"All writing is communication; creative writing is communication through revelation—it is the Self escaping into the open."
—E.B. White
You may also want to check out the 6-week version of this course, the Accelerated Getting Started in Writing workshop, or the 28-week version of this course, the Extended Getting Started in Writing workshop.
Do you feel you have an aptitude for writing, but you've never had a chance to really give it serious attention? Perhaps you've been writing reports and memos for work, and you’re yearning to try something more creative—maybe even try your hand at freelancing. Are you overwhelmed by the possibilities? Or not even sure what the possibilities are? You’ve come to the right place!
The Getting Started in Writing workshop will help you explore your writing interests and discover your personal aptitudes. We'll introduce you to a wide variety of categories of writing, and teach you basic techniques to improve your narrative skills—through the use of creativity exercises, hands-on writing assignments and constructive critical feedback—no matter what kind of writing you choose to pursue.
Please note: This workshop is intended to be an overview and introduction to a number of types of writing—from fillers, to short stories to books. You will not be expected to submit fully-developed, final-draft work, but rather you will be encouraged to experiment with a variety of forms with the goal of discovering your own writing "path." If you already know you want to work in a particular genre, you should consider one of our "Fundamentals" workshops. If you're ready to start a particular project, see our series of project-specific "Focus" workshops.
This workshop will consist of six two-week sessions. Each session will include online lectures and associated textbook reading assignments, along with a writing assignment related to the session’s topic, which will be submitted to the instructor for private review at the end of the first week of the session. During the second week of each session, work will be posted for group review and feedback. Throughout the workshop you will be able to participate in asynchronous lecture discussion and encouraged to take advantage of ongoing informal discussions and posted self-directed writing exercises. Each session will also include a "Writer's Glossary" to help you become familiar with terms related to the craft and business of writing. (2.4 CEUs)
| Workshop length: |
Twelve Weeks |
| Textbook(s) to purchase: |
Keys to Great Writing (by Stephen Wilbers, Writer's Digest Books) (If you are unable to locate this text, contact us for purchase information.) |
| Course Developer: |
Stephenie Steele |
| Tuition: |
$325.00 |
Workshop Outline
Session One: Getting Started—The Writer's Toolbox
Essential writers' reference guides and the resources of your local library; the fundamentals of grammar and mechanics; using description and sensory detail to enhance your writing.
Writing Assignment: Three versions of a descriptive paragraph, each establishing a different mood or emotion (50 words or less per paragraph); an original passage that uses description and sensory detail to paint a "word picture" (up to 250 words).
Session Two: The Elements of Creative Writing
How the same principles of creative writing—characterization, viewpoint, dialogue, and conflict, among others—apply to both fiction and nonfiction; how to apply these techniques to any kind of writing you choose to do.
Writing Assignment: A "sketch" of a fictional character or a real person that reveals something important about that character through a combination of dialogue, narrative description and action (up to 250 words); A short scene of dialogue between two characters in conflict (up to 250 words).
Session Three: Short Nonfiction
Fillers, research articles, personal experience articles, how-to articles, and other article types; finding out what kind of nonfiction writing appeals to your talents and interests.
Writing Assignment: Two to three short fillers; one short personal experience OR how-to article that does not require research (up to 750 words); a plan for a research article, including a brief summary of the article idea and a description of the research you would conduct (up to 500 words).
Session Four: Short Fiction
The different categories (genres) of fiction, and the various short fiction forms—short stories, short-short stories and novellas; plot; outlining; exploring your own story ideas.
Writing Assignment: A brief summary of an original story (250 words or less); the story itself (up to 1,500 words): EITHER a complete short-short story OR the first 1,500 words of a longer story or novella.
Session Five: Books
Novels, nonfiction books and memoirs; openings—getting off to a strong start; exploring your own ideas to decide what kind of book might be in your future.
Writing Assignment: A completed Idea Summary Sheet for a book you'd like to write (fiction or nonfiction); the opening pages of the book (up to 1,500 words).
Session Six: The Finishing Touches
The importance of revising and rewriting; how to be your own best editor; preparing a professionally formatted manuscript; deciding what kind of writing you're most interested in pursuing, and where to go from here.
Writing Assignment: An original work of fiction or nonfiction, either a complete short work or the opening of a longer work (up to 2,000 words).