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What This Course Will Do for You
If you've ever faced that intimidating blank page and not known where to begin your story, this 30-day intensive writing workshop will get you on track! Writing Fiction Step by Step was created for aspiring fiction writers and those who would like to take the craft of writing fiction to the next level. Multi-book author, college instructor, and writing coach Delphine Boswell will put a solid understanding of fiction writing within easy reach of aspiring wordsmiths as she demystifies and breaks down the craft of creating characters, plot, dialogue, and tension. Daily tutorials and writing prompts will simplify the process of creating settings, and writers will learn how to use a variety of story telling techniques such as point of view and voice. This hands-on workshop is for anyone who wants a crash course in the down-to-earth basics of writing compelling fiction worthy of publication. It's the perfect starting point for those interested in writing a novel but don't know where to begin. Upon completing the course, you should have the discipline and skills necessary to pick up old writing projects that have been collecting dust on the shelf and transform them into stories that will keep readers glued to your words!
Lesson Plan
Syllabus: Getting StartedDay 1:Building Interesting Characters Day 2:People Watching Day 3:Six Attributes for Believable Characters Day 4:It's Time to Meet Your Characters! Day 5:Putting Your Characters to Work Day 6:What's Going on in Your Character's Mind? Day 7:"Show Don't Tell!" – What Does It Mean? Day 8:Exploring Your Character's World Day 9:Home Sweet Home Day 10:Give Yourself An Eye Witness View Day 11:Using Description Effectively Day 12:What Your Setting Reveals Day 13:Let's talk About It! Writing Dialogue Day 14:Should Dialogue Be "Grammatically Correct?" Day 15:Dialogue and Voice Day 16:Creative Use of Dialogue Tags Day 17:Conflict and Tension Day 18:Elements of Conflict Day 19:How to Create Tension Day 20:Developing Conflict and Tension Day 21:Building Suspense Day 22:What's in the Mix? Using Plot to Hook the Reader Day 23:Moving the Plot Forward Day 24:Falling Action and Sub-Plots Day 25:Plot and Mindmapping Day 26:Editing and Revision Day 27:Grammar and Punctuation Day 28:Critique — Is It Good for You? Day 29:Online Resources for Writers Day 30: Final Exam |
About the Instructor
Delphine Boswell has taught writing, speech, and literature at the community college and university levels. She holds a Master's degree in English with an emphasis on Composition and Rhetoric. She has several nonfiction publication credits in the area of parent/teacher education as well as several children's books. She also holds a Master's in Early Childhood Education with an emphasis on parenting. Delphine's love is writing fiction, and she has completed five novels in the genres of mystery, suspense, and psychological horror. She is presently enrolled in a Master's of Fine Arts program with Northwest Institute of Literary Arts with her interest being Creative Writing. For her thesis, she is working on a science-fiction novel about a future dystopia that is controlled by an oppressive government. Recently, one of Delphine's science fiction short stories, The Neighbors, was published in the Soundings Review, a literary journal. Delphine is married and the mother of four young adult children. In between writing and teaching, her three "fur children" keep her more than busy. She describes her passion for writing by quoting John Steinbeck's words: "I nearly always write just as I nearly always breathe."
How to Participate in this Course
The course curriculum will include tutorial lessons, suggested readings, and homework activities. If you are taking the course for personal enjoyment or self-enrichment, homework is optional but you are encouraged to take part in suggested class activities to derive optimum benefit from the course. Homework projects, if completed satisfactorily, will earn Extra Credit points. These points will be added to your Final Exam score and may increase the overall grade you earn in the course. There are no formal class meetings, so you do not have to be online at any set time. You can study and complete assignments at your convenience. Plan to devote 3-5 hours a week to class assignments and study. The benefit that you will receive from this online class will be proportionate to the time and effort you invest. Students who approach online learning as an adventure, make an effort to keep up with the curriculum and interact with classmates on the discussion forum will enjoy the greatest opportunity for knowledge and personal growth. The Student Handbook provides useful information on how to make the most of your online learning experience at Webversity. Refer to this guide for helpful tips on how to access your classrooms, posting homework, and answers to most frequently asked questions. The following sections may be especially helpful: |