100-hour Writing Fiction course

There are eight lessons in this module as follows:

1. Scope and Nature of Fiction
Elements
Types of Fiction (Category/genre and Mainstream)
Characteristics of Category Fiction (strong plot, hero/heroine, motivation. Action, background/setting)
Characteristics of Mainstream Fiction (Strong plot, Action or intrigue, hero, heroine, romance, happy ending)
Book, play or short story
Categories (Fantasy, fairy tale, fable, myth, legend, science fiction, western, drama, romance, comedy, horror, crime, suspense, erotica)
Getting an Idea (using a fragment, philosophical approach, develop from a title or opening sentence)
Back story
Types of writing
Theme development
Write an Analogy
Writing a Balanced Theme
Are You Suited to Writing Fiction ; Imagination, Being Informed, Human Behaviour
Importance of Focus

2. Components of a Story
Story Components
Story Structure
Theme
Plot
Characterisation
Settings
Developing your own Style
Aspects of Style.
Case Study

3. Technique
Conception (Characters, Settings, Events)
Write a Synopsis
Developing a Story
Examples of Plot Structure
Method Writing (Developing characters, changing characters, Appropriateness of characters, Revealing characters through crisis, names, stereotypes, creating dynamic characters)
Writing a Draft
Editing and Rewriting.

4. Conception and Research
Conceiving a Story
Parts of Conception
Making conception original
Types of research (Primary and secondary data)
Planning a formal survey

5. Drama
Writing a Dramatic Story
Common mistakes
Time Shifting
Transition between events
Dramatic conflict
Motivation
Dialogue
Point of View.
Representing Characters Speech

6. Fantasy
Science Fiction
Methods to develop Sci Fi
Fairy Tales.

7. The Short Story
Characteristics of Short Stories.
Length in terms of: the time frame; the number of characters; the number of events; the number of settings
Common Problems with Short story Writers

8. The Novel
Guidelines
Planning a Novel
Making a story Endure (Archetypes, etc)
Tips
Getting Started
Submitting a Manuscript.
Which Publisher

PLUS

20-hour How to Write A Short Story

PLUS

4 x eBooks:

• Editing Skills
• Professional Writing
• Writing A Novel
• How to be a Successful Editor