Creative Writing for Beginners

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15

Lessons
32

Exams &
Assignments
14

Hours
average time
1.4

CEUs
2,265

Students
have taken this course

Course Description

Creative writing is a form of artistic expression. While the painter uses canvas and the sculptor uses clay, the writer uses pen and paper – or computer and keyboard in today's world. This course is designed to teach you the tools and mechanics of creative writing. You'll learn about writing fiction, poetry, screenplays, and even nonfiction. It doesn't matter if you're already writing or if you want to learn more about it so you can start. This course teaches you the basics that you need to know and gives you the skill sets you need to start creating your written works of art.

You'll learn:

The different forms of creative writing
The true value of creative writing
Reasons why you should write
The tools you need to write excellent fiction
The different types of nonfiction
How to write memoirs, biographies, and autobiographies
How to write articles for newspapers, blogs, or journals
How to overcome writer's block
How to write poetry
And how to get your work recognized and published

There are fifteen comprehensive lessons in this course. After each lesson, you'll find exercises that will help you review what you've learned. You'll also find a dozen writing assignments that you can use to get the ideas flowing and start writing.

This course is the perfect introduction to creative writing. It will teach even the newest writers how to successfully take their ideas and put them onto paper. Even if you've never written anything before, this course will get you started – and you'll be amazed at how well you can actually do once you've finished.

Completely Online
Self-Paced
6 Months to Complete
24/7 Availability
Start Anytime
PC & Mac Compatible
Android & iOS Friendly
Accredited CEUs

Universal Class is an IACET Accredited Provider

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Course Lessons

Average Lesson Rating:

"Extraordinarily Helpful"

(2,257 votes)

Lesson 1: Introduction to Creative Writing

This course teaches you the basics, and gives you the skill sets you need to start creating your written works of art. 40 Total Points

Lesson 1 Video
Review Article: What Is Creative Writing?
Take Poll: Writing
Complete Assignment: An Introduction
Complete: Lesson 1 Assignment
Complete: Lesson 1 Exam

Lesson 2: Exploring Creative Writing

People write for many reasons.Some write for their own personal enjoyment. Others write as gifts to others. 35 Total Points

Lesson 2 Video
Complete: Lesson 2 Assignment
Complete: Lesson 2 Exam

Lesson 3: Secrets of Creative Writing

When you learn to use the tools that professional writers use, you truly master creative writing. 35 Total Points

Lesson 3 Video
Review Article: Clauses
Complete: Lesson 3 Assignment
Complete: Lesson 3 Exam

Lesson 4: Elements of Short Story and Fiction Writing

In this lesson you'll learn components you need to write a narrative. 35 Total Points

Lesson 4 Video
Complete: Lesson 4 Assignment
Complete: Lesson 4 Exam

Lesson 5: Dialogue

Dialogue is defined as a conversation between two or more characters or people. 35 Total Points

Lesson 5 Video
Review 2 Articles: Writing Dialogue; Stories told in dialogue
Review Video: Writing Dialogue
Complete: Lesson 5 Assignment
Complete: Lesson 5 Exam

Lesson 6: Point of View

The point of view that you choose in your writing will depend on what you want to accomplish, your story itself, and how much influence you want a character to have over each scene. 35 Total Points

Lesson 6 Video
Review Article: Point of View for Short Stories
Take Poll: Point of View
Complete: Lesson 6 Assignment
Complete: Lesson 6 Exam

Lesson 7: Writing Nonfiction

In this lesson, we're going to focus on the three types of nonfiction that appeal to most creative writers. 35 Total Points

Lesson 7 Video
Review Article: 10 Tips for Nonfiction Writers
Complete: Lesson 7 Assignment
Complete: Lesson 7 Exam

Lesson 8: Writing Poetry

Poetry is a beautiful art, and it's an art that you're going to learn about in this lesson. 34 Total Points

Lesson 8 Video
Review Article: Writing Poetry
Complete: Lesson 8 Assignment
Complete: Lesson 8 Exam

Lesson 9: Writing Articles, Blogs, and Journalistic Pieces

What you learn in this lesson can be used to write articles for article banks, blogs, or newspapers, both online and off. 34 Total Points

Lesson 9 Video
Review Article: Effective Internet Article Writing
Complete: Lesson 9 Assignment
Complete: Lesson 9 Exam

Lesson 10: Writing Dramas, Scripts, and Screenplays

Writers who write dramas are often called screenwriters, and sometimes scriptwriters, because the words they write will often be acted out on stage, instead of just read from a book. 34 Total Points

Lesson 10 Video
Review 2 Articles: How to Write a Movie; How to Write a Play
Complete: Lesson 10 Assignment
Complete: Lesson 10 Exam

Lesson 11: The Importance of Editing

Editing is the process of arranging, revising, and preparing work for publication. 35 Total Points

Lesson 11 Video
Review 2 Articles: Creative Writing Editing Tips; Rewriting and Editing
Complete: Lesson 11 Assignment
Complete: Lesson 11 Exam

Lesson 12: Overcoming Writer's Block

Writer's block is a phrase that's used when someone who wants to write can't. 35 Total Points

Lesson 12 Video
Review 2 Articles: Tips for Overcoming Writer's Block; Stephen King's Tips
Take Poll: Writer's Block
Complete: Lesson 12 Assignment
Complete: Lesson 12 Exam

Lesson 13: Unlocking Your Creativity

This lesson is full of creative writing prompts you can use to unlock your creativity to produce ideas, then flesh them out once you come up with them. 35 Total Points

Lesson 13 Video
Review 4 Articles: Creative Writing Prompts; 25 Creative Writing Prompts; Submissions; Improving Your Writing
Complete: Lesson 13 Assignment
Complete: Lesson 13 Exam

Lesson 14: Resources for Writers

Most people who write on a regular basis want to publish their work. 35 Total Points

Lesson 14 Video
Review Article: Writing.Com
Complete: Lesson 14 Assignment
Complete: Lesson 14 Exam

Lesson 15: Publishing Your Writing

You're going to learn the various ways you can build a name for yourself and publish your work, as well as the best ways to make money from your writing. 106 Total Points

Lesson 15 Video
Review 2 Articles: 7 Publishing Tips; On Publishing Yourself
Take Poll: What do you think about this course?
Take Survey: Program Evaluation Follow-up Survey (End of Course)
Complete: Lesson 15 Assignment
Complete: Lesson 15 Exam
Complete: The Final Exam

598

Total Course Points

Learning Outcomes

By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:

Describe the creative writing process.
Define elements of short story and fiction writing.
Demonstrate dialogue.
Demonstrate point of view.
Demonstrate writing nonfiction.
Demonstrate writing poetry.
Demonstrate writing articles, blogs, and journalistic pieces.
Demonstrate writing dramas, scripts, and screenplays.
Describe the importance of editing.
Describe techniques overcoming writer's block.
Recognize new ways to unlock your creativity.
Describe ways to publish your writing, and
Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.

Additional Course Information

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