STUDENT SUCCESS STORY
No Barriers to Writing Success
ACS Student Season (aka Bubble Girl) explains how distance education put her on the path to becoming a published writer.
Writing is an intoxicating obsession, so much so that the idea of fame and accomplishment can distract from the hard work: grammar and spelling, creating tone and mood, sorting ideas, and heavy proofreading. Writing a book or article to completion is consuming enough that some give up.
I had all of these skills but often felt challenged to complete these steps effectively and methodically. Inspiration came in small amounts and work was not done to my best ability. Sometimes I wondered if I was ever going to finish anything! One project was covered by another on my desk as inspiration and energy were channelled to new pieces, the old one left until 'later'.
When looking through the course guidelines, I was concerned that I already knew a lot of the material. However, my tutor Tosca recognised the knowledge I already owned and used my assignments to teach more advanced skills. She gave me advice of how to polish and choose more suitable words. Rewrites weren't seen as irritating corrections but as the chance to write better. Making mistakes didn't mean I wasn't 'good enough'.
ACS's Creative Writing course taught me to become a disciplined writer. Although I still have new ideas, I have learnt to put these aside until a project is done. In fact, my ideas are more rapid since the course. Three of the assignments teach students to find inspiration and ideas. I never knew I had so much imagination! The course taught me to plan thoroughly, deciding on angle and mood first, which meant less rewriting. The assignments helped me schedule my time and I began finishing projects. I even completed my first book to be published in April, a quirky children's story about a puppy who grows up, teaching both parents and children about their pets' deepest thoughts.
I have almost finished my course and see a promising future in writing. My first book will be released soon worldwide and I have another two on the way. My autobiography will let people into my world of living in a 'bubble', and my Pocket PC book will teach users of the versatility of miniature mobile technology. After these will be many more books to satisfy my increasing support network and fans. I am glad I signed up to study with ACS. My course has been a delight when I thought it would be difficult for a person allergic to print.
Written by Season BubbleGirl, author of A Doggy Diary