Creative Writing Workshop

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13

Lessons
29

Exams &
Assignments
14

Hours
average time
1.4

CEUs
4,211

Students
have taken this course

Course Description

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, to your writing? Have you ever read a so-so novel or seen a lousy movie and told yourself, "I bet I could do better?" Do you find yourself excited and intrigued by words, and by their sounds and meanings?

If you said yes to any of these questions, then this course is for you. A creative writer makes art just as a painter or sculptor does, but with different tools. Instead of brushes, canvas, and pigments, the writer uses words. While the painter produces a painting we can see in front of us, the writer makes magic of a different sort. With a simple palette of letters and punctuation - just lines and symbols scratched on paper or scattered on a computer screen - the writer can create pictures and even entire worlds within a reader's mind.

There are many forms of creative writing, from fiction, to poetry, to stage play and screenplay. Within each form there are countless genres and flavors. As a writer, you can (and should) try your hand at as many forms as you like, or you can specialize in one. There are techniques and practices that are common to all forms of creative writing, and we will discuss those here. We will also touch on the challenges and techniques that make writing in the different forms unique. Throughout this course, you will find numerous exercises designed to get your brain - and your hand - moving.

Completely Online
Self-Paced
6 Months to Complete
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Start Anytime
PC & Mac Compatible
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Accredited CEUs

Universal Class is an IACET Accredited Provider

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Course Lessons

Average Lesson Rating:

"Extraordinarily Helpful"

(3,573 votes)

Lesson 1: Small Steps

As a student of this course, and as a creative writer, you will be writing. Decide where your words will go. Will you write longhand, with pen and paper, or will you type your words on a keyboard? 31 Total Points

Lesson 1 Video
Complete Assignment: An Introduction
Complete: Assignment 1: Starting Small
Complete Exam: Lesson 1: Small Steps

Lesson 2: Getting Out of Your Own Way

If you long to write creatively, but you've had a hard time getting started, you are not alone. There are far more people in the world who wish they were writers, than those who actually write. 30 Total Points

Lesson 2 Video
Review 2 Articles: Being Held Back by Your Fear of Writing?; Online Writing Groups, Writing Communities and Critique Groups
Complete: Assignment 2: Combatting Fear
Complete Exam: Lesson 2: Getting Out of Your Own Way

Lesson 3: Diving In

The path to inspired writing,is to write whether you feel inspired or not. Get up every day, and go jogging with your pen and your mind. Work your writing muscles and your writer's mind. 34 Total Points

Lesson 3 Video
Complete: Assignment 3: Freewriting
Complete Exam: Lesson 3: Diving In

Lesson 4: Gear

If you have begun writing along with the exercises, rather than reading all the way through first, you have already made some decisions about the tools you will use as a writer. 30 Total Points

Lesson 4 Video
Review Article: The Creative Penn
Complete: Assignment 4: Evaluating Tools
Complete Exam: Lesson 4: Gear

Lesson 5: Words on a Page

When asked how to write well, the Poet Dylan Thomas was said to have answered simply, "Love the words." As a writer, words are your primary tool. Fall in love with them. 35 Total Points

Lesson 5 Video
Complete: Assignment 5: Show Don't Tell
Complete Exam: Lesson 5: Words on a Page

Lesson 6 : On the Shoulders of Giants: Learning by Imitation

You can learn so much by reading and emulating the work of writers you admire. Learning from the work of those who came before us, is a time-honored and essential practice in all of the creative arts. 34 Total Points

Lesson 6 Video
Complete: Assignment 6: Choosing Mentors
Complete Exam: Lesson 6 : On the Shoulders of Giants: Learning by Imitation

Lesson 7: Finding Your Voice

No one has ever been exactly like you, and no one ever will be. You have a unique perspective on the world, a unique set of ideas, of values, of passions. 35 Total Points

Lesson 7 Video
Complete: Assignment 7: Your Passions
Complete Exam: Lesson 7: Finding your Voice

Lesson 8: Poetic Devices

More than any other kind of writer, poets play with words, combining them in ways they have not been combined before. One of many techniques poets use to communicate with readers is through figurative language. 30 Total Points

