- Delivery Method Online
- Professional Certificate
- 24hrs Suggested Study Time
- 3 Months Access
- Tutor Support
- Study On Any Device
- 24032 Students
Creative Writing Workshop
Quick Facts
Get a taste of the writer's life and improve your writing skills in this introduction to writing creatively.
If you've always wanted to write but have no idea where to start, this course will demystify the process for you. You'll get a taste of the writing life, improve your writing skills, and develop new ways to stretch your creative muscles.
This exciting, hands-on course for the creative writing novice is filled with challenging exercises, expert advice, and plenty of direct support and encouragement. As you work your way through the lessons, you'll develop your own short, creative fiction or nonfiction piece.
Our emphasis in this course is on developing your skills through practice, so you'll spend more time writing than reading. You'll master important concepts by completing enjoyable writing exercises and assignments, and you'll discover a variety of strategies and techniques the pros use to develop characters, create a compelling point of view, build interest through dialogue, and add meaning to your stories.
Courses are delivered to you through expertly executed lessons, online instruction and interaction with like-minded students. Our courses are designed to deliver all of the benefits of studying in a classroom whilst giving you the flexibility to study at a time and place to suit your needs. You can access your classroom 24/7 from any device with an internet connection.
This course has a 3 month duration. You'll complete comprehensive lessons, quizzes and assignments before submitting your final exam at the end of the course to achieve your certificate. Courses must be completed within the 3 month access period.
You'll jump right in and start writing in this first lesson, but with the permission to write as poorly as you want. This isn't school as you knew it! Today, you'll find out how to enjoy yourself while you write—when you're having fun, that's when the learning starts. You'll learn how to listen to your mind work so you can practice turning your thoughts into words. You'll discover that you're quite a complicated person and why it's all right to think of yourself as a writer.
In today's lesson, you'll write even more as you practice writing description and capturing detail. More than that, you'll complete writing experiments that will help you discover what ideas and symbols reside in the things you write about. And you'll practice using description to capture emotion. By the end of the lesson, you'll have enough material to decide what you want to write about. You'll start work on a short, creative piece that you'll finish by the end of the class.
Today, you'll explore the different forms that fiction and creative nonfiction can take. Form is the container that holds your ideas. Creative nonfiction is a new genre that offers you many terrific ways to explore your love of writing. To stimulate your creative side, I've also included a list of some odd forms you might try. You'll find out that you have the option of ignoring the decision about form for now, letting it emerge from your content as you write. It takes courage, but you can do it.
Memorizing the major points of view is boring! Instead, you'll spend this lesson writing from each of the points of view, then learning about them afterward. You'll have a lot more fun that way. I'll show you how distance works in creative writing, and why your verb tense can make a big difference. This practice will give you as taste of each point of view option, and help you decide which you want to use in your own creative piece.
In this lesson, you'll get a chance to play by exploring the concept of creativity. You'll find your own creative center and use it to come up with ideas that are better than you expected. You'll try a technique called "galumphing" to create a mini-story. You'll learn to take the attitude of a <em>bricoleur</em> so that you can make something out of nothing. You'll gain the knowledge you need to continually nurture your creative ability.
You'd think the topic of revision would be dull and dry. The exact opposite is true. Revision is one of the most amazing tools a writer can use. Beyond learning the nuts and bolts of revision, you'll learn how revision is a process of discovery. Your creativity will constantly contribute while you evaluate your words using all your abilities. Come along for a bit of revelation.
Here's where you'll learn why it's so easy to write poorly, and you'll discover some good ways to catch yourself when you do. You'll find out why nouns are more powerful than adjectives and why a strong verb outshines a descriptive adverb. Next, we'll examine each step of the communication process and practice making dull sentences interesting. You'll learn a great technique for eliminating clichés and use the depths of your creative ability to write a powerful, original description.
