The Joys Of Teaching

THE JOYS OF TEACHING There’s an old saying: “You can’t train an old canine new tricks.” This is crap. Though there are individuals in this world who would not think about me significantly old, there’s another old saying: “You’re only as old as you are feeling.” If that old saying is true then more often than not I’m in my mid-nineties. But in actuality I’m 48. Maybe that’s not so old, and then I’m an individual, too, and not a dog, so perhaps it’s this: “You can teach a middle aged man new methods?” My new trick, developed over the previous couple years, is teaching writing. For years I labored as an editor and actually put some effort into flying under the radar. To meâ€"and I nonetheless feel this mannerâ€"one of the best editor is invisible, not forcing himself into the thoughts of the reader, however acting as a person mentor to the writer. So for a really long time I averted the “highlight.” I only grudgingly attended conventions, as my former bosses at TSR and Wiza rds of the Coast would attest. I didn’t thoughts being a sort of emcee on a panel, but I didn’t like the thought of showing the person behind the scenes. Author, promote thyself! It even took some doing for my former boss and present pal and editor Peter Archer to speak me into writing The Guide to Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction. We each knew that I would have lots to say on the subject, but a part of my reluctance was this idea of “popping out,” of stepping out from the anonymity of the editor’s desk. I was particularly reluctant in regards to the inclusion of the R.A Salvatore short story and any sort of revelation of how we labored collectively once I was his editor at Wizards of the Coast, and I type of danced round that even in the ultimate published e-book. And then I was laid offâ€"thrust out into the chilly, unforgiving panorama of post-Republican America, staring down the barrel of a thirty-year mortgage and, properly, a sure level of “sink or swim” that I hadn’t needed to come to grips with shortly. I also had this new book out, and I knew I wanted to be the point person if it was going to get any sort of attention, let alone any gross sales. This blog was born, and I took to it like a fish to water. I’ve posted right here every Tuesday since June 15, 2009, and it’s turn into such a part of my life that if it will get to be noon on Tuesday and I haven’t posted something I begin getting all twitchy then begin actually freaking out, till I sit down and write something. I started a Twitter account because I was attempting to get in touch with somebodyâ€"a work factor on the time, not worth going into detail aboutâ€"then discovered myself really tweeting. Now I’m this itinerant tweeter, posting nonsense typically, snippets of shameless self-promotion other instances, and in general throwing myself out into the world one hundred forty characters at a go. Then, again in an effort to sell the guide, I began doing conference semi nars of my very own. I began small, at Steamcon here in Seattleâ€"a small, but terrific steampunk conference where I spoke to about six folks, one of whom was my spouse. Then I flew all the way down to San Francisco for Wondercon and did the same seminar, what I lovingly refer to as my “canine and pony present” to about 200 individuals. I was floored by the gang in that room. Really? That many people to hear me speak about writing fantasy and science fiction? And they laughed at my jokes and requested good questions and listened attentively to the solutions and clapped for me when it was over? Really? Well, that was all it took. I was off to the races then and have been going to as a lot of these things as my restricted finances will permit. Weekend before final I made my second appearance at Seattle’s Emerald City Comicon, and for the second yr in a row the organizers had to reduce off the line and some disenchanted folks didn’t get in to see me. I even have to admit that f or me that’s half inconceivable to believe and half dangerously ego-inflating. And someplace along the road, as I was studying up on how to make a living as an independent marketing consultant/freelancer, it was instructed that I train a classâ€"instructed in that, “everyone who’s studying this e-book ought to teach a class” type of means. I thought, gee, I do like doing my dog and pony show, and get frustrated that I only have fifty minutes to attempt to educate people something a few topic that, nicely, let’s just say requires greater than fifty minutes to study. Maybe educating a category could be my means of drawing that canine and pony present out for a smaller group of individuals, and I might truly read what they’re writing and reply very particular questions, and, oh, what the hell, I’ll pop on over to the web site for the local community school. Before I knew it I had signed on to show a continuing schooling class at Bellevue College referred to as, await it . . . Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction. Then I was invited back to do it once more, then I advised a class on Worldbuilding, which I’m teaching right now, and a one-day seminar referred to as Living Dialog, and here I am, preparing for my third time period at Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction, and I’ve suggested a category on enhancing fiction that the school is considering. And within the meantime, more conventions and writers conferences. And I adore it. It by no means occurred to me I would really like it as a lot as I do, even once I first signed on to show. It’s long ago stopped being a way to sell the book, which is now plugging away just nice, though reality be told it’s probably plugging away simply nice totally as a result of I’m “on the market.” This old dog, nearer to 50 now than forty, has learned a new trick, and part of what I love about it is that I haven’t discovered it all the way yet. Every term the Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction class will get s lightly tighter. I learn as much from my college students as they do from meâ€"another old saying, this one completely true no less than in my experience. And in answer to some within the Twitterverse who’ve seen me plugging my Bellevue College classes but who stay exterior the Seattle area, I even have been attempting to get on the market on-line, too, and here’s one which’s enrolling now: The First 10 Pages: Science Fiction & Fantasy Boot Camp from Writer’s Digest University. Author Jay Lake and agent Carlie Webber and I might be speaking concerning the all-important first ten pages of your manuscript and shall be doing hands-on critiques. I recorded the presentation yesterday and might’t wait to dive in to the remainder of it in a couple weeks. Most of the remainder of my day at present might be spent getting ready for tonight’s Worldbuilding class, where we’ll be talking about geography. Me in a room with a handful of like-minded individuals speaking about fantasy maps, and I only have three hours? Not enough time! What I’m trying to say is that this: If you’re an skilled writer or editorâ€"or have one thing to say about any subjectâ€"find a way to get on the market and teach. If you’re an aspiring writer and you’re looking for methods to enhance your craft, spend money on yourself and your profession and get on the market and take a class. I’ll admit to a degree of cynicismâ€"we all endure from it every so oftenâ€"and I went into the first continuing ed class terrified that I can be confronted with a classroom filled with psychotics. I can’t even inform you the nightmare scenarios that performed out in my fevered imagination. But then from day one what I was confronted with was hardly a room of loopy individuals but a room stuffed with smart, artistic, energetic minds coming from all walks of life, ranging in age from teens to sixties, and every one of them with something interesting to say and real talent and drive for writing. It’s been superb so far, and I hope to maintain doing it eternally. â€"Philip Athans About Philip Athans