This course covers every aspect of creative writing. Each lesson includes a practical assignment which is based on the real world of creative writing. All assignments are personally marked and graded by your tutor, so you’ll be receiving expert feedback at each stage of the course.

Lesson 01: You can be a writer

How to get started.
Where, when and what to write.
Finding your form, including experiments in fiction and non-fiction prose, poetry and drama.
Who you can write for: how to appeal to varied audiences including children, young adults, and adults.

Lesson 02: The basics

Writing and publishing terminology.
Applying a style guide.
Presenting your work correctly.
Creative a cover sheet.
Keeping legally safe notebooks and records.

Lesson 03: What to write about

Developing your imagination and producing ideas.
Overcoming writer’s block.
Finding original angles and follow-ups.
Reading as a writer.
Writing as a reader.

Lesson 04: Writing techniques

The importance of drafting.
Develop your own style: finding your unique “voice”.
Achieve brevity, fluency and consistency.
Writing for a reader.

Lesson 05: How to write fictional prose, including:

Short stories: different types of short story, and flash-fiction. Scene setting, characterisation, dialogue, narrative point of view.
Novels: different genres, and traditional and modern forms. Scene setting, characterisation, dialogue, narrative point of view.
“Genre” fiction: sci-fi, fantasy, crime. Scene setting, characterisation, dialogue.
“Literary” fiction: history, scene setting, characterisation, dialogue, narrative point of view.