Wow. A lot of questions about that last post.
Let me answer them here:
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Course Feedback
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Some clarification on my “the course will NOT be one-on-one” statement because some is obviously needed. I did not say I wouldn’t be giving feedback. I said I wouldn’t be able to answer individual questions, or to do crits on projects.
I will be answering questions, which is why the first class is going to be very small, and why subsequent classes will also likely be at least fairly small.
In the last lesson of each month, you’ll receive one PDF that is specifically Q&A from the lessons for that month. You’ll mail them to a special e-mail address, I’ll collect and read them all, and answer them in one FAQ sheet that everyone will be able to use. And THAT is why the first class is going to be very small, and why I have to be careful not to take too many people at one time even later. I’ll always be answering questions. Just not one-on-one.
Consider the time this will take if I have even 100 people going through the course and half of them have even one unique question that requires a thoughtful answer per month.
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Lesson Format
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At the moment, this is the lesson format I’ve hammered out. It isn’t carved in stone, but it’s considerably closer to what I’ll go with than my previous three attempts.
The entire course will include:
- (6) 10-to-20-minute videos (one per month) introducing concepts, building on previous techniques, and giving an overview of how the current month’s lessons will fit into the process;
- (24) PDF lessons
- (18) Technique demonstrations
- (6) Project synthesis tutorials
- (6) Project development checklists, one per month
- (6) Q&A pdfs
Each month, the lessons will run as follows:
WEEK ONE
- Monthly video
Note: I’ll have one large file for people with fast connections, and a group of small files for people with slow connections, so one way or another, everyone should be able to download these. Worst case, I’ll create some sort of private area where class members with really cruddy connections can view them on their browsers.
- PDF lesson
- Technique demo
WEEK TWO
- PDF lesson
- Technique demo
WEEK THREE
- PDF lesson
- Technique demo
WEEK FOUR
- PDF lesson
- Project synthesis tutorial
- Project checklist
- Q&A
The entire course will be downloadable, and while you’ll receive one lesson each week, you don’t have to start on them or do them until you’re ready.
My own personal example on this: I’m currently enrolled in a year-long course I don’t have time to work on right now. However, it’s a great course (and was hard to get into), so I’m staying enrolled and downloading every lesson as it becomes available. I’ll get started on it when THE SILVER DOOR is done.
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Lesson Length
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I’m planning for each lesson to be about 10 content pages long. Unfortunately, I know me, and I know that—aside from novels, where I’m pretty good at hitting planned word lengths—I tend to run over. So for lesson length, figure ten pages, but don’t be surprised if they have a bit more to them than that.
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Virtual Classroom
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I’m still debating a “class space” bulletin board where people could work on lessons together if they chose. HOWEVER… moderation takes time if I do it, and it costs extra money if someone else does it, and I’m not sure if it would add enough to the value of the course to be worthwhile. Interacting with other class members will NOT be a required or necessary part of the course.
At the moment, I’m leaning strongly toward NOT including a virtual classroom. Your comments, however, are welcome.
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Criteria For Getting In
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“What will be your criteria for getting into the course?”
A fast trigger finger.
At least for the very first class. Registration will open one hour early for priority list members. I strongly suspect, because of its size, that the first class will fill up before general registration opens–if that happens, a sign will go up on the main page saying that the class sold out, and that people who didn’t make it into the first class can sign up for the waiting list and join if someone else cancels. People who are on the Priority list are already on the waiting list (it’s the same list). Individual seats that open up won’t be announced anywhere else.
IF I FIND THAT I CAN COMFORTABLY HANDLE MORE THAN THE SMALL ORIGINAL CLASS SIZE, within a month or two I will set up a second class to allow additional folks in. This is an if, not a promise. I’m very determined not to bite of more than I can chew here, because I’m making a six-month commitment of my time and effort to the people who are taking the course, and if I can’t keep up with the workload, everybody loses.
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Will There Be A Book?
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No. This is it. I want to be able to change and update and add things, to keep the Q&A pdfs current, to expand if something cool occurs to me, to add new media if I discover something that will allow me to make points clearer, to help you hit those Ah-HAH! moments faster—and books are lovely, and I love them. But they are static, and not right for this course.
And something that wasn’t asked, but that I’ll answer.
Will those of you who are in the first class be able to receive the updated materials?
Yes.
Will you have to pay extra?
No.
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PRICE
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Now price, because I know that’s a big deal, and a big concern. And the fact is, I don’t KNOW what to charge. I know I’m planning on splitting the cost across the six months the course will take in order to keep it within the reach of just about everyone.
I know putting the course together is going to be time-and-energy intensive for me, I know this is some of the best stuff I have and it’s all original, based on my life experiences and what I’ve done, and how I’ve learned to use good and bad situations and find opportunities and fix problems in order to stay afloat and published in a very competitive, tough business. Like the little courses I offer through the shop, this isn’t based on anyone’s theory. It’s simply what has worked and what continues to work for me, put into a format you can make work for you.
What is that worth, broken down into six monthly installments? I don’t know, but I’d love to hear your opinions.
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Graduating
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Finally, I’m thinking about designing a T-shirt or a mug or something for class graduates—a sort of class ring for the Sideways Thinkers of the world. You could buy it through Cafe Press or something like it. Is that a dumb idea?
), we’re looking at several years for these courses to come together.