Every creative writer can use some tips about the logistics of dialogue. It's not easy to write what characters are thinking, avoid hedging words, use conflict to create interest, describe emotions, and always get your facts right. These techniques aren't typically taught in school, so it's helpful to learn them here. You'll practice fixing choppy sentences, and you'll begin to think about your readers and what they have to do with what you want to write.
It's time to examine how the act of writing teaches you about yourself. You'll take a good look at the voices of your inner critics to see what they're really telling you. You'll discover whose voices you're listening to and write them "Unsent Letters" to tell them what you think about their messages. You'll try a writing exercise called "The Story of My Life" that will help you examine where you've been and where you'd like to go from here. Then you'll practice the "Ultimate Motivation" exercise to figure out what it takes to make your dreams come true.
Today, you'll delve into the inner workings of stories. We'll explore the three basic building blocks of a plot. You'll try out several ways to make up a plot and learn how to write endings. We'll discuss the option of writing a story before you know how it ends. It takes courage, but the result can be worth the bumpy ride. You'll explore how to move through time using summaries, scenes, and flashbacks. This lesson will help you understand why even simple stories can intrigue and hold your reader.
All people have a lot in common. We share the same basic story. We're born, we struggle, and in the end, we die. Your job as a writer is to create characters that your readers feel similarities with. In this lesson, you'll practice developing characters and using dialogue. You'll learn how to pay attention to people—what makes them different and what makes them the same. I'll pass on some tips on writing good dialogue, and then you'll conduct an in-depth interview—with yourself!
In our last lesson, we'll talk about the ways you'll inevitably doubt yourself as you write. You'll try out two exploratory writing exercises that will help you develop the trust you need to keep on writing. I'll have you consider the point of view of an alien living five million light years away. Humans have an odd habit of writing down events that may or may not have happened. Why do they like to write? What good does it do? How can they tell good writing from what isn't so good? From this perspective, you'll discover why the pursuit of meaning comes naturally to human beings. You'll get some good advice about steps you can take to continue to improve your writing, as well as explore publishing. In your final assignment, you'll share your short creative piece with me and your fellow students.
Ann Linquist
Ann Linquist is a popular continuing education tutor, at corporations, and with non-profit organisations. She has helped thousands of adults learn to tackle their writing tasks with enthusiasm. Having written everything from novels to newsletters,... Read more
Read Ann Linquist's ProfileFrequently Asked Questions
Once you've made the payment, we'll send you a confirmation email with a link to start your course. Feel free to get started whenever you're ready!
You'll have 3 months access to your course. In that time you are free to study at your own pace. The course duration is 24 hours.
Online learning is a flexible way to study that fits around your schedule, giving you the freedom to learn at your own pace from anywhere in the world. You'll have 3 months to complete the course and can take the multiple-choice questions and final exam whenever it suits you.
If you need help, you can contact us anytime. You can also join the discussion area where you can interact with other students. The discussion area for each lesson is open for the entire duration of the course.
Of course! We offer a 7-day money back guarantee. As long as you haven't completed the course, you can get a full refund within 7 days of enrolling.
We do not offer extensions or transfers for this self-paced course. However, you will have 3 months to complete the course, and if you need to cancel within the first 10 days of enrolment, we offer a money back guarantee.
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The Learning Environment
From the moment that you enrol in the Creative Writing Workshop you will become an integral part of our learning community. You'll find yourself with the freedom to learn at a speed that suits you, on any device, from anywhere in the world. Achieving your career goals no longer has to mean compromising family and work commitments.
Jennifer Della'Zanna
Jennifer Della'Zanna graduated from Albright College in Reading, PA with a Bachelor of Arts degree. With 15 years' experience in the health care industry, she has worked as a medical transcriptionist, receptionist, medical assistant, practice administrator, biller, and coding specialist. She has written and edited courses and study guides on medical coding, transcription, and using technology in health care. She regularly writes feature articles about health issues for online and print publications. Jennifer is a member of the American Academy of Professional Coders and the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity.
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