Lesson 8 Video
Complete: Assignment 8: Using Metaphors
Complete Exam: Lesson 8: Poetic Devices

Lesson 9: Poetic Forms

Poetry can be written using any number of set forms, structures which govern the number of lines, the number of syllables per line, how rhymes (if any) are organized, and where breaks between lines occur. 35 Total Points

Lesson 9 Video
Review 2 Articles: Poetic Forms; Slam Poetry
Complete: Assignment 9: Sonnets and Haikus
Complete Exam: Lesson 9: Poetic Forms

Lesson 10: Short Story

The short story is fiction in its most compressed form, and is often the place where the fiction writer begins. 34 Total Points

Lesson 10 Video
Review 2 Articles: Rules and Tools; Writing Short Stories
Complete: Assignment 10: Narrative Practice
Complete Exam: Lesson 10: Short Story

Lesson 11: The Long Haul: Writing a Novel

A short story is generally about a single event. A character is faced with a single situation, a single goal to achieve. When the character succeeds or fails at achieving this goal, the story ends. 34 Total Points

Lesson 11 Video
Complete: Assignment 11: Creating Characters
Complete Exam: Lesson 11: The Long Haul: Writing a Novel

Lesson 12: Upstage, Downstage: Writing Drama

Have you ever gone to a play, or watched a movie, and gone home with the urge to write your own? Why not give a play or a screenplay a try? 33 Total Points

Lesson 12 Video
Complete: Assignment 12: Dialog Creation
Complete Exam: Lesson 12: Upstage, Downstage: Writing Drama

Lesson 13 : Conclusion

Creative writing is about making a leap into the unknown. It is about banishing your doubts and fears about your own talent and creativity, and plunging ahead. 196 Total Points

Lesson 13 Video
Take Poll: Your Opinion Matters: Course Rating
Take Survey: Program Evaluation Follow-up Survey (End of Course)
Complete: Assignment 13: Revising
Complete: The Final Creative Writing Assignment
Complete Exam: Lesson 13 : Conclusion
Complete: The Final Exam

591

Total Course Points

Learning Outcomes

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

Know the steps to take before attempting to write.
Demonstrate writing from inspiration.
Demonstrate writing without inspiration.
Demonstrate writing through imitation.
Demonstrate writing in your own voice.
Know the processes involved in generating poetic forms.
Demonstrate writing a short story, and
Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.

Additional Course Information

Document Your Lifelong Learning Achievements
Earn an Official Certificate Documenting Course Hours and CEUs
Verify Your Certificate with a Unique Serial Number Online

View and Share Your Certificate Online or Download/Print as PDF
Display Your Certificate on Your Resume and Promote Your Achievements Using Social Media

Course Title: Creative Writing Workshop

Course Number: 7550286

Languages: English - United States, Canada and other English speaking countries

Category:

UniversalClass.com > Writing Help > Writing Creative Fiction

Course Type: College Level (Self-Paced, Online Class)

CEU Value: 1.4 IACET CEUs (Continuing Education Units)

CE Accreditation: Universal Class, Inc. has been accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).

Grading Policy: Earn a final grade of 70% or higher to receive an online/downloadable CEU Certification documenting CEUs earned.

Assessment Method: Lesson assignments and review exams

Instructor: Melissa Behrend

Syllabus: View Syllabus

Duration: Continuous: Enroll anytime!

Course Fee: $65.00 (no CEU Certification) || with Online CEU Certification: $90.00

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Student Testimonials

"I really appreciated the warm and understanding tone of the lessons." -- Kathleen R.
"Excellent learning environment." -- Donna N.
"The writing assignments and the instructor feedback were most helpful. I have taken two classes from this instructor, and I learned a great deal in both." -- Karen R.
"The lessons and exercises were extremely informative and useful." -- Michelle G.
"The course had many suggested activities and exercises. The more of these I did the better experience I had with each lesson." -- Mel T.
"I found that the course layout was concise and practical. My tutor Anne was constructive with her criticism. I enjoyed the course immensely. I want to thank her for her time and correspondence. :)" -- Pip V.
"What was most helpful were the essay assignments. It helped get me back in a creative mode." -- Martha L.
View More Testimonials...