I Don't Think So

Have you ever been excited and hopeful about something only to be let down later? I have – more times than I care to admit. This time, it’s something silly and stupid. Several weeks ago, I saw a ticker at the top of my e-mail box that caught my attention. It said something to the effect of, “Writing Test – Test your skills to see if you can write for publication.” Interested, I clicked on the link and arrived at the web site of The Long Ridge Writers Group based in West Redding, CT. Reading through the information provided on their site, one learns that this group strictly limits enrollment in their program to those who pass the writing test and somewhere (though at the moment, I cannot find where I read it) they say that they only pass about one third of the people who take the test. I took the test. (Honestly it was more out of curiosity to see how it would turn out than hopes for enrollment in the program. I write for me, not for publication. If someone were to find my work good enough to publish without having to sell myself out by writing a trashy romance novel, I might consider it, though.) I passed the test. I just got the thick enrollment packet in the mail yesterday. Pleased with myself I was – until I started seeing red flags. First of all, while the test itself was free, I could find no mention on their site of how much enrollment would be should I pass. In the packet of information I received yesterday, there was a small brochure suggesting that the $912 enrollment fee could be paid in full or, should I prefer, I could make low monthly payments of $57. They also provided a convenient $35 voucher for me to use toward the fee if I enrolled before January 30th. One heck of a deal, let me tell you! Secondly, they “introduced” me to my one-on-one writing instructor whose name was Jackie Diamond Hyman (ugh!) who has published many romance novels, among other things. Right up my alley! Just what I need! Third, I was unimpressed by the fact that there was not one single piece of paper in the entire package that was personal, handwritten or sporting an original signature. Form this, brochure that... Makes me wonder just how many people they actually do enroll; I’d be willing to bet they enroll more than the one third! What it boils down to is that I am not willing to spend nearly $1000 of my hard earned money on a program to “improve” my writing. If I had disposable income, it might be something fun to do just because, but I can go to the local community college and take a creative writing class for a lot less and get a college credit for it! Oh, and you should see some of the things they promise you’ll have accomplished by the time you complete the program. Not doing it. Anyway – thought I’d share. TTFN JMS