Writing Clinic and her e-book, Become a Workshop Presenter, won first place in the e-book category in the 2004 DIY Festival. Milli runs local writing circles based on the 112 writing prompts in her book—known as the Fertile Material—and her mission is to put the fun back into writing.
She was born in Wallace, Idaho and spent her childhood in Great Falls, Montana. At the tender age of 12, she moved to Australia with part of her large family. She fell in love with Australia and lived there for 25 years, returning to the USA in 1997 to spend time with her family. She ended up staying in the USA, and has since lived in New Mexico, Texas and Mississippi.
Milli plans to live Down Under again some day.
“Milli, I love your feedback. You are so encouraging, so uplifting, and your words exude a strength that goes right to my soul. Thank you.”
—Claudia Errington, Woodland, CaliforniaMilli, thank so so much for your wonderful feedback. The process is so very rewarding in itself, but then to read such supportive feedback...I'm still just beaming.
—Jay Norman, Denton, TX
TRAINEE COURSE PRESENTER, AMY ANDERSON
March 2008 - Part of the requirements for becoming a Course Presenter at Fear of Writing is to experience the course firsthand as a student. AMY ANDERSON, our newest staff member, is currently doing just that.
Amy was born in St. Louis, Missouri and has lived in Rhode Island since age 12. She is happily married and has two kids and two dogs (a boy and girl for each). As a speech language pathologist, she works with people ranging in age from 3 to 93. This career path helps to exercise her interest in all things "language" and her love of helping others.
Amy loves to read (favorite: 19th-century chick lit) and watch movies (favorite: Room With a View), and strives to love exercise. She has a BA in English from Providence College and an MS in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Rhode Island. She considers herself to be a closet writer, and her understanding of what this feels like is used to benefit her students in her work as Trainee Course Presenter.
Under Milli's supervision, Amy has begun posting feedback on the Student Message Boards to gain experience. After she graduates, Amy will enter a period of rigorous training and go for certification. She will be the first to pass through Milli's new, much tougher training regimen.
“I really enjoyed Amy's feedback . . . it was very positive, helpful, and inspiring! She did a great job and she sounds like a gorgeous person (as we used to say during my time in Tasmania).”
—Susan Cutts, Avila Beach, CaliforniaHi Milli, Please thank Amy for the wonderfully inspirational feedback that she has given; it really is good for the ego to hear feedback like that.
—David Schoeman, Dunedin, New Zealand
COURSE DESIGNER, JENNIFER TURNER
JENNIFER TURNER AKA J. R. TURNER is a special figurehead at Fear of Writing. She has acted as both editor of the newsletter and moderator of the chat room (2001 - 2002) and was the first Course Presenter when we launched the Fear of Writing Online Course in September 2001.
Using Milli Thornton's book (Fear of Writing: for writers & closet writers) as her template, Jenny modeled the course on the humorous and philosophical prose, short stories, and writing prompts contained in the the book. In this way, the book becomes a Student Manual to be thoroughly explored in eight weekly segments.
Jenny did a brilliant job interpreting the book into weekly lessons, and Milli is proud to count J. R. Turner as a Fear of Writing asset. Jenny is now busy with her own books—Stark Knight, Silent Knight and My Biker Bodyguard—but she will long be remembered around these parts.
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NEW ENROLLMENT PROCEDURE FOR 2008
We’ve updated our enrollment procedure to give you a better overview of the steps needed to complete your enrollment. We’ve also added more human contact upfront (see Step 2) so you’ll know you’re dealing with real people—people who care.
ENROLLMENT FEE, FEATURES & BENEFITS, GIFT FOR ENROLLING
The course fee is $295 for an 8-week festival of fun (including personalized feedback on each assignment), plus a graduate section full of motivation to help you continue writing. The fee includes an author-signed copy of Fear of Writing: for writers & closet writers to be used as your Student Manual.
NOTE TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: An additional $6.50 will be added for mailing your Student Manual to you overseas.
COMING SHORTLY: An updated overview of the features and benefits students receive from this course. Meanwhile, you can see the list of assignments by clicking here: Curriculum.
YOUR GIFT FOR ENROLLING
Your very own copy of the e-book Face Reading for Writers by Sandra Moore Williams.
Sandra designed this e-book especially at Milli's request. Not only is it exclusive to Fear of Writing, but only students of the Online Course receive a copy. This e-book will show you a uniquely different way of adding depth to your characters. Most writers out there are not using this method, and it would not even occur to them to do so.
