Creative Writing Workshop

Quick Facts

Delivery Method Online
Professional Certificate
24hrs Suggested Study Time
3 Months Access
Tutor Support
Study On Any Device
24032 Students

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 Profile

Frequently 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.

What people are saying about our courses

I want to thank you so much. This class has been wonderful for me. As a writer, I know I have a long way to go, but I am willing to do what it takes to get there, and this class has served as wonderful beginning for me. I thank you and hope all aspiring writers take this course. It is a godsend.

Verified Student

This course has been a revelation. I've attended many writers workshops over the past quarter century, and none of them equaled your course. I thought I had a solid grasp on writing techniques and the basics, but you presented solid, step-by-step information that was not only helpful but stimulating and exciting. Concurrently, your comments and encouragement were right on target, as was the support of the classmates. Well done and thorough, and the exercises were superb. Thank you very much.

Verified Student

I didn't have a story that needed to be told. I didn't consider myself a closet writer. I didn't have a book of ideas. I took this course because I wanted to expand my horizons and have fun. This course surpassed all my expectations. I gained insight into and increased the trust in my creative ability. I have become more observant of the world and people that surround me. I've used the skills I learned in this course to become more aware of who I am and what I want in life.

Verified Student

See More Reviews

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.

Our Values

Learn At Your Own Pace

We believe in personalised learning. That's why we provide all the tools and support you need to succeed at your own pace. With flexible learning, you'll stay motivated and retain more information. Plus, you can balance your studies with work and family commitments to make your dreams a reality.

We Won't Break The Bank

Education should be accessible to anyone who wants to learn. That's why we offer some of the most competitive prices in the industry with payments plans for just $25 per week. Investing in your future is a smart choice and doesn’t have to break the bank.

Industry-Led Courses

There's no better way to learn than from experts with years of experience in your field. That's why each of our 200+ industry-led courses are designed to give you a real-life perspective on your industry. With our expert mentors, you'll learn from people who have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and who are passionate about sharing it with you.

Get The Personal Support You Deserve

At Vibe Learning, we're real people who are dedicated to providing you with personal support every step of the way. Our industry experts are not only professional and knowledgeable but also incredibly passionate about sharing their expertise with you. With their guidance, you'll gain invaluable insights and practical knowledge to help you succeed.

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Creative Writing Workshop

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Photoshop CS5 Fundamentals

Quick Facts

Delivery Method Online
Professional Certificate
24hrs Suggested Study Time
3 Months Access
Tutor Support
Study On Any Device
3778 Students

Learn how to use Adobe Photoshop CS5, the world's best graphics program, to edit and process photos and create original images.

Photoshop is the world's best-known photo-editing programâ€”the tool that artists, photographers, designers, and hobbyists all rely on for image creation and editing. In this course, you'll learn how to use Photoshop with skill and confidence, even if you're a beginner.

You'll get detailed, step-by-step instructions from an expert and columnist for Photoshop User magazine who's twice been nominated for the Photoshop Hall of Fame. You'll have no trouble following each stepâ€”even if you've never used a computer for graphics before. And you'll have lots of fun putting your new skills into action in this project-oriented course.

Adobe Photoshop CS5 has a host of impressive new features for photographers, and you'll get to know several of them in these lessons. You'll begin with an introduction to the Photoshop environment. Next, you'll learn how to create simple digital paintings and find out about the new brushes that let you alter a photo to achieve the look of an oil painting.

After that, you'll edit your own photos to get rid of dust and scratches, fix the color, and correct the image exposure. You'll also learn how to switch the backgrounds in images and how to remove wrinkles and blemishes from photos, just like professionals do in magazines.

By the time you finish this fun, hands-on course, you'll be well on your way to expressing yourself with the most exciting graphics program ever developed.

Your journey begins. Whether you’re an aspiring graphic artist or a weekend photographer, Photoshop can take you places you’ve never dreamed of. Even if you've never touched Photoshop before, you'll be able to open, edit, and save files before this lesson ends. You'll also find out how to download images, and you’ll learn simple commands that make an image “pop.”

