Introduction to Writing

Hours: 24 / Access Length: 180 Days / Delivery: Online, Self-Paced

Course Overview:

Do you have exciting stories, plots or characters dancing around in your head?  Do you have a life experience or lesson to share, but don't know where to begin? This workshop is designed for those of you interested in entering the realm of creative writing for the first time.  Our emphasis is on introducing you to the creative writing process.  We'll explore topics such as setting up your writing environment, creating plots, building characters, writing dialog and editing.

Course Outline:

Lesson 1: Getting Started

First things first! This lesson introduces you to the basic tools of the trade and environment for writing.  We     will discuss different types of writing instruments, ways to capture story and how to choose a writing environment.

Lesson 2: Letting Creative Juices Flow

Staring at a blank page can be unsettling if you're new to writing.  In this lesson, we discuss ways to get those creative juices flowing in preparation for a writing session.  We'll also address the value and process of setting writing goals.

Lesson 3: Building the Plot and Story

Think of plot and story as the meat and potatoes of writing a story.  In this lesson, we explore the difference between these two terms, how they work together and how we create them.

Lesson 4: Characters are Everything

No amount of ingenious plot and story can pull in a reader if the characters are dull, lifeless and unlikable.  In this lesson, we discover ways to create well-developed, multi-layered characters.

Lesson 5: Writing Dialog for the Reader

Writing compelling dialog that fits perfectly with a character is an art.  It's more than putting words on a page.  It starts with listening and requires developing a good ear.  In this lesson, we reveal some rules, pitfalls and tips that can help you to master writing realistic dialog.

Lesson 6: The Magic of Words

In this lesson, we discuss the value of word economy, how to write with description and how the way you put words together can evoke all types of feelings and pictures in the mind of the reader.

Lesson 7: The Power of Editing

In this final lesson, the focus is on taking your story to the next level or next draft, through editing. Many successful authors go through two or three revisions of a story before finalizing it.  Those editing sessions are crucial, and address plot, story, character, dialog and of course, grammar and formatting.

All necessary materials are included.

System Requirements:

Internet Connectivity Requirements:

• Cable, Fiber, DSL, or LEO Satellite (i.e. Starlink) internet with speeds of at least 10mb/sec download and 5mb/sec upload are recommended for the best experience.

NOTE: While cellular hotspots may allow access to our courses, users may experience connectivity issues by trying to access our learning management system.  This is due to the potential high download and upload latency of cellular connections.   Therefore, it is not recommended that students use a cellular hotspot as their primary way of accessing their courses.

Hardware Requirements:

• CPU: 1 GHz or higher
• RAM: 4 GB or higher
• Resolution: 1280 x 720 or higher.  1920x1080 resolution is recommended for the best experience.
• Speakers / Headphones
• Microphone for Webinar or Live Online sessions.

Operating System Requirements:

• Windows 7 or higher.
• Mac OSX 10 or higher.
• Latest Chrome OS
• Latest Linux Distributions
  

NOTE: While we understand that our courses can be viewed on Android and iPhone devices, we do not recommend the use of these devices for our courses. The size of these devices do not provide a good learning environment for students taking online or live online based courses.

Web Browser Requirements:

• Latest Google Chrome is recommended for the best experience.
• Latest Mozilla FireFox
• Latest Microsoft Edge
• Latest Apple Safari

Basic Software Requirements (These are recommendations of software to use):

• Office suite software (Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice)
• PDF reader program (Adobe Reader, FoxIt)
• Courses may require other software that is described in the above course outline.