“I am totally into this course and it's like a self-indulgent treat (in my mind's eye it's like a home-baked cookie or Godiva chocolate) each time I work on the writing assignments. I posted my Active 2 assignment already. Love the positive feedback. Keep it coming!”
—Amy Anderson, Riverside, RI
ENROLLMENT PROCEDURE
Below are the steps we’ll be taking you through to complete your enrollment in the Fear of Writing Online Course.
Don't worry; you won’t need to remember all these steps. This part is designed to take the mystery out of it for you, just so you'll know what to expect as you make your way through the enrollment procedure. Anything we can do to take the fear of the unknown out of it for you is how we operate here at Fear of Writing.
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”
—Mark Twain
1. Send Milli an email requesting a place in the course (more about this in a moment).
2. Choose an appointment time for a 30-minute phone consultation with Milli. This will be your opportunity to get personal answers to any questions or concerns you may have. The consultation will also
(A) help you understand what you'll be committing to, so you don't scare yourself unnecessarily
(B) help you get your money's worth
(C) help you understand exactly what to do if you get a case of cold feet or “procrastinitus.”
No need to fear this phone contact with Milli. As you can see in the photo, she's a normal human being . . . and she wants to help.
4. After your consultation, you’ll receive an enrollment form by email. This will ask for some basic info—such as your mailing address for delivery of your student manual—plus some personal details to help us get to know you better as a writer.
NOTE: If you haven’t written much yet, don’t worry. This course is perfect for closet writers, and we can definitely set you on the path to calling yourself a “writer.”
5. As soon as we receive your questionnaire we’ll e-mail you a PayPal invoice for $295.
NOTE: You don’t need to have a PayPal account to complete your payment. You can pay by credit card or online check. Paying by credit card will speed your enrollment greatly. If you choose to pay by online check (or by mailing a check) your enrollment will not go through until your check has cleared.
6. After we've received your payment, we’ll
(a) activate your login
(b) send you an e-book excerpt from the Student Manual so you can login and get started right away
(c) send your enrollment gift, Face Reading for Writers by Sandra Moore Williams
(d) mail a signed copy of the Student Manual (Fear of Writing: for writers & closet writers by Milli Thornton) to you via “snail mail.”
Getting started right away is a good way to overcome Cold Feet Syndrome. Step 2 (the enrollment phone call with Milli) will also tell you how to get friendly email support if you run into any fears or problems about getting started.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NEXT - PART A
There's a page or so of mandatory reading that you must complete before you submit your application. This will clarify things in a way that will
(a) help you find out if you're ready for this
(b) show you what to do if you're not quite ready
(c) give you some straight talk that—providing you ARE ready for this course—you'll be bound to appreciate.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NEXT - PART B
Each student works at his or her own pace, so you may enroll and begin at any time. To request enrollment, please email Milli Thornton (after reading the rest of the instructions below):
Your email should consist of one or two paragraphs describing why you’d like to do this course and why you feel you need this course. Don’t be afraid to show us your passion (or your fear).
After reviewing your enrollment request, Milli will offer you various appointment times for the phone consultation. You can choose a day and time that is convenient to you. PLEASE STATE YOUR CITY OR COUNTRY IN YOUR APPLICATION LETTER so Milli can quote appointment times in your local time. Milli is located in the USA, in the Central Time Zone.
FOR OVERSEAS ENROLLMENTS: Calls to countries listed on this World Calling Plan will be done on Milli's free calling plan, so that the cost of a 30-minute call won't prohibit you from the experience. For enrollments from countries not listed on the World Calling Plan, you'll need to download the free Internet calling service known as Skype and plug a microphone into your computer. This will make the call free for you (and you'll probably find that you like Skype so much you'll continue to use it to save money on phone calls).
IMPORTANT NOTE BEFORE YOU WRITE TO MILLI
To increase your chances of being accepted into our Online Course, please read the article Etiquette 101: How to Contact a Writing Website (in particular, Insight #1, #2 and #5) and then return to this page to confirm the course owner's name and email address. Thank you.
“Milli, I've loved your feedback . . . it's really made me feel good about my writing and makes me want to write more.”
—Susan Cutts, Avila Beach, CA
“It’s up to you to make the next move.”
—fortune cookie, China Buffet, Brandon, Mississippi, January 14, 2008
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Mailing List ~ Online Creative Writing Course
“Milli, another great lesson from the course—love what you write, and if someone else likes it: Bonus!”
—Teresa Thomas, Kailua Kona, Hawai'i, Graduate, Jan. 2008
NOT SURE YOU'RE READY TO ENROLL?
We'll send you occasional reminders (plus survey results and other relevant course news) to keep you in the loop until you're ready to make a decision.
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