How about a creative writing class featuring guest lectures by successful professional writers who are willing to share their insightful tips of the trade?

Creative Writing with Dr. Mike Bellah offers exactly that. The class meets Monday nights this Fall at Amarillo College, and it can be taken for either academic credit or as continuing education.

The class meets from 6 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Monday’s in Ordway Hall, Room 204, and the first hour of each class will be devoted to hearing from a special guest author. The remainder of each class meeting is when students work on their own projects—novels, poetry, short stories—whatever inspires them. The class runs from Aug. 24 to Dec. 7.

“Amarillo has some of the most successful writers in the U.S. and they are more than willing to share their expertise,” Bellah, professor of English, said. “Each Monday night we have a different author who shares writing tips, how he or she got started, how they market their works.

“It’s the great talent of our local authors that makes this particular creative writing class a success.”

The Fall lineup has not yet been finalized, Bellah said, but in the past his students have learned a great deal from such luminaries as New York Times bestselling romance author Jodi Thomas, and Linda Castillo, whose crime-thriller about murder in the Amish country was recently made into a TV movie.

“There are always surprises,” Bellah said. “Last year, singer-songwriter Randy Palmer came in and talked about writing lyrics for his ballads. We’ve also had a number of successful columnists, like Jon Mark Beilue, David Horsley and Mark Williams, who write what the industry calls creative non-fiction.”

Poets will be featured as well. Canyon’s Don Williams historically begins the semester by reading his epic poem “Wolfe,” which is a West Texas version of the Old English Beowulf story.

Bellah is always looking for new authors, too, and last year he enticed Tim Lewis to share his journey in publishing “Forever Friday,” while Kimberly Black talked about her debut novel, “Lydia Woman of Purple.”

Students taking the course for academic credit are asked to submit a portfolio of their own works, any style, any topics, for grading purposes.

To register for Creative Writing with Dr. Mike Bellah, call (806) 371-5000 or visit www.actx.edu.

August 3, 2015