Second Draft: Writers' Courses

Would you pay over £100 to have someone tell you how to write your second draft?  I considered this recently, tempted by an email from Writers&Artists.  They have loads of courses for writers, nothing cheap, all very tempting, particularly the ones aimed at self-publishers.  All that brilliant advice from editors, publishers, agents etc etc - surely invaluable, I thought.  The course that really tempted me is called "The Novel:  Writing is Re-Writing."  You have to have at least your first draft finished to qualify for the course and considering the trouble I've had with my second draft on my latest novel, I was hugely tempted.  I even inspected my finances and wondered if this would count as a birthday present.  No chance of ever claiming the money back from the tax man because everything I was promised about filing claims turned out to be a lie - you get NOTHING back except the 7p interest you made on your ailing savings account.  Bastards.  But I digress.  I was just about to click, yes, I'll do the course, sign me up, where do I fill in the on-line form........when I suddenly remembered what I'm like.  I never take advice from anyone, least of all about writing.  If I have a problem, it's more satisfying to fix it up myself.  Also, I hate talking about my work.  And I wouldn't want anyone to see my work while it was still in the creative phase.  I'd be terrified someone would steal my idea or - far worse - tell me how to change it because it was second rate.  I wouldn't want anyone to say to me "would you consider......."  No, I wouldn't.  And last, but so very much not least, I've finished more novels than I care to remember.  I got stuck on them too.  One got totally overhauled ten years after it was finished.  Another one I couldn't "find" the main character, and when I did, he turned out to be the best character I've ever created.  I have to keep reminding myself of these things while I write, because whatever problem I come up against, I've got through them before and the only way to go is to persist, persist, persist.  It's a courageous soul that continues on the obstacle course from hell, or so I keep telling myself.  I may only do a few hours a day, but I keep on doing those few hours and eventually it all adds up and the novel is finished.  But that's another day, another year.  So no fancy courses for me, telling me what to do.  I'm sure there are people out there who really need other people to tell them what to do.  For me, the obstacle course isn't worth doing unless you do it by yourself.
......although I did dream for a few moments, while considering the course, that one of the agents would go "wow, this is the most amazing novel I've seen under construction in the last 100 years when are you going to finish it's going to win every prize in the universe here's a billion dollars to keep you warm."
Yes, well. 

This is the link, if you're interested:  Writers&Artists:  Writing is Re-Writing