Did you like playing with paints as a child? In this lesson, you'll discover how enjoyable it can be to paint in Photoshop—where you don't need to clean up after yourself, and there's no odor of turpentine. You’ll find out how Photoshop “thinks” about color and how you can use the brushes inside Photoshop to make a simple landscape. You’ll even blend colors on your image as if they were made of oil paints or watercolors. This is a fun lesson!

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QuickBooks 2013 Fundamentals

Quick Facts

Delivery Method Online
Professional Certificate
24hrs Suggested Study Time
3 Months Access
Tutor Support
Study On Any Device
4839 Students

Learn how to quickly and efficiently gain control of the financial aspects of your business with this powerful accounting software program.

Learn how to quickly and efficiently gain control over the financial aspects of your small business with this powerful accounting software program.

In 12 lessons, you'll master the tools you'll need to set up a chart of accounts; reconcile your checking account; create and print invoices, receipts, and statements; track your payables, inventory, and receivables; create estimates; and generate reports.

With QuickBooks, you get the same ease of use of Quicken coupled with a more traditional approach to accounting to meet the needs of small to midsized businesses. Whether you're new to QuickBooks or have already used earlier versions of this accounting software program, this course will empower you to take control of financial accounting for your business.

In our first lesson, you'll become familiar with the QuickBooks interface. You'll find out how the pros use QuickBooks to simultaneously manage common accounting tasks for multiple companies, you'll get to set up a QuickBooks Company of your very own, and you'll learn some QuickBooks terminology.

<p>The Chart of Accounts is the heart and soul of QuickBooks. In today's lesson, you'll learn how to take fullest advantage of this powerful tool to add, edit, and access accounts that you can use to track the value of your business or monitor your income and expenses. </p> </h1>

<i>Zoom</i>, <i>Scrubby Zoom</i>, <i>Airbrush</i>, <i>Eraser</i>, <i>Smudge</i>: Do you know what these tools and commands mean in Photoshop? You will! In this lesson, you'll find out how to navigate your image so that you can edit and paint more effectively—and give your eyes a rest, too. You'll also learn how to erase, blur, smudge, and finger paint. These techniques are fun, easy ways to make dramatic changes in your images, whether you’re altering photos or creating a work of art from scratch.

Have you seen ads or greeting cards where most of the image is in black and white but one part’s in color? Today you'll find out how to create that effect. You'll be amazed at how easy it is to transform images from color into black and white or even old-fashioned sepia. We'll also cover some tricks with the History Brush tool and history snapshots, so you can experiment while you're creating a hand-tinted image . . . and quickly undo whatever steps you don’t like.

If you wanted a friend to hand you an orange from a fruit bowl, you'd probably just point to the one you want or describe its location. Photoshop also needs directions if you want to lift something out of an image or point it out in some way. The Photoshop name for "pointing" is <i>selections</i>. In this lesson, you'll learn the critical skill of making selections. You'll see how easy it is to isolate portions of your image, so you can add a filter or change the colors. You'll also create <i>vignettes</i>, which are photos with an opaque center that falls off to a very soft edge. And if you don't like the selection you just made, you'll get help from the Refine Edge command.

Photoshop has some great selection tools, but until now, all of them have had trouble selecting exactly what you had in mind. <i>You</i> can see the flower, so why can't Photoshop? Today you'll learn to use the Lasso, Magic Wand, and Quick Selection tools as you practice putting two images together.

You can paint in Photoshop—even if the only thing you can do with paint in ”real life” is spill it! Photoshop lets you create fabulous brushes from images and customize them in many ways. You can modify the new bristle brushes to help you turn photos into art . . . or to create your own work of art just by using brushstrokes.

Gradients are fountains of color. One of the current trends in photography is to colorize areas of a photo with a gradient. You can spend hundreds of dollars buying gradient-colored stock photos—or just use what you learn in this lesson to create them yourself! Even portraits can be much more exciting with a gradient added to them.

Whether you want to add type to a scrapbooking layout, make large type for display, or learn a little bit about Photoshop's Layer Styles, you'll enjoy this lesson. You'll try your hand at making type that warps, wiggles, and follows a path. Then you'll see what you can do to text on your own.

Today you'll learn how to size your images for printing or for the Web. You'll find out how to scan an image so that it's large enough for your needs, but not too large, and how to crop images that have more than you really want to see.

In this lesson, we'll focus on the three R's of photo manipulation: restoring, retouching, and rearranging. You'll be amazed by what you can do—and you'll understand why the phrase "pictures can't lie" is no longer true! You'll also discover how to use the amazing Clone Stamp panel and the preview feature on the Clone Stamp brush cursor. Plus you’ll learn the difference between tire tracking and powder-puff stamping.

<p>Today, you'll become comfortable working with bank accounts in QuickBooks. You'll learn how to tell QuickBooks about checks, withdrawals, and transfers between accounts. You'll get firsthand experience with adding, finding, and editing or voiding all manner of checking and savings account transactions. You'll even be prepared to reconcile your QuickBooks checking account with your monthly bank statement to ensure that no errors were made.</p> </h1> </h1> </h1>

The physical objects you rely on to help you run your business (like furniture, machinery, vehicles, computers, telephones, or even the building that houses your business) all have significant value. The total value of these assets has a direct impact on the overall worth of your business, and there are tax implications if you sell an asset or if its value changes. That's why it's important for you to keep an accurate tally of everything your business owns. Today's lesson will provide you with plenty of opportunities to do just that.

<p>Without an organized system for managing all the bills your business receives, they can really start to stack up. And when bills pile up, it isn't hard to overlook one or two from time to time. That, of course, can result in late fees and credit difficulties. Today, you'll learn how to use QuickBooks to make sure you are paying all of your bills right on time—not too early, and not too late. </p> </h1>

<p>Today, we're going to finish our discussion of QuickBooks' accounts payable tools. You'll learn how to get QuickBooks to memorize bills that you find yourself paying over and over again, month after month. Then, you'll learn how to create some useful accounts payable reports. </p> </h1> </h1>

<p>You'll find today's lesson useful if your business ever finds itself required to collect payment from a customer long after the products or services have been delivered. Today is the day you'll get some hands-on experience with invoicing. You'll find out how to create an invoice, fill it with invoice items, edit it, print it, and even email it to your customers. </p> </h1> </h1> </h1>

<p>Okay, so you've created an invoice and delivered it to your customer. With a little bit of luck, your customer will place the invoice on his or her "to do" list and, eventually, you'll receive some form of payment for your troubles. Now what? You'll find out in today's lesson. </p> </h1> </h1>

<p>Today, we'll explore some useful customer-related reports that can help you keep track of exactly who owes you what. Then, you'll learn what to do if you ever incur a charge on behalf of a customer and wish to be reimbursed for that expense. </p> </h1> </h1> </h1> </h1>

<p>Today, you're going to learn how to customize your QuickBooks invoices to give them a more professional look. You'll also learn how to work with two of QuickBooks' more advanced features: inventory tracking and estimating. </p> </h1> </h1> </h1>

<p>In our final lesson, you'll find out how to create, use, and memorize a wide variety of useful reports that can help you locate, organize, sort, total, summarize, and otherwise make sense of all those transactions you've painstakingly entered into QuickBooks.</p> </h1>

Scott Paxton

Scott Paxton is a Certified Public Accountant, and his background includes experience as a public accountant, a manager in the banking industry, an entrepreneur, and a college business instructor. He is a Certified QuickBooks Professional Advisor ... Read more Read Scott Paxton's Profile

Frequently 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.

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.

The Learning Environment

From the moment that you enrol in the QuickBooks 2013 Fundamentals 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.