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
  • 24/7 Availability
  • Start Anytime
  • PC & Mac Compatible
  • Android & iOS Friendly
  • Accredited CEUs
Universal Class is an IACET Accredited Provider
 

Learning Outcomes

By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
  • Summarize 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.
  • Summarize the processes involved in generating poetic forms.
  • Demonstrate writing a short story.
  • Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.
 
 

Assessment Guide

Assessment Points
Assignment 1: Starting Small 20 points
Lesson 1: Small Steps 10 points
Assignment 2: Combatting Fear 20 points
Lesson 2: Getting Out of Your Own Way 10 points
Assignment 3: Freewriting 25 points
Lesson 3: Diving In 9 points
Assignment 4: Evaluating Tools 20 points
Lesson 4: Gear 10 points
Assignment 5: Show Don't Tell 25 points
Lesson 5: Words on a Page 10 points
Assignment 6: Choosing Mentors 25 points
Lesson 6 : On the Shoulders of Giants: Learning by Imitation 9 points
Assignment 7: Your Passions 25 points
Lesson 7: Finding your Voice 10 points
Assignment 8: Using Metaphors 20 points
Lesson 8: Poetic Devices 10 points
Assignment 9: Sonnets and Haikus 25 points
Lesson 9: Poetic Forms 10 points
Assignment 10: Narrative Practice 25 points
Lesson 10: Short Story 9 points
Assignment 11: Creating Characters 25 points
Lesson 11: The Long Haul: Writing a Novel 9 points
Assignment 12: Dialog Creation 25 points
Lesson 12: Upstage, Downstage: Writing Drama 8 points
Assignment 13: Revising 25 points
The Final Creative Writing Assignment 100 points
Lesson 13 : Conclusion 10 points
The Final Exam 61 points
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