OMG!, the DOUBLE FISTED KITTY ATTACK OF CUTE! there is no defence.
I know! I'm dooooomed!
D'awwwwwwwwww! <3 They're such manipulative little things, aren't they? Severus, the little boy kitty (his sister is named Lily and they have Hogwarts house collars- Slytherin for Sev and Gryffendor for Lily
), likes to do something naughty, not listen when I say 'no' so I have to get up and move him or bat him away and then he'll meow sadly and curl up on my lap like he's in time-out. Every time.
First: omg, total name wins! Second: I want collars like that for Sophie and Fez! Third: yeah... That's familiar. Except my kitties aren't cuddlers, so they just give me that hurt look, like I've just taken their favourite toy and ripped its head off in front of them...
Okay, question to the masses. For those of you that took creative writing at a college or university level, did you find it helpful?
I had three CW classes at university level and I found them extremely useful. The short story class was a good intro to discussing my work in a group setting, which helped me develop thick skin. It also meant I spent butt in chair time at least once a week for a new story. Very few of my fellow students liked the fantasy genre and they weren't very kind, but to be fair, I disliked their pretentious 'literary' stuff, too. Who wants to read 10 pages of stream of consciousness about sunlight dappled leaves? I don't, especially if it's a vehicle for author ego.
The poetry class showed me how much I suck at poetry. I don't enjoy reading or writing it, for the most part. I never found a way to tell a good story with it. I've come around a bit after hearing (editing...) some very good readings of Tennyson's work a few years ago, but it's still not my bag, really.
I spent most of my time entertaining the professor writing my genre but putting my classmates in the story in not so subtle ways. But because it was genre and they were all caught up in dissing genre they never caught on.
*disclaimer - it was one of those expensive private liberal arts colleges that put me in debt to my ears. So, use your own imagination for the student body.
I so wish I'd thought of that! My short story profs were very encouraging, actually. One of them was the first to recommend I submit something. I did and got a rejection postcard, but it was an interesting experience.
My uni was like that, too (private out of state was cheaper than paying out of state fees, though, by about 10 grand a year). It was big on theatre arts and communications, too, so lots of drama.