- Advanced Short Story Writing
- Breaking Into the Freelance Greeting Card Market
- Bringing Your Characters To Life
- Children's Fiction: In-Depth Plotting
- Creative Writing 101
- How to Write a Short Story 101
- How to Write Short Stories for Children 101
- Journaling and Memoir Writing 101
- Novel Writing 101
- Poetry 101: The Way We Word
- Poetry Writing Basics
- Screenwriting 101: The Nuts and Bolts and Rewards
- Write Short Stories for Children
- Write Tidbits for Tots through Teens
- Writing Articles for the Niche Market
- Writing the Great American Short Story
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Course Description:
1.0 Continuing Education Units are available at course completion.
This class is an in-depth study of short stories and how to write them. It covers different elements of short stories, and looks at how writers can improve their use of each element. Students will be reading and discussing short stories. There is an emphasis on learning through practice, and so students will be completing writing exercises and writing short stories. This course is ideal for students with a serious interest in the short story genre and in creative writing. It is unique in that it uses different methods to learn and become better authors. The combination of traditional lessons and teaching, writing exercises and creative thought, and reading and studying short stories allows students to learn in a variety of ways. All students with an interest in the subject matter and a proficient level of written English are welcomed to the course. Most students will have had some previous writing experience.
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Course Description:
1.0 Continuing Education Units are available at course completion.
Fun, easy course in greeting card writing - and you don't need to be funny! We all have great ideas but if they're not submitted in the proper form, it's the same as having no idea at all. And the proper form is easy. Maybe you'd like the extra income $$$$ . I'll show you how I have added a sweet side income to my life. I'll share with you my experience in this field learned in over 35 years writing greeting card text. Everything you need to know will be presented within this course. I'll give you honest feedback on your ideas marketability. I'm always available by email and interested in your success. One student made $75 for TWO words on a post-it note: When's recess? The company added a picture of a frazzled looking teacher and sent him a $75 check! When's the last time you made $37.50 per word? That check could have been YOURS.
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Course Description:
1.0 Continuing Education Units are available at course completion.
Creating believable characters is key to writing a good story or novel. People may not be able to recall every detail of the plot of their favorite movie or book, but they generally can tell you every eccentricity of their favorite hero. Assuming, of course, that the writer created an actual 'character' and didn't just resort to using quickly forgotten cardboard stereotypes. In this course, students will learn how to turn 'stock' characters into three dimensional people that readers will never forget. Since writing is best learned by doing, coursework consists of creating and critiquing sample character scenes. Throughout the course, participants will explore various aspects of their main character and will begin to 'flesh out' their hero to create a memorable protagonist.
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Course Description:
1.0 Continuing Education Units are available at course completion.
Plot designs are not something 'set-in-stone' by magazine editors (or teachers of Creative Writing courses). Just as an architect uses blueprints, so do writers of short stories for children. No one buys a house if the architect does not know how to design blueprints. Short story plots are the the children's fiction writer's blueprints. Four basic 'blueprints' will be covered in this class: the Incidental plot, the 'did-it -by-myself, the wishful thought fulfilled, and the turn-around story. From these, students will write from four to five stories. Each story will be individually critiqued by the instructor. Rewriting assistance and feedback will be given. The end focus will be marketing the finished manuscripts for paid publication. This course is designed for authors with some experience at writing, particularly in the area or short stories for children. It will concern plotting, writing, rewriting and actively marketing four different types of children's stories. If you haven't completed 'Writing Short Short Stories for Children,' please email the instructor at web-request@UniversalClass.com for information on qualifications for this class.
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Course Description:
1.0 Continuing Education Units are available at course completion.
'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, essays, film-writing, stories in general, etc.) as they relate to the creative impulse. We also talk about the Writer's Voice and personality, writing as therapy, illusions about writing, legend and mythos, and other areas where a creative writer may find inspiration, advice or enlightening conjecture. This self-paced course is offered to writers everywhere with hat-in-hand, for what it may be worth. Test and review questions, and also lesson exercises are included at the end of each lesson to build mastery.
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Course Description:
1.0 Continuing Education Units are available at course completion.
If you're a reader and thought you might like to try your hand at short story writing but just don't know how to get started, this basic course will help. This online class takes you through the entire process…preparing your mind, getting ideas on paper, and helps you through the editing and proofing process. You'll learn new skills, and find new ways to express yourself. As you advance through this course, you're going to learn the correct way to write a short story. More than that, you're going to learn the aspects of every good short story as well as learn how to create your own wonderful works! Amateur short story writers try to write their stories like miniature novels. Their stories read as either an excerpt or a condensed novel. Unfortunately, undisciplined writers do not write short stories that are complete. They overlook the fundamentals--such as--what sets the short story apart from a novel, and why one can never be substituted for the other. This course will show you how to write effectively and creatively. So join us today! And let's write some short stories that people want to read!
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Course Description:
1.0 Continuing Education Units are available at course completion.
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 during your child's nap times. Many noted children's authors started writing in short bursts when their own young children were sleeping or playing nearby. Writing for children is by no means easy, however. Children's book and magazine editors expect well developed characters, engaging plots, and vivid description, all in a very small package. Good children's writers learn to make every word count. Communicating effectively with kids means using language they can understand but not talking down to them, and this is easier said than done. In this course, we will look at the elements that go into an effective children's story, from initial idea to finished manuscript. If you've always wanted to write but don't know where to start, we'll cover that too. And once you have a few good stories under your belt, you'll want to find publishing outlets for them. We'll go over the basics of submitting to publishers and even of publishing books yourself. Writing stories for children can be a fascinating hobby or a challenging career. You can write for your own kids, or publish stories and books that will reach thousands of eager readers. Either way, you will gain the satisfaction of knowing that you are making a difference in the lives of children who hear or read your words.
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Course Description:
1.0 Continuing Education Units are available at course completion.
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, document unique experiences or travels, record your family history, or leave a legacy to future generations, Journaling and Memoir Writing is a comprehensive step-by-step guide that will demystify the process of finally putting your story on paper. No matter if you're a novice or a professional writer interested in the memoir form, Journaling and Memoir Writing is designed to help you decide what story to tell and the best way in which to tell it. Whether you are interested in writing a memoir exploring your personal struggles such as addiction, abuse or divorce or a travelogue based on your experience backpacking through Europe, this course will help you narrow the focus of your life story and define the underlying theme that will connect you with an audience. You will also learn how to find your true voice that will make your story unique and authentic. Through varied and comprehensive writing exercises you will learn how to sharpen your instincts and hone your storytelling craft. Journaling and Memoir Writing will also teach you how to dig deeper into your life and mine important memories that will enable you add incredible depth and richness to your story. In addition to the extensive writing lessons, you will learn what to do with your memoir once it is finished. Whether your goal is pass on your memoir as a family heirloom or to become a New York Times best seller, Journaling and Memoir Writing will address the various publishing options available to you. Everyone has a story to tell. Let this online class help you write yours today.
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Course Description:
1.0 Continuing Education Units are available at course completion.
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 within this course, aspiring (and even experienced) novelists can find the structure they need to create a well-crafted manuscript, one they will be proud to shop to potential agents and publishers. While some creative types may balk at the idea of adhering to a framework, the truth is that following such guidelines actually frees up writers to focus on the genesis and flow of ideas as opposed to be bogged down by the myriad of format and publishing style particulars. That is why we have provided you with insights into how, from start to finish, you can develop the varying elements of your novel: characters, plotlines, setting, tone, conflict, climax, and resolution\denouement. Labeled as dramatic construction, every novel ought to have a foundation in these basic principles. Plus, we will help take you one step further by offering you the specifics as to what is required to submit your completed work to potential agents and publishers. With an end goal in mind, this will help inspire you to actually finish your novel. Outfitted with both practical and creative writers' tools, there is no reason you can not successfully write a novel and get it published. If indeed you are truly committed and willing to invest the necessary time and effort to put your literary skills to the test, there should be nothing, absolutely nothing, stopping you from producing memorable prose.
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Course Description:
1.0 Continuing Education Units are available at course completion.
An introduction to the tools of poetry: imagery, metaphor, sound, rhythm, rhyme, and form. By the end of the course, students should have a clear understanding of what makes a poem a poem, as well as a handful of new poems that they have written. Through a series of six lessons, we will hit upon the essential tools for creating a poem: imagery, metaphor, sound, rhythm, rhyme, and form. Each lesson expands upon the previous lesson to show the interconnectivity of these essential tools, but each one also looks at the tool in and of itself. In the process, we will look at how these tools are used in various poems, by means of definitions, explanations, and examples. The focus is not on poetic terms, but on processes; while designed for the beginning poet, the course would also be a good brush-up for intermediate and even advanced poets. Lesson by lesson, you will then apply these tools to poems of your own creation through assignments. So that we can all learn from each other, these original poems will be posted and workshopped, meaning not only will you write poems, but you will comment on others' poems. Similarly, you will receive feedback from others on your own poems. Think of the workshop aspect as one of constructive criticism, a means of creative revision, of growing as a poet.
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Course Description:
1.0 Continuing Education Units are available at course completion.
Have you ever admired the rhythm and rhymes of famous poets such as Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson? Have you ever wanted to express your ideas in sharp, concise language? Have you ever wanted to express your feelings to friends or loved ones, or create a special poem for an event or gathering? If so, then this Poetry Writing Basics class is right for you. In this class, we will be looking at the basic tools of poetry, such as imagery, metaphor, concrete language, rhythm, and description, as well as different schools of contemporary poetry. We will be using assignment prompts and model poems to help you to write your own poetry and come up with ideas for future work. For this class, a basic interest in poetry and proficiency in English is required.
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Course Description:
1.0 Continuing Education Units are available at course completion.
This is a basic, nuts-and-bolts course, for people who wish to write screenplays, but don't know much about it. Because screenwriting is demanding both technically and in the market for jobs and sales, 'Getting Into The Screenwriting Game to Win' attempts to go through each essential aspect needed for a beginner to get started, stick with it, and yes, make a sale or get a job. In this course you will learn basic rules and skills. There's no excuse for a poorly formatted script, you're really only wasting your time. Traditional three-act structure for film-stores can be debated endlessly, but it works, it's very functional, it's fairly easy to understand, and you can't neglect at least a passing familiarity with this mode of expression for your stories. Get in touch with the industry, the markets, what's selling, where to find opportunities, how to deal with people. Approach your work standards and work environment seriously, because you'll be spending a lot of time there. If you get a deal, don't get screwed for careless anticipation of the money involved, and if you get screwed, don't be surprised. And remember that if you can't make it to the top and win an Oscar for some super-big film you wrote, it's still a wonderful way to make a buck at your computer doing smaller gigs and 'for-hire' work. Screenwriting is also therapy. It's good for you, and your imagination and thoughts will develop wonderfully as you work through each visualization---but be sensitive to the audience, don't exploit our world with endless images of violence and gore (at least not without a reason), and don't hop in bed with unethical projects or money-sources just because you can. It's a wild world for films and film-makers---stay on the bright side and keep it safe and legal. The hope is that for the beginner, this course presents a working knowledge of what is needed to get started writing screenplays in a realistic and informed way. Beyond this, you're now free to roam where no screenwriter has gone before---and what a wonder it is to wonder.
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Course Description:
1.0 Continuing Education Units are available at course completion.
This course is designed for those who wish to write short stories for children. It will lead the student through the basics of this art form into the specifics of characterization, age groups, plotting and outlining, drafting a story for children, rewriting and polishing the work. Final lessons will cover manuscript preparation and marketing strategies. Students will receive personal instructor feedback and critique. The goal of this course is to increase a student's chance for publication.
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Course Description:
1.0 Continuing Education Units are available at course completion.
This course is designed for those who consider writing nonfiction for kids a creative venture. It is designed to help the writer sell two types of short fillers that abound in children's magazines: crafts and recipes. A short segment also will concern writing cute kid sayings for adult markets. The student will learn how to build an Idea Bank to work from, how to study a magazine and build a market list for each writing. Marketing strategies and basic manuscript format will be covered. Students will leave the class with 15 'tidbit' writings ready to market--and enough ideas to keep them busy writing for months.
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Course Description:
1.0 Continuing Education Units are available at course completion.
This course is an introduction to the nonfiction niche market and techniques for placing articles with these publishers. Magazines that specialize in niche topics -- such as particular hobbies, sports, historical eras or political causes -- offer a large market for new writers wishing to become established as freelancers. This course will discuss these markets and give step-by-step procedures for preparing a completed article. The instructor is a freelance writer, with articles published in BackHome, Spiritual Life, Writer's Forum, Fate, Bibliophiles, 'What Makes People Successful?,' Julian's Journal, and Emerging Awareness.
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Course Description:
1.0 Continuing Education Units are available at course completion.
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 tale that lingers with readers after the last page is turned? In this class, you will gain the inspiration and the discipline to write a short story of 1000 to 8000 words. We will use examples from all genres, exploring the techniques of plot, style, flow, voice and tone that will make your fiction sing. This close reading of master works is accompanied by tried and true methods for putting words on the page, revising, and handling criticism from others. One thing's for sure: Your stories are ready to tell themselves to you. And, if all goes well enough, they'll tell themselves to the world as well. So, are you ready to start writing?
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