Recommended Books

• A Short Story Writer's Companion
• Creating Short Fiction: The Classic Guide to Writing Short Fiction
• Schaum's Quick Guide to Writing Great Short Stories

Featured Courses in Creative Writing

Other Related Classes in Creative Writing

• ABC's of Technical Writing Technical writing is the art and science of translating technical information into readable, accessible writing usable by a wide audience. If you have ever read the user's manual for a piece of software or equipment you've purchased, you've seen technica...
• Advertising, Marketing and Sales Writing There you are, cold-calling yet another sales prospect. Your verbal pitch is pure gold; your prospect is attentive--interested--and seems ready to buy. But just as you're about to close the deal, you hear that eternal refrain: Send me something ...
• Building Children's Reading Skills This course will provide the learner with a better understanding of the underlying concepts needed to improve the reading skills in children and adults. Through readings, lessons, quizzes and independent explorations, the learner will leave the course w...
• Creative Writing 101 'Creative Energy-Flow and the Written Word' is an attempt to capture what cannot be held in hand or thought--the elusive riddle of human creativity as we find it in our writing. Here we look at various forms and genres (books, dramas and plays, poetry, e...
• Creative Writing Workshop Do you dream of writing poetry, short stories, or novels? Have you ever watched a movie or a play and felt the desire to write a script of your own? Or have you already done some writing but want to find ways to bring more creativity, more originality,...
• ESL Basic Grammar and Writing This ESL basic grammar and writing course will provide an introduction to the basics of American English grammar and writing. We'll be covering the following topics in detail: - review the basic English structure in the form of nouns, verbs, prepositi...
• Essay Writing 101 Essays are a vital part of writing, both in academic circles and in many professions. Being able to write good essays is a rare ability and those that can demonstrate a mastery of this writing form will quickly distinguish themselves from those who write...
• Freelance Writing 101 If you have ever dreamed of being a freelance writer this course is for you. Get started today learning about this exciting field and in no time you can be on your way to earning a living, extra income, and more, by doing something that you love – ...
• Grammar 101 This self-paced online course will provide a review of the grammar and writing skills necessary when taking any high school or college test, or with your everyday work-related writing and correspondence. Divided up into twelve easy-to-understand lessons...
• How to Teach Reading Fundamentals Reading is the process of absorbing the written word. Whether in English or another language, reading is an essential part of communication between human beings. Reading comprehension is the ability to process, think through and connect ideas that are ex...
• How to Write Short Stories for Children 101 Do you long to write but feel like you're too busy? Writing for children can be the answer. Children's stories are generally far shorter and simpler than stories for adults. You can draft an 800 word children's story during a couple of lunch hours or dur...
• Humor Writing 101 Humor Writing There's no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you. (Will Rogers) Laughing- the salve of the soul. When we feel at our lowest sometimes the only thing that can turn our mood around and lift ...
• Journaling and Memoir Writing 101 It doesn't matter if you're a famous politician, suburban homemaker or someone in between, the fact of the matter is that everyone has a personal story worth telling. Whether you want to honor someone who's made a difference in your life, heal old wounds...
• Mystery Writing 101 This course is perfect for those who have an interest in either Creative Writing or the Mystery Genre . If you love to write and want to move into this popular genre, or you love to read a great mystery and have often thought you could do it, this cours...
• Nonfiction Writing 101 The famous Ayn Rand once wrote, Like every human activity, [writing] requires practice and knowledge. But there is nothing mystical about it. Any person who can speak English grammatically can learn to write nonfiction. This is as true today as when Ms. ...
• Novel Writing 101 From character and plot-conflict development to infusing a unique style and specialized writing techniques, the steps to writing a novel--while not utterly impossible--do require a dedicated, disciplined approach. By committing to the steps outlined ...
• Poetry Writing 101 This poetry course is created for the lover of poetry who wants to learn how to appreciate the art even more. It is also for student poets who want to improve their craft. This course is thorough in teaching all students everything they need to know abo...
• Punctuation and Grammar 101 Do you need a refresher course in basic punctuation and grammar? Is your business writing, school writing or personal writing a disaster and you're tired of stressing over mistakes? Improper grammar and punctuation is a sign for some people, right or w...
• Romance Writing 101 Writing a romance novel is the dream of many people all over the world. It's no wonder: as the most popular fiction genre in the United States for the past three decades, there are more opportunities in romantic fiction than ever before. What's uniq...
• Spelling 101 Do you use your Spell Check on your computer obsessively? Are you afraid to write anything without a dictionary or computer spelling program? Are you receiving low grades on schoolwork because of poor spelling? Are your business emails filled with emba...
• Travel Writing 101 Travel writing is a fun, interesting and fulfilling career. If your goal is to become a full-time travel writer who is able to live off your income from writing alone, it is important to understand that travel writing, like any other career, requires you...
• Writing Basics 101: Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, Writing Structures Most of us learned spelling and grammar in elementary school and brushed up on the rules occasionally in junior high or middle school. Once we entered high school, it was assumed we knew and remembered all of the essentials -- and slowly we discovered t...
• Writing Effective Persuasion 101 Do you hear stirring speeches that inspire to go out and take to heart what the speaker was talking about? Do you wonder how some people can sell nearly anything simply by how they talk? If you do, then chances are you are wondering about being persuasiv...
• Writing Improvement 101 We know that effective writing will help students in their coursework but it's equally important to write well in the workplace. If a job interviewer is considering two qualified candidates, the candidate who can write well will have the edge. If you're ...
• Writing the Great American Short Story A pair of hands on the keyboard, a blank screen, and a single wish: You want to write the Great American Short Story! You've read many of them -- Poe's Black Cat, Cheever's Enormous Radio, Welty's The Worn Path -- but have you come close to writing